Wow.. what a ride.
I first read this manga in 07 when I was in middle school... same age as Junpei was when the story began. I was so captivated by this manga and experienced similar situations as Junpei did. His character resonated with me and I was able to relate my feelings to him, even though he was frustratingly indecisive. Fast forward a decade later, I decide to re-read this again and man, I feel like I'm back in my teens. Although the plot may have been inconsistent, I feel like the ending was done well. Toujou was just too passive throughout the story until it was too late, but Junpei's archetype as the hopelessly dense MC didn't help with the progression of the plot as well. However, now that I'm much older, this is what I remember what young love was like: unpredictable, whimsical, and exciting, and Ichigo 100% portrays this fairly well. After reading this again through a more mature and experienced lens, it's definitely not perfect, but god damn, it holds a very special place in my heart. Thank you Kawashita Sensei. I'll make sure to read this again another decade from now, where I'll be cursing my old age.
- C