This review was written as of chapter 98 but I have since completed the manga
This review was written as of chapter 98 but I have since completed the mangaOverview:
- Story: Assertive and diverse characters with believable scenarios, easy to get invested (7.5/10)
- Characters: The effort put into character development was amazing until it backfired (6/10)
- Visuals: Great character design, nothing to nitpick (8/10)
- Bingeable/Hype: Very easy to get invested and a lot of cliffhangers (7.5/10)
- Enjoyment: Was one of my favorites for a while until a certain plot point, still enjoyable overall (7.8/10)
⬡ Overall: *(7.4/10)* ⬡
⬢⬡| Plot |⬡⬢
(7.2/10)
The plot starts off good and remains that way for a while. The main character, Shiki, moves to Hokkaido and ends up meeting a cute gyaru girl. He ends up developing a crush on her, but of course it's not so simple and other love rivals appear. So he has to figure out what he really feels about these girls all while navigating through friendships and romance. It's not a harem in case you were wondering, but every time a new player enters the fray you can't help but root for them.
⬢⬡| Characters |⬡⬢
(6/10)
Unlike other romance manga, these characters don't tiptoe around their feelings. While they do have their fair share of misunderstandings, the characters are incredibly upfront. It's refreshing to see the characters take initiative instead of letting the story stagnate with practically no progression. Characters are the lifeblood of any story, and that's especially true in the romance genre where the main focus is on their dynamics and development. That means that it's even more important for them and the things that happen to them to be consistent and make sense within the context of the plot. Initially, this is something the manga does very well, but over time the characters start acting less and less realistic. It gets to the point where any action taken by any other characters besides the two main love interests almost seems inconsequential. It's really hard to explain this without spoiling the story, but if you don't care about that feel free to read the spoiler.
Spoiler, click to view
I want to start off by saying that I like how everyone is good friends with mature and realistic relationships and how they continue being friends through romantic setbacks. However, what I don't like is how despite this, the author seems set on making the MC and FMC be the only ones for each other, disregarding every other dynamic. Don't get me wrong, the rejection from Shiki to Natsuwaka was handled really well and actually made her character a lot more endearing. Also, Fuyuki asking for time to think about Shiki's confession was actually a good way for the characters to make progress without staying stagnant wondering about each others feelings. Overall, the character interactions were enjoyable and the misunderstandings (because it's a romance manga there has to be misunderstandings) were somewhat believable and handled quickly. The characters all took initiative and so you felt like there was actual progress being made. I loved this aspect of the plot the most, but this is ironically why I also hate it.img60%(https://i.imgur.com/xDlmrNK.png)
Now, while reading this you kind of know that the MC and FMC are gonna end up together at the end. That's how it usually goes, and usually that's not a problem. But with all the character development it's frustrating when they keep getting shot down. Natsukawa's rejection was fine. We had the build up and the investment, and when she got shot down everyone was a little sad, but that's how it's supposed to go. You want them to win but you're still a little conflicted, and so when they lose you're disappointed but ultimately you're fine with it because now the MC can end up with someone better, namely the FMC. So when Akino initially confessed I was upset, because to be honest I wanted her to win. But I was still okay with it because both her and Fuyuki were equally developed characters. However, everything after this was pretty much the final straw.
Heartbreak is necessary.
As weird as it is to say, you kind of want some heartbreak in romance. It adds to the stakes, it adds a little tension, and it fosters more emotional attachment and character growth. The only reason people are okay with whatever ship they have sinking is because there's other ships that are at least equally as good, albeit in a different way. This diversity among love interests is essential in romance and it's something this manga pulled off really well. Because, if they're all similar it just feels like different variations of the same girl, so who cares if one of them gets rejected since it doesn't really matter, he'll end up with basically the same person no matter what. Whereas it's harder not to pick a side when them when there's more contrast between them. When you have different kinds of people it makes it easier to root for them and adds to the authenticity of the character themselves. Basically, every good story needs some conflict or rivalry and the more different the rivals are the better the conflict.
All this to say that rivalry only works when the person you're supposed to be rooting for has more or at least equal character development. And that's where this story messed up. After she got rejected, Akino, a character who already was as equally, if not more developed and loved as Fuyuki started growing more. She started trying harder, she became more assertive, and for a while she was the main focus of the story as opposed to the supposed FMC who went sometimes chapters without even being mentioned. On top of this, Shiki started feeling differently towards her and it seemed like the feelings of attraction were becoming more and more mutual. So all this effort goes into building up this one character while neglecting the FMC only for her to get rejected again.
img30%(https://i.imgur.com/UcGk0sP.jpg) img30%(https://i.imgur.com/11Sd3Ak.jpg)
This isn't me being like "wahh boo hoo, my favorite character didn't end up with MC so story bad."
I will readily admit I am biased, and didn't like the turn the story went because I preferred Akino, but I didn't hate this development just because of personal preference. It was just an out of character decision that genuinely made no sense. Literally everything was pointing to Shiki and Akino ending up together and then they just didn't. And then immediately after this Fuyuki shows up again after being almost completely absent the last few chapters and starts flirting with Shiki after giving mixed messages for so long. It was such a long build up for a huge slap in the face, and then the story goes on like nothing happened. When the entire premise of a story is to have readers get emotionally invested in characters only to then have them then act completely out of character, it ruins the story. We know that Shiki and Fuyuki are going to end up together in the end, but it has to make sense. It's not a free pass to do whatever with the other characters. It ruins the immersion and by extension the entire story because it feels like no matter the signs or developments, every action is just inconsequential.
⬢⬡| Visuals |⬡⬢
(8/10)
You can tell that a lot of attention to detail was put in the character designs (especially the female ones). The artist is really good with expressions, and every so often you'll get a detailed colored panel. There's really nothing to nitpick, overall I'd say it's a bit above your average manga.
⬢⬡| Bingeability/Hype |⬡⬢
(7.5/10)
The story was good and I found myself quickly invested in the characters and because of that it was very easy to keep reading. There were some cliffhangers here and there which also helped. Overall, it's just an engaging and enjoyable read. I actually wrote this review because I'm excited for the upcoming anime and wanted to share my thoughts on the current state of things so hopefully other people could see if they'd also enjoy this story.
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I know I just went on a rant about my issues with the character development, but as a whole I enjoyed this manga. It was just that one specific plot point which I didn't like; the vast majority of the chapters are well written and it's an immersive experience. I kept finding myself pulled back in even after some of the setbacks. It's a manga I plan to continue reading until it's completed.