Again!!

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This is the kind of manga to… add to “favorites” and recommend to no one.

Again!! is a story that doesn't progress. It's ostensibly a lovely story of some highly dysfunctional people who learn to be better together – except nothing sticks. Though I enjoyed myself most of the way, I'd occasionally look back and realize that nothing had changed; that none of the exciting moments had any lasting impact on the plot nor the characters. Events that seem big and cathartic do nothing – as soon as a character or relationship has developed, it promptly un-develops again. Then, with fifteen plot threads hanging loose, the ... manga ends suddenly and abruptly… and thus left me feeling confused and regretful that I got invested in these characters.

And that's why it hurts: I did get invested in the characters. Despite having no idea how these characters think, or why they do the things they do, I cared.

Is the art why I cared? It's incredible – possibly the most powerful art I've ever seen in a manga. Kubo puts so much passion into every brush stroke – like the ouendan's brusque cheering style, you feel the sheer spirit she pours into each forceful, ink-splattered brush stroke. Or are the characters themselves why I cared? Despite a few despicable apples, and despite a lack of intelligible character development, they're written in such a way that I couldn't help but feel like a part of their found family.

Whatever the case is, I did care… and now here I am, at the bottom of the steep decline that started after 9½ volumes, feeling robbed of a resolution to… anything, really.

Again!! is and will always be special to me. I poured a lot of my feelings into reading it. I know, though, that I'll wish I hadn't.

Most of the reviews I've read about this manga complain about the unsatisfactory conclusion of the story. While I agree with this sentiment, I feel as if the story veered off course much earlier.

Initially, "Again!!" presents a quite interesting premise, and up until approximately the halfway point, I would have readily rated this manga a 7/10. The clean and crisp artwork, coupled with the straightforwardness of Imamura's character, contributed to a positive reading experience. However, even in the early stages, certain aspects of the story began to detract from its appeal:

- The characters occasionally act in ways that deviate from their established personalities, rendering them ... unrelatable and difficult to understand
- Fujieda, initially set up to be a central character, quickly fades into the background, merely following the MC around without contributing meaningfully to the plot
- Some characters display irksome traits, such as Usami's unwarranted strictness and involvement in matters that shouldn't concern her, Fujieda's seemingly stupid behavior, and Suzuki's self-worth hinging entirely on external validation

Despite these flaws, the first half remains an enjoyable read. My enthusiasm dwindled during the latter part of the manga, however. The most glaring issue is the absence of lasting character development. Any progress made is swiftly forgotten, causing the characters to regress to their former selves. This lack of progress adversely impacts the story's pacing, making it feel sluggish. Last but not least, I found myself losing track of the plot, with certain plot points seemingly appearing out of nowhere. As a result, the story appeared disjointed and lacking cohesion.

In light of a promising start that ultimately fell short, I rate this manga a 4/10 in total.