The art is absolutely gorgeous; you can tell sensei cares a lot about her work--if the needlessly complicated character designs didn't give that away, then all the other details, so lovingly rendered, surely would. The paneling and composition is well done, and the backgrounds too, are just complex enough to enrich the worldbuilding without detracting from the central characters. That scene where Hinata gazes at the ocean, backlit by the setting sun and eyes aglow with wonder, literally took my breath away. If anything, I would say that sensei's (artistic) weakness is her facial expressions; there's a palpable stiffness when Hinata and Kyouya are emoting that isn't reflected in her style otherwise.

Now, you may wonder why I'm waxing poetic about Akihisa Teo's art, and that's because the plot is--well, bad. There are many emerging sprouts of plot that are never fully dealt with and are instead stomped into oblivion by an "deus ex machina"-esque ending, but this can be almost entirely disregarded in light of the many other frankly inexplicable and nigh terrible plot points: And that's only the most egregious of the lot. HOWEVER, if you're anything like me, the end all and be all to manga is surely its visual appeal, and this is a must-read on that basis alone--I could care less about the confusing sociopolitical dynamics of the "four-eared" world if it meant I could keep gazing adoringly at sensei's lovely art.

... Last updated on September 2nd, 2022, 3:05am

I really loved this story. I thought the progression of their relationship was very believable, and I loved the aspect of their cultures and curses really unique. They both embraced being monsters and bonded over that, and found peace with themselves and each other. I’m so glad they got their happy ending.