I found the context of this manga captivating. Fate, future, destiny, and past. We have all, at one time or another, wanted or wished we knew the future or could change the past.
To the naked eye, this might seem like a slice of life manga with some supernatural elements, and in a way it is, but in another it's not. It's about being different and testing the people you call friends. It's about doing good whole heartedly and have people dislike you for it. Everything has it's consequences and even though you might think you want to know or see the end result, at the end pain goes both ways.
The Characters are essential, all of them. Change one of them and the manga wouldn't be the same. They are each others yin and yang, they create balance to one another. They are not the complete opposite of one another but they each have their own way of looking at things as human generally do.
There really isn't any "evil" characters. I actually think the evil character in this manga is their abilities, or the future and past if you will. It's the one thing they are constantly fighting against either to save others or to save themselves. The main characters have their own arc, to better understand them and how they came to be, broken or not.
Kanade is selfless and the way she gives of herself and puts herself in peril is borderline suicidal sometimes. She is an optimist and honestly I think it rather ironic that she is, given her power and the amount of people's lives she sees in danger.
Arou seeing the past, seemed at first glance the weakest of the powers but I got proven wrong, repeatedly. And it return he turned out to be the most wounded of all.
While it seemed that the manga was going to be about this one couple, Namiki stumbled into their lives. He, like Kanade can see the future but like Arou his blindfold is completely off. He doesn't believe in helping people and stands by and laughs while their futures are unfolding badly.
The Art was average, the typical of a shojo anime in the higher mid nighties. You do notice that it gets better, cleaner, as volumes pass. the years didn't pass by in vain for this manga. There isn't anything amazingly beautiful about the art but in rare occasions when the manwah wants us to feel different, you will see each character transform before your eyes and the manga art shifts. I noticed it first with Kanade, she is a beacon of hope for the boys and the way she was drawn kept reminding me of sunlight, and you'll get that impression every time she smiles.
The Story, though it centers around three people, one girl and two boys There is no boy and girl drama, not enough to count anyway. The characters know of each others feelings and handle it fine, but it isn't about that. It isn't a love triangle sort of manga, even though it could have certainly go that way if the author wanted to extend her volumes and make it like most other shojo manga out there. The manga doesn't drag on and even though the it seems like it's plot is repetitive with the "who are we helping this week" theme, it isn't. It will give you enough information at a time to make you come back for more while also giving you a glimpse into the emotional and phycological impact it has on the lives of those who are able to see.
The only thing that confused me to the point of almost not giving it a 10 were that of events pertaining to Arou that don't get explained and it didn't make much sense to me. Though I could guess if I wanted to and make my own assumption, which I did, if it would have been made apparent it would have been better. Though incredulous at times, I do believe in small amounts of clairvoyance and I don't question their more then perfect "vision" but even I have my limits and I start questioning when particles starts breaking...
"There are times when I can't help but think, in the world, there is no such thing as a waste of time."
