I did not expect to be as emotionally invested in this book as I was while reading it. Even though a manga volume is generally short, it can contain so much content, and the art that goes along with it often makes its effect even more palpable. Being able to relate to fictional characters is one of the best parts about literature, and it is something this manga does well. While reading this volume, I felt myself being transported back to my own high school days and the regrets that I have had. ( )

This was one of those mangas I didn’t want to read. I’m not a fan of shoujo or slice of life genre, but recently I noticed this manga got popular and I read a lot of comments saying it had a sad story. At first I wanted to watch the anime before reading the manga, but after noticing the manga was complete and had few chapters, I changed my mind. I had no idea what it was about, but reading it was a good decision.

I must say that the plot hooked me since the beginning, first because there was the mystery of how did the letter traveled in time; second, I wanted to know what happened to Kakeru; and third, Naho’s decisions, at first she ignores the letter’s advice and that brings big consequences, later on she must decide to follow or not the letter’s advice. It’s really interesting to see her making decisions and to see how everything changes little by little because of it.

Orange has lovable characters. There is a group of six friends, including Naho and Kakeru. All of them are really kind with Kakeru since his first day, and they try to help Naho to get closer to him. This includes Suwa, who is in love with Naho. I’m used to see in shoujo mangas that there is always a fake or mean friend in the group of friends, but I was gladly surprised with this manga lacking of that. The six friends were honest and had a true friendship.

Despite this manga is supposed to be shoujo, romance is not the main focus of it.

The only complaint I have is the ending, I thought of giving it a 4.5 stars rating, but I can’t, so 5 stars. I felt the ending was kind of abrupt, I would’ve liked more explanations or a good epilogue saying what happened with the characters. The manga doesn’t explain at all how the letter traveled to the past, and there is no romance at the end. Also the author doesn’t say what happened with them, I wanted to know how their actions changed their futures.

In conclusion, it’s a good manga, one of the best I’ve read this year, it hooks you since the beginning and keeps you interested all the time. I highly recommend it :)

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4.5 stars. ( )

This graphic novel may be YA fiction because of the setting and the characters, but the feelings it evokes are strong enough for any adult! If you aren't familiar with Japanese culture, then parts of this novel may seem a little odd or cringe-y in the beginning. But trust me, it is worth sticking through. This story is one of friendship, loss, love, and resilience. The story deals with suicide, guilt, and the difficulty in moving on from a traumatic event. I am not ashamed to admit that I was sobbing like a baby throughout the novel. Naho is a timid character, and sometimes her timidity can be exasperating. But she changes throughout the novel, realizing that she needs to become more bold and assertive in order to be there for the people she loves. Every character in this story has depth and they are just so .... loveable and amazing! I'm still not in the right frame of mind to coherently write down my thoughts, but the main point I'm saying here is that this manga has a depth to it that I have rarely seen in others in this genre, or even in regular fiction. It has its funny moments, and its cheesy moments, and it's cute to see teen love bloom. But it shows how strong the bonds of friendship can be, and how difficult it can be to be a teenager. Maybe the story hit me as hard as it did because my teenage years were also difficult (not as difficult as in this story, though) but it is still well-written, well developed, and aesthetically beautiful. If you have never tried manga, then start with this one because it is absolutely fantastic! ( )