this is so sad. i couldn't stop crying after i finished the ending.
sigh... [edit](*sniff* time to do a proper review~)
the art was okay - the way the hair is drawn is quite nice.
the plot though, as many ppl say, is a bit weird/unrealistic as the mangaka tends to add as many tragedy-combos,consecutively as she can -- which is why its so friggin sad -- this manga would certainly appeal greatly to ppl looking for something to cry on but i doubt it would satisfy anyone who is looking for something with a substaintial, realistic, plot.
anyhuU~ it was okay~
sighh~ how can the mangaka b so cruel to his/her characters~~ sighhh~
since i think its okay...

... Last updated on September 1st, 2008, 5:16am

I remember reading all of those Deep Loves back in the day. I was deeply touched and it was the first time I had a taste of the so-called "josei" genre. I thought it was a masterpiece and that it had widened my view of the world. However, few days earlier, I suddenly had a flashes of the series in my mind. But now, after all those years, I realised everything Deep Loves represented were sadness and dead ends of humanity. Beings fought but they were forever hopeless only be released by their own tragical deaths. And I realised, I don't like it. I don't like those negativities channeled by the author. Sure, each of us has that tragedy but as long as we don't give up and don't stop believe, we change bit by bit each everyday to whole a better person even if we ain't rich or ain't famous, today is another day.

So in the end, even though Deep Loves got me down every time I touched it, now, not anymore.

Two volumes only but it is better than 300-chapter manga out there. Good reading for me cos I'm so used to getting everything I want, that missing out on trivial things makes me upset and cry. But Ayu's life (and a lot of other people's) was obviously a lot harder than mine so I should be grateful :-)

This manga shoves your face in the darkest side of human nature, and it's very heavy-handed in conveying the author's bleak message - that life sucks. The people in these stories fall into two groups: either they're evil or they're victims.

[edit by mod, possible spoiler alert]
Ayu's story is sad and touching, but the author ruins it by making it way too melodramatic. One tragic event is effective enough; there's no need to pile it on this thick! As if Ayu being a young prostitute isn't bad enough, the man she falls in love with has to be dying for an expensive operation (!), and then the old woman who takes her in has to die (!!), and then she has to be raped (!!!), and then she has to contract AIDS (!!!!).

The author is blatantly manipulating the readers' emotions - and I just wish he had been more subtle about things. I already know that life is unforgiving and many people are suffering - I don't need to have someone pound me on the head about it and try so hard to make me cry.

This story had it's happy moments and its sad moments. it was amazing. The relationship between Ayu and Reina became a beautful friendship, and so did the trust between Ayu and her dog. The manga had its Tragic moments, its romantic moments, and its beautiful moments which just leave you with a happy feeling on the inside.

This is the first ever manga which made me cry...

The un believable amount of masacara that runs down my face everytime I read this manga is horrible. I've never cried at any books movies or nothing and I cried and cried and cried during this. Actually i cry when I think about it. But it's such a fearsome book for this stuff really does happen adn that scares me, second of all it scares me that someone could write such a tragic book. When Ayu was a walking skelaton, when Pou's tongue was cut off, When Reina was capture and kept locked up, Yoshiuki's face when he was told that Ayu died. His face when holding the other dead Ayu..... this is the best and worst manga ive ever read I'll never read it again yet I know i will...

This manga is reality for lots of misguided kids who lost their way early on and had no one but manipulative adults that wanted to take advantage of their vulnerability. Terrible terrible reality. Child prostitution is possibly one of the worst things in every country... Pregnancy from rape is a tragedy. I wish we all lived in a better world.

I think the takeaway is to extend a hand to those who could use a little kindness in their lives; you never know the stories of the people you walk past every day.

... Last updated on May 21st, 2020, 8:53am

There is no happiness, there is no good ending. Only sadness. If you're looking for beautiful things, turn back now. This series is filled with negativity, more so than any other manga i've read up to date.

As one of those who like to immerse themselves in the world a manga draws before us, I'll never re-read this series again. The FEELS are too much.

Ok, the manga was good. Drawing and plot line are nice, and the story is interesting.

But I do think that it is a bit too much in certain aspects:

But the message is a good one, and I like the fact the the author says that there is probably an Ayu in everyone of us. I do agree, eveyone has self-destructive thoughts and actions, even if very little, and you have to learn to tame them to move forward. And I do agree that our generation is self-destructive, but I am sure that the previous ones were exactly the same, they just had different means to destruct themselves... Anyways, I guess no one wants to read my inner thoughts!

So to conclude: This is a good self-reflective manga, short enough that you don't get entangled in the story, but long enough to leave you with something to brood on. It is dark, very dark, so keep clear if you are already depressed!

... Last updated on February 22nd, 2014, 1:03pm

This manga isn't exactly for the fainthearted as there are quite a bit of mature content. Its also really, really sad and full of sad plot twists. As soon as you think "Finally, things are going to be alright now." You get proved wrong...

I read this one first
then Host
then Reina
And Pao

I think I found Reina the brightest story out of the lot. The others can get a bit too depressing and boringly so as there seem to be no highlights, so I suppose I may have enjoyed Reina's story the most, except that one was sad as well.

I dont think the reading order of them matters that much but it took me a while to realise that the stories after Host aren't exactly related. Like the events are similiar and so are the characters but the author has tweaked some bits, so things might not add up from one story to another. I prefer this artist as it was the first one I got used to and as I read Pao afterwards I just couldn't stop going "thats wrong" "she doesn't look like that" "the drawings have degraded" in my head. I didnt realise that the artists had changed although I did notice the art style had, so I thought Pao was written first when the authors art wasnt so good then. I just couldnt get used to the art style so I didnt enjoy the story as much. As for Host, that's probably the Sequal while Reina is like an Alternate Ending to the sequal from a different characters perspective or something? I'm not sure. Either way Great Sad Series that might not be appreciated by everyone but has earned my appreciation for the wonderful plot and characters.