When I first picked this up, I was not particularly captured by it - I actively disliked the art style and will very rarely read something where I don't like the art - and the plot didn't seem very original. However, the more I read the more involved I became in the story - this is absolutely not your typical shoujo. The character growth displayed by main and side characters alike, the way that various strands of the plot are brought together across dozens of chapters, and the personalities of the characters all go to show that this mangaka is a master storyteller who values the thoughts and struggles of real human beings. Of course it's all punched up and dramatised to make it more exciting, but never once (as I often do when reading shoujo manga) did I find myself screaming, "You're an idiot! No human being with half a brain would have made that choice!!!". This manga deals with surprisingly dark and mature topics in a thoughtful and loving way. If there's anything else quite like this out there, I haven't found it yet.
Absolutely recommended.
