In all honesty, I think HNR's getting a li'l bit overrated.

My reason for a relatively low score is that the story is pretty much lacking in depth. I don't really mind whether or not the plot is unique, the thing is, a lot of things were left hanging suspended. For instance, I can't see a profound reason for the sudden romantic attachment between the two main characters. The story has not even ventured to explain that in detail. I know Suzume's character meant to be plain and relatable so that the story could capture a wide array of audience, so I at least hoped the author would pursue an aspect of her that would be captivating/unique/touching enough to make a thrilling love triangle. BUT there was nothing about Suzume's character. Put brutally, she might as well be just be a character in the background.

Moreover, a lot of things happened unreasonably. There are so many unreasonable thoughts and dialogues everywhere. Suzume's internal monologues are usually baloney and unnecessary. I don't know if I should blame the translators for this, but the humor is pretty dry and boring. The facial expressions of the characters are sometimes mismatched with the feelings intended to be evoked, and oftentimes they lack diversity. For some reason I think the rating for the art is a little over the edge. It's nice, alright. But it isn't perfect. There are a lot postures that were awkwardly drawn.

However, I have continued following the manga in hopes that I'd encounter a twist that could change my mind about not only the protagonists per se, but the story itself. It has potential, but as aforementioned, it lacks explanations and raises a lot of contentions.

Overall, if you're looking to read a page-turner, I'd hardly say HNR could guarantee it.