Isn't awesome when you finally read one work that you had on planning for a long time?
This is my case with this manga, and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, it was a super fun read and also a really light one.
Tasogare Otome it's a mild ecchi comedy highschool manga from 2008, that alone should give you some input on how the story will develop and the overall structure for stories of this kind.
But why did I like it so much?
Tasogare Otome is a manga that uses the concept of rumors, ghosts and curses as a metaphor for how the characters tries to escape from their own flaws and problems, pushing all their fears, anger and sorrow onto those ghost stories, and that is awesome because it builds the whole identity of the manga and how the plot will push forward the thematic of: Find a new rumor -> find a person associated to that rumor -> see how the rumor is related to the character's problem.
This narrative eventually leads them to confront their own 'ghosts,' both literally and metaphorically. The narrative beautifully illustrates how personal growth often requires us to face the very things we've been avoiding, and how overcoming these internal 'ghosts' is essential for moving forward in life.
There are various examples of this throughout the manga, but the most relevant ones I would say that are: the two girls who were in love but had to be separated, the girl who wrecked up her classroom in a fit of rage and the girl who was used as a scapegoat, relating her with the rumors about Yuuko.
These are good examples on how the narrative works within this work, throughout all the manga we see this formula play over and over but never really becoming repetitive, this I think its thanks to the chemistry of the characters (the two main protagonist are awesome with each other), and the secondary characters are fun to read too. And if I have to speak about the story I will say that the final act of the manga was the peak of the series, the intrigue, flashback and the ending payed-off all that was written as a preparation for the climax, and if you ask me I have to say that the best character is, of course, Yuuko; our main heroine.
And this is what the author, Maybe , is trying to teach us with this manga, having fears, doubts and negative emotions is good so long we can confront them and grow as human beings.
At last, and thanks to this mindset, Yuuko was able to reach her happy ending, it was appropiate because she is not longer "Yuuko, the School ghost", she became just "Yuuko" and now is able to spend the rest of her time with her beloved Teiichi.
"__I'll no longer hate the weakness in people's hearts.
I'll no longer hate Yukariko...
I won't hate anyone anymore.__"

8 out of 8 users liked this review