I'm not really one for writing reviews, but i just couldn't miss out here. Shishunki Bitter Change is a criminally underrated manga, and while the premise may turn you off at first, i guarantee it is nothing like you'd expect from a gender bender. I was a massive fan of Kokoro Connect and came in to this expecting something similar. Probably not as dark and probably a bit more fan-service. I was glad to be wrong.

Story - 8/10

Honestly the story isn't overly special, I predicted some of the major plot points within the first few chapters, but to be honest that was due to great foreshadowing. It's what you'd expect for a Slice of Life manga. Plenty of highs and lows that tie together to provide a great platform for the characters to really shine. The first few chapters may feel incredibly rushed, as it goes through 5 years extremely quickly, but that's to get to the main setting, which is High School (surprise).

Characters - 10/10

Where do i start here? Yuuta and Yui are two of my favourite characters from any medium of entertainment. It was refreshing to see the main characters actually get on with their lives, despite the extreme circumstances they find themselves in. The way that Masayoshi handles Yuuta's development throughout is one of my personal highlights.

The supporting cast is incredible too. Despite not being main characters, Aoki, Tachibana and many others leave a profound effect on both the characters and the reader themselves. They all have their individual quirks and running gags, but they really shine when they interact with either Yui or Yuuta. The premise of the series results in some really interesting dynamics between characters. They can be heart-wrenching or hilarious, which is exactly what you want from a cast of characters.

Art - 9/10

I'm not going to pretend i know how to critique art. But i never noticed anything negative about Masayoshi's artwork, so i'll give it a 9. I fell he handles facial expressions really well and the character designs of the supporting cast are all interesting enough to keep them fresh in your mind.

Enjoyment - 10/10

I loved this manga, probably to the point where you could say this review is biased. It just completely caught me off guard. If you're a fan of series such as Last Game, Kokoro Connect or any sort of Slice of Life / Romance i highly recommend you read this. It's a fresh outlook on the whole "gender bend" concept which i think the genre was crying out for.