After Chiharu saves her from a tough situation, Chiyoko stumbles into a world that is beyond her grasp... but Chiharu is there, and he's there for a reason. Plagued by the mystery that surrounds Chiharu's dark world, Chiyoko finds herself entangled in a world she doesn't belong. As a quiet, headstrong girl, will she be able to unearth the mystery or will she be pulled into the darkness alongside Chiharu?
I swear, this story gave me shivers from the first chapter going. It started very light, but with an undertone of something deeper, like the story was about to delve into some major themes. Afterwards, the story got dark, really dark. Following Chiyoko's story was a nerve wracking experience. She's shy--has trouble speaking up--and is relatively quiet, but there's something realistic about her personality; even though she's a small vulnerable girl, she still manages to pull herself together where it's needed the most and fights in the best way she can. The art's AMAZING and the storyline is nicely done. For the most part, the pace is pleasant; not too hasty and enough suspense to keep the reader wondering of where it's going next.
The romance is not obvious. So if you're looking for a mystery story with a fair amount of romance, this isn't quite the manga for you. There aren't ''doki's'' of the heart or any ''intense blushing''. It's very subtle. The couple is more in their growth period, rather than actually dating and being in love. The romance is much to your own interpretation. For example, there's this (GODLY BEAUTIFUL) water scene that just... urg... blew my mind... and it really soldified the relationship; as if it were two people coming together, finding their way up; out of the darkness and into the light (no seriously, it was breathtaking!). And by connecting the dots yourself, the ending makes it pretty clear who ends up with who.
That said, the ending was... sudden. A very flat wrap-up to an otherwise good story. It was a major disappointment, with several questions left unanswered. It almost appears as if the Mangaka was just tired of drawing and wanted to end it. Pronto.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty good story. The ending really did a number on me, though.
