I first read this when I was still a teenager and had a very naive view. I felt the manga was confusing and illogical, that the characters were unrealistic and basically hated the whole thing.
I just re-read it with the benefit of a few more years and a whole pile more experience behind me. I LOVE it!!! Seriously, what seemed so convoluted and nonsensical before makes perfect sense to me. Yes, the whole situation is messed up, but that is the point! Relationships are not fairytales, people are misunderstood, feelings change, and often people are too scared or concerned to find happiness. I especially liked the way all of the characters were willing to sacrifice personal happiness for the happiness of the one they loved.
One of my favourite parts was seeing the difference between the way Reiko (the older woman) and Miku (the younger woman) handle the who situation. Miku loved like a girl. filled with dreams of marriage and unable to fully appreciate the consequences of her initial decision until it was too late to turn back the clock. She loved wholly and deeply, but without truly understanding her boyfriend, like she was more in love with the idea of love than with Fujio. Reiko, however, had the bittersweet love of a woman who no longer feels like she will be young forever, and is starting to feel the clock tick, so does not want to relinquish her tentative grasp on her boyfriend even know she knows full well that he will never be hers. Her willingness to compromise more, to support the males more fully, and her resignation in accepting the leftovers really defines her as a cool-headed, experienced business woman and sets her apart from Miku.
As for the boys, their reluctance to admit their feelings due to the expectations of society was very beautifully potrayed. The need to have rules and boundries, the desire to keep their girlfriends as justification, and the slow acceptance was what really defined this manga for me as outstanding. Sure, they acted in a strange way, did stupid things and were very frustrating at times, but that is love. People do not act rationally or logically when feelings are involved, especially feelings that have been repressed for so long. Both of them were desperately trying to wash away feelings that were only running deeper each passing year, they were unable to completely cut ties with each other and yet could not accept each other because they knew their passion would overrul their sensibilities. Watching them slowly break down the walls that have been in place for years was very moving.
I think it is a shame that English can not fully convey the delicate meanings of this manga, a lot is lost in the translation which can make the whole thing seem very confusing. I felt this could have been more appealing with a better translation.
Over all, this is a manga well worth reading. Just stick with it, it is worth the struggle and the whole things become clearer after a second reading.
P.S. To the people who are bothered by the fact a woman was made to get an abortion. SPOILER ALERT It turns out the woman was lying about being pregnant in the first place. I know it hardly justifies his attitude, but at least the woman was actually traumatised in that way.