So... Orange. A title that doesn't really make sense after you've read it. They drink orange juice once and that's the only thing that comes close in making some sort of relation, but I digress. This manga is all about feels and regret, and I tell you, after finishing this you will feel regret having read this piece of garba... I mean not having read this beautiful and heart warming story much sooner.
The story follows a group of 5 friends as they try to help save there dead friend, while preventing regrets they made in their past. Well that sounds awfully familiar. (Basically the plot of Anohana) While the plot might not have been most the original thing I've read, the premise is compelling enough to keep you interested. It starts off with a letter received by one of the main characters. Sent by her future self ten years from now, it contains events that will happen, most likely related their one friend that will be die in the future. With this they try to prevent his death by changing the events that will happen.
While the bulk of the story takes place at their high school days, more often within the story it will transition to there mid twenties, where the letters apparently came from. This offers up a nice parallel between the two as they become more intertwined with revelations as the story progresses. If only the same can be said with the narrative.
If I were to describe the narrative in one word it would be shi... I mean "melodrama". Don't get me wrong, while I'm not a big fan of it, I certainly don't hate it or against it. As long as I enjoy what I'm reading, I'm fine with it. This may have all the common shoujo tropes it could think of, which probably it does, but I still find it enjoyment in it, however when it just tries so hard to shove it in your face to the point that the characters are being irrational, annoying and cringe-worthy just to get its point across, yeah you've gone to far.
I have to say that the characters are the weakest part of this manga. Its a shame though if they had been better it would have been a very good story. Its not to say that the plot is any better it still has flaws but the characters just hits that nail to the coffin. I can't say that they are bad per se, most of them are likable to some extent, albeit a bit 2 dimensional. I just find them poorly written. Through out the course of the entire story, they try to evoke that feeling of regret and anxiety that feels so forced that it just prolongs itself. By the end you think to yourself that they could have easily resolved it much earlier. Its like watching Anohana extended to a 400 episode series.
I don't really have much to say about the art. Well it looks pretty to say the least, its not Murata, Kozue Amano, etc but its what you could expect from a standard shoujo manga. I can't say that the designs for the characters are very original. Some look very familiar from other characters I've seen (see: My little monsters, ore monogatari etc.) Well I do appreciate that it use tones to differentiate between dialogues, its much easier to read in between conversations. Hey at least I give them that. Overall I'm pretty much indifferent about this.
While it may not have an original plot, its premise is interesting enough to entice you to keep reading. The melodrama drama can become overbearing to the point that it deters the story and unnecessary prolong it. Its basically like Mara Okada, Jun Maeda, Stephanie Meyer and John Green all got together and made a novel then extend it in a 5 volume manga. This manga doesn't really know the word subtle. If you hate melodrama stay the fuck away, if not sure why not, give it a go. You might actually like it.
