Dear reader,

This manga was an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, I stared at the pages in complete shock, I became furious, and when I tell you I cried at the end, I truly cried. I was not prepared for how deeply this story would affect me.

Futoshi Mishima immediately made me want to protect him. Watching him endure cruelty simply because he did not fit the narrow idea of how a boy was expected to look or behave was heartbreaking. The friendship that develops between Mishima and Makoto Kirino gave the story moments of freedom, humor, and tenderness amid an environment that constantly tried to make them ashamed of themselves.

Tarō Yumeno was another complicated character. His behavior toward Mishima was cruel and frustrating, but the story gradually revealed how fear, repression, and confusion shaped his actions. That complexity did not excuse the harm he caused, but it made him feel painfully human.

Yanagida, however, made me furious. As a teacher, he should have been someone Mishima could trust. Instead, his actions added another layer of fear and pain to a child who was already suffering. His own repression may explain how twisted he became, but it never excuses the way he abused his position or the harm he caused.

What stayed with me most was the story’s balance of humor and heartbreak. One moment had me laughing at the characters’ dramatic reactions, and the next left me devastated by the loneliness and danger they faced. The ending was emotional, bittersweet, and ultimately unforgettable.