Actually, I did enjoy reading this one. It's sweet and cute. I know a lot of people cried and it's often listed as a "tear-jerker", but, I don't know, I wasn't attached enough to any of the characters to cry for them. Butterfly, the main character, was cute, cried often, and was not particularly mature or strong, even at the end when she aged a couple of years. She was bland, boring, plain, and as was her love interest, Chinatsu. He doesn't have any driving characteristics, save for being handsome and patient. But the romantic development between them was nice.

On that note, I think the ordinary atmosphere is actually one of the driving points of the manga. It's set during WW2 war-time, but it shows the ordinary, unaffected lives of regular citizens. I did like the historical information provided, and it was actually mostly accurate. I enjoyed the way that the plot was developed in the beginning, but I vehemently disliked how many turns and cliches that the ending had. Also, I usually am not a fan of age gaps, and I will admit that it bothered me in the beginning quite a bit.

TL;DR: Cute, nicely-developed, but would have been much better executed if the mangaka steered clear of unrealistic cliches. Therefore, 7/10.

Sweet manga had me smiling at the end. Just perfect for a late night read.

The manga starts off very cliche but as you read on past the early chapters, you'll realize this series is a very heartwarming story without all the normal shoujo bs.

There were some instances of drama but it doesn't drag on much. I know some people like drama that drags on for a long time because they think it's "realistic" but c'mon, who likes drama that lasts 5+ chapters? In this series, the drama is presented lightly as a plot device for both of them to mature their feelings. Both main characters become very likeable because they both make logical and sensible decisions. Nothing ridiculous like other shoujos.

I won't spoil the ending. Although the ending was predictable and forced, it was a satisfying. Like I said in the beginning of the review, this is a heartwarming story and it stays heartwarming that leaves you smiling.

There are two things that I do regret about this series. First, is that it was only two volumes. I feel that it should have been 3 or 4 volumes to flesh our their relationship more. Second, the mangaka should have flesh more of the side characters, especially the girls from the geisha house. The other girls were mentioned here and there but they were forgettable because nothing much was talked about them. Because of this, I feel that the series got axed but if it was, it was still very satisfying.

Anyways, it was a good read for a shoujo manga.

... Last updated on July 24th, 2015, 9:32pm

I have been a fan of this mangaka for a while. Once again, I was not disappointed! The art is simple and cute. The characters are lovable but not two-dimensional. For a shoujo, this manga deals with some pretty heavy topics (being sold by your family, some trials of being a geisha, and the hardship of life for average Japanese people during WWII). But it manages do to so without being dark and depressing. Butterfly is a great heroine - she is happy and can be dense, but she is also strong and not constantly crying everywhere. Overall, it's a great slice of life that will leave you feeling happy at the end.

Nice enough, I was loving it, but the flow got lostin the ending, it was rush. And I believe this being such a well drawn manga, that the author could at least been more poetic about. Maybe they forced her to end it like that, I don't. What's nice is that it doesn't feel like shouju most of the time, it has deep meaning even if it's quite unrealistic in several parts, you can feel the characters grow, which is a deepness you don't often find in shouju, even less in such short mangas. Read it, it's light and short, and sweet.

Manga is beautifully portrayed::.
1.female lead struggle to be loved and her insecurities being Geisha;and her selfless devotion to male lead...
2.male lead is ambitious for his passion of tattoos....female lead bring calm and light in his life...

Well this was a really heartwarming story, especially when you see the family all together, ahh happy it and happy family, I liked how we get to see the girl growing up, hehe year by year it's so fascinating to see her become more beautiful and lady-like ^_^

... Last updated on August 25th, 2014, 4:22am

When I first put this on my "Contenders" list (personal list of manga I want to read) it had been labeled as a "tragedy" in the genre section. I avoided this story for a year. Let me tell you-- I DO NOT do tragedies. I'm one of those people who will end up crying on floor, sobbing uncontrollably about whatever the hell happened-- asking "Why did they have to die?!?!?!" For example, try watching "Life of Pi" (unrelated movie) and imagine me in the before mentioned circumstance.

Yeah.

So, needless to say-- I'm able to comment now, not undergoing such an episode. It's not a tragedy. You may or may not get a couple of tears in your eyes towards the end, because it's that good of a real story. Don't worry tragedy avoiders-- you will not see the floor tonight.

Very cute story, could have been dragged out a couple of more chapters (particularly in the beginning), but good nonetheless. Certainly worth a read.

The manga is pretty good. It has a casual way of introducing the romance between the two characters, and it is surprisingly believable. It has its share of melodrama (just the right amount) for a short story.

But, the best part of the manga was that it made me realize just how lucky I am to live in the 21st Century, to not be affected by war, unlike some Middle Eastern countries.