Haru to Midori

Readers looking for an age gap yuri manga will probably be dissatisfied with this series, because the relationship between our main characters Haru and Midori isn't portrayed as romantic. But don't let that dissuade you from reading it. Instead, while platonic, the relationship between the two is intriguingly complicated and unusual. Tsugumi was Midori's first and only love who Midori hadn't spoken to since they were 15, and Haru is Tsugumi's only daughter who she raised as a single mother without the support of her own family. At Tsugumi's funeral, after it becomes clear that nobody from the family is willing to take the orphanedHaru in, Midori volunteers herself for the job of being Haru's guardian. The story is about Haru and Midori processing their feelings for the deceased Tsugumi together, and the change in both of them that is built out of that grief as well as the development of their irregular family life. Aesthetically, the manga is beautiful. The delicate artstyle suits the emotional tone of it perfectly, it's hard to believe that this is the author's debut series given how well drawn it is. And the characterization is very well done as well. Midori, a shy frumpy nervous wreck of a woman hung up on her first love, and Haru, a girl who is mature for her age but emotionally lost without her only family, make for a uniquely compelling duo. Unfortunately, while the first two volumes of the series are strong, the third and final volume feels rushed. It's as if the author was forced to cram material they wanted to take longer to explore into just one final volume. No spoilers, but it leaves several subplots and questions without a satisfying resolution (at least in my opinion). Because of this, and because any real yuri in this series is relegated to mild subtext at best, I give it a 7/10. However, if you're looking for a manga about dealing with loss and the meaning of family, you may get substantially more out of it than I did.