The story follows a pair of high school students that find themselves in a similar situation - one of unrequited love, with little to no hope of the situation changing for the better. To make things worse, both objects of their respective affections attend the same school (as teachers), and we discover early on that a spark exists between them. To relieve the suffering brought about by this miserable situation, the two students form a relationship in which they substitute the other in place of their desired partner.
It is no exaggeration to say that barely a few pages can go by without you wanting to grab the scruff of a character's neck and scream at them to stop what they're doing! In love, they are horribly out of their depth, unable to properly move forward, inevitably dragging others into their quagmire.
The artwork is absolutely deserving of praise, as it excels at driving home the manga's main forte (misery), but also boosts the few lighthearted moments, to give the reader a moment's reprieve.
Frustrating as they are, the characters are the focal point here; complex enough to make the story at least a little compelling, but sometimes their idiocy knows no bounds, and they seem unable to think with anything other than their genitalia.
Make no mistake, Kuzu no Honkai is not a romantic story; it lays bare the rotten underbelly of love and lust, making for an uncomfortable, often frustrating read, but not without some emotional depth and strong art to elevate it.
Plot: 5.5
Characters: 7.5
Art: 8.5
Enjoyment: 3
