Today I spent the last I wanna say 3-4 hours reading from chapter 105 to chapter 147 and its safe to say I really enjoyed the emotional rollecoaster that this manga was.
I felt like Asano fully captured and brought everything together so nicely…. the cult arch becomes a path for Harumi to confront the parts of himself he doesn’t like.
Seeing Aiko and Punpuns relationship was beautifully traumatic as you could tell they both were fighting their own demons whilst being together, (with Punpuns outbursts as well as the general impulsiveness of them) and it was so haunting to see how much of the brokenness their parents imparted to them they ended up imparting on each other but in the end there were also some of the sweetest romance moments especially chapter 138, where they stop lying to each other and kiss behind a straw hat and that Aiko’s wish to fall in love with Punpun came true.
In addition I enjoy when they go to Tanegashima and how Punpun calls her cute as a button and him saying “i’m glad to meet you in this life”, whilst they talk about the plans they used to have as kids was so wholesome (In spite of what else went on throughout this series).
I also loved so much of the art in this latter half, seeing Aiko through a hole, and the whole sequence of him carrying her back to civilization was so moving and I just felt really touched.
In addition, the way Sachi excepts Punpun back even after all the things that have happened in the story really uplifted my spirits, as it reminds me of how my lord and savior Jesus Christ has accepted me in spite of my own sins.
I’ve struggled a lot with self harm (Nothing as serious as stabbing your eye) but really just slapping, or scratching my body and cursing myself out in the way an abusive father would discipline his child, and it was a hard thing to come through but through the comfort of people like my mother and through experiencing gods love in spite of my brokenness I’ve really made a lot of progress in change…. I’ve let people know when I’m hurting or not okay with myself and just received the love available to me, and I have resisted urges to harm myself successfully enough that I’ve refused it, let myself lean on others and recognized the love I do have.
And how much repentance, acceptance, and true love pop up as a theme in this story. Harumi’s confrontation with the cult, Midori choosing to love Onedera at his lowest and pushing him out of the way of the train and seeing their marriage develop past all the traumatic things that happen into something beautiful, heck even Punpun’s deadbeat father finds himself in a community where he is truly loved in spite of his past.
Anyways, it took my heart out and put it bag in thats all I gotta say.. Genuinely beautiful stuff.