Sigh... I think this manga has been a companion for a number of years and to end like that... If I think of this as a Slice of Life and Drama manga then though bittersweet it worked. It was moving and heartbreaking all the same. But it was true to its characters and their stories.
As a romance? 🤢😬 Heck to the no! The only couple that truly seemed in love was the FL ex boyfriend and his step sister AND even that love was tragic because it was at the cost of the stepsister's relationship with her daughter.
I've read other Slice of Life books and mangas that lead you on a winding path and end with you feeling almost weary haha. Like 'Why did I read that?' But also 'I needed to know how this ended'.
I thought all the characters were very flawed, but those flaws were real. Those flaws are what keep me reading Slice of Lifes and Joseis. They're not cute or fluffy or often lovable but they are often realistic AF. Sometimes too realistic 😅 And I think that was the case for this story as well. I didn't particularly like the FL or the ML by the end. I kinda just read it to read their ending if that makes sense?
If you want to read a Slice of Life and go on a journey in a village and beyond then go for it. If you want a romance that is cute or in anyway Shoujo-ish then this isn't for you. At all.
Anyway... what a story, eh?
...Lord please don't let me have a romance like this one. Please? Pleaseeeeeeeee. Amen 😀