Honestly, I loved this manga from start-to-finish. There isn't one thing I didn't like about it.

Story:

This was a simple story about the things that aren't so simple - your first job out of school, your dreams and expectations, and yes, even love.

It would be unfair to just consider it a love story, though, for that's only one piece of the puzzle. There is a realism to this story that is a comfort for those who can relate to it, and I am sure that many could.

This also is a short story about a woman. That may mean nothing to some, but as a woman saying this to the intended audience (women), this means a lot. We know how complex and complicated the lives of women can be and how often this is completely ignored even in the best of series. Despite the shortness of the series, the main character develops quite a bit and naturally. The support characters do not at all, but this story really isn't about them, so it doesn't matter. They aren't in the same stage of life as the main character is.

That there didn't need to be a twist and there aren't any (unnecessary and out-of-place) zany antics to ramp up interest in the plot means that the writer was really coming from a place she understood personally (she even says so) and her talent for storytelling shows in just how clearly and skillfully she communicates the subtleties of the characters thoughts and feelings as they live through the day-to-day.

The pacing was spot on throughout the series.

Art: Beautiful. Really. Contemporary, but there really is a unique style here. I haven't seen anything like it yet. Added bonus is that I only found 2 panels where there was a weird, mal-proportioned face (it's usually more).

10/10