Honestly, I've decided never again to write another time consuming review. But rereading this somehow triggered a bunch of unbridled emotions thus here I am once more, writing another just hours before dawn...
_I'll try to keep this review as concise and spoiler-free as possible_
Characters 24/25
Choosing a heroine has never been so difficult. Character development was gradual, but fulfilling. I got to witness sides of the heroines I never thought existed despite my experience in reading romance titles. I've come to love, hate, appreciate, hesitate with my personal preference along the way, and that really goes to show the extent the author, Negi Haruba, went to establish his characters. Each and every one of the heroines has their own unique charms that develop further along the way, making them shine brighter and brighter than I've initially given them credit for. Simply put, it was one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride.
Plot 25/30
Harem troupes are certainly one of the more difficult genres to tackle. The author has to take into account the preferences of the audience as well as the feelings of the other heroines when having to choose one of them in the end, so as to not have a bitter and unsatisfactory ending. I was extremely conflicted myself. I contemplated for a long while before concluding that if it were me, I couldn't have done better.
The journey on the other hand was rewarding. The protagonist's determination and his hard work really makes me feel he deserves a form of happiness, and in this case, it was the quintuplets who delivers. The adorable skits between them, the various conflicts they had be it relationship or academic, and most importantly the unbreakable bond they develop in the process. They make me proud of being a brother, broadening my horizons at what my siblings and I could perhaps one day become.
Summarizing it up, the plot was comedic, satisfying and heartening despite the inevitable bitter taste in the end for having to choose just one heroine.
Art 18/20
The panels were fantastic and wonderfully thought out. I really enjoyed the heartwarming panels that highlighted beautiful bonding moments of the quintuplets, and I was wholeheartedly touched many times throughout the series. The more you get to know a character, the more you understand their struggles in life and the turmoils in their hearts. There were pages featuring the heroine's radiant smiles that resonated a much contrasting feeling within me and though not explicitly shown after, I could feel a form of sadness behind their facade.
Spoiler, click to view
This rang true many, many times for Nino especially towards the ending.Negi Haruba has done a wonderful job in conveying these feelings and I commend him for making him feel the way I do.
Enjoyment 23/25
The short period of time I took to reread this manga from scratch made me feel a multitude of emotions, some very relatable to my personal life. I guess in a way, it made me fantasize about the ideal big brother I never became. I genuinely enjoyed this series that possibly opened up a new path for me in life. Everything mentioned thus far, is completely subjective and I feel could have been explained much better to the general audience, but I guess I just wanted to put it out there to tell the world that this feeling in me exists.
Written 3/6/2020