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This was such a frustrating watch for me. I could barely get through it. I'm writing this just to warn others not to waste their time.

I'm not going to hash through the story or character details here, since plenty of others have already done that. Instead, I'll just give my overall impressions of True Tears.

Romance is my favorite anime genre, and I've watched dozens of them. I cry incredibly easily, both at happy events and sad ones. I did not cry once during the 13 episodes of this series. This is because I didn't care a bit ... about any of the characters. They were all either wooden or irrational. So many times I found myself scratching my head at a character doing something that made no sense. For example, the MC sets up the girl he loves with another guy, and in exchange agrees to date the guy's sister. WHAT?!? No boy in his right mind would do this. It's just a lazy plot device to set up a situation in the story.

The result of this is not just bad characters but a poor story. It was all over the place, and I could feel the author's hand clumsily manipulating things. On top of this, the inexplicable character behaviors led to a notable lack of drama. For example, there is a motorcycle accident at one point that could have been a moment of high drama, but hits like a wet noodle instead. It has essentially no impact. The same can be said of the ending scene, which was disappointingly bland rather than providing heartwarming relief and tears befitting a romantic resolution.

Please do yourself a favor - don't waste the hours it would take to watch True Tears. Go do pretty much anything else and you'll be better off.

I liked this manga all the way up to the ending. It's a simple story of first love between two young adults who have each avoided love until now for their own reasons. It is very wholesome and the romance is about as sweet as they come. Each of the protagonists is a thoughtful loving partner in the relationship, and they support each other and enjoy their time together fully as they have fun shared experiences and deal with some minor bumps in the road of life. There is nothing overly dramatic that happens, rather it is a largely peaceful slice ... of life romance.

I found it refreshing that the MCs don't hold back from showing affection to each other in the way that you usually see in Japanese romances. They freely hold hands, kiss, and yes their first sexual encounter is included in the story, in a very tasteful way. They also use the words "I love you" on more than once occasion. So nice!

One downside to the story is that it does get a bit repetitive, and therefore slow, in places. It truly is paced like a slice of life. For the most part, this didn't make me want to put it down. I read the whole thing over a two day period (not constant).

My only big gripe was the ending. It was very abrupt, and didn't feel like any kind of climax or payoff. It was almost as if the mangaka was told at the last minute that they were canceling the series. I won't give any details on what happens, but it felt like just another day in the life and I was disappointed to say the least.

A must see for romance fans. A wonderful story about first love, beautifully illustrated and executed. The awkwardness, anticipation, sadness and joy of the young protagonists is realistically portrayed as they find their way closer to each other. There is no melodrama here, no made-up angst or foolish miscommunication. The pacing might be slow for some, but I found it perfect as I was transported back to my early teens and the wonderful, terrible experience of falling in love at that age. It left me in tears.

Some have commented that the MCs are boring or have no chemistry, but I entirely disagree. This is ... about two introverted people who are taking their first tentative steps into love. That they find the courage to come together at all is a testament to the strength of their attraction. But they are clearly contrasted with their more extroverted classmates so as to show that they must overcome more than the average anime teenager.

I find I can't put this down, despite the fact that it's a frustrating read. The premise of the story is ridiculous, so just try not to think about that. The female characters are absolutely beautiful, and we're provided with copious amounts of fanservice along the way. With the exception of the one male and two female MCs, most of the characters play only minor roles in the story, and are two-dimensional placeholders. Jirou, the male lead, is a typically worthless lump of a guy who somehow ends up with the love of two amazing women, but has absolutely no clue ... how/when/whether to communicate his own feelings, nor do we see him improve, at least in the chapters I've read to date. This is where the frustration lies. Where we see real character development is in Akari, and to a lesser extent Shiori, as they each try to figure out how to get through Jirou's denseness and win his love. And the love stories are the main thing that has kept me engaged so far. I find myself rooting for both women, and am truly curious whether the author can bring this to a satisfying conclusion.

I can't help but think, though, how much more interesting this story would have been if Jirou acted like even half of a real human being. Instead of doing nothing with every opportunity he encounters, perhaps he could do something - anything! - even if it makes waves, because then at least we could see him try to deal with the fallout by interacting honestly with the people around him. And lo and behold, his character could develop after all.

It's insulting to see this kind of story writing whose only goal is to stretch the story out as long as possible without putting in the effort to create interest in something more than the fanservice. Having said that, Akari and Shiori are stunning, and so well suited to keeping the teen boys coming back for more. And, I honestly enjoy them too, plus I am hoping to see a satisfying resolution to the romance.