Despite really loving Ms. KOIDE Mieko's works, this was was truly a disappointment. The plot was boring, the art was alright (she has done better and this isn't my favorite style, but that is a matter of subjectivity, not an actual solid agreement with everyone). But what disappointed me and fans whom I've seen in the reviews, was the extreme immaturity of the main protagonist. His indecisiveness may have been contracted through the trauma of the accident, but in honesty, I feel his subconscious desires of cheating and heading for the Mikuni-like men were something controllable at least to the smallest extend. This is was the little amounts of sympathy that had wavered out of my thoughts to Ao, his love for Kou was unrequited, the hardest to ever have.
I felt happy for him at the end of the story, but to be honest, I felt that Kou had not followed the path Ao wanted him to: the path with the one Kou actually loved. In a sense, the story contradicts itself, Ao wanted Kou to have the one he loved, he was willing to sacrifice his life with Kou, but at the end still accepts him even though he knows that Kou loves Mikuni? Even if Ao didn't know, Kou never really loved him, instead: he pitied him. In my opinion, I feel this is one of the lowest forms of love, even if the other party is happy, it's never true happiness, in a way, the story ended in one of saddest possible ending.
What also came in as a blow to the story was the long, long drag of 3 volumes. I am aware that I don't hone any mangaka skills whatsoever, but as a fan reviewer, I can certainly put in that the 3 volumes were too much to put up with. The flow of the story was so slow and to a certain extent: boring. I read it only to complete it, and solely just out of curiosity of how the mangaka would end it. Unfortunately, instead of something that could possibly be more satisfying, it was more of a sad ending with nothing but empty love from Kou.
In conclusion, I believe that 2 out of 10 would be the appropriate mark in my point of view, due to lack of plot satisfaction, unnecessary length of manga and protagonist's final decision.
