I started reading this, probably back in middle school, right after I finished watching the anime. There was something intriguing about this. At first I thought it was weird, to be following a story about elementary school kids, but it just pulled me in. I am glad to finally finish reading this (sophomore in college woot!) after all these years.

Story: 10
The story starts off with Mikan following her best friend to a new school and then becoming a student there as well. At first it just seems like a cute little story about this girl meeting new people and learning to live life with her abilities. There were some romances that sparked. But the main story, that kept me up at night wondering what would happen next, was totally unexpected. Mikan has so many adventures that occur after many things are revealed. I did not expect that to happen. And that's what made this manga so great. The end of their story, however, leaves readers to wonder, what is Mikan's next adventure going to be like? And I truly hope that we get at least a 5-10 chapter sequel to see what happens. But the story is so much more than a girl following her friend and making new friendships. It's about the trails and revelations that she goes through and to touch all the lives around her.

Characters: 10
I loved all the characters. At first glance Hotaru is just the stoic girl, Mikan is just silly and energetic, Ruka seems all cold, Natsume has the leave me alone attitude, and most of the characters have first impressions that make you wonder how or if they'll change. Honestly my favorites were Bear and how he changed and Tsubasa just because he was that older sibling to the younger kids.
But the main characters went through drastic changes and their friendships grew. I loved them all and how they developed and how they soon came to form such close friendships.

Overall:
I finally can close a chapter of my middle school life since I finished this xD
But in all honesty, this manga was amazing. I loved it so much. I will reread it when I can. I'm sure that anyone who reads this will think it seems silly, but then it becomes a page turner.
I hope that anyone who gives this manga a try will enjoy it. I sure did. I'm glad I picked it up again to read.

Happy readings everyone!