STORY - [6/10]
I think the story and manga in general start out really strong. It's really captivating and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire first arc, I really loved it and would have rated it an 8/10 at that point. Unfortunately, this doesn't last forever. Without saying any spoilers, the story just doesn't know what to do with itself after the first arc. Once all is said and done I feel like the entire manga just morphs into something completely different, and not something I mostly liked. It was kind of just repeating small arcs of minor drama over and over again, and it came to a point where I just wasn't expecting anything anymore. Why was the drama minor? Because it never amounts to anything. It's almost like random shock value that resolves shortly after over and over again. While some of these small arcs are better than others, It's just zero progression and tiring to read after a certain point. It got to the point where I just didn't care anymore and dropped the manga.
ART - [7/10]
I don't really have much to say about the art besides that its good. Nothing crazy. but nothing bad. It also fits the tone of the series pretty well.
CHARACTERS [7.5/10]
Without a doubt the best part of the manga. The manga puts a big emphasis on friendship and as a result puts a lot of its resources into developing characters. It does this pretty well and the dynamic between all the characters is enjoyable. I do have one complaint though. Sakuragi's influence later in the series is just kind of annoying and illogical. When in conflict, characters will be all like "damn what would Sakuragi do right now!" since they all look up to him and view him as a role model. I don't think the relationship between Sakuragi and the rest of the cast was nearly developed enough for this kind of attitude to be embraced in the characters though. The idolization of Sakuragi seems unnatural to me. A lot more could have been done to reinforce this kind of thinking within the cast.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT - [6/10]
Despite some of the negative things I've said about this manga, I think I can still recommend it unlike other series I give a 6/10. The first arc is great and worth experiencing. So if you are interested in this series, I recommend reading up to the second arc. If you like what the second arc had to offer, then knock yourself out because it follows the same formulaic sequence in different skins (at least up to 116). I didn't like the change, but you might.
