Well, I don't typically venture through these kinds of stories, so I made it my duty to read through one finally...
Story: 9
Like most manga, the first few chapters might end up feeling a little rushed or typical. Thankfully, this is the kind of story that gradually gets better and better the more you progress into it. The idea about a romance budding between a scary-looking 31 year-old writer and a baby-faced 10 year-old girl might sound a bit sketchy at first, but, truth is, the story doesn't go over too many boundaries.
The feelings of the characters are not completely overdone, and the circumstances that go along with the story aren't thrown out of nowhere like in some story plots. And, since it does have that "forbidden romance" theme, you tend to think about things you would normally not find yourself thinking about... or even WANTING to think about. For me, I actually like to ponder those things we constantly try to keep hidden within our subconsciousness, since no one ever mentions them.
Art: 8
The art is well done. I think the artist captures the main protagonist's persona very well and the author knows how to set the mood, whether it's a serious, light, or humorous tone. 'Guess I'm basically saying that the art is good but isn't exaggerated like in other manga that depend on their art for everything, especially humor, y'know?
Character: 9
I don't know, the main protagonist's character at first seemed rather stereotypical to me, but I ended up liking him after a couple more chapters. He's definitely not some lolicon or pervert, though. He's just a normal guy who didn't really think about the consequences in his actions and ended up in a pretty tough situation. It was surprising for me at first, but he does actually handle things pretty well.
Enjoyment: 10
What I really like about this story is the fact that although it started out as an innocent girl's crush, the main protagonist gradually starts to face the young girl with a sense of care and giving... like that of a family member. They were just two strangers who slowly started to relate to each other, and their bond is something that I can't exactly describe. Is it romantic love? Is it paternal love? I currently see it somewhere in the middle.
After reading 19 chapters in one sitting, I give Kore wa Koi no Hanashi an overall score of 9.
I highly recommend this story to people who desire to get in-tune with that inner subconscious we tend to push aside due to popular or even our moral beliefs.
By the way, thanks to those who ended up reading 'till the end. (This ended up getting longer than I thought.) Happy reading~! ^v^
