Story - 9
If you were bullied as a kid (or ever really) you'll be able to easily relate to the idea of humanizing your bully in an attempt to see them as a better person, and constantly being disappointed at their continuous bullying and never growing as a person. However, this manga is from his perspective, letting us see what's really going on in his head and the lengths to which he tries to repair the damage he's caused, allowing readers to easily relate had they ever bullied anyone in their past. It's absolutely masterfully written, aside from a few slip-ups where the manga feels like it wants to be a generic romantic comedy, but they usually only last a few pages or sometimes up to a chapter.
Art - 10
Aside from how good everything looks, the art carries the constant idea of how our bully protagonist views the people around him in the world with the constant X's over their faces, while also allowing the artist to focus more on beautiful details elsewhere as they have to do less work on panels with background characters. It's a way of cutting corners that makes sense and looks unique, beautiful, and smart.
Characters - 9
A majority of this cast are well fleshed out, whether positively or negatively, while usually not feeling forced. The biggest slip up in this regard is when they introduce too many characters at once and develop them one at a time, leaving some characters feeling rather bland until many chapters after they become part of the main cast, which isn't even that big of a deal.
Enjoyment - 10
Absolutely beautiful. I already mentioned how I couldn't put these books down because of just how amazing they are.
Overall - 10
If you're ever looking into any career involving story telling of any kind, read these books. They're a perfect way of showing a flawed and unlikable character redeeming themselves and earning a second chance.
