| Average |
8.8 |
| Design |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| If you have seen the anime and liked it or found it mediocre then if you read the manga you'll forget about the anime completely. Because the anime, as it happens with Gonzo adaptations, totally ruined this wonderfull manga, which is one of the best and most tragic manga love stories I read, and this right after watching the anime.
This manga will shake your innermost feelings, especially in the last volume that has one of the most intense, touching and memorable endings. But even before that the romance developing between Chise and Shuji is very well developed. Add also that this occurs in a war torn country, so all the characters are affected by it. So it differs from standard romace stories. If you combine romance, with the atmosphere of the anime Now and Then, Here and There then you have Saikano.
The design is very good, something that Gonzo tried to imitate in the anime, making it a little messed up and uninspiring. The characters emotions are perfectly expressed.
The story, as in the anime remains mysterious as to why the war started, but it adds nevertheless more details and characters and the ending will stun you, especially if you watched the anime. In the manga the ending is much better and a little different. Also a specific love scene in the manga is omitted in the anime, as many others. What starts as a simple romance, developes slowly into a tragic story. The last volume is one of the most emotionally intense I read. You have to read it to understand the feeling.
If you overlook of course the absurdity of making a young girl the ultimate weapon (the manga's only flaw) this manga becomes one of the best.
Highly recommended. Perhaps the best romance manga I've read, appealing to both male and female adult readers.
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