I get the feeling from their art that a lot of people like Mirika.I get the feeling from their art that Nonco really likes Mirika.
The afterword(comic) really drives the point that Hiroyuki was really on the ropes with this series. Explains how the ending was written.
I don't think the comedy was in any danger of "drying up", but I do agree that this afterword confirms just how much of a strain this weekly serialization was on the author.He called it quits before the comedy well truly dried up