Description
In contemporary Japan, high school student Koyuki Hikawa keeps her classmates at a distance after painful experiences in junior high. Her childhood friend Miki Azumi is one of the few people she trusts. When the outgoing Minato Amamiya starts talking to her, Koyuki gradually becomes part of a four-person friendship with Miki, Minato, and the easygoing basketball player Yota Hino.
The full-color manga was originally laid out for vertical scrolling. Shifting viewpoints and inner monologues reveal the gap between how the four see themselves and how others see them. Awkward humor and warmth sit alongside bullying, difficult home lives, jealousy, and misunderstandings that take time to untangle. Friendship and romance develop together, with plenty of reflection and some emotionally tense stretches.
Pros
- Thoughtful inner monologues give the characters’ insecurities emotional depth.
- Friendship and mutual support give all four leads room to grow.
Cons
- Repeated misunderstandings can make romantic progress frustratingly slow.
Awards
Main characters
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Koyuki Hikawa
氷川 小雪
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Miki Azumi
安曇 美姫
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Minato Amamiya
雨宮 湊
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Yota Hino
日野 陽太