Not the polished Manga you're likely used to.
However, it's a realistic story discussing important topics, but incredibly triggering.
There is a content warning that I'd recommend checking before reading.

The story isnt a happy one, so don't go into it expecting a happy ending.
But if you're looking for something relatable and discusses bullying, abuse, mental health, and EDs, give it a try!

Publishing date:
27.06.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: I am eating out, but somehow my ex found me and disturbed my meal
The book left me: Feeling pretty horrible

Negatives:
Trigger warnings galore, be warned

Positives:
Very realistic portrayal of teenage/young adult troubles
Doesn't shy away from horrible things
Interesting story

Features:
Content warnings in the millions, interesting artstyle, dislikeable characters, themes of growing up, different situations for the same age group

Why did I choose this one?
I have heard stunning things about this manga, so I thought I should dive into it.
At the time I was in a mood for more comics as well. The cover is also very eye catching to me.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Devourable. I finished this one one sitting. I had to see what would happen next and how they would handle their current situation. The way these characters keep getting into the most avoidable trouble is outstanding to me.

What was the vibe and mood?
This had the vibe of watching a dramatic tv show. Everything went wrong, everyone got into trouble, tragedy after tragedy occurred. Almost like a car crash you can't look away from

Final ranking and star rating?
S tier, 5 stars. This is a read I know will be living rent-free in my mind for a long time. A read I think a lot of people should try out. However, it has every trigger warning under the sun, so please check which it has before diving into it. Great story with a lot of drive. Fitting artstyle. A lot of personality. Very good read. Will recommend.

This is not a cutesy manga, evident from the art style on page one, but rather nihilistic and hopeless.

The story follows the “extra-curricula“ activities of some high school students who attend a school by the edge of the river. Asides from one student who’s a model, no-one else has any aspirations or any hope/vision for their future. They smoke, have sex with each other and sometimes wander around a scrubland close to the school. No adults seem to have any influence in their lives, for good or bad. And whilst some shocking things occur in the narrative, the ending implies that nothing will change as a result of them (asides from one character moving away).

A very bleak portrayal of the 16-18 stage of life with no hope of improvement. Surely we can provide something better than this for today’s 16-18 year olds? With swearing, nudity, sex scenes, animal cruelty, death, bulimia and bullying. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The art and story didn't really do anything spectacular for me. Good, not bad, not great. Nothing special.

As with all of this year's Eisner nominees, this is a bleak story with an ending that is less conclusive than you might like. It's very well done, and I always enjoy Kyoko Okazaki's brand of darkness, but it is a <i>lot</i>, and emphatically not for all readers, as the content warning list below demonstrates:

Animal cruelty
Drug use
Disordered Eating
Self-harm
Realistic bullying
Homophobia
Mental health crisis
Not-entirely-consensual sex

Worth reading, but read with caution.

Not my favorite Kyoko Okazaki, but it still strikes a chord. The story examines the more unpleasant and isolating aspects of growing up. It doesn't shy away from sex or violence, because that's just part of life. Bleak, but not unbearable; still hopeful, yet not condescendingly so.