Help me out here, guys. I have no idea how to write a review for this story. While it's definitely one of my top shoujo of all time, this entire review will be a guy arguing with himself for several paragraphs in a row. Your problem, not mine. I'm not sorry. On one hand, it's pretty amazing. Not a lot of manga can have me blitz it in two sittings. Not sure if I recommend it though.

On the other hand, it's quite a lot to get through. 80 shoujo chapters isn't a short story by any means, and there's a lot of stuff that happens. A lot of pretty emotionally charged stuff, in fact. It doesn't dawdle. I think that's the best part of the story. Things move quickly, characters develop, and the pace works with the story.

The story has a girl get abandoned by her only friend after they don't attend the same high school, and she starts cutting herself to cope with the emotions. She tries to make friends in her new school. And with that, I'll stop describing it. Obviously there are many themes in the story, and a lot of bleak, and depressing things that happen. Obviously I could go on, but I won't spoil anything. The story does handle the idea of self-inflicted pain to be something we shouldn't aspire to be, rather than glorify it. That's a big plus. As a whole, the story's one of the better ones I've read in shoujo.

Art is great at drawing out emotions. While the phrase "roller coaster of emotions" is pretty cliche, I suspect it was coined for stories like this. Our hero goes through a lot, and all of it is expressed through the art and framing of the panels. You have to remember: almost all coherent, human emotions are present in this story, and the art has to support all those feelings. And it definitely does!

The characters were all great. I don't know if any of them were likeable, but they were all amazing for the kind of story that we have. Every character given a name and a voice fits with the rest of the story, because it plot simply explores their choices, and ultimately, the consequences. A lot of horrible things happen to our cast, and an important question is: did this change a person for the better? How do we find strength in a world where there exist burdens that we didn't choose? What, ultimately, does it mean to grow up? I like that it's not just the students who experience this, but again, I'll do my best to not spoil stuff.

I also like how the main character isn't just some princess that needs a handsome prince to be a character. She takes matters into her own hands. Sure, someone helps her a lot in that process, but they're framed as friends first, and then equals later on. It's a sticking point for me, because a helpless shoujo protagonist getting her life turned around by some hot guy, really doesn't work with the rest of the story since it's about.. well, I'll save the major themes because they'll be too spoilery.

Was it enjoyable? Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Absolutely. Absolutely not. It depends. That's a better answer. It's definitely a super heavy story with some bits and pieces of levity, but you have to remember: its enjoyability is through the absolute spectrum of very real, and visceral emotions, rather than being fun shoujo.

Maybe I'll just finish my review with: it's an amazingly told, drawn, and characterized story, and drains you for all you have. Take this one slow.