I found it through the recommended section from the manga series Mysterious Girlfriend X (another one of my favorites) and upon reading the first few chapters, decided it wasn't really for me. And then its tab sat open, on my phone, for a few months. One afternoon I was really bored so I decided to pick it back up, and I'm so, so glad that I did. Sundome is surprisingly deep with complex characters and really well-written relationships. Its humor is very bawdy, but if you're into that or can at least look past that fact, then I totally recommend it. I can't say much more without spoiling it since it's the kind of story that's best knowing as little as possible. It also helps to be into at least one of the fetishes in the story (it's mainly s&m and piss) but it touches on a lot of different ones. Then again, if your threshold to put up with weird shit is higher than most other people, then you shouldn't really have any problem with the content of this manga.
The art in it is... eh. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. On my second read-through of it, I didn't mind it as much as I did the first time I read it. The chapter cover art is usually a pin-up of the main character Kirumi, and that's always really well-drawn. And within the actual story, most sexual moments are drawn really dark with striking highlights on the characters. It makes them look weirdly shiny at times, but I wouldn't write it off as completely terrible. I think this artist uses contrast amazingly, in fact. So while the art isn't the best at times, it's not terrible and should not be a reason to not read this manga. The one gripe I do have with it is how when the girls wear their casual clothes, the shorts always are really tight around their.. area. And I mean like, *really* tight. I think someone in the comments on one of the chapters put it best, saying: "Goddamn, whenever they are in their casual clothes they really make that fucking cameltoe look like double mountain meat."
Alright, spoiler warning for the next two paragraphs. Nothing major, but if you want to truly appreciate Sundome how it should be appreciated then maybe skip this part. Again, it's read best knowing as little as possible.
Sundome is devastating. The buildup and the foreshadowing in this are perfect. Even though you know the ending is coming, you can't help but feel crushed when it actually comes. I think that's what surprised me the most on my first read-through of it, I was not at all expecting to be *that* sad. For what it is, it does its job well and gets its point across. It's about teenage relationships and how nothing lasts forever. The first time I read it, I was a lot sadder during the buildup. I cried at all the hints leading up to the final few chapters and then all through the few final ones. On the second readthrough, I feel like the final few chapters hit me a lot harder, even though I knew what was coming. It seems the main criticism for Sundome is that the main two characters are in a toxic relationship, and that's just not true. In fact, their relationship is incredibly endearing. They really love each other and you can tell, and I think that's the main cause for the last few chapter's impact.
However, I feel like the last few chapters can be interpreted very differently. The manga ends very sexually. I mean, the main chick [spoilers] during intercourse. If this manga is more stimulating for you then maybe the last few chapters would be interpreted differently. Still sad, but differently. I was crying so hard the last few chapters, but then again I was also listening to sad music to enhance the story. The first read-through I did I had listened to "My Blueberry Life" by the Current Joys, and then for my second read-through, I listened to "Hello-Sin-Nation" by The Red Pears. I feel like both songs did give a slightly different tone to the ending, so I feel like if you're going to listen to music towards the ending, then go with "My Blueberry Life." "Hello-Sin-Nation" seems more of like a reflection on the final chapter's events rather than the emotions at the moment, which lends well to a second read-through, but not so much the first.
Alright, spoilers over.
To wrap up, I love Sundome. It achieves exactly what it's going for, and it achieves it perfectly. It's gross, it's funny, and it's moving. If you're willing to put up with weird stuff or are into any of the stuff in Sundome, then I highly, highly recommend it. You'd be surprised how good it is.
TLDR; Book good! Book sad. Read book.
