But let's get to the review!
We basically follow the journey of our young protagonist who is trying to find peace after her death by getting rid of three things that are bothering her soul. If she is unable to do so, she will become a phantom and thus become evil. During the first chapters we get introduced to this new reality: she meets a very suspicious looking guy who is now becoming her "guide" for the 49 days time limit in which she has to eliminate her regrets. She also comes in contact with phantoms and other ghosts, but I won't spoil too much.
The greatest thing about this series is its length. There are so many awful one shots or short series out there that even I was kinda unsure whether or not this was just another "pretty looking but lacking in terms of story" manga. And sure enough, the art is so stunning, you could probably print out any page and hang it up on your wall. But the story is just as beautiful and well crafted. The pacing is perfect and it doesn't overstay its welcome.
The characters are another strong point of this series. Everyone is so heartwarmingly nice (in a genuine way) and the development of our "guide" is also really amazing to witness. In a lot of shojo manga, characters other than the main character and maybe their love interest are usually very flat and can be boring to watch. Some are also just there for comedic relief. It's different here. You care about each of the characters so much (even about the other ghost), that seeing them happy is eventually all you care about.
Now, be aware, this is a manga about death and letting go, saying farewell. We all know it's not gonna have the ending we so wish to see but I promise you, that the ending was very well crafted and honestly, made me sadder than I had expected going in to this. The author threw in a very "nice" surprise that just made me cry my eyes out.
If you're looking for a short and sweet story about loss, grief, death but also happy memories, friendship, love and compassion, look no further than this. This story is truly a gem. I haven't read anything like this, ever. And I'm glad the cover art made me give it a try.
