This manga is definitely one of the best I’ve read, even if there were a few negatives. Only Seo Kouji is capable of crafting a riveting story that will keep you wanting more, and in this work, that skill really shines. Until the series hits Volume 11, of course. Everything after that really went downhill for me. The tedious fussing and fighting between Yamato and Suzuka felt so boring and dragged out, I always found myself asleep with my face in the book. But Seo Kouji did redeem himself after loading the end with a lot of surprises. Suzuka was going to study abroad! After that,”Let’s get back together, Asahina!”, and lastly, ”That’s what happens when you don’t use a condom, baka!” I was really hooked. So Seo Kouji gets applause for the story.
The art was on a whole different level, at least in the second half of the series. I can’t find the words to describe, so I’ll stick to ‘amazing’. In the beginning of the series, Seo Kouji’s art style was pretty average. But later on, it became a lot . . . prettier. The characters seem more mature, like high schoolers, instead of elementary school students. I suspect Seo Kouji did this on purpose to show the change in the characters as they grew physically and in age. (I also noticed that Yamato’s hair became more and more flat, instead of spiky and messy.)
All in all, I had a swell time reading this masterpiece that deserves to be on the bookshelf next to Detective Conan. I guarantee that you will too.
I just wish as much time and effort had gone into the anime adaptation as the manga. This is why I hate anime from manga shows. There’s always a chance that the anime producers can completely butcher the manga’s greatness, and give the manga a bad appearance. This way, no one gets a chance to enjoy the manga, because the anime was so horrible.
