I rarely give out tens, but this is probably a 9.5... or maybe I need to clean my eyes to ensure I'm rating correctly :) I'm not sure if this qualifies as a "masterpiece" according to the rating system, but I do consider it a masterful work; if I didn't already adore Morinaga Milk and want to track down everything she's ever written, I certainly do now.
I won't pretend it boasts earth-shattering originality, but the emotional moments are, for the most part, flawless. And I simply couldn't put it down—read the entire thing in one sitting. It's just stunning, and I cherished the opportunity to spend so much time with these characters and witness the story unfold over an extended period. I actually found all of them—every single one—quite believable, and the narrative alternates between being humorous, genuinely emotionally resonant, melodramatic, innocent yet mature, sweet, and beautiful. These characters are vividly defined and surprisingly well-developed, surpassing obvious clichés and demonstrating real growth throughout the series.
I'd like to offer something more insightful about the genre and this work's position within it, but it's 4 AM, and I've just finished it—which likely speaks volumes about this book more than any intellectual analysis I could attempt.
I believe it was beautiful from start to finish, and now I feel fantastic.
=====EDIT:=====
I've chosen to raise this rating. Entirely based on personal preference. I simply realized while going about my day that I was comparing whatever I was reading or watching to whether I'd rather be re-reading Girl Friends. And almost always, I'd rather be re-reading Girl Friends. If that isn't a 10, I don't know what is.
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I won't pretend it boasts earth-shattering originality, but the emotional moments are, for the most part, flawless. And I simply couldn't put it down—read the entire thing in one sitting. It's just stunning, and I cherished the opportunity to spend so much time with these characters and witness the story unfold over an extended period. I actually found all of them—every single one—quite believable, and the narrative alternates between being humorous, genuinely emotionally resonant, melodramatic, innocent yet mature, sweet, and beautiful. These characters are vividly defined and surprisingly well-developed, surpassing obvious clichés and demonstrating real growth throughout the series.
I'd like to offer something more insightful about the genre and this work's position within it, but it's 4 AM, and I've just finished it—which likely speaks volumes about this book more than any intellectual analysis I could attempt.
I believe it was beautiful from start to finish, and now I feel fantastic.
=====EDIT:=====
I've chosen to raise this rating. Entirely based on personal preference. I simply realized while going about my day that I was comparing whatever I was reading or watching to whether I'd rather be re-reading Girl Friends. And almost always, I'd rather be re-reading Girl Friends. If that isn't a 10, I don't know what is.
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