All of the angst I remember is still there, but it's not as corny as I expected. Maybe it's the haze of nostalgia? Still, I think there's something special about the way this manga portrays each character's emotional responses. Although it's very "teenage angst," it's still quite grounded in reality. Rika's feelings are particularly relatable for me. Her problems are ordinary, but they're breaking her down. She's a kid who only recently discovered how ugly the ordinary world can be—with that in mind, her thoughts and actions seem perfectly realistic. Same for the rest of the group. They're not acting reasonably, but I don't find them unrelatable or unrealistic.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to anyone these days, but if you know you're in for 00's era teenage angst, I can say that this is a quality example. It does have a frustratingly ambiguous ending, though at least I knew to expect that during this reread. It feels underdeveloped, but I think that's part of the charm.

Also, this isn't a romance. Technically there are romantic relationships depicted, but if someone goes into this looking for romance, they're going to be disappointed.

... Last updated on October 22nd, 2022, 9:38pm

Well, a friend of mine suggested that I give this a try--because she loved it so much during our teenaged years--and so, I did.

Unfortunately, the only person that I felt sorry for was:



I really can't make any complaints that many reviewers haven't already made, so I'll just keep it my main complaint short and sweet. The 3 out of 4 of the characters really didn't have much to be b*tching about. The girls were melodramatic, and no matter how I tried, I just could not sympathize with the teacher...except for where that lady was involved. I was kind of happy about what happened to her.

Overall, this one was a hit and miss for me. There was just not enough depth in this series to try and pull off what it did. Some people may like this though.

... Last updated on July 11th, 2013, 1:24pm

Blowing up the school was not suppose to be physical, it was symbolic. For one thing, their idea of blowing up the school would have no people being injured. It was more of destroying the notion of their school. The characters feel very realisitic, as simple small things do indeed hurt people very deeply and they themselves are aware of this. Like what other people said, the main point of the story isn't about thier attempt to bomb the school rather the overcoming of their problems and the bonds the they create by meeting together for one goal. I thought the story was very beautifuly paced and I really enjoyed the last story. It's still one of my favorite short stories

I was kinda disappointed in this series...I had heard good stuff about it, some people even said it was better than After School Nightmare, but when I read it, I think ASN is a much better story...as for condemning the characters for their seemlessly selfish superficial whining, everyone has valid points for thinking their life sucks, and just because they live in what seems to be a decent social class or a good country doesn't mean that they don't have problems or that they are not valid....they might seem shallow to some, but it's their problems and they are the only ones that know how it really feels, we can only imagine, so in that regards, I think all the characters had valid reasons to want to blow up the school even though blowing up the school seemed a little to close minded for a group that was disilusioned in life....
So it wasn't as great as I had thought coming into the story, but it's also not as bad as people make it to seem....

There are many things I really don't like about this manga. Yeah, the characters can be a little annoying at times, the premise is...sort of ridiculous. For some reason, I just enjoy the overall feel of it. Maybe I just love Mizushiro-sensei...

I know that isn't going to help anyone ^_^"

...and while otakuness also has a point, I'm going to go ahead and call this manga 'unimpressive'.

Yes, I know high-school kids manage to make the most trivial things into huge, angst-driven problems...but really, these kids just don't seem to realize how good their lives are - at least they get to go to school, have homes to live in and clothes to wear. I live in a very poor country, and therefore have seen kids who have way more on their minds than who to go out with next. Here, teenagers have to care for younger siblings, cook, clean and manage their school-work (all while being abused by drunken fathers), because their mothers work as housemaids in rich countries.
Under those circumstances, I can't really convince myself to feel any pity towards these two girls and the guy; they obviously have no idea about true hardships.

As for the science teacher - the less said about him, the better. I understand that there are people like him in the world, but the way he is depicted in this story does not make me feel sympathetic; just contemptuous and impatient.

The one-shot wasn't bad, considering the length. It actually moved me much more than the main story did.

Overall, if you're a die-hard shoujo fanatic who is herself rolling in the drama-and-angst fest that is supposed to define 'high-school life'; by all means, read on. However, if you're into more serious and logical stories with a taste of reality and not some ignorant teenagers' self-concocted miseries, give this one a pass.

... Last updated on August 3rd, 2010, 1:21pm

<-- that was a reply to teh person above me...

i think that once in our lives as students we came to a point where we wanted to burn down or bomb away our school.. i know.. that thought occured to me more than once.. and one of my cousins actually started a fire in hwer school... anyways its not stupid...

the emotions of each of the characters even though its was told simply was clearly told.. their characteristics are really clear and not that stereotypical.. i like the characters!! mr. money made my heart melt... and also i love the ending.. its like a cliff hanger..

now.. about the oneshot...

i dont know what to say... it was weird but but its weird in a beautiful, thought- provoking way... i mean Lamda and Mitsuhiko... i want to cry... i mean it left me more impact than the whole main story!!! it made me wonder.. what do cows feel everytime they were killed?? how they feel when their father or mother or other relatives were killed... i mean they are animals but... they still have feelings right??

anyhow... dont miss out on this one!!!

I only read this manga to see how the "let's blow up the school because we're pathetic idiots who can't deal with any kind of problem without blaming other people" premise played out.
But, in the end, it was a thoroughly disappointing read.

Apart from the annoying crappy romance between a miserable wimp of a science teacher and a typical 'social misfit gothic lolita' , there's also the boy abused by his mother who 'finally finds solace in the arms of his new girlfriend'- a girl who had become fed up with life for the simple reason that her previous boyfriend dumped her. But eventually, they decide to live 'for each other, with each other' (Oh- now where have we heard that one before?)

By the time I'd finished with it, X-Day had just strengthened my resolve to never read 'romance' + 'school life' genre manga in my life again.

The 'psychological' tag is like a bad joke. I mean, I've read manga without that tag which are way more introspective and thought-provoking than this. Just because a story has a bunch of messed-up characters with miserable pasts doesn't make it 'psychological'!

+ 0.5 for the (initially) interesting premise and + 3 for the little one-shot about the cow. I liked that one- it was so sad and sweet. (I would have given this manga an 8 if 'The Last Supper' had been the main story)

Comes down to a 3.5 - I'm surprised I even rated this manga that high; it was just too ridiculous.

... Last updated on September 18th, 2010, 4:35am

it really is good, read it. the only thing i can complain about is sometimes i got confused at the order of events, sometimes what i thought were significant events would just end and go to a different scene.. or something would seemingly start in the middle of things. (maybe it was just me being confused..) but you could still understand it.

like everyone else, i liked the exploration of human emotions, and how four people who hated their life/ how they were living it/ who were tired of life grew to love it through each other.



oh.. and the last story was interesting and sad. cute lamda~! >D

... Last updated on September 23rd, 2009, 4:17pm

you know, at first i found the art really annoying, i am not sure but little by little i began to take interest on how they were drawn... maybe it is because of how the mangaka made such an interesting plot...

at first you may think that their causes for the urge to explode the school is pathetic, but it actually is not... it is a great story!

i like the ending.. i thought that someone will die but it is good that no one did...

i don't like the protagonist that much but i don't hate her...