Reviews

I'm conflicted, because even though I didn't really enjoy the story -and I was frankly tempted to put it down more than a couple times-, at others it did seem to grasp me quite firmly. I think that the overall execution is disappointing, and that some of the messages it conveys are questionable, if not outright problematic (particularily about that one relationship). Regardless, I do feel that there's a lot of potential there that hasn't been quite tapped into, kinda like an idea that hasn't yet had the chance to develop to its full extension.

While I believe this one in particular was a miss, I think I'd still be interested in reading some other (maybe more recent) works by this author.

ART: 5
Sort of bland. Not too pretty to look at, not too offensive to the eyes. It has some charm, but it doesn't have a clear identity.

PLOT: 3
Both all over the place, and nowhere at all. Not much happens, and what little does happen, seems so unimportant and inconsequential in-universe that it's hard to care as a reader. The pacing is off, and the outcome of some of the events is unrealistic to the point of absurdity. Overall, the storyline seemed way too convoluted.

CHARACTERS: 2
Somehow, the weakest point. Even though half the narrative is driven by internal monologue, you never get to fully comprehend the motivation behind any of the characters' actions, and as a result a lot of what happens seems uncalled for and unnatural.

SOCIAL COMMENTARY: 5
I'd give this a lower rating, but I'm aware that in the case of Japan, this work is already very transgressive in terms of feminist prerogative, and I commend it for that.