As somebody who does not read much shoujo manga this past few years, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet was a pretty huge shock for me, and it hooked me into reading more shoujo these days.

Now, as a sucker for character back stories, this manga got me real good. I like how in-depth Akatsuki is as a character. Although, I personally think it would be better if his backstory was explained throughout the whole story instead of rushing everything at the end. I love how every little thing that he experienced, had a huge affect on his present life. The only thing that I wish was in the manga: other characters that are as polished as Akatsuki.

The other was just, there, I honestly did not feel like the others were as significant as him. Even Fumi as the main character, I could not quite catch what type of character she was other than she was good at doing house chores. Fumi had her own backstory, but I felt like it was not delivered as good as Akatsuki's. It was tragic, but I did not feel the emotion that was supposed to be delivered.

As for the art, hands down. It's so pretty. Fumi's outfits throughout the series, *chef's kiss*.

Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable experience reading the manga. Sure, the story line is very cliché but the art makes up for it honestly.