Advised, possible spoilers.
Opinion & Informal
Art: 7/10
Anatomy and proportions checked out. Nature, expanses, or panoramics weren't really showcased. Backgrounds and supporting details were about average. There were times where the backgrounds and supporting tones were kind of lacking. I prefer a little more supporting backgrounds in my Slice of Lifes to help with the atmosphere and world-building; By the end, I didn't really know what their apartment looked like and it would have been nice to know more about it since much of the manga took place in it.
Panel Progression: 7/10
Pacing was fine. Like I mentioned earlier, supporting tones were here and there; the ones that were used did help in their contexts though. There was a nice amount of flair in the form of panel-cutting. Panel layout was also straightforward without seeming bland. Overall, the panel progression was thought-out and looked good.
Characters: 6/10
The character designs were realistic so nothing really stood out to keep the characters distinct or memorable other than the small cast. The main female character designs looked cute; pretty much all of their mannerisms and expressions looked great. That was about the only thing I liked about them really. Character dynamics were okay. They didn't feel forced, but they could get a bit stale between Shima and her best friend though. The best dynamics were between Shima and Chihiro after all, but even then the supposed adolescent nature and rebelliousness of Shima didn't really hit it's mark most of the time for me. I understand that this manga was supposed to depict a realistic approach to showcasing adolescence, but it honestly felt like another cute girls doing cute things except there's only 1 or 2 cute girls where one of those girls was a bit boring or had no presence for a majority of the manga, 1 father who had as much personality as a loaf of bread, and daily scenarios that played out well but didn't build an adolescent Sol atmosphere for me. Overall, while the dynamics were believable for what I think the manga was going for, I think the fairly liberal use of moe elements for character reactions, behavior, and dynamics ended up shifting this manga away from its synopsis (for which I picked it up for) and more towards another generic SoL cgdct manga.
Plot & Development: 6/10
The plot introduction and the opening sequences are exactly what I picked this manga up for. The initial setup was strong and met my expectations. Unfortunately, the manga quickly lost that atmosphere in the few following chapters and began to make a clear shift in direction. The manga began to set up more and more of its narrative towards getting a cute reaction or punchline out of Shima. I would have preferred the verbatim synopsis. Maybe I was expecting too much or I'm being too picky, but compare the opening chapter to something down the road like when Shima goes to get a new light bulb. I also want to point out how this manga could have done more. One specific example was the chapter where Shima encounters her best friend's mom and how Shima was taken aback by how she was treated so kindly. I would have liked the manga to explore more about how Shima feels about not having a mom, maybe not being able to buy the things she wants freely, or maybe how she feels about growing up in general. I disliked how the manga only barely hinted at these things once or twice and never really developed them; the lack of development for Shima's adolescence or coming of age left the whole thing dead in the water. Overall, the manga could have had a lot to work with with how great the initial chapter was, but everything thereafter fell short as the things that should have been focused on were sideswiped by cute-looking faces, pouting, and tsundere-like personalities.
Conclusion: 6/10
The conclusion felt weak because of how abrupt it felt. The conclusion didn't feel like a conclusion and the final chapter felt like it didn't really "send the reader off." Just as I was getting settled into the manga being a cgdct manga, it just ended. Although I was disappointed in the direction it seemed to settle in to and lost all hope for anything similar to the opening chapter, I was beginning to settle into the cute-vibe it ended up going for. Nope, it just ended. That really struck a nerve with me as I was getting interested in reading it for what it was becoming. The conclusion didn't answer any of the subliminal plot questions that the manga had brought up thus far such as Shima's past or even the scenario regarding her talking to the picture of her (probably deceased mom). While the last few panels did leave the story at a point where there could be a life for the characters outside the pages, I would have liked to see it. The conclusion to the whole thing felt a bit empty and rushed, like the manga was canceled so suddenly that the author didn't have enough time to lead the story up to it.
Overall: 6/10
Overall, the cute art for the main girls as well as the opening chapter were probably the best things about this manga. The character dynamics could get a bit uninspiring and the plot development took a turn away from the initial setup which was a letdown. I disliked the lack of focus on certain plot points as well as the ending that felt like it left me hanging. Worth a read, but don't expect an adolescent version of Yotsuba&!.
