If there's one thing this author is good at, it's how she could elevate any story she has into something much grander than it is yet still managing to keep it grounded and presentable to the audience. The manga in talk this time is surely a very unpleasant one with all sorts of dark themes and dysfunctional characters you can find, but none superficial or over dramatic just for the sake of it - they’re all there for a reason and serve the purpose of exploring the human mind and its multidimensional complexities. The portrayals of the characters feel real and believable and you can tell the writer has deep respect for her craft and her readers and not just relying on shock factors or cheap devices to sell her work. You won't be able to put it down until you reach the last page and that's in no small part thanks to the efforts of a very seasoned storyteller who has now become an expert in her medium that is manga.

I do wish the story could've ended a little less abruptly and left us with a few more happy moments to chew on lol, but then again maybe that was the desired effect intended to heighten the loss we feel in sympathy with the characters, so who knows. But still, everything leading up to that climax was handled very well imo and I enjoyed every moment of it. Kunieda Saika is a name I have huge respect for and that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon.

Messed up, makes you cringe, makes you hate the characters while also at the same time feel sorry for them. It's not a masterpiece, but strangely enough it made me cry.

I like Kuneida Saika, especially her art. Let's just hope she doesn't do anymore plots with these kind of...themes.