oinosaki's manga / #shoujo(15)

I put off reading this for years as the art and the chibi-looking characters made me imagine it had to be a childish, feel-good type of manga, which I just am not into - I want josei and I want mature characters! Boy, was I wrong. Despite initially seeming like a product for children and having children as its main cast, this manga is as grown-up as it can be. It deals with issues of loss, trauma, shortened lifespans, abandonment, being an orphan, death, making sacrifices, making mistakes, retribution and forgiveness - and despite everything, putting on a smile and living on with endless hope for the future, putting love (not just romantic love but love of people) and forgiveness before anything else. It's incredible and if you like shoujo or josei mangas, you simply need to read this masterpiece.

The concept is unoriginal and we have all read this story, but what makes this manga good is that though the heroine starts off with severe shyness due to being bullied and gets "saved" by the male lead, she starts to overcome the challenges that are set out for her on her own and stops needing the male lead. In that way, she is capable of change and quite resilient, which makes her an endearing character to me. As I mentioned, the storyline isn't original so this isn't one for those who want a strong plot but rather something sweet and easy to digest - as the name suggests.