Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet

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I first heard about Mika Yamamori because of Hirunaka no Ryuusei. While it was a manga I, overall, enjoyed, I couldn't help but feel that it could have been so much better had it not be rushed. When I started reading Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, I hoped she had improved by then. Somehow, her writing skills have worsened.

It all starts when Fumi Ohno starts working as a live-in housekeeper to Akatsuki Kibikino, a writer. Not so different from Hirunaka no Ryuusei at this point, considering the main characters are around the same age gap, despite the men having completely opposite personalities.

The beginning is just your average ... shoujo cliche, but it's cool - that's coming from a shoujo fan at least. The problem starts with the characters' development, more precisely, the lack thereof.

The first thing is Fumi's situation. The debt is not properly mentioned until later on. Actually, her father doesn't really appear until later on. Considering that it is the main point of conflict, it should have been handled better and with more frequency.

The second problem is the side characters. Despite being supporting characters, for a manga of over 70 chapters, they are extremely underdeveloped. If Yoh Tobiume, Fumi's best friend, appears at basically two pages in every three chapters to give some advice, I can't even start on Isshin Aioi and Eito Kuratsuki. All three have their moments... which last about one chapter. Basically, they are pretty much useless.

However, Gorou Kaneishi is a particular case, albeit not a good one. He works as Akatsuki's editor, so, supposedly, he should appear quite frequently on the manga, since Akatsuki is constantly working through the series. Let's say... Gorou has two "missions", as not to spoil it. The first one is in the beginning. He completes his mission. He starts appearing way less. The second one is in the middle of the series. He completes it once again. He suddenly vanishes. Yet, Akatsuki keeps working... without his editor. And the character who acts as Kaneishi's "substitute" kind of vanishes at the same time.

Another reason I am not a fan of this manga is Akatsuki himself. It comes off as no surprise, as I'm not fond of characters with a personality similar to his. And while he improves at the end of the story, some of his actions in the way are way too much for me. That being said, the script is also to blame here, as his backstory is poorly explored. They try to do something in the end, but it seems rushed and dull.

Despite all these negative aspects, TCLP has its positive traits. The first one is the art. Mika keeps being one of my favorite shoujo manga artists - if not the favorite! There is not a single chapter where it looks bad. It's simply perfection.

The second one is Fumi. While she is not the best shoujo heroine I've seen, her plain backstory helps her at this point. She is working at such a young age to help her family, which makes her a somewhat mature character, despite her inexperience in love. She is a nice girl.

In the end, my score would have been lower if I didn't have some sympathy with her work. While it's not an insufferable read, it doesn't really do much. Mika, please... focus on your story next time.

I discovered Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet due to Yanamori Mika's other, more well known, work Hirunaka no Ryuusei. I'm sure a lot of people who are considering reading this manga are here for the same reason.

Story (7/10):

I think this manga is unfairly underrated. Although it is a bit cliche -- I mean, 16-year-old girl begins working as a housekeeper for a writer who happens to be ridiculously good-looking? C'mon. Anyone who has read a lotta shoujo knows what's up by now. Going back to my main point, I believe that this manga deserves more attention.

Other than the somewhat cliche storyline, I would definitely recommend ... you to read this manga. It only has around 6 chapters so far (or that's how many there are uploaded in Mangapark/Mangafox as of the moment). It has a lot of cute, doki-doki moments. It's not too serious -- not right now, at least -- and you'll definitely have fun reading it.

Art (9/10):

The art is good -- if you like Yanamori Mika's artwork, you're in for a treat.

Enjoyment/Overall (8/10):
The manga's OKAY, borderline good. Then again, I've only read 6 chapters so far. But I have this weird feeling that it'll just keep getting better and better. The characters are cute and interesting to read about.

I could not put this manga down! it was incredibly heartwarming and not as cliche as everyone is saying. I found the relationship in this story to be the most genuine and satisfying out of all the romance manga I've read.

Story: There were a few weird unrealistic blips in the very beginning (which is what most people are commenting on), but after you pass the first few chapters it gets so much better. I never felt overtly annoyed by anything the characters did and I thought the progression of the story made a lot of sense. Nothing felt too rushed or too slow. [SPOILER: there ... were plenty of romantic scenes between the two main characters, enough to keep an American reader satisfied lol]

Art: Yamamori Mika is my favorite artist and I've been in love with her work since Hirunaka no Ryuusei. Everything about the manga is gorgeous. Facial expressions were realistic and intense scenes were perfectly conveyed through the art. I do think that she might have felt rushed in the beginning chapters i.e. backgrounds that should have been filled, characters faces that turned into chibi versions when I wanted them to be normally drawn. But that went away after a while.

Characters: Fumi is my favorite female main character! She's strong, mature, caring, and most importantly NOT annoying. Akatsuki is super handsome and complements her well.

Overall, you should definitely read this manga the whole way through. I got so attached to the characters in the end that I was genuinely depressed when I finished it, that's how amazing it is. :)

While the story itself is kind of a cliche shoujo manga (which has its ups and downs), it definitely has somethings that other shoujos do not.

For one, the communication between the two main love interests is fairly good. They don't go around, sneaking all their feelings. The girl, Ohno/ Ono (the translation varies), is very smart, and will speak for herself. The main guy, Akatsuki, is the kind who is "hard to understand," but he's straightforward and not necessarily a huge dick for no reason.

The storyline is fairly standard, but I have some hope that it might differ a little from the standard. It's ... lovely, and I love a lot of the characters. And the art style is so beautiful.

Please give it a read (there's only 16 right now).

WOO! Yamamori Mika has yet again embarked on another Shoujo Quest, and let me tell you, it's looking up!

OVERALL (8):
It's early days so far, 9 chapters for what might become a behemoth (if it's going to be anything like Hirunaka no Ryuusei), but from what's been published so far, I think a lot of people will really enjoy this! Yamamori has laid some great foundations for a somewhat unpredictable manga, and when she fleshes things out a bit, I'm sure it'll be a hit...!

TL;DR? WATCH THIS SPACE.

For those who feel like a breakdown, here's the breakdown:

STORY (8):
The Story is somewhat typical and ... follows what you could call the typical 'shoujo path to romance and happiness' in that your protagonist finds herself in a weird situation, adjusts, falls in love, finds obstacles and so on and so forth. Until the end, where she (I assume) finds a soul mate in the male lead. Even within the 9 chapters I've read so far, obstacles have been leapt over... and with sense of more to come lingering behind such leaps... This does make the story exciting though, it moves at a somewhat fast pace, but perhaps some things are just a bit too predictable? (I'll let you guess what I'm talking about when you read it.)

However(!), there are little twists to the story which makes you NOT want to shoot yourself. One thing I've noticed in particular is how there is little interaction held within school despite Fumi (the protagonist) to be a high school student! (Shock horror!) Sure, this isn't a huge twist, but let's call it change, and I think a little change to the age-old high school environment tradition to be good (there're only so many times you can hold a Sports Festival or Cultural Festival until it becomes boring). I'd list more, but that'd be a spoiler, which is just no fun; they're subtle though, but you get a refreshing read as a result!

All-in-all, the story's alright, but perhaps not as typical as most other shoujos, heck, maybe not even as typical as HnR (and I acknowledge there was an attempt at being original in terms of the story there). Not to mention there're some funny parts too which may ACTUALLY make you laugh!

ART (9):
Perhaps asking me to review Yamamori Mika's art isn't the best idea, considering I am hugely biased...?! I absolutely adore her art style, sure it's still 'girly' and 'sparkly' and stuff, but it's sleek, simply yet also detailed where detail's due. In terms of the characters, for me (and this may seem weird), the way Yamamori draws hair (and faces and... PEOPLE IN GENERAL) is perfection , and the gags are drawn well to boot. The effects and settings (the 'overlooked(?)' stuff) is pretty good, what you'd expect from a published manga to be honest, so all-round quality is pretty good.

ALL-IN-ALL: The art is wonderful!

CHARACTER (7):
Like the story: somewhat typical. However, also like the story: some entertaining twists! Like HnR (I'm trying really hard not to compare the two too much, I'm sorry!), the protagonist is somewhat exciting and intriguing, and I'd argue even more so given Fumi's background (dead parents? +10 for character depth. Not a transfer student? +10 non-cliché points.). Yet protagonist aside, the other characters lack a little depth (typical shoujo?); Akatsuki and Aioi seem alright so far, but why is Fumi's Dad so unreliable whenever Fumi needs him to sort his shit out? What a coincidence... (I smell plot device... In fact, he reeks of plot device...)

I also feel that clichés are being used, perhaps recycled from HnR (perhaps that's just what Yamamori's into (RE: Age gaps)?), but also just the whole 'servant-master' spiel... Though of course, it's an exciting relationship with some really exciting dynamics, but these kind of 'traditionally shoujo' relationships could hamper any kind of creativity perhaps? So far, the vibrant characters seem not to fall into this trap, but at the end of the day, what you're looking at is a servant-master relationship as well as the potential for a love... shape... with every male in the novel.

Though, perhaps I'm being too critical, it is early days and character development, like Rome, isn't built in a day. (So, watch this space?!)

ENJOYMENT (9):
Okay, so I've said the story and characters are a far cry from perfection, but that doesn't mean the enjoyment isn't there. Maybe the genre has a lot to do with it, maybe Yamamori is just really good at being a mangaka or maybe the gags do it for me... Either way, the manga is pretty entertaining and keeps you wanting more (or keeps me wanting more at least). Sure it's somewhat typical in areas, but the twists and turns that occur naturally in the genre as well as through Yamamori's writing is really makes the manga feel whole (so far). Should it continue on this path of straightforward plot with little development, then maybe the entertainment factor will decrease, but so far, it's a good read -and that's really the crux of a manga.

Overall, I think it's good. Maybe I'm criticising it too much for it adhering to its genre (something I shouldn't really complain about), but there are some really good points about this manga even factoring the cliché bits in! I feel like Yamamori has good writing ability, and this might just be another hit like HnR...!

I'm not a particular fan of shoujo, but I still sometimes read them, and admittedly, some of them are pretty good. However, most of them are pretty bad.

For example, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet is a pretty popular one. Whatever, I'll give it a try. I mean, the problem with all these romance novels is that they give the same sort of vibes no matter which author you read about: girl main character gets swept up in a hot guy's pace somehow, thet somehow get into a special relationship in weird circumstances before it eventually sprouts into love. Am I missing something?

Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet employs all the ... cliches possible, apparently. I'm not going to lie, in the few chapters I read, there were some good points, like the art. While not groundbreaking, it's pretty good, clean, and clear-cut, and that's enough for something like a romance manga. Characters...are not that cliche, I guess, but the story is so cliche that I just couldn't go any further.

The "I'm somehow living with a hot guy cliche," the "eccentric hot guy personality," and most importantly, and the last straw for me, was "bad guy comes and hot guy saves me!!!! and now i love him!!"

I actually finished it 2 days ago. Yet, I am writing this review today because these 2 days I was just making up my mind and sorting out my feelings about it. This manga is like a hurricane of my literary life which has wreaked havoc in my thoughts. Literally. It was this good.
The aesthetic aspect of story-line, story-telling, character development, artwork...everything was well developed, planned and done. First of all, when I read its synopsis, it gave me the impression of Kore Wa Koi No Hanashi because both has male-leads who are successful writers. So, I thought it would have the same story-line, and ... I kept pushing it for reading another time. Oh boy! was I surprised once I started reading it. You bet because I was. It was like I have open a Pandora box. Everything was different. The story, the characters and their hardships/struggles all are so so different from Kore wa Koi no Hanashi. About age-gap between the lead characters, which I believe many readers want to know...that is something I can't reveal because it would be a direct spoiler for many readers. So, I am sorry for this. But its age-gap is in acceptable range for me to read stories.
By the way, I am glad that I decided to give it a try. This is a masterpiece for me.
Don't hesitate, just give it a try, guys! You won't regret it, believe me!
Right now, I am re-reading Kore wa Koi no Hanashi. So, see you there! \_(^o^)_/

As somebody who does not read much shoujo manga this past few years, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet was a pretty huge shock for me, and it hooked me into reading more shoujo these days.

Now, as a sucker for character back stories, this manga got me real good. I like how in-depth Akatsuki is as a character. Although, I personally think it would be better if his backstory was explained throughout the whole story instead of rushing everything at the end. I love how every little thing that he experienced, had a huge affect on his present life. The only thing that I wish was in the ... manga: other characters that are as polished as Akatsuki.

The other was just, there, I honestly did not feel like the others were as significant as him. Even Fumi as the main character, I could not quite catch what type of character she was other than she was good at doing house chores. Fumi had her own backstory, but I felt like it was not delivered as good as Akatsuki's. It was tragic, but I did not feel the emotion that was supposed to be delivered.

As for the art, hands down. It's so pretty. Fumi's outfits throughout the series, *chef's kiss*.

Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable experience reading the manga. Sure, the story line is very cliché but the art makes up for it honestly.

All of the characters are great. There's not a long period of misunderstandings like how most shoujo mangas go. The love interests can communicate well and are very mature. There are very few stuff in the story that I question but it doesn't take away from how good the story is. Sure there may be a few cliche stuff but it's done is a very well way. This was the first shoujo that made me look up the author to check out her other works.

I came into this with no expectations but ended up binging this whole story and the ending left me feeling ... nostalgic and sentimental. If you like light hearted stories that aren't angsty or full of drama, this is for you. I highly recommend this.

With the art, Mika Yamamori never disappoints. Her art is very beautiful. Everything from the story, the characters, their communication, and the art is beautiful. The male protagonist made me become more interested in long-haired male characters.

This manga has all the things I love: romance, older guy, and beautiful art.
I am a big fan of the mangaka, Mika Yamamori, and her other work, Hirunaka no Ryuusei. The art is clean and pretty; she's good at designing aesthetically pleasing characters. I'm really enjoying the story so far. Fumi is beautifully drawn and though she and her dad are riddled with debt, she looks on the bright side of things and is an extremely diligent worker. She's not the kind of girl who depends on other people to do things for her. She is sensitive but she's not a wimpy crybaby. She is ... very sweet and doesn't act bratty in the slightest. The man that she works for and lives with, Kibikino, acts stoic and isn't sure how to express his feelings. But through his thoughtful gestures, it is apparent that he cares for Fumi. The romance seems to be moving at a steady pace and I impatiently anticipate the next chapter.

Reading Tsubaki-Chou Lonely Planet is like stepping into a simpler life. School drama and family tragedies won't be found here. Instead, you'll see a blossoming love, one that feels beautifully pure, but heart-achingly real, told against the backdrop of everyday Japanese life.

Like many, I started TCLP after finishing Daytime Shooting Star, a manga that I loved but that left me unsatisfied. I expected to find a similar story: a young highschooler falls in love with an older man, but many obstacles await them. I also expected a similar love triangle. But TCLP was not at all what I expected. It doesn't share that many similarities ... with Daytime Shooting Star, but it's every bit as beautiful.

Ohno Fumi is a high school student whose father goes into debt, resulting in her having to leave her home. To pay back his debts, she takes a job as a live-in housekeeper for Kibikino Akatsuki, an anti-social writer of historical novels. At first, Akatsuki (whom she calls "Sensei") seems to do nothing but work, sleep, and glare. But Fumi quickly sees that Sensei is kinder than he seems, and what was a work relationship starts to develop into a sense of companionship, and maybe something more.

There is very little plot in TCLP besides the developing romance. That would usually bother me - I'm no fan of slice of life - but the everyday problems of their life are done so well, I'm always looking forward to what happens next. Yamamori Mika can take the simplest things and make them fascinating. She uses Fumi's budding feelings to give tension to every scene, so that something as simple as eating dinner can be exciting to read about. One of my favorite chapters is when Fumi and Akatsuki go to buy groceries, and the entire time Fumi is agonizing over her growing feelings. It sounds silly, but Mika Sensei is a master, and the simplicity of her work is what makes it shine.

But don't think that TCLP has no story. It does - a romance that feels realistic and perfectly understated. The romance has frequent developments that push the story along. The conflict between Fumi and Akatsuki stems from their own character flaws, which adds depth to the romance. It's every bit as much a story about two people falling in love as it is about two people trying to grow beyond their flaws. And to make things better, there's no love triangle!! Well, there IS one. But it's nothing like Daytime Shooting Star's. And it's not with a character you expect. I won't give any more away, but if you're like me and hate love triangles, TCLP is very safe to read.

Let's talk about the characters. After the romance, the characters are the highlight of this manga. The story is completely centered on Fumi and Akatsuki, whose personalities fit very well together. Fumi is soft-spoken but hard-working. She struggles with loneliness and tends to take care of others before herself. She's also full of fun quirks - she supposedly dresses like an old lady, she loves housework more than anything else, and getting a good sale at the grocery store is all she needs to make her happy. Her antics are amusing and her character voice is distinct, remindng me of Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket.
But the real star of this manga is Akatsuki. He is one of the most introverted manga characters I've ever seen. He writes in his room for hours and rarely leaves the house. When he speaks, it's usually a short, gruff answer to a question. Fumi will talk and he will respond off her, making their conversations some of the best parts of the manga. Because of Sensei's stand-off-ish personality, he has next to no friends and spends his days alone. Fumi's arrival starts to bring change into his life and as they interact we see who Sensei really is: a kind man who doesn't know how to interact with others.
Akatsuki is one of the best male leads I've read in a manga because of his depth. This is what Mika Sensei excels at - characters who are deep and 3-dimensional. You can't read this manga without falling a little in love with Akatsuki. Not only that, her drawings of him are the best I've seen from her. She puts such effort into drawing Akatsuki, giving him a certain sensuality, so that even if he's doing nothing romantic you can't tear your eyes from him. Akatsuki is a very sexy man who has no idea how sexy he is, and Mika's art brings him to life. Add to that what an interesting character he is, and you have one of the best male leads I've seen in shoujo manga.

The side characters are worth a mention too. The side characters are charming and unique, but not the strongest part of this manga. That being said, the two leads even things out. Much of the story is focused on Fumi and Akatsuki, so there's no need for really strong secondary characters. (And Gorou is a treat. I love the parts when he shows up.)

I could go on and on about Mika's art, how her style is one of my favorites ever, how she can make the smallest moments pop off the page, but if you've read her you already know. She's a true pro. What more is there to say?

My overall score of TCLP is a 9. It's one of the best mangas I've read in recent years. It's filled with unforgettable scenes, some of which may actually surpass most scenes in Daytime Shooting Star. It's a slow start, but once you fall in love with Fumi and Akatsuki's romance you won't be able to stop. The one downside to this manga is that it's had a shaky time getting translated. Most of it has been translated by a group called "Damn Feels", a really great group, but they stopped translating it around chapter 40. Then a different group picked it up, but only for a few chapteres. Currently it's being translated by a girl on tumblr called hakuko-yingying, who is doing good work on it. As of this review there are 60 chapters translated in all.

I highly reccomend this manga. The more people read it, the more chance of it being officially translated in english right? And you will not regret it. This is a wonderfuly unique shoujo in a sea of generic high school dramas.

So given I just read Dengeki Daisy, which featured an age gap (see review for my hesitancy on age gap), I was pleasantly surprised about this one. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this storyline was a lot less contrived than Dengeki Daisy and it felt a bit more mature.

That being said, it's more like a 6.5 or 7ish rather than a 6.

Story (6/10)

It's a typical story & quite cute. It wasn't anything special, but there were cute parts. I'm also glad that triangle drama wasn't the main drama (there is someee love triangle drama if you can call it that, ... but the drama mostly focused on emotional development & communication). I don't mind love triangles, but I think if it was added into the story, it would've made it instantly a lot less mature.

Art (7/10)
Veryy pretty art! The author was definitely going for the "historical drama, long-hair guy" look in the modern age, and I can appreciate that!

Character (6/10)

I didn't mind either characters. I do wish that Fumi, the main girl, was less.... feminine/proper? I'm not sure how to say that in a kind way, but she felt overbearingly feminine that it felt like her defining characteristics were her ability to cook, clean, and her shyness around physical touch. (Nothing wrong with that!) But, I kind of like my female characters a little bit more rounded, where they have other things they like/are good at. You know, a sprinkle of badass.

Enjoyment (6.5ish, even 7/10 for certain parts)

I really enjoyed it and even teared up in certain parts, despite the flaws mentioned above. It was a good read! (Again, I'm looking for Shoujo reads like this, so I can't recommend it to everyone)

Overall (6.5/10)

It was an easy read overall! I enjoyed the time I spent reading it.

So far, I've been pretty impressed by this manga. Let me list some things I like about it.

First, the main female lead isn't annoying. How rare is that?! Often I can't get into mangas because the female lead is too ditsy or annoying, but Fumi does not even annoy me one bit.

Second, I really like the main male lead. He's socially awkward, but a very soft guy inside. The great thing is, he's awkward and never understands things, but he is aware of it and tries to do something about it. So things actually do end up happening.

Third, the side characters are actually supportive and ... quite likeable. As far as I've read (about chapter 32), there isn't some annoying character that overstays their welcome and keep adding unnecessary drama to the mix. The side characters do their part and move the story along. And even after that we get to see them again; aka they have a good presence in the story but it's not too forced.

Forth, THINGS ACTUALLY PROGRESS. I am actually surprised when it does. I expect that when some trouble comes up, it will take quite some time to resolve, but it moves faster than I expect always. The frustrating feelings from watching the troublesome things are quickly blown away, and that makes the manga great to read.

Finally, back to the main characters again. They are sensible people, and they think about the situation and each other properly. Maybe they'll sulk in a corner like the usual characters in difficult love in shoujo manga, but the difference is that these characters do think about what they want to do - and at surprising times - actually take action. They might do silly things sometimes, but they know it. They apologize. That's amazing.

Overall, I still wouldn't say this manga blows me away or anything. The characters aren't really deep, nor is the story creative and fascinating. It's not particularly special. But if you want a story that isn't frustrating, that's easy to read, that actually progresses, with a likeable cast - give Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet a try. Sometimes a story doesn't have to have overly complicated plots. But as long as the writing is decent and it doesn't always drag on (looking at you nisekoi), sometimes that's the best of all.

tldr;
if you're looking for something exciting/deep/creative, this isn't really it. But it's definitely easy to read and won't leave you frustrated. It's enjoyable without requiring you to invest too much and feel cheated. Great for people looking for light and easy manga.

Another great work from Yamamori-sensei!

Honestly, I enjoyed her work in Daytime Shooting Star (DSS), so I decided to give this series a try as well.

In Tsubaki-Chou Lonely Planet, we get more or less the same feel of what we got in DSS. Like DSS, I thought the pacing of the story was quite good. In fact I was pretty surprised that I finished reading the series already. I also thought it was good seeing Akatsuki and Fumi's relationship slowly progress. There were times where I felt the pacing was quite stagnant or felt rushed, but nonetheless, I still thought it was good. Huge age gap ... aside, you can really see how they both treasured each other. Also, while I understand that Yamamori-sensei MIGHT have wanted to steer clear of the usual shojo tropes, I thought there would not be anything wrong seeing their relationship experience a few bumps. Personally, I thought that the huge age gap could have been utilised more. Irregardless, I still truly enjoyed the series. Indeed, I will continue to look for Yamamori-sensei's work moving forward.

Also, is it wrong how much I enjoyed reading/seeing Aioi and Yoh's relationship MORE than the leads? Honestly, I wish Yamamori-sensei could give us a spin-off manga or more chapters about them. While she did give us quite a few scenes, I would still love to read more about them HAHAHA

Just be patient and power though the first few chapters. I mean you're supposed to do that for everything because you're not going to get some complex setting and story and relationships from the beginning. But seeing some of the reviews here I feel compelled to emphasize that point.

This manga actually made me cry, and I can count on two hands the amount of times a piece of media has made me cry. I actually felt frustrated for the MC. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but obviously there is a reason for the title and it connects to the MC's loneliness, which ... is a nice writing touch. It really leans into the theme of family and how MC relates to her own father, which is very well handled and gets addressed properly once things start to develop relationship-wise.

The romantic development was very sweet and heart-throbbing. Although MC seems to fall in love a little too quickly, it made sense given how she says she never had interest in guys. And the way the ML falls in love was so natural and convincing, despite his initial attitude.

The side characters are lovely and add to the story. They have their own romances of course as well, which do get their time to shine.

My only complaint would be how the ML handles a certain conflict with the MC regarding her being jealous. He acts rather unexpectedly and out of character, which was frustrating, as MC had a point. It's only then when he realizes that she was right does he apologize. Oh well. Not every relationship will be happiness and rainbows every step of the way.

It's a satisfying ending, too. Worth the read and probably a re-read.

Story: 8/10
Despite a rushed ending, I found the story to be well-paced on the whole. There was a really nice balance between the main romance, the romance between the supporting characters, and the development of Fumi and Akatsuki's individual characters and backstories. Of course, the cliches and tropes are still there, but I thought the story's exploration of love, loneliness and family (what are you born with vs. what you make for yourself) was great. The bond between Fumi and Akatsuki was the highlight for me - the way their love developed was very realistic and meaningful.

Art: 10/10
Yamamori Mika's art is my all-time favourite for ... shoujo. Haven't found anything better and doubt I will! Her skill at drawing hair was particularly evident in this one (Akatsuki's hair tho).

Character: 9/10
All the characters are very likeable. Fumi is mature for her age, sweet, honest, and forthright, though a bit naive at times (expected from a high school girl). The star of the manga was Akatsuki; an introverted, gruff historical fiction writer who has a heart of gold.