Migi to Dali

Story: 8 Art: 7 Character: 9 Enjoyment: 10 Overall: 8.5 Now this...This is an underrated and underhyped piece of work. It's difficult to review this without giving away significant spoilers that would ruin the fun for everything. I can't even begin to describe the mix of genres within this story because I really had no idea what was going on sometimes (in a good way). There's suspense, comedy, slice-of-life, borderline horror, a bit of gore and even a few sprinkles of romance. It's a tale of two boys while they try to come of age, adapt to life with their new adoptive parents, overcome difficulties in their new school, allthe while trying to uncover a secret big enough to involve most of the town they live in, and most of all, living as one person instead of two. There's so much packed in the story, there is not one wasted chapter yet it's not overwhelming or stressful to read and somehow everything fits well to come together as a whole story. It's weirdly amazing. The beautiful writing of course extends to the characters and their development. Dari and Migi, our main protagonists, start out as two lonely children who had no one else to depend on apart from each other. The writing shows how witty but delicate it can be as we follow their funny, warm but sometimes heartbreaking journey to find trust, support and warmth from people around them, and to reconcile with their memories and their past selves. The supporting cast is also a joy to read about. Everyone pulls their own weight in the story to create a mysterious, suspenseful, sometimes even creepy, vibe as we learn more about the twins' past and what they are trying to uncover. But there are also plenty of light-hearted interactions between the characters that are integrated into the story and we see how interactions with different people gradually shape the two boys. It's really just so endearing to see them grow and accept themselves at the end of the story. While I started this for the mystery and humour, I was won over in the end by how genuine the character development for the boys was. Least commendable is the art but I do think it's good enough for the story and the expressions can get really exquisite sometimes and adds just enough to create the right atmosphere. There are cases where the premise starts out original and interesting but the follow up is weak, predictable or starts to mellow out what was originally interesting about it. Not this though. Migi to Dari had an engaging premise to start out with and the follow up packed more than a punch. Recommended for anyone looking for a manga packed with suspense, dark humour, character growth and don't mind light portrayals of boys' love or crossdressing that has no real implications and absolutely goes nowhere.