I'm writing this from the perspective of a high schooler, and one who entered 9th grade this year. I bought this manga after hearing about it on this very site. Inio Asano is a highly acclaimed author, and it is extremely easy to see why.

First off, this manga is super easy to recommend to general comic book fan. The plot is down to earth, relatable, and most of all, engaging. Considering that this story came from Asano's mind during a period when he himself was in this very age bracket, just starting as a mangaka and making his mark in the underground market, this series comes off as a heartfelt calling to this very period of life. It is really hard to explain what makes this story really work...it just...does. Something about these struggles, a relationship, jobs, and just in general tragedy, that make this manga great.

On a final note, I particularly like how Asano handles the character Meiko. It takes a lot of effort and consideration to write from a different gender/perspective, and Asano can do it seamlessly, transitioning from character to character effortlessly. Oftentimes, writers put characters into blatant stereotypes, with masculine men and feminine women. Moe otaku and yaoi fujoshi. Meiko as a character has goals...and her relationship with Tanada is very authentic, and not overly forced. This series truly has multi-demographic appeal, as males and females can both enjoy this, something not many mangas can do without pulling out a certain audience.

Overall, this manga is near perfect. I don't mean to bandwagon but will do it anyways. Read this series!