4-funkan no Owari ni
At the End of 4 Minutes

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A one-shot manga that is suited as a one-shot and at the same time isn't.

A unique take on the grim-reaper stories with creative chemistry between the characters. It is literally a roller-coaster ride where it goes from depressing to wholesome to sad to joyful and etc. Character development and world-building natural and interesting. Overall, the story is quite fun to read.

Being a one-shot, the story is short, and it was structured beautifully with different plot elements and twists. However, there were some parts that I personally wanted to be expanded upon. For example, when plot A happened, plot B proceeded, but, as a reader, I ... wanted to know what happened between plot A and B. Still, when approached critically, the story is better off that way, which is why I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to because I wanted it to be at least a volume-length manga.

Nevertheless, the story is unique, wholesome, and fun. Since this only has a single chapter, I do not want to disclose any major plot for you to enjoy your reading. It only takes few minutes to read this one-shot, and everyone should give it a try.

At the End of 4 Minutes is a really engaging, short little twist on a grim reaper story. It's so short, in fact, that the four minutes referenced in the name isn't much shorter than the amount of time it would actually take to read this.

This one shot manga doesn't overstay its welcome and knows how to keep a very consistently fast pace. I could argue that it doesn't give enough time for these emotional beats to hit as strongly as they could, and while I do feel that way, it feels like it'd be missing the point; this isn't trying to be the next ... Berserk. That doesn't mean it's perfect, of course, but it would be unfair to criticize this one chapter work on the basis of anything else. It accomplishes what it's trying to do very well.

At the End of 4 Minutes is a great stand alone chapter but it does sometimes feel more like a detailed storyboard than a manga. Certain beats toward the end just kind of show up and, by the very nature of such a short run, we're told a lot more than we're shown. Again, for what it is, I could hardly expect anything else, but it's an important thing to acknowledge. This will probably not make you cry, but that's okay.

In the end, it's impossible not to recommend this. It will literally take less time to read than brewing coffee and the emotional heights, even ultimately held back by this manga's scope, are well worth the few minutes.