Houkago Hokenshitsu

HOW I WAS INTRODUCED TO AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE:
Just a few days ago, a friend shared some avatars or icons on Livejournal. The series was After School Nightmare, and it was *stunning*. Based solely on its visual appeal and her recommendation that it was an excellent series, I decided to seek it out and read it. (Refer to the note at the bottom regarding accessibility.)

STORY (9/10):
The originality of this story is one of its greatest strengths. A mere plot summary might make it seem like just another gender-bending shoujo title, but it's far more inventive than any other I've encountered. The concept of this after-school nightmare course where individuals must reveal their scars for others to see grows increasingly captivating as the series progresses.

ART (10/10):
ASN's artwork is breathtaking. While it bears some resemblance to Setona Mizushiro's other works, such as X-Day, her style has notably matured. The page compositions and character designs are exquisite. The protagonist, Mashiro, is depicted with painful accuracy in her style—struggling between his feminine and masculine identities.

CHARACTERS (9/10):
The three main characters of ASN are exceptionally well-developed. Mashiro, Kureha, and Sou each have their own scars, traumas, faults, and relationships. Their motivations are logical and effectively executed. Especially concerning the love triangle among them, the story becomes fraught with pain and anxiety. However, despite how thoroughly these three characters are crafted, there's a sense that the rest of the students are somewhat neglected. Some, like Midori, receive side stories, but then vanish from the narrative. While part of this can be attributed to the plot and the mysterious "graduation," the minor characters could benefit from more development.

ENJOYMENT (9/10):
This series is highly enjoyable. I never anticipated liking it as much as I do—and many others have echoed similar sentiments. Setona Mizushiro masterfully blends romance, drama, suspense, and anxiety to keep readers engaged!

OVERALL (9.2/10)

- Spiffyish

NOTE ON FINDING THIS SERIES: This series can be challenging to locate. At the time of writing this review, volumes 1-5 had been scanlated, but due to serialization in America and France, those scanlations have since disappeared. If you're interested in the series, purchasing it is likely your best option (it's available on both amazon.com and amazon.fr under the title "L'infirmerie après les cours"). Additionally, it’s available in Japanese raw.

NOTE ABOUT THIS REVIEW: If you find this review unhelpful in any way, please send me a private message explaining why so I can improve it for future readers! :D