Haru's Curse

Basically this very sad story is about Natsume and her late sister's fiancee who are in the process of grieving because of her sad passing. I do wish this series expanded out even more like I did feel ok about it at first but the same time, I would've liked to have seen where and what the main characters have decided to do for themselves in a epilogue chapter. That the main reason why I'm giving this a 7/10 rating. I'm trying my best to keep this spoiler free so please just read this manga and you'll understand my point here lol. If you're expectinga fluffy happy go lucky romance story, this definitely is not for you. It is quite heavy and intense in some scenes so you have been warned if you're planning to read this!

This was an immensely engaging read. It takes a premise that could be very trashy or messy and treats the characters with depth and nuance by examining their conflicting feelings of grief, guilt, and desire. Feelings and behaviors are often recontextualized as the story progresses which results in a deep investment into the characters. The story primarily focuses on three people - Natsumi, Togo, and Haru, all of whom are well-realized. The story starts with Natsumi distraught over the loss of the only person she's ever loved, her sister Haru. In an attempt to navigate her grief Natsumi enters into a relationship with Togo, her sister'sarranged fiance, under the caveat he only takes her places he went with Haru. He agrees and what starts as a seemingly bizarre request evolves into something more beyond what either character expected. The story is all character focused, less focused on an overarching plot vs. the shifting relationships between characters. Natsumi is very interesting because of how conflicting and contradictory she is. She's the character most unmoored and distraught but also the funniest and most boisterous, with her outgoing and jovial personality resulting in a lot of humorous moments. However she frequently struggles with feelings of isolation, self-loathing, and guilt which creates this powerful contrast and clash within the character. Togo is also interesting in a different way, being much more composed, blunt, and direct in his thoughts and feelings. However he's a very numb character, having never formed any personal interest or dreams due to the status of his upbringing and family. He's internalized and made the entirety of himself the expectations and desires of his parents in lieu of his own. In his burgeoning relationship with Natsumi, he is forced to recognize and grapple with having his own desires and feelings for the first time. Finally there's Haru who, despite being dead, is at the crux of the story and relationship between Natsumi and Togo. She's initially presented as more of an object of affection or narrative starting point vs. having much character depth. However more is revealed about the Haru over the course of the story which paints a more complex and detailed person struggling with her own issues and feelings. The story focuses on the characters' burdens and how those resulting from outside forces feed into and birth self-imposed ones that result in even greater dismay and stagnation. It's a vicious cycle that the characters attempt to find relief, solace, or answers in their interactions with one another. Family also plays a significant role as the impacts of arranged marriages and the differing dynamics between the characters and their mothers vs. their fathers all contribute to the burdens they face. Despite the drama and bleakness that the characters struggle with, there are plenty of funny and cute moments. Togo and Natsumi have great chemistry with her frantic and active personality playing well off of Togo's blunt and cool demeanor. The comedic moments are bolstered by good timing and humourous reaction faces. And despite there being few physical manifestations of intimacy, the romantic moments are satisfying as they feel genuine and honest to the characters and their experiences. The sweeter moments are all the more potent because they contrast with all the negative thoughts and emotions the characters struggle with. It ends with an ending that feels earned, warranted and satisfying as the theme of the characters realizing that they're more than a singular (whether it be emotion, experience, etc.). That their multitudes, good and bad, known and unknown, etc. allows for the potential to progress and overcome or live with what may seem unfathomable. It's a really beautiful idea that I found incredibly well realized by the end of the story. Outside of the characters and story, the series is very well paced with no chapter feeling superfluous. The art style is simple and straightforward and extremely consistent throughout. The somewhat thicker line work matches well with the grounded character designs and slice-of-life actions. Characters' faces do a great job at conveying emotions and the style complements the the tone of story well. In terms of criticisms, if you don't buy into the premise of the characters and their emotions everything will come of as melodramatic and flat. I could see someone finding the characters melodramatic if they don't buy into its premise and the characters emotional reactions. Everything, from the romance to the characters' personal struggles, hinges on accepting the characters' feelings as understandable and if you do not the entire thing will fall flat. Physically, the volume feels very solid and comfortable to hold (like most Vertical releases). There are some nice color pages throughout the book featuring Togo and Natsumi alongside bonus pages that feature extra scenes or insights into the characters. I really enjoyed reading this and highly recommend checking it out. It gave me a lot to think about and was a worthwhile and fantastic experience.

This manga is unexpectedly raw. I expected it to be a sad-sob love story, which is partially what it is, but there's an element of darkness and an unforeseen twisted mix of sinister emotions. The characters are so well crafted, everything is explained amazingly in the limited amount of chapters. I didn't expect each character to have so much depth and similarities to every mundane actions and thought processes. Whilst reading the manga I saw a lot of raw and innate human emotions that was wonderfully expressed, it shows how humans are innately selfish and ignorant to those who care about them most. The varietyof different character emotions and ambitions, a plethora of people to relate to, made me feel an attachment to each character. If you want a dark, sad but bittersweet love story I highly recommend this underrated piece!