..but my review will most likely mirror the majority.
This was one of the best stories I have read so far by a mangaka of this genre. It is simplistic, yet awe-inspiring enough that it makes you want to reread it once you've completed the series (trust me, I reread this countless times).
I would like to point out to those who have been severely disappointed by the romance in this series that this is a romantic josei manga. Personally, I see josei as a genre that reflects more on maturation of character first then love life second. It isn't like shoujo where mangakas enshrine love and place a large emphasis on it when concocting a plotline. Josei focuses on growth on a more inherent level - it's more focused on self-identity, self-love and it's supposed to be more reflective of reality.
This manga embodies most (if not all) of these elements to make it a great story. It is about a girl called Yuu who tries to identify herself through her love of theatre and the stage. It's a journey of self-growth, where she discovers who she is and what she's great at, therefore leading to her uncovering her talent. The story focuses on her manifesting this talent to make a name for herself in the world of theatre - it isn't about petty love rivalries nor does it opine superficial values such as physical appearance. Many mangas tend to have characters who have this internal monologue with themselves about how ugly they are which generally leads to them having a major physical transformation. It's such an overused plotline!
My overall rating for this manga is: 9.8 out of 10
Plotline: 10 (pretty damn original if I do say so myself. Most often you find the protagonist pursuing an acting job in stories like this.. Yuu does early in the series, but she changes her preference fast to grow another talent)
Characters: 10 (Touya shows that he is distinctly human [even snapping at Yuu sometimes]; the directness and honesty of Yuu makes her so endearing.. even people who supposedly take on an antagonistic role are loveable because they are flawed)
Aesthetic appeal: 9 (I am probably biased as I am sure there are plenty more mangas with infinitely better drawings than this. However, I find that using such a simple art style allowed us to focus on the story instead of being constantly distracted by the drawings so it suited this manga perfectly)
Personal enjoyment: 10