When I was in middle school I used to rent this from the library, but I never completed it as they didn't have all the copies. Now that I'm an adult I decided to purchase the collector's edition after receiving Barnes and Noble gift card for Christmas. I bought and read the entire collector's edition series in a month. I own a bit of manga but this is the first series I have owned and finished.

Story: The story is probably my favorite part of this manga. The Synopsis is a pretty good description of what it is about. If you love folklore, fantasy, friendship, romance, and overcoming hardship, this story is for you. The way in which the lives' of all the characters intertwined was truly spectacular. It made me laugh, smile, gasp, and cry. I can't really say what I want without spoiling it, but READ THIS SERIES. The last volumes, chapters, and ending made me quite happy

Art: This was the first manga I ever read as a child so I have a soft spot for the art. It's not exactly beautiful but still appealing to the eyes. Many of the girls/younger characters are quite cute, and I think some of the males are quite handsome. The author broke her hand in the middle of the series so the art changed sorta drastically after that, but it was very easy to get used to. I personally preferred the older style as there were a few characters that looked too similar after the change and I feel some looked better before, but I know it's not Takaya's fault. Some people think it was better after the change, which I can understand as they matured in style and age throughout the series, but I guess my nostalgic self likes the older style. The colored pictures in the collector's edition books are quite lovely.

Character: There is a plethora of characters in this series, mostly Sohmas, since they align with the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Even though there are many characters to learn I didn't find it very difficult to learn the names and personalities. Most of the characters in this series have very distinctive personalities, making it quite fun when they interact. Most (if not all) of the characters have been through extreme hardship. Even the ones who seem cruel still make you feel sympathetic for them. I can honestly say that many of these characters make me want to be a better person. Not to spoil anything, but at a certain point in school new characters are introduced, and I somewhat struggled to figure out their names' and stories. I only wish they would have stepped further into the backgrounds of some characters, but the series can't go on forever. The character development is pretty great for most of the characters.

I spent a majority of this series crying tears of sadness and joy. This series will send you on an emotional roller coaster while telling an interesting story. I can honestly say it's a spectacular manga series and I will probably reread it again and again. I have to give it a 10/10.
(This is my first review, so I hope it's okay!)