I finished this a while ago, but I decided to wait a little bit to actually review it. It just made me feel so many strong emotions that I needed to calm down for a while.
First things first...
I can't believe some people have rated this manga with a low score (as low as 1!) just because of the art. Thank God that it's only a minority. I want to clarify something: The art is old-fashioned, not bad. We're so used to modern mangas with absurdly beautiful people (by the way, I don't have anything against this kind of art) that it's shocking to see something different. This manga is from the '80s, you can't expect the art to be the same of what's fashionable today. Just have some time to get used to it, and believe me, you will.
And why? Well, not only because the art is good, but also because the story is just wonderful. All of the characters are well developed, so well that you feel for them and actually want them to be happy. At least I did. Especially with Ash and Eiji. Their friendship is so, so, so inspiring. As a reader, you really get to understand their relationship. Ash is trapped in his hellish life and the only way he can feel free is by being friends with Eiji, who has no relation to that kind of life. Eiji, for his part, knows that he doesn't really understand everything in Ash's life but he still wants to be there for him. The way this manga shows how they influence each other is just beautiful.
As some people already stated, this is not a shounen-ai. And I also want to add something else: Even though it deals with pretty heavy stuff (pedophilia, rape, drug-dealing, and so on) you'll never see shocking or disgusting scenes. Being really sensitive to images, this is something I'm really thankful for. You know that horrible stuff happened, but you will never see it and you don't need to. The reactions of the characters are enough for you to know just how much they were affected by it, and there's nothing else you need.
I think this manga is so good that it goes beyond being a shoujo. Everyone should read it. And about the ending, don't worry - it's perfect. At least, I'm satisfied with it, even though I cried for several days because of it.
Everyone told Ash that his friendship with Eiji couldn't possibly work, and they were right. They came from different worlds that could not be combined, but still they defied fate. And eventually won against it, for with Ash death their friendship will stay uncorrupted forever. I sincerely think that Ash accepted his death with peace and didn't fight against it because he understood this. And so, he died with a smile on his face. He was finally free.
If you haven't read this, do yourself a favor and read it. You will suffer. But it will be worth it.
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