Spring Returns to Aoi's Room

A moving one-shot that presents an old message about loss in a fresh, meaningful way. The writing is warm and thoughtful without coming across as forced, and likewise the balance between fun and serious was pretty much perfect. I was also impressed with the MC; despite the short length of the work, the author managed to give the protagonist a punchy and unique personality, rather than have them be just another bland sacrificial fill-in for the story's message. The art style fits the overall tone and, while I would have liked a bit more background and history near the end of the manga, it stillfinishes as a strong narrative. This will take you less than ten minutes to read, but stay with you much, much longer.