This manga does some things good. It has excellent pacing and every chapter leaves the reader wanting more.

But oh man, does the author rely on rape and sexual assault to move the story along. In the first couple chapters, literally every character has sexually assaulted and attempted rape of the main character. And even later on in the story, characters being raped, character were raped, happens waaay too much.

The main romance feels way too force. So the main character has some masochistic tendencies, shown at the start. So when when the first character sexually assaults her its shown as something she wants, and even starts being attracted to the person who did it. But when the childhood friend character does it, then o shit its a big deal. And then the childhood friend characters is just thrust into the background and never thought of again until its convenient to the plot.

I'm torn. Interesting (with lovely art), I will give it that. It's not something that's done too often and when it is, it usually is not as convoluted as this.

While I appreciate the idea and variety of characters with real issues, certain aspects of the story are unnecessarily off-kilter (in a scary way). To some, that might spice things up with elemental dramatics, but to me it's more disturbing than dynamic. Half of the characters in this manga are treading a fine line of insanity. And what I'm getting at is, perhaps realistically, each other is not enough to get them the help they need. They all have very troubling issues that seem to have arisen from ordinary experiences - only taking a turn for the very worst in their transition to adulthood.

I get it. This story is all about ego, identity, and acceptance of self. It's showing the most extreme cases and problems of people. But ask yourself if that's what you want. Because a part of me is here for the story and a shrinking part for what the larger concept entails (which is what I think would be nice to see more of).

... Last updated on March 18th, 2014, 3:04pm

No manga before had such awesome characters! Whore, crossdresser, and slutty virgin. I love them all (the whore is the best nevertheless). God... I just don't have words to describe how awesome is the story. And even though the pace slows down in later volumes, it by no means is boring. Because of the extraordinary characters, the story never gets old. I can read about their daily life forever.

... Last updated on February 13th, 2014, 5:39am

Himegoto's principle cast are immature, self-indulgent, and dependent..... making them believable and convincingly real. The mature and grounded storytelling of this series almost seems akin to those handled by western novels than those of manga, and serve as an example for the use of the medium to ask insightful questions about sexuality and identity.

Reading this manga was not unenjoyable by any means; the plot is well-paced with many moving parts to breathe life into its fantastic characterization. However, its resolve to simulate life, rather than to just provide a thrilling ride, could possibly work against it. As a story revolving around the life of multiple unstable characters with very few (if any) major support characters, it fails to provide "breathing room", saturating the story with tension-- not entirely a bad thing, but could potentially put off would-be readers.

If you are looking for a story that provides thoughtful discussion of topics such as sexuality, identity, and the frailty of youth, this series is definitely for you. Be warned, though; this is not a particularly "easy" manga to read. Expect lots of tension with little to no relief.

... Last updated on February 29th, 2016, 1:50pm

It's about sex, but it's not meant to be titillating, which is pretty refreshing. It shows a few different characters' individual feelings and interests, giving a hint at a larger picture--that the subject isn't simple. Occasionally things get intense, or even a little disturbing, but it's handled well.

I've only read a little more than a volume of it, but it feels like the characters are going to be well-rounded and interesting, and feel like real people.

I think part of the appeal were the short chapters initially.
The story ends abruptly, kind of, but it's so rewarding and each chapter ends in a cliffhanger, naturally. But these kids, man, after every single page you just want them to figure things out for themselves and have a happy life.


This was just wow.

... Last updated on September 5th, 2017, 12:17am

Attractive and crazy, this manga is in the middle of those things. Unique characters, unexpected plot, ... and everything just makes a great manga so far.
I myself would choose Mikako for the best character in this manga, even she is quite insane. I think she goes really well with Kaito, and if they become a couple, this manga will be one of the very few mangas I have read where the couple i like end up together.

This was a lot better in the beginning but then it out stretched out a bit too much. Some of thr drama in the middle was kinda pointless. I still enjoyed this, but it should have been at least 2 volumes shorter.

Following the lives of dysfunctional teenagers/early-twentiers coming to grips with love and sexuality has always been a weak spot for me. I really like the cast, and every one of them feels fleshed out and their complexes/insecurities thoughtfully examined. Definitely recommended

As I'm writing this the last volume is being translated. And. I. Am. So. Nervous !!! Ive grown so attached to these kids and I just want them to all be okay and to finally come to understand and know and love each other as I know they all can.

The characters are all very three-dimensional and they each have their own sets of unique, intense baggage. Throughout the story we get to see how they are slowly working to overcome their issues, with many steps backwards before they go forwards, etc. The characters are all fairly self-centered and become inter-dependent upon each other to reflect their own self-worth - and while this narrative can be stiffing at times, it is what makes the characters believable and compelling. Like most humans, they are inherently flawed. And while their actions are often misguided, it is with good intent. The story & writing overall feels very realistic and I know that this manga can be A LOT for some people, but I really do recommend it.

It has prevalent themes of identity exploration and each character goes through their own personal journey of trying to discover who they really are after having hidden behind a "mask" personality for so long. Gender and sexual exploration are central themes, and while I might otherwise be turned off by the amount of explicit content in this manga, it is used with purpose and is necessary for the story, honestly.

I wouldn't recommend going into this lightly, but if you're up for a terrible torrent of emotions, then get ready, cause its a wild ride.

... Last updated on February 7th, 2017, 1:43am