Getsuyoubi no Tomodachi

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Getsuyoubi No Tomodachi, although not perfect, was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect much going into it but I found it to be a fun, loveable, and sometimes beautiful story about growing up. I think that Abe’s use of words is some of the best I've seen in manga. He has a way of stringing very beautiful sentences together in a way to convey lots of emotion. The overall premise of this manga is pretty clever as well. Tsukino and Mizutane’s friendship is very well thought out as it shows their reluctance to grow up as well as their consideration of it. There's not a ... whole lot of negatives for this manga but I do think it’s biggest downfall is the fact that Abe feels the need to spell things out a little too much sometimes. He does a great job at leaving some things up to interpretation however the story would be more interesting if he would have stopped making all the characters talk about how Mizutani will never grow up as it clues you in on the theme from the start. Overall it’s an enjoyable experience that I’ve thought a lot about and hope you will as well!

Some manga stands up to time, some does not.
This piece, fortunately, is the former one. But very unfortunately, it was largely mistranslated according to a user on mangaupdates. (mangaupdates.com/series/bzvaty1/getsuyoubi-no-tomodachi) As a native mandarin speaker I read it with the Chinese scanlation and I found completely different writing so I am confident to prove him right. Other than that, it is easy to be brought into tears if you read the original text. The rough translation about the peak moment in the last chapter is as follows,

"When you become an adult. If you, without a reason, suddenly, or occasionally, thought of me who is working in ... this small town, even just this, I would feel how fortunate I am.
"But if you, can get along with me who walks on the path, what a wonderful thing that will be.
"I fascinate such a thing."

The core of this work is the lines above, and the scene in the page. Everything else are the paths that led to them and take you away. Everything is said and unsaid. The ending leaves open to the readers, while both main characters no longer show up, as it is all about the uncertainty of the future and the wish to have someone by one's side. The indirect yet beautiful expression explains it all.