Spirit Circle is a work that implements a complicated timeline but manages to tell it in an understandable, non-confusing way.

Now, mind that the start is kinda weaker and might even make you question why this has such a high score. It's not bad, but this manga certainly isn't great right off the bat. The art isn't exactly helping that, as it can appear to be somehow bland at the start. Thankfully, both the art and the story improve. Well, about the art it's more like you'll get used to the artstyle, but it still offers some great pages through the series.

Coming into this expecting another Phoenix might get you disappointed - even with all the reincarnation and deeper themes in its core it's still a highschool-y romance. And I'm not saying that as a bad thing, in fact it is a nice change of pace that such themes are combined with some degree of wholesomeness, albeit reserved. The narration style is enjoyable to read as it makes reader explored different pieces of the timeline together with the protagonist, getting to see how new plot points affect him too.

Where this really shines and where I got convinced to give this 8/10 instead of 7/10 is the final volume which ties everything together. It's not easy to explain without spoiling it, obviously, but the characterisation, the development of said characters and the whole story is done really well in this finale as everything clicks together. Yes, even that thing you might have thought has been forgotten. It's satisfactory enough to deserve that one up in the score. Definitely give this a try and try to continue even if you don't like it at first.