the manga itself acts as what can only be described as a bookend to the uncomfortable stage in your twenties where you feel 'not-so-adult' and 'not-so-childish' and the characters here play off this with their overlapping emotions and motivations. there is a group of highways i've seen before that perfectly explains how everyone connected. each and every one of them has a separate path, yet they remain bound together, almost like latticework in composition. memories from childhood clash with reality, lessons learned are exemplified in the hurt that everyone feels as yet another part of growing up.
these girls are growing into their identities as lesbians, and discovering the difficult and painful feelings that come with it. all the hurt, all the nasty and disgusting bits that you wish you could push down inside yourself when they surface exist here, wedged between highs and lows alike. knowing something like that about yourself and growing into accepting it is never easy and it's exactly why i'm glad that amano shuninta pulls no punches when writing these stories. they are, after all, the feelings we all must endure.
i was recommended this by my girlfriend (she has an incredible eye for yuri, as well as media in general) and i couldn't be happier to have read it. the best moments here are the tense ones, and i wouldn't listen to those who say that they're 'unrealistic' or 'out of place'. amano shuninta's best writing comes in these very moments, the ones that leave a deep gash in you and make you feel something tight in your chest. if you enjoy yuri that is down to earth, honest with itself, and respects the reader's comprehension skills i would say this is an absolute must-read.
what i'm left with after reading this is both a question and an answer.
what is next for me?
time knows. for now, the blue, faint, still distant future is beautiful.
