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The story progresses in a meaningful way, with just enough surprises to keep you interested. As in the best of stories we learn quickly that a number of characters are not who you might think that they are. As is so typical in many Japanese stories, characters are not black and white but shades of gray. Also appealing was the writing. Every time I thought I knew where the story was "finally" going, it didn't. It's hard to surprise me nowadays, so this was a major plus.
The is one of the very rare anime where ... I immediately watched the first episode a second time. Some lines, and even facial expressions have added meaning when you see them again after having watched the entire episode.
The voice actors did an excellent job of matching their sounds to the character's personalities.
My only feeling of slight disappointment was that the OP and ED songs left me wanting something more, especially the ED sung in somewhat broken English...sigh....
Nice micro story add-on after the closing credits that left me wanting to see more. (Which is very rare for me. I've been watching anime for over 30 years and not much manages to hook me like this series has.)
Much appreciated is a "what happened to them" segment after the final closing credits.
After watching the entire series my initial impression remains. This is one of the best of its type that I've seen in a decade.

At first this seems like a dozen other manga stories where a girl is using makeup to hide a plain face and someone helps her out. That's at first. What this really is is a drama that focuses on overcoming self-imposed obstacles. It includes a hefty serving of: "Yes, what you did in the past was horribly wrong, but there are times where you can still make amends and fix the situation. It won't be easy, and may be quite painful, but give it a go."
If you expect light reading, this isn't the story for you. However, ... if you like a good drama that doesn't drown in angst, you might just enjoy this story - quite a bit.

There's absolutely nothing at all wrong with this story. In fact, it's reasonably well paced, and the emotions of the characters are conveyed well too. The only thing is that there's nothing that distinguishes it from at least 40 other stories. It's not the author's fault. I'm sure that the magazine editors still want these repetitious stories for new readers who haven't read all the nearly identical ones that came before.
The best part of the story is how the main characters continue to act like idiots and keep hurting each other's feelings by not talking to each ... other. Yep, just like in real life! Insecurity is a pain!
So.... I'm giving it a 6 instead of a 5 because of how the author handled that part.
If you've not become jaded from reading a bunch of similar stories, give this one a try. You'll probably enjoy it.

This is a very strange manga. For one, it went on way too long. The stories became very repetitive around volume 18. By then all that needed to be said had been. A few volumes after the various confessions take place, there isn't a whole lot of meat left in the story.
In general, I feel that this mangaka's best work was his other series "Parallel" which is 4 volumes.
In specific, for reasons unknown, by volume 27 there was a drastic change in the art style, and by chapter 132 it was so bad that I ... couldn't force myself to keep reading. It looks much like what I've seen after an artist has had a stroke.
So, my rating of 5 is an average. The first dozen or so volumes rate and 8 or better. After vol 27, I give it a 4.

On the verge of peace between two major factions, a demon appears, kills the lords involved, and then erects an impenetrable magic shield. The newly graduated mage Shiruka is on her way to be bound to serve a lord she doesn't know when she is attacked. (That's just the first few pages so I don't consider this a spoiler.)
One thing that the synopsis above doesn't mention is that this manga, while deadly serious overall, has some moments that are truly funny. Frankly I'm tired of all the depressing, dark, demented stories out there. ... I like drama, but episodic humor to lift your spirits when things are dark is very welcome.
Hopefully this series will continue in the same vein.
The art is unusual, but not so much that it distracts from the story.
Finally, one thing that is RARELY seen in manga is the size of the "armies" involved. One attacker has 50 men in his "army". In medieval times, that was a reasonable force for one of the low-middle level nobility. Many barons might have 10 to 20 men. Very few mangas have this degree of accuracy.

Anthologies can be a grab bag, though this one is better than most. It seems that all of the mangakas put in some extra effort with their stories.
Of particular note is the third story, Hole, by Takahashi Rie. It is a classic tear-jerker story and is done in a superior way.
Hole is one of my favorite one-shots of all time. It's worth getting this volume just to read the story. Yes it's that good.
The general thrust of the other stories is romance of one kind or another. They are at times rather ... formulaic, but they are better done than most.

Like many of the best stories, the beginning of this one doesn't give you many hints as to what is really going on. That sense of certainty is one of the things that is most appealing in this short series.
To read this you need to be prepared for a story that takes a few very dark turns. The art is definitely something that you'll probably tolerate rather than embrace for its difference from what you would ordinarily consider good.
As this is only two volumes, the story overcomes the difficulties that the art presents.
... Is is great? Absolutely not. But it is a well-crafted story that has a satisfying conclusion.
Recommended for when you want something short with some depth to it.

There isn't much you need to know about this story other than this: The main character, Pei, is exactly what you'd get if you took Yvienne from Ciel and fed her amphetamines.
Another way of saying it is that Pei appears to have been inspired by Yvienne in all particulars from her attitude to way of speaking and her appearance.
The plot is substantially different, which is the saving grace of this story. The writing is more than a bit disjointed, but, as a friend says, "The story rises above the writing." It's a fun, light ... read.
The story is primarily a drama, with fairly frequent comedy relief. After reading three volumes I can say that the trend is to a darker story, which we can expect to be seen in the next volume or two -- fairly typical of this category.
Other than Pei and her nemesis at school, most of the characters are fairly superficially painted, with no depth to speak of so far.
If you approach this without expecting anything great, you'll do fine. As I said, it is a fun, quick read so far. The time you spend on this series won't be wasted.

I won't rehash the story. The synopsis covers the basics, though it does have one point wrong. (It is consistent with how it is first presented in the manga though, so I suspect that whomever wrote the synopsis didn't read very far.) As it progresses, this story could be said to touch on low-grade horror. (I've read 4 volumes so far)
This manga is unusual in that it accurately portrays the maturity levels of the characters. The teen acts like one, so do those in their 20s and 30s. Both body language and speech are consistent with their ... age.
The story is unfolding nicely, with occasional humor to break the otherwise unrelenting drama. There are no sudden revelations, rather what we learn builds slowly, and how it builds makes sense.
Yes. This is a very well crafted story.
The only problem is that, at times, it sounds like a poorly edited light novel. There is too much, unnecessary exposition. The flow would be better if there were less.
Overall I'd still rate this at about an 8.5.

This series begins in a promising way. Big brother who dropped out of school to take care of his little sister has problems at work. He then learns of a high school that he can attend as a part-time student. Some typical discrimination against the "lower classes" shows up immediately.
It's what happens later that makes this totally disgusting. A female character who is hired as a tutor is groped, sexually harassed, verbally abused, then told that the males involved are "just kidding" and it is implied that is it bothers her, it's her fault.
Frankly I ... see this manga as good only for kindling in my fireplace.