This series follows Kaizaki Arata, a late-20's NEET who gets invited to join a program which involves getting temporarily de-aged into a high school student for one year, and attending a high school to rediscover themselves.
The premise is interesting, and is initially presented in a mostly humorous manner, given that the underlying Kaizaki is still almost 30, despite having a younger appearance. Over the course of the manga, the impact of the surroundings on Kaizaki - and his impact on those around him - becomes much more profound.
Despite its oft-lighthearted vibe, ReLIFE refuses to shy away from drama and raw emotion, resulting in some extremely memorable moments for a variety of different reasons. Friendship, love, guilt, shame, isolation - some of the themes explored at various points in the story.
The art is excellent and consistently elevates every conversation, every emotion, every event that occurs in each chapter.
All of the characters are layered and interesting, and the way they interact with Kaizaki is realistic and believable.
I felt just about every major emotion at some point while reading this story - happiness, sadness, stress, relief and satisfaction at the ending.
ReLIFE is ultimately a story of great personal growth, confronting past trauma and the importance of looking forward. Having finished it, I am left with a great sense of melancholy - a true marker of a great series; I can't recommend this one enough.
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 9.5
Art: 9
Enjoyment: 9.5
