YES the girl is average and no bombshell beauty. But contrary to what another user said, she did not get all the cute guys. Unless everyone means two. She is an ordinary average girl (which makes her cute and very likable), which is why everyone was surprised that
Ren liked her
, and many other guys didn't consider her. The only other guy who liked her was
! Andou. Daiki did like her in the beginning but he is ALSO an average guy, and got Sayu afterwards...
*sorry i just had to clarify that. Onto my review...
This is one of the better manga choices of this genre. Normally, i prefer josei mangas, and the summary of this manga wasn't particularly appealing, but i gave it a shot because of the artwork and the raving reviews. The characters all are generally likable, even the side characters. Its also more on the realistic side, very slice of life-y. Its slow paced yet short and sweet. At first i was surprised at how fast the end was coming, because i wanted it to be longer. I was expecting it to be one of those shoujo's where the girl and guy get together earlier and then go through hardships, etc, as we watch them get closer. This one is more about one sided love, so the story and emotions build up without the two main characters already being in a relationship. Although i wanted more, i was very satisfied in the end, and glad that the author chose not to drag it out with shoujo cliche's. The extra chapters were also exactly what i needed. The author knows what the readers want throughout the series and gives them that closure.
The two main characters were very strongly developed and likable. Ninako is naive, innocent, cute, and tries her best which is admirable. Yea, she cries, but it didn't annoy me, because you can see that she's TRYING unlike other useless crybaby heroines. She didn't have some fairytale romance on a plate. She knew it would be painful yet in the end, didn't give up. Ren is seemingly mature and serious, yet naive and very cute on the inside.The art was clean, and the emotions were well depicted. This is a manga that will make your heart throb ... a pure, sweet tale of a girl's first painful love, and a guy's new found blossomed love-- proof that people do grow apart, and go separate ways despite loving each other, and that you can find a new love stronger than the previous.
I would reread this. And you know a book is good when you'd reread it again.