The story reels you in, every single chapter. It’s so painfully realistic, without the frills and bells of school life manga, while being so wonderful warm in its simple storytelling. To be honest, I fell in love quickly with the characters. Fujimoto, Ichinose, Kikuchi, Ishikawa... loveable dorks who try their best in ever way. Echoing the fact that it’s very realistic: all our protagonists have something they feel bad about, something that makes them feel like trash. This manga doesn’t offer a solution. There’s no character arc or anything, like where a character overcomes his shortcomings and learns from it. Their struggles may resonate with you — it’s simply a manga about a group of boys slowly working towards their goals, nothing more. A short story of some average boys in everyday life.
You’ll notice this isn’t tagged “romance”. That’s because it isn’t. I did expect some, but came out disappointed. That’s because the “love interests” have mutual respect but not to the point of romantic love. I think their relationship could develop more with the help of more chapters, but this manga is a story that stands without romance.
The art style with all the inky lines have an old 90’s anime style to them which was lovely. Character designs are also good! Overall it’s very clean and pretty.
This manga is good, but I wasn’t fully satisfied. It’s like taking a walk through a charming little garden, or having the grandest dream but then waking up. It’s a little snapshot of daily life, and even though the details are hazy in my mind, it’s gives such a warm and comfy feeling. Read this, get up and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Let’s all work earnestly towards our goals like these boys.
