I've reread this story 3 times now and I've noticed many people say that they don't like the beginning but they suggest that everyone stick it out because it gets really good. I personally loved the beginning. I might be very biased because I really relate to how Ichi hated everyone, fantasized about murder, and was an outcast. I was nearly identical through out middle school. I was a really angry kid who ate alone at lunch until my first gf lightened me up. Anyway, I thought the beginning was amazing and I was hooked right away because Ichi had characteristics that made him different from every other rom com protagonist. That combined with the amazing subtlety at the beginning showing us hints that ichi and Yamada were actually way more alike than we thought, and the amazing, well paced and logical character growth each chapter really made me fall in love with this manga. I have a theory that people only say they don't like the beginning because they read rom coms strictly for the fluff. I personally don't, and I think the story telling in this is incredibly well done throughout