A large part of my enjoyment came from being able to immediately relate to and understand Yugami. The sincere confidence in being happy on his own, with an ego built on his proven skill at a hobby and a philosophy based on reflection on what makes himself happy. The questioning of social norms that don't seem to have a practical purpose, and strong opinions that he refuses to change unless given good reason, though he is always open to being convinced. The way he obsesses over a newfound hobby, seeks an outlet for his creative passion, and then, just as quickly as he picked up the activity, puts it on hold for something fresh. The fact that despite ostensibly not caring about having friends, he still loves talking with others, observing people who interest him, and giving advice whether it's wanted or not. His notoriety and disruptive behavior often put him at the center of a chaotic whirlwind that affects many people around him, but he consciously aims to remain objective to himself and not let other people's impressions of him change his lifestyle.
But if you don't get Yugami or hate how he acts, while your experience with this series will be fundamentally different from mine, especially early on, you'll probably be able to empathize with another character very easily. A significant chunk of the manga isn't just about Yugami, but how all his peers perceive him. You'll be able to follow along with Watanuki and others as as they grow to understand Yugami, and see his generally good intentions and why he chooses to act the way he does, despite all the negative feedback from his classmates that ruins any popularity he might have. It's not like Yugami gets preferential treatment by the author; every character is treated with the same level of care that lets their distinct personality and motivations shine through.
The other aspects of this manga that make it special are the thoughtfulness of each interaction and the variety of carefully crafted scenarios. The writing of dialogue is consistent to the point where you can get a feel for a character's personality from just a few lines. The story masterfully transitions in and out of arcs, without depending on a rigidly structured narrative. Sometimes chapters of the manga are connected directly, such as the baseball games or the school festival, but often there's just a sense of continuity through the steady development of the characters. When an arc does happen, you can see signs that something big is coming and watch as everything satisfyingly falls into place, with no detail forgotten from previous chapters.
I had only read 9 volumes of Yugami when I wrote most of this review, but I had no doubt in my mind that it would continue to uphold its established level of quality, and it absolutely did. There are a few moments that stood out to me in particular as fantastic culminations of everything the manga had built to, and without talking in too much detail about them, I'll just say that the "letter" and "speech" are incredible. Finding a story with this level of quality and depth is rare, especially in a manga that is primarily comedy and not melodramatic in the slightest. I am very grateful to have found this manga and that it was written, and highly recommend giving it a read as it was a wonderful and extremely worthwhile experience.
