This is a lovely and intriguing story about two lonely souls. Although I was slightly disappointed when I found out that the story was not Miyamoto Kano's own, it fits her style very well. The plot is actually more substantial than most of her original storylines. If you like Miyamoto Kano, this is a must-read.

... Last updated on September 8th, 2009, 6:19pm

One of the best I've read lately. The characters are not exactly beautiful in the way that they are drawn, but there's so much emotion in the way this mangaka portrays her characters. There's hardly any smut in it (any smut that was in it is not meant to turn the reader on). The story was interesting even though there was not much melodrama and action. The ending was a bit abrupt though, and I returned to mangaupdates hoping for a sequel, but alas, it turns out there isn't one. I really empathised with Chikara's character and Shinichi's character is also unique for a protagonist in that you feel mixed feelings about him because of what he does. Progressively, you also realize how pathetic he has been and continues to be. I didn't really like what Chikara did to him near the end, but the ending was positive- I just think the story is in need of a sequel!

... Last updated on September 3rd, 2010, 7:13am

it was really awesome at the beginning..so real and all but then towards the end, it got rushed. And the sudden change in Chikara hatred to shinichi is weird. So i'm really dissapointed in that, when the story could have been much better

The title sums up my initial thoughts on this series. It is very realistic and the title suits it in so many ways. Its not a light story and theres very little there to be of comfort, but its real - and it really shows the follies of youth. Being young myself and being in a slump as far as work and private life goes, i really could empathise with the character in this story and i could feel the desperation and depression he lived by. I was rather touched and though i prefer my stories to be an escape from the depression of reality, sometimes a mirror image of the real world isn't so bad. 10/10 for a detailed, well thought out and beautifully drawn piece of manga.

This isn't your typical yaoi at all. For one, both Shinichi and Chikara aren't completely like-able characters. Shinichi's selfishness really annoyed me and Chikara - especially young Chikara - got annoying sometimes, too. But, and this is a huge BUT, these are what make the characters realistic. Like George R. R. Martin said, realistic characters always bring ambivalence in readers. Chikara's bluntness reminded me of my younger sister, and I completely related to how Shinichi felt. I understood the self-hatred Shinichi had, and Chikara's earnestness endeared me to him.

However, the yaoi was a bit slow-paced, and I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt. That being said, this is a great coming of age story, and I loved it.

it really could have been better, i think it was really a depressing story, it manage to even depress myself..

i won't recommende it, only if you're really bored and have nothing to read, but i think it's really depresing and dark... that's the only way i can describe :/

This was a weird one... definitely not your typical yaoi manga. Quite serious, so you won't find silly or out of place gags. It looks to me as if this manga tried showing real life and its hardness. It was about broken dreams, passionate and romantic dreams, dreams that can never become true. This looks like a good angsty manga until the end, which disappointed me. I thought: "now something will happen". Because, you know, even if sometimes dreams are smashed into a million pieces, you can always get something out of it. It won't rain forever, or something like that. So I was hoping for a happier ending. I didn't wish for something unrealistic like "and they leaved happily ever after". But this ending was kind of mediocre and depressing... it didn't even look like an actual ending, more like an interruption. Summing this up, not completely worth reading because of the sub-par end.

... Last updated on June 30th, 2017, 5:45am

I didn't know how great the yaoi genre was until i stumbled across this and from this, I got into MIYAMOTO Kano's (the artist of this manga) works. This is a really unique, interesting and good read...when I was done reading it, I had to re-read it over cause it was really good. The characters are extremely realistic yet different yet the same...it's really interesting. I think we all have a bit of a Chikara and Shinichi (the two main characters) within us and because of that, we can understand the feelings the characters are going through.

Don't miss this one! Do yourself a favor and read it

This work is the perfect marriage between Konohara Narise's and Miyamoto Kano's styles. They both have this melancholic air about their works featuring unrequited love, loneliness, and the desperation to escape it. The way Konohara influences the narration with Shinichi's dry, raw feelings blends perfectly with the endearing juvenile personalities that are so common among Miyamoto's works.
What made the biggest impression on me was how brutally honest the main characters were in their interactions: . But I think that's what struck a chord in me, because Chikara reminded me of someone I knew in high school.

Angsty mixed with the sweetness of Chikara's pure feelings. Recommended

Realistic and serious, this captivating story will hold you to the end. Beautiful art, as always. I loved Chikara. I love semes who are obsessed about their ukes. I also liked how unfeminine this was. I get so sick of the same flowery stuff with ukes that look like prepubescent girls.