Since it's getting a lots of attention in a recommendation thread and it's getting an anime adaptation, it probably should get its own thread.

What I really like about this manga is how it refrain from dramatizing situations until the right moment. Like with Shōya's plan in early chapters that doesn't get its emotional punch until his mother confronts him about it. Or bullying that is already sad, but fully gets you when Shōko finally snaps. And when Shōya realizes that it was his desk.

All characters are good even if some are hard to like. Their teacher probably should quit being a teacher. Not everyone can be Onizuka (someone should write a crossover), but he wasn't even average. A lot of problems could be avoided if he just cared.

Since there will be just one more chapter of the manga, I will need to check the new work of this author. If it's just half as good, it will be amazing anyway.

 

10/10 would cry again.

Seriously now, I loved most of this manga. Great stuff. The protag was one of most likable ones.

 

I would murder Ueno in an instant. An instant.

But yeah, this was an incredible read. It dragged for me in some places, but I think that's just because the genre is new to me. After the time skip, every scene where Ishida and Nishimiya interacted was sweet as hell. I grinned like such a huge weeb when

Spoiler

she tried to confess to him early on.

My only complaint would be that

Spoiler

the bridge scene in chapter 54 felt like it should have been The Confession scene. They had a pseudo-fantasy love dream of each other, met up in their special place, and cried about each other. It was perfect. It was so, so perfect. And then other people showed up, and nothing happened for a good five or six chapters. And now there's going to be another time skip? I just hope the confession doesn't happen off screen during the time skip- or even worse, that Nishimiya starts seeing someone else while she's in Tokyo. I'd lose my fuckin' mind if that happened.

Aside from that, it was fantastic. Solid art, ridiculously cute main couple, and if nothing else I suppose I had fun hating Ueno and her ilk.

 

Yeah. I keep looking and looking for Ueno's redeeming qualities, but I can't really find any.

 

I'm so happy that more people are reading this manga.

I love how broken every single character is. That they, for the most, recognize this makes some of what they do hit harder than if it was an accident - they know what the right choice is, but they know that they can't make that choice.

 

Btw, Kawai irks me much more than Ueno does. They're bot equally shitty people, but at least Ueno knows and accepts what she is instead of lying to everything and everyone (including herself) about it like Kawai does.

 

I like the manga but it's another one where I just get limited enjoyment from everyone being so much of a cunt. It kind of drags on after a while. I think the teacher's behaviour is probably what I found to be 'too much' in terms of the vast majority behaving like assholes. Anyway, Ueno is a despicable creature at least she's straightforward. Kawai was infinitely more irritating.

I did find the driving point of Ishida's character very interesting, and I loved his interactions with Yuzuru and Shouko. The parents are also well done. In fact I think most of the characterisations are incredibly good execution-wise, it's more that personally the way they combined is something I found more interesting than enjoyable - though at times it was also enjoyable of course.

 

Did feel the teacher started to become a bit over the top as the story went on. Initially, he wasn't too bad. Frustrated at having to deal with a special needs student, but at the same time making the effort seems like what you'd expect. But then, "It can't be helped...", telling Ishida it serves him right when the bullying turned to him and then what he says when they're asking permission to film the movie seemed just a bit over the top. The big thing here was that he was the mature adult, and the rest were still confused kids/teenagers.

Also found Kawai the most annoying. Seemed like the sort of character who liked to view herself as someone nice and caring, but was quite happy to take enjoyment out of other people's expense and avoid going out of her way to help anyone. Complete lack of integrity.

Ueno was a complete bitch, but nonetheless, she remained an interesting character. I liked the way the manga didn't really trivialize her attitude, and make her out to be misunderstood or her traits endearing (as many manga/anime do).

Spoiler

Also agree with you Menace. It was so damn perfect for a confession scene! As cute as it was to see her failed attempt at confession, I don't want that to be all that is of their relationship! =(

But yeah, as mentioned in the other thread, a well executed story to a concept that I haven't really seen done much (not as a serious drama anyway). Ishida's character development was done really well. From his guilt and self-hatred, his disgust of everyone else and even little things like his jealousy when Nishimiya starts making friends other than him. I really loved the use of the 'crosses' over people's faces to represent how he viewed the world.

 

I too have more problem with Kawai than Ueno for this reason. Though Satoshi is just behind them, even if his reason for wanting to be a teacher was rather amusing.

 

Satoshi is one creepy motherfucker, which doesn't get too much attention due to his sideman status in the manga.

Anyway, found the ending to be underwhelming, personally.

 

Huh? I wasn't aware chapter 62 was out yet. Where'd you find it?

Edit: Found it. That was not what I was expecting. I just- man.

 

Yeah. After 62 chapters there's fucking minimal pay off. Never been a big fan fan of these incredibly open ended finishes. They're as irritating in their own way as the 'everyone pairs up' endings.

I get that Ishida kinda came full circle as a character but I wanted some concrete moments. I mean, it covers 4 damn years and there's no proper confession, Ueno still hasn't made things clear to Ishida etc.

 

Mixed feelings. I'll echo your sentiment and say something a little more tangible, a little more closure, would be appreciated, but this ending works at what it was trying to do, so I suppose it's okay, if underwhelming.

 

The ending works for what it tries to achieve, but a lack of a proper closure to the main characters' relationship was disappointing. Maybe an anime will fix it.

 

Read it. Felt like any other angst/drama manga that I've already read.