Gunjou

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The cruelest thing about love is it can't happen with just anyone.

For a happy-go-lucky Otaka Chiyomi, the person who seized her heart just had to be a classmate who was contrary to her in everything but gender, Ezaki Soko, whose smile was all it took for Chiyomi to throw away all happiness in her life for.

That was only where this romantic heavy little series started. "Gunjou" explored the consequences of being overcome by intense love and pride, so much so that they fucked up your whole life. How can Chiyomi continue to love her old classmate after she heartlessly made her into a murderer, ... and without even a glimpse of being appreciated after all the dirts she went into for her? And how will the very proud and stubborn Soko take responsibility of having destroyed the life of the only person in this world who was ever truly kind to her? They both are walking on complete different grounds to each other and their contradictions will always hurt one another.

As depressing as the manga sounds though, I grew warmed up to the characters while reaching towards the final book. You will think Chiyomi is a fool and inconsiderate at times, but you won't be able to help but fall in love with her. And I personally disliked how conceited Soko was at first in spite of her misfortunes. She was a bitch to Chiyomi. However, the manga makes these two characters exist both to defame and compliment each other. It was because of Chiyomi herself that I eventually came to have high regards for Soko as the story ended.

It was a heavy read. Not to mention the art style is not the least bit to my taste. I found some important scenes to be so disgusting it made me thought the mangaka did it on purpose to scare readers off, since the story was kind of spooky. I meant she could draw decently for most panel, and this is a female's romantic series we are talking about. It made this manga appears distastefully unique though, I would give her that.

Nonetheless, I am glad I have completed it. When you are growing older and influenced by this distorted world you have lost your touch of genuineness, and having finished these volumes brought the touch back to me. It is definitely one of the manga that offers its readers more than the price they pay for.

This is one of the best mangas I read in a while. I enterd this expecting... Well, surely not expecting this.

I don't want to spoil anything but if you like in depth characterization and genius writing of heavy themes you'll like this.

Story is an 8 I'd say. It is fairly original but nothing too special. Although it is the perfect setting to reveal the psychological drama and turmoil in the characters.

The art is ok. I'll give it a 6 although I did not enjoy it that much. You don't mind the art as the manga pulls you in and doesn't let you ... go.

Characters... outstandingly fleshed out. A perfect ten. You'll see their thoughts, their feelings and weaknesses and small strenghts they have in them. 10/10

Overall it's not a perfect ten(because of the art mostly) but I'd give it a 9.9 if I could. I'm gonna read it again some time for sure

I seriously don't get how people like this manga at all. And what's more surprising is that Nakamura Ching is gay and made smth like this.

--kinda spoilers ahead---

I've first read this manga when I was abt 15-16 maybe? and at that time I was already having hard times accepting my own sexuality and this manga didn't help at all. You may say that this isn't a manga for that anyways but listen:
My main problem isn't about two women having a toxic relationship, it's how Nakamura executed this. The lesbian character, Chiyomi, keeps talking about how she feels bad bc she thinks she's not enough ... to give pleasure to Soko bc she doesn't have a dick. Yeah, she really says that while having sex. I know that most probably all lesbians can find themselves being lesbophobic in a way sometimes bc of our social structures, and bc of the traumas we have but the things in the manga weren't really an example of that either, and even if she tried to do that it wasn't a nice execution like I said.

The story had such potential but bc of the characters I didn't enjoy it at all which makes me quite upset really. I genuinely wanted to like this but I can't.