Hanaotoko

Hanaotoko is a great manga that manages to successfully present more serious ideas in an enjoyably unserious way. This manga is weird. The art is weird and the characters are weird. In fact, the only thing that isn't extremely weird is most of the story, which has more mature strokes about family, growth, and change. However, the weird presentation paired with a slightly more grounded direction combines to form a very enjoyable and unique reading experience that kept me smiling throughout. The highlight is definitely character growth. Most of the story revolves around Shiego, and how he changes through different environments and new experiences. Thegrowth is believable and very well-paced. It also ties in nicely with character interactions, which is another strong point. Every character is great in their own way and have relationships that are enjoyable to watch change over time. If I had any complaints, it would be about the ending. It is also very weird, but even more so than the rest of the manga, and a little too weird for me. They also left a few interesting questions left unanswered which I wish got explored more. That being said, none of these complaints were big enough to greatly hinder my experience. Overall, it is a fantastic manga. It is short, easy to read, very unique, and extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend you give it a chance.