Jul 22, 2021
This is a touching story I didn't know what to expect of when I started it.
It starts off with pretty dark humor and lots of references to suicide and suffering. The characters seem like caricatures at first, and their main traits (Menhera the pessimistic, Kenkou the "normal", Byoujaku the sickly) are mostly used for gags, but as we move further into the story we discover more subtle details about them, such as Kenkou's desire to feel needed by the other two, Menhera's codependency issues, and Byoujaku's tendency to hide her sadness behind an overly large smile.
What I found particularly interesting was the moment where Menhera
...
pushes herself to smile and appear happy to Kenkou and Byoujaku, while her mental health is at its lowest point. Not many know that victims of suicide often seem happier on the outside (having made the decision to end their life, as Menhera in this instance), and I'm inclined to believe that the mangaka was intimately familiar with this aspect of depression.
It's not an entirely accurate portrayal of struggling with depression and anxiety, and some of the comedy falls short (especially Byoujaku's obsession with BL — her comments on her preferences seem too raunchy and TMI at times). The art isn't always consistent in quality either. But it's an easy-to-understand illustration of severe depression, with broad strokes and cute art, and while I won't spoil it, the ending is very optimistic too.
I'm not sure I'd recommend it to someone who doesn't think they can handle suicidal ideation (of which there is a lot here) or doesn't find dark humor appealing. So keep that in mind if you've stumbled upon this and are considering reading it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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