Hakoiri Drops

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Story: 7/10
The story is a somewhat generic high school romance. Not cliché nor is it too beholden to dumb rom-com tropes. Almost no contrived drama. The romance actually grows in a natural manner and grows throughout the manga. All the usual story beats for a high-school romance manga: shrine visit, fireworks, culture festival, beach, camping, school trip, etc.

Art: 6/10
Decent but very simple. Cute when it intends to be (which is most of the time) but it can do others, like good reaction faces. Characters have good, distinct designs. 4koma so the art is kind of small. There are some coloured in, non-4koma chapters ... too. Artist does draw them in different outfits often too. Backgrounds are hit or miss, sometimes they're simple but good and other times they're blank grey voids

Characters: 8/10
Great main characters and great side characters. The interactions between the characters are great, they're the main draw to the manga after all. Kasugai is a little bland but the others have well-defined personalities. Character development actually happens!

Overall: 8/10
Nice wholesome romance, loved the characters and the romance felt like it came natural. I was definitely rooting for them. There is some drama at the end but it feels like it comes out of nowhere

Good
• Ainoki is a lovable gremlin
• Shizuku is a lovable cinnamon roll
• Cute, seeing the sheltered Shizuku open up is heart-warming as is the romance
• Side story for the support characters, they actually grow, no status quo here
• No fan service
• They actually wear different outfits

Bad
• The drama at the end feels contrived, there didn't really feel like there was enough build up to why Shizuku would feel like that. There was some hints but not enough to justify the end In my opinion
• Love triangle, even if it's obvious who's going to win. The love rival has basically no history with Youichi, we have no idea why
• Violent female character cliché, surprisingly not a tsundere but violence still isn't endearing. The story lampshades this though but being self-aware doesn't make it better
• A very small part of the manga (literally a few panels in one chapter) but it perpetuates the harmful myth that people bully the people they like. This is bullshit, if you liked someone that much you wouldn't bully them!
• I still don't know what the name means or what it has to do with the manga

Extra Subjective
• The epilogue was never finished due to the mangaka's health, though (in my opinion) it doesn't hurt the ending at all
• Humour can be a quite crude at times
• A very uncomfortable chapter where Shizuku's friends push her to get a swimsuit that's more revealing than she is comfortable with

So I was searching for a heartwarming SoL/Romance manga and I saw someone at r/anime recommend this manga (I owe you one whoever that was). As many before me has said, I feel that this is a highly underrated hidden gem.

Story: 8
I'd give the story higher but it's a damn episodic 4-koma so 8 is good enough. The story basically entails a group of friends going through the years of high school. There's little to no drama and the romance is slow, but it is enjoyable. Everyone got their own story and ambitions. Also the bromance, it's good. All in all, this manga is a ... comedic feel-good manga. Reading this manga actually makes me a bit depressed since I never had the experience of a normal high-school (much thanks COVID-19). The ending is nice for what it is, though I really wanted that one last chapter the author described. Shame she went through some health issues. I wonder how the people who followed this series for 6 years feel, I kinda want to feel it.

Art: 10
The art is just perfect for this kind of story. The character designs perfectly encapsulates their personality. Something I can't get enough of this manga is the expressions. Some of them just makes me laugh out loud. Also the ahoge, it's literally one of the most expressive things I ever saw in manga format.

Character: 10
Oooooooooooh God, I love the characters so much. It's got a great set of characters and side-characters. The main duo (Shizuku and Yoichi) goes on a subtle but evident character development. Shizuku is a sheltered girl who has lived almost half of her life inside her house. Meeting Yoichi was basically a turn of fate for her. Yoichi has a scary face but is actually very kind and overprotective of Shizuku. Their dynamic are so cute to watch. The other cast are also very nice. Moe, Jun, and Ainoki has their own spice. Their own romance growth was also quite interesting to read. And then we have Class Rep who is actually a very closet otaku but is always helpful to those around her. Last but not least, there's Seki-san who suffers from the same fate as Yoichi. Can't forget Shizuku's sister and Yoichi's aunt. They're great.

Enjoyment: 10
Yes.

Ok, I feel empty now. I basically went like this:
1. Search for Heartwarming manga
2. Found a potentially good Heartwarming manga
3. Read through Heartwarming manga
4. Finish Heartwarming manga
5. Feel empty

God, where can I find more like this?

Overall: 9+1 = 10
I would recommend this manga for anyone who'd like a feel-good heartwarming manga. Obviously the story is kinda flawed but that is really genre-flaws (it's 4-koma). Otherwise, it's a very character-driven story about a group of friends that you can enjoy. I laughed quite often when reading this manga, and some moments just makes you feel good. Truly a hidden gem I'd say, never thought I'd find something for Kirara this amusing

Hakoiri Drops is one of those underrated mangas that everyone should read. It is about a girl, Shizuku Nishimori, who has been sheltered all her life, going to high school, with a boy, Kasugai Yoichi, who has basically been assigned to show her the outside world, with a bit of romance thrown in.

Art: 9/10

Well it's 4koma, so art is much harder to judge. However, I like their character designs very much, especially Shizuku, and brings out their personalities.

Characters: 10/10 The interactions between the main 4 or great, as it shows them growing over 3 years in high school. The development of the romance is very ... natural, without feeling like it’s forced (unlike, say, Komi for example). Shizuku’s backstory is very nice, and it shows that she wasn’t just sheltered on a whim, and helps explain what she’s like.

Story: 10/10 The story is great, and really is a great example of slice of life. The ending was bittersweet, as we watch as the main characters leave the high school where they made many memories and move on with their lives. Even the more standard slice of life tropes are well-written, and are comedic, and serve to move the story forward.

Enjoyability 10/10: I really loved reading this manga. The ending and the last volume cover really help make me feel sad as the manga ended, and really gives me nostalgic vibes. I enjoyed the comedy bits, and I wish the manga had more story (although, it is a complete story in itself and doesn’t need anymore, to be honest.)

Overall: 10/10 Hakoiri Drops is a must-read for anyone, but especially for Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu and Komi readers. It is a great manga, and it’s a shame that this never became an anime. I will recommend this manga with a crazy zeal, and for good reason.