Orange

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At first glance, Orange may not seem to be anything more than your typical romance/drama set in your usual shoujo location - a high school. The incorporation of changing fate as its main and defining premise, which in itself is nothing too unique even in the romance department, can lead to premature and ignorant condemnations of Orange as nothing more than a mere "melodramatic shoujo" when it is nothing of the sort.

Whilst its premise may not be something immensely exciting at first glance, what Takano has excelled at is the execution of this premise. There exists a delicate yet extremely refined harmony between the ... potential romance and exploration of our characters both in their present selves and in their future selves, 10 years down the line. One of the most astonishing aspects of Orange is that it successfully balances the two timelines, not only in the pacing of their progression but particularly the ability to reinforce characterisation of their younger selves through their older counterparts and vice versa. This is accompanied by a steady pacing which decelerates accordingly during the exposition of our characters and potential answers to how any of the sci-fi elements are possible and the purpose behind the entire "future letters". Not only has Orange provided a potential explanation to the plausibility of these letters, it maximises the potential of the premise to broaden the possibilities the storyline takes whilst simultaneously respecting the actual complexity of time travel - and the physical reality attached to it. It is all too common for shows to be bogged down by time travel and many series, in anime and manga, fail to respect their premise which often leads to glaring plot holes or a detraction from what the creator is attempting to convey. Orange does not try nor pretend to contain any magnanimous storyline; it is an earnest story whose simple premise acts a platform on which authentic and compelling character growth is achieved.

The characters in Orange present themselves initially to be a cohesive cast with a mixture of personalities that are commonplace in shoujo. For some readers, the existence of certain stereotypical traits may be a deterrent but they provide a sense of appropriate levity and humour in a storyline that explicitly explores mental illness as a key theme. Naho and Kakeru are the series' main focus and their journey is an outstanding exemplar of introspective growth. My experiences with shoujo had previously left me with little expectations on the genre's ability to fully comprehend and portray the whole range of nuanced emotions individuals experience but Orange's characters distinguish themselves by doing so even when faced with a Herculean task of saving a life whilst dealing with how one's own actions can knowingly completely change your own. Through a combination of delving into the regrets of their adult selves, an exposition into their current future lives and the primary storyline concerning our teenage protagonists, readers can experience fully the true gravity of the decisions that they make and do not make and how this may affect them and subsequently their future selves. Orange's prevailing quality is achieving this sweeping exposition by seamlessly entering different POVs and different timelines assembling every perspective of the same events creating a deeper and rounded drama that never turns a blind eye to potential consequences but rather addresses them directly and in an earnest fashion that we would expect a group of young and close friends to approach.

The artwork is simply sublime; Takano has really tailored Orange's visuals to fit its universe perfectly. The drawings have a crisp yet delicate style but maintain the quality of an enchanting romance reminiscent of Io Sakisaka's art. Their high school versions have a youthful and exuberant look in the present which is contrasted by much more mature designs for their future selves. Moreover, attention has clearly been placed in the way facial expressions are drawn and what exactly is being portrayed in every panel - a single chapter of Orange is packed with more development and exposition that most manga could hope to achieve in even 2 or 3 chapters of similar length. The fact that such an elaborate story is told in a mere 22 chapters is a testament to the poetic economy Takano has achieved in Orange.

It is extremely challenging for me to fully explain why I believe Orange is this extraordinary and I attribute that to the series' interwoven and self-reciprocating plot. To compartmentalise Orange as just a tragedy or just a romance or just anything for that matter would be an injustice and a criminal simplification of what is a meticulously well-crafted masterpiece but I feel that if you are looking for a unique story that incorporates any of the aforementioned themes, I would urge you to give Orange a go and to experience a true profoundness in conveying human beings in all its complexity and the power regret can hold. Orange will not garishly and boringly shove its message, any melodrama or textbook philosophy down your throat; its individual elements are there for you to indulge in and to experience together its bittersweet nature.

After a year of hiatus and a release every 2 months, the manga is officially done.

Story
So your future self sends you a letter and everything that is written happens. It gives you advice that you have to save this guy because he isn't in the future anymore.

I've only read a few mangas but I think this kind of plot is unique. I first started this review 3 years ago and now that it's done, I'm editing it to reflect my view on it.

Since 3 years ago I've read a lot more shoujo than I did before and still, even though yes, there ... are still cliche moments that would make you want to smack the protagonist, the other gut-wrenching, heartstring-pulling scenes are still enough for you to overlook it. (I mean really, tell me one shoujo manga that doesn't have a single cliche scene in it.)

The story also tackles with time travel and those things but even though she didn't focus on those things, the author got her point across in the end.

Art
Wow. The art. I seriously love the art in this manga. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much. The characters are drawn beautifully. I have no words for the art except that I'm giving it a 10.

And three years later, the art is still truly exceptional. Takano Ichigo is amazing when it comes to drawing her characters. It's like their personality comes through with what she draws them with.

Character
The characters are really enjoyable and fun. Since it switches from the 16 year old time to the 27 year old time, we could see how they all grew up and how Kakeru changed them. There's only a few chapters out now and already we can see that the characters, especially Naho and Suwa, have the potential to really develop. Also, Kakeru since he has to struggle with a lot of things especially during his teenage years.

My favorite character is Suwa okay. You'll understand once you read it. I love how they all care for each other and how they all work together for their friend. Like what I said before, there would be a time you'd want to smack either of the protagonists, but eh, don't we all have imperfections? Anyway, their group is pretty fun and seeing them interact is pretty fun.

9 for character!

Enjoyment
Don't be fooled by the pretty art and the shoujo tag. There's also the Tragedy tag there. By the end of the second chapter, you feel these strings of emotions and come the fourth chapter, you'll be filled with giddiness. 8th chapter, your heart will hurt and at the same time you'll be surprised with the turn of events. The 19th chapter will give you the feels and the 22nd, well. The end's the end. Feel what you want to feel because there won't be anymore chapters.

I'm giving it a 9 for enjoyment.

Overall
I'm giving it somewhere between a 9 and a 10 overall. Too high?
I think it can be justified with the art, characters, and unique story line that it has.

This manga is really a refreshing feel even though it's tragedy, maybe it's the art. So if you're looking to read something new that's not your usual shoujo manga (lol cliche line), then pick this up. Just don't blame me when it will hurt so much since there's only a few chapters out and you are smothered with feels.

Maybe I should read the manga from the start again and edit this.
Hmm.

Okay, this is officially my first review. I've decided to review orange first because it is a manga i will never ever forget

Story: 10/10

It was the story that first compelled me to read this. I'm very much into sci-fi shoujo tragic mangas, and the ratings and reviews seemed quite high. The plot is simple: a girl receiving a letter from her future self asking to watch over someone who won't be in the future, to save him. The details really got me hooked, and there were many unexpected twists. Of course, there are still many questions left unanswered like if Kakeru will survive, and how ... the letters got sent to the past on the first place. But since the manga is still unfinished, the story is amazing for just nine chapters. It warmed my heart in just the third chapter.

Art: 10/10

I've read many mangas with bad art. Thankfully, the art of orange wasn't another of those mangas with lousy rushed art. So, I'm giving a perfect score for this category.

Character: 10/10

A story can be flawless in every aspect, but if the characters aren't good, then why even read it? The characters in orange were amazing. I don't want to give any spoilers, but you'll probably grow to love each and every one of them. The things they do made me sympathize with them, and sometimes moved me to tears. I hope they will continue to develop more and more each chapter.

Enjoyment: 10/10

I most definitely enjoyed this. I was bored with nothing to do when i came across orange. Ten minutes later, i was moved to tears. The first ever manga to make me cry. (Believe me, I've read a lot of manga). Never before have i read a manga as beautifully crafted as this.

Overall: 10/10

I can only hope orange continues to be this way, having a dramatic bittersweet end. So i highly recommend you read this if you are a fan a dramatic and tragic love stories.

*possible spoilers*
Pros:
1. Good art
2. Good comedy
3. Good intentions

Cons:
1. Childish (wants to have the best of both worlds) One world where Naho sa Suwa are together and one where Kakeru lives.
2. One-sided. Every single chapter they are all about, "save Kakeru this and that." They basically live their lives for the guy.
3. Kakeru not fleshed out until the end. I am not sympathetic about his situation primarily because I don't have an idea about anything.
4. Characters can't get over a death even though it's been 10 years. Kakeru was with them for less than a year and they still miss him like he was their best ... friend or something.
5. Poor dialogue. The author just says stuff to make the characters feel good, "It's only natural. You didn't do anything wrong." When in fact he did.

*All in all it could have been better if the author was more mature in dealing with this. Personally I would have killed him off and instead made the characters move on and learn from their mistakes. We live with many regrets, but unfortunately we cannot change them. We have to live by them and move on. That's what we are. We can never be perfect. We can never undo.

Everyone has something in life they wish they could do differently. For Takamiya Naho it wasn’t one thing, but rather a series of events: poor choices, lack of communication and the inability to understand, that caused the loss of the most important person in her life. Her future self decides to send a letter, ten years into the past when she was in high school—warning herself not to make the same mistakes.

Orange is an unusual shoujo in that it tackles the heavy topic of suicide without glossing it over; it paints the ugly truth by pulling the reader through the dark cloud of depression. ... It allows us to see how one person, isolated in the confines of their own mind, could fall victim to self-loathing and guilt to the point of being desperate enough to bring it all to an end. Yet it also colors a vibrant picture of how people survive in the wake of loss when someone precious to them makes that heavy a decision—it is filled with grief, blame, and an ache that will never dissipate no matter the passage of time.

The plot is masterful in presenting an intriguing premise that leaves as many questions as it does answers, and the anticipation only builds through the climax of the story. It doesn’t falter on explaining the mechanics of “time-traveling letters” and how this operates with multiple universes and time paradoxes. Although the explanations are rather brief in that respect, Takano doesn’t leave the reader hanging and gives just enough to be informative and conclusive without being excessively boring. She rewards us with a conclusive ending that gives us an additional tidbit of wisdom, saving someone in the throes of depression who is suicidal isn’t just about keeping them from ending it. It’s about healing them, helping them, and simply being there.

In the characters we find the biggest strength of the series, because Takano puts so much effort in making the main cast relatable and multi-faceted. Naho is shy, reserved, but ultimately sweet, driven initially by the letters forewarning her of the regrets day-by-day, however she quickly becomes emotionally attached to Kakeru because of the present. She isn’t simply motivated to eradicate whatever her future self is lamenting, she wants to save her future because she loves the present Kakeru. Yet Naho is deeply flawed as evidenced by how narrow-sighted she is at times, because she focuses more on the letters and saving Kakeru at times rather than how he feels in the present. She grows greatly from the start where her only aim is saving him, to actually trying to understand (read: empathize) and support him.

Kakeru is initially a little distant to us, more of an enigma than someone we can sympathize with. This is actually a positive, because Takano builds our attachment to him through the supporting cast and Naho, which means there is more of an emotional punch when she finally introduces Kakeru’s point of view and illuminates his inner struggle. This ultimately means a bigger payoff at the conclusion of the series, but additionally gives him greater character development from beginning to end. The change in his friends around him, however radical, does not alter the fact that Kakeru is ultimately very depressed. He has every reason to be, and while having friends around him certainly helps, it isn’t a miracle cure. Takano doesn’t make depression simplistic or boil it down – the fact is that just being there won’t magically change a person. It does, however, have an effect and in that way her message is successful.

It would be enough to talk about the main two, but not mentioning the supporting cast would be a disservice. Much of the development between Naho and Kakeru would be impossible without their support, and they are not without their struggles and flaws, trying to save Kakeru while feeling the conflict of changing the future that she is supposed to have. It only serves to make them more human and more endearing, and it makes the reader more invested in their journey as a group.

Takano is known for her clean art and gorgeous character designs, but even more here she paints in the smallest details in each panel. Rather than narrating emotions as some mangaka do, Takano focuses more on displaying them through the characters’ expressions and actual dialogue exchanges. This ultimately means she conveys her message more convincingly and immerses us more than other shoujo authors that preoccupy themselves with trying to submerge us in the main character’s point-of-view. Takano is more interested in her reader being invested in everyone rather than in any one single part of her story.

To anyone who enjoys suspense, romance, and a heartfelt story, this is the first title I would recommend. Takano has out done herself and surpassed her past works to leave us with something that is ultimately memorable—because any manga that a reader can walk away from, feeling as though they have learned something that will stick with them forever, is phenomenal. Any manga that can touch you in a way no other has is a classic. A manga that can do both? Now that’s a masterpiece.

Alright my girly-shoujo-romance-crazy-fans out there, this is a manga you don't want to miss out on so jump start reading it now and pass the word! This one, will become a classic in no time...at least in my eyes. I just absolutely love where it's going!!! :D

Just read the sypnosis and you'll find yourself curious and wonder how it goes. Basically the main girl Takamiya Naho receives a letter written to herself from ten years in the future. As Naho reads on, the letter recites the exact events of the day, including the transfer of a new student into her class named Naruse Kakeru. Right ... on chapter one, you realize that Naho will eventually fall for this amazing guy, but then you quickly find out Kakeru won't be there in the future?! Hence the tragedy as part of the genre. :( *sigh* If only this manga wasn't so new, I could write more about it's wonderful qualities but at least give it a shot readers. When I was reading it, it gave a nice fresh story with a really down to earth romance that will definitely be bittersweet. Ever heard of Hana to Akuma? I'd like to say it's that kind of tradgey but with a sweet resolve. (ok they're both really different stories but my main point was the tradegy...both just as bittersweet)

I guess some other really great qualities about this manga is the characters. The story has a group of childhood friends who welcome the transfer student and I personally like groups of childhood friends in a story. This usually introduces unique characters. And from the hinted love triangle you'll find in the story, its well balanced and made well enough to like the rival. But that's all I can say from the 7 chapters that are out. ^^; I'm being very biased. But my whole point was to pass the word about this manga and write a quick review. :) At least I hope this helped someone somehow. Haha if not...oh well.

Story is a 10 since its going well. Art and characters are a 9 since I think they're just as equally good so far. Enjoyment 10. Hopefully this won't go down as more chapters come in but I highly doubt it. :) Go on and give it a try readers. :D

warnings: suicide, death, bullying, depression

First of all, I had NO idea the above was going to happen and nothing prepared me for it. I was expecting this series to be a happy, slice-of-life, romance but I got very little of that and more angst, frustration, and discomfort than I anticipated. If these things make you uncomfortable in any way, please try something happier (I strongly recommend Toradora). Second, I don't understand why this is so highly rated so here we go...

The premise of a future person's self alternating a timeline is interesting to me but I was sad to see no character development nor anything, ... really. The main characters are heavily diluted, watered down versions of their full potential. Naho (the protagonist) is extremely meek, weak-willed, and has no hobbies or anything to give her some semblance of a personality. There were tropes and stereotypes that were heavily abused (ex: petty ex-girlfriend bully). Kakeru, the main love interest, also had very little traits of interest in his arsenal—he was constantly being juggled around by Naho's indecisiveness (especially at the beginning) and, because that went on a for a while, there was no way to showcase the kind of personality he had outside of being heavily interested in Naho. He liked soccer but the potential for interesting interactions with his teammates never appeared. Kakeru also often lashed out in destructive ways. It was so boring and dragged for too long.

These tropes and stereotypes may work on teenagers in early to mid 2000's but times have changed. There shouldn't be anything shocking about a woman being assertive and men being soft. I wish the minor characters were the main characters instead because they were way more interesting. Azu, Takako, Suwa, and Hagita were memorable. In fact, they do all of the heavy-lifting of getting the two main characters to hang out alone, confess, and fall in love. Having to read it felt like an enormous undertaking on their part—none of which is any fault of Kakeru's past nor depression. The "suck it up, rub some dirt in it, smile through the pain" mentality that the author kept trying to push whenever bringing up Kakeru's pain is an irresponsible trope to keep perpetuating. It would have been better to illustrate something about how sharing pain is okay and that not being okay is okay.

This series felt like it was trying to be a current-day, melodramatic version of Hana Kimi but it fell flat. The resolutions to each conflict were lazily written. Conflicts were centered around "regret" and amending past mistakes by time traveling and changing choices in an alternate universe. All while being stuck and unable to move on from past regrets—events which the characters never could have anticipated. I mean if you're still hung up on a guy you knew for less than a couple of months after 10 years, especially if you're married to one of his friends, that's not a healthy thing to depict. There were chapters that added nothing to the plot, conversations dedicated to confessing and talking about getting to know a character without any actual details (telling, not showing), and Naho was constantly working so hard to get Kakeru to love her over and over again...it was a mess.

I never understood why a girl is always suppose to be that ride or die chick that stays with a man and helps him build and become the man she deserves but a guy is never told to stay with a woman while she finds herself. A guy will always look for that perfect woman but women are suppose to settle for a building project. That's what Naho did and it sucked the personality out of her and it drained Orange of any life. This series just turned out to be a meaningless, boring, and angsty Steins;Gate fanfiction.

2 stars for funny and kind supporting characters. Otherwise, no thanks—skip!

Well, to be honest, this is my first time writing a review. The main reason why im doing so for this manga is because I find that most of the reviews here range from extremely good (10) to extremely bad (3) and it shouldn't be. Pardon my frustration, I read this series in a day because I saw the good reviews and wanted to get to the core of what was so good about this manga. Sadly, I can't say it is even remotely close to being perfect.

Firstly, I have to say there is potential in the story. Because it has a slight mixture of ... time trips, but that doesn't put it apart from the usual romance manga. I really have no objection to cliches, but the fact this story tries to get out of the cliche zone is its main flaw. The execution is lacking and emotions built up are shallow.
Therefore , Story: 6/10

Secondly, the art is by far one of the more aesthetically pleasing ones. It's really beautiful to look at and the characters are designed well (in terms of art) Not to mention the 'movement' of the characters isn't quite that stiff, so it's a great read in the light of art^^
Hence, Art: 8/10

Let's come to the real dread and most ungainly part of this story. The character development is a near nil. Naho (main) has literally no other emotions other than guilt and regret, she has two close friends and they are hardly utilized to built that type of emotional togetherness. It was as if they were pasted into the manga to look pretty. I honestly liked the idea of takako and azusa, but nothing was done, they were very flat characters.

How is it possibe Orange is above Kimi ni Todoke, if anyone recalls kimi ni todoke, Yano , Yoshida , Sanada and Kurumi were given their own roles in the story, they had lots of lines as well, because of the feelings they had and their contrast with the main character,brings out the good emotions. Whereas there are very little shits given about the side characters in Orange. Kakeru (main) confuses me, I get he is playing the role of changing factor of the tragedy, but I can't feel his pain, his expressions vary from anger to sadness to happy. No bittersweet, sour looks, frustration or relief.The fact that his interaction with Naho does not move their relationship further at all, neither do we get to know more about them, shows how bad it is. There is a relentless amount of the common scenes thrown across the book, if they were real and in a relationship, it looks as though they had no opinion of each other, no build up to their romance, no anger towards each other (even when they do, its one sided and never develops into anything big).

No quarrels= No further understanding
No friendship breaks or built = No personality, no backstory
Tears, tears and more tears over the same topic across all 5 volumes= A reader that's losing hope

Naho is meant to be a sweet and docile girl, that's a good thing. But the story makes her robotic. The fact that she has *small spoiler*

a child and is married in the future but still treats her husband and friends as a secondary to her past decisions...

Makes her more indecisive and seemingly a person that never learns from her mistakes, never lets go and has only a narrow way of thinking. Suwa clearly likes Naho, hence he gets more lines than Takako and Azusa but only for a small period of time before the story drops back to Naho and Kakeru's repetitive talk. If this was a novel, it would be a mere thesaurus of synonyms.

This is why I felt Character should be given a 2.

As much as I hate how high up this manga is, I'm not going to give it a horrid score so that I can pull it down, because logically that's not even possible. And besides, I can see the effort put in the manga, all the characters have strong potentional, their expressions and mainly their forsaken backstories were well thought of, but we readers get nothing but a glance. I'd say enjoyment is fairly fine if you take into consideration the fluency of the pages and its initial 'beauty'.

But srsly its a 6 , it's not gross because it has good art and reading for the fun of it is not that bad

Honestly, I just happened to stumble upon this great manga on a boring summer day and fate led me to read this ^^. Anyways...

Story: 10
I'd gladly give the story a perfect. Why? Because I think it is quite rare for a shoujo/romance manga with only 9 chapters out to actually give such an excellent story line and would want the readers to keep flashing the next page. It was unique and vivid on how the story progressed in each chapter. It wasn't going to fast nor was it too slow. To be honest, I'm sick of protagonists being inlove already after just one meeting or ... two. Too cliche nowadays which doesn't perk my interest anymore. Well, this manga is so adorable that I ain't gonna criticize their love life. I'll just feel it with them!

Art: 10
No comment. It fits in all aspects :3

Character: 9
I believe that the characters need to develop more because they have the potential to grow and exceed ones expectation of them. Nothing to complain about as well since all of them are all unique and fluffy in their own way which I really love since it's not your typical shoujo manga that you can predict what's gonna happen and that you'd get irked with annoying characters such as the protagonist being timid and all but the main in "orange"....I just really can't get myself to hate her ^^. Overall how the charcters were made will completely lose your senses and makes you want to believe you are him/her. :3

Enjoyment: 10
Do I have to explain? (hahaha scoffs)

Hope you guys find this useful and enjoy it as much as I did!

This is the first manga I read which hasn't been turned to an anime adaptation. And, here's my thoughts about the said manga.

Orange is a really good manga. Of course, people feel regret on their actions and the characters of the manga had this opportunity to change the future because of a letter given to them by their "future" selves. It isn't your typical romance-shoujo manga, it's actually comparable to Clannad with a twist of Golden Time and Mirai Nikki. Here's why:

The story is about Naho Takamiya who received a letter that actually depicts the future, and what the letter said was true. All the ... events that happened were spot on, date and time and the sender will tell her to do this choice in order to "save" her love interest, Kakeru Naruse. Now, the following that happened on the story were a mix of feels and plot twists, and it's been an amazing ride. You'll probably understand how they'll feel on saving someone from the past. (I'm now hoping a time machine is made and it will make me want to go back to the past and change my mistakes. LOL)

Art style was amazing. Pretty detailed, especially with the handwriting of the letter. There's emotion on every aspect and instead of making me review for the exams, it made me read the first chapter until the 21st chapter. HAHAHA. Kidding aside, I liked the art of the manga, the designs are pleasing to my eyes, unlike other manga series I've read.

Characters - It's tough to see the girl you like hang out with your friend. You have a character who suffered a lot of hardships ever since the first day of school and attempts to commit suicide. And, students that regret everything that happened and wish for a better future, especially Naho. Fill the characters and see for yourself how you'll feel. Every character on the story is relatable.

I LOVED THE SERIES. Period. I've been searching for manga and I'm happy that I found this series. Last chapter will be released on August 25th (that's what I heard) and I'm excited to see how the series will end. (If ever an anime adaptation will be made, I hope this ends up as one of the best animes made.)

This whole manga pissed me off, i don't even know why i finish this. I know the guy is struggling with is life and he's full of remorses but for five people who barely know him put their lives aside just to save him seem a little bit odd i think. And seriously i can understand the futur Naho to have many regret about kakeru but still did you forget you have a husband and a CHILD?? And she don't even mentionned it in the letter like she doesn't care about her family? The only thought i have all along was poor Suwa.. In ... my opinion Naho and Kakeru are not compatible at all since they are both quite weak. He need someone strong who will be able to support him and be his anchor not a weak girl who cry all the time and don't even know what to say to comfort him. If Suwa and the others were not there they will have no happy ending for the both of them.

An Orange review.

This orange is bittersweet. The story is juicy and fresh with many intresting characters and the overall presentation of the manga is beautiful and each character, whilst following some tropes, is fascinating as all characters are very relatable. Yet the story of orange is bitter, it is about depression, suicide, loss and trying to find ways to help someone that you love that is suffering. All of this makes orange a compling and intresting take on the rather flawed shojo genre.

Story: Orange is about Takamiya Naho, a sweat teenage girl, who one day recieves a letter fro herself 10 years ... in the future. From the letter Naho learns about how a new transfer student Naruse Kakeru will be joining her class and how he will became a good friend of hers and that she will fall in love with him. From this point onwards Orange becomes a very bitter story as Naho learns, from reading the letter, that Kakeru will not be with them, she and her over friends, for after his 17th birthday Kakeru decided to kill himself. Orange is about guilt, the letters tht Naho receives are ways In which Her future self tries to rewrite time as thy both try to change the future I which Kakerus guilt ultimately doesn't lead to his death.

Orange is bleak, yet also shines through the amazing why In which the characters interact with each other. The story, while having its sad moment also shines In its lighter funny moments that really help pad out th story and keep it entertaining and intresting.

Characters: every character in orange is relatiable. We all have that sporty good hearted friend, the friends that stick up for us, the friend that makes us laugh, that geeky friend that is always looking out for us in his own special way and the friend that sometimes needs help and support from others that also suffers from depresion. I love the full cast of characters, each character is intreging and intresting, I love them all, I like every single one.

Overall score and enjoyment: I'm, from what I've read so far, enjoyed absolutely every little second of Orange. It is an enjoyable, heart wrenching manga that is one of the best shojos out their and I highly recommend giving it a go, even if you don"t like romance manga.

" Im you ten years in the future dont let him.... dont let him die, I dont want you to regret it..."

On a normal school day Takamiya Naho receives a letter saying that a new student Kakeru whom she doesent know is transferring into the school, at first she brushes this remarkable "coincidence" off, but she slowly starts to realize it is truly true. She starts getting close to Kakeru then her 10 years from the future says Kakeru will die and only she can prevent it, hearing this and slowly falling in love with him is so sad for her but she steps ... up to the plate and tries to change fate.

The brilliant part of this story is its characters it outshines 95% of shojos in this aspect. All the characters are charismatic and energetic happy people. There arent any guys after Naho willing to harm Kakeru, instead Suwa a boy who has liked Naho for a long time and has protected her alot likes her but he is Kakerus friend. The story occasionally has flashbacks and shows Naho in the future with Suwa as husband and wife. The AMAZING thing about Suwa is he truly cares about Naho's happiness he realizes that when shes around Kakeru she smiles alot and so for this he supports both of them even though he has feelings. Hes one of the best characters ive seen around.


The art is done very well it doesent consist of too many cheesy shojo moments and some touching ones are done with careful detail and you can truly appreciate the mood and setting for each scenario.

All in all this is a brilliant romance, except Naho better choose Suwa in the end! What kind of guy, gives up the girl he loves because shes happy! Hes one of a kind :)

10/10

Have you ever made mistakes? Have you ever had regrets? Have you ever had the desire to change the past?

Naho Takamiya receives a strange letter in the mail one day. Who is the person who sent this letter you ask? It Naho's future self. Doubtful as to the contents of the letter, Naho originally ignores it but as she reads on the letter recites the arrival of a new student Kakeru Naruse and a slew of events that are predicted word for word in the letter. If what the letter says is true, Kakeru will no longer be around in the future? What will ... happen to him? Can Naho and her friends find a way to change the future?

Story 9/10

Being perfectly honest, tragedy is a genre I try to steer clear from. Because of this I put off reading Orange of the longest time. When I finally caved in and read this series I was pleasantly surprised. Takano Ichigo presents what on the surface level may look like a typical love triangle shoujo manga but underneath that is so much more depth and plot. The story gives us a fresh plot that I have not really seen done before. It was executed brilliantly, the story is both heart aching and warming at once, some scenes are bitter sweet and others make you want to cry. The story is definitely a roller coaster of emotions but in the best way possible.

Art 10/10

I gave the art work 10/10 in this series as it is some of the best artwork I've seen in a while. It is nice, clean and beautiful drawn. It has become some of my favorite art in a series.

Characters 8/10

Orange presents a series that is full of characters that are entertaining and enjoyable. The main protagonist of this series is Naho, a timid and shy girl. After receiving the letter from her future self - Naho finds her biggest challenge is overcoming this shyness and trying to be more outgoing in order to save a friend. As the series progresses you see Naho fight her inner demons and mature, she was an enjoyable character to watch. Kakeru is the second protagonist of the series. Kakeru was a character that (well, for me) moved the audience the most. His character was relatable . His battle with his own demons was also realistic. His condition was not cured overnight nor by spending time with a single girl like a typical shoujo, the story leaves you aware that Kakeru is going to struggle with his condition in the future but he has hope. Suwa is the final main character and is just as likable as the other two, Suwa comes off to the audience as generally nice person, further proven by his ability to sacrifice his own happiness in order to save a friend.

The characters of Orange set out as the driving force for what this series aims to do! Make you have all the feels! You feel what the main characters are feeling. Personally, that is one of the driving factors that makes a good story.

Overall 10/10

I have given this series a 10/10. It is a beautiful shoujo manga that is well written and will leave you with an impression that is sure to follow you after you read the last page. I strongly recommend this series.

This is my first review, I don't quite know why I didn't start writing reviews earlier, anyways let's start with this lovely manga.

Story - 10: As you read above in the synopsis, the story is easy to follow. For me, maybe for others as well, the unique plot pulled me in to wanting to read it. The manga is still publishing and I live to read the new chapters. This story is a massive feels train. I am a really emotional person and I can tell you I cried easily over 10 times. It gives you a good laugh too. It's a warm, sentimental story. ...

Art - 10: The art is clean, you can see every detail. It's not rushed and the quality is great. A great part to keep in mind is that the art got /even/ more better as the chapters went on. A reader needs to enjoy the aesthetic of the manga as well, and it's beautiful. One thing I love about Orange is the expressions, whatever they feel... the way it's drawn makes me feel the same way they feel.

Character - 10: The characters are all relatable, which makes me feel and understand them more. I can put myself in the story. The only tiny flaw I would give is the character development. It is slow, but that's okay because it makes it feel /really/ realistic, the situation these group of friends are put into, it takes time. I just want to sit and read how they get along and deal with things and I wanna see it progress and how it turns out. I love every single character and their traits.

Enjoyment - 10: Personally, this is by far one of my top 5 favourite romance manga. I've always been meaning to read it, I just never got to it. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it. Once I started the first page, I didn't stop until I was caught up with it. Now I just can't wait to read more. This manga makes me really happy. I really want to see how things turn out, but I really don't want it to end. It doesn't look like it'll be ending soon, which is fantastic. To me this manga is an experience.

Overall - 10: Outstanding, 10 out of 10. It's just, SO GOOD. If you love romance/shoujo/school life manga, read this in a heartbeat please. Don't put it off like I did. It's amazing beyond words.

It's a shame that this was discontinued.

Story
The story is about a girl that received a letter from herself 10 years in the future. That letter gives her advice that she has to save her classmate and later on her crush, because he isn't in the future anymore.
I liked the plot a lot, because it was different from the other shoujos, so I will give it a 8.

Art
Love it. I like how the characters were drawn so beautifully, perhaps this is one of the major reasons why I really enjoy it. I will give it a 9.

Characters
I like the three protagonists from the story, I'm talking ... about Naho, Kakeru and Suwa, it's a shame that the story was discontinued and we can't read anymore chapters, so we don't know that much about the characters, so I will give it a 7.

Enjoyment
I really enjoy it, it has a pretty art, great characters, good plot, and there's also some tragedy which made it the plot a lot better, because we see the 27 year-old protagonists, and they all seem painful because of Kakeru (it reminds me of how the characters in Ano Hana feel). I will give it a 8

Overall this was a great series, a enjoy it and hope that the author will finish this manga, so this is a 8/10 of the 9 chapters that I've read.

This manga is about the set up. The story of a letter from the future, telling you how to prevent the mistakes you are about to make, is nothing new. But it isn't overused, at least in mangas. It provides a lot of interesting possibilities for the author to study.

On top of that, Orange has a very ordinary romance shoujo storyline, with a lot of the mechanics of the genre used. But it really doesn't matter, because the manga isn't about a romance, it is about the letter.

The most obvious example would be the main character. It is a shy high school girl, quite ... typical in shoujos. You'll find all sorts of clumsiness moments, and most of the story focuses on her overthinking the reactions of her love interest. But the letter puts a twist to it : you'll find yourself, as a reader, asking yourself about the male protagonist's feelings, not towards the girl - as in most mangas of the genre, it is made quite obvious from the first chapter that he is at least interested in her - but regarding the letter from the future.

Yet, the bunch of friends are nothing out of the ordinary either, you'd find that tomboy, that girly girl, that otaku, and that childhood friend. But the letter set up has its twist again. Orange isn't focusing on the little high school rants, but on the interactions with the letter prediction. The male lead is what you expect : that dark mysterious handsome guy. But there is depth to him, as he is not dark and mysterious for no reason, and the art is doing a great job at conveying his ambiguous feelings.

Other example of this twist, there is a love triangle. In any romance shoujo, it would mean that two male character would go all out competing with each other. Here, while you'll find the usual doubts in the mind of the main character, it doesn't matter that much, because the focus isn't on the love story, but on how the actual events interact with the predictions made in the letter.

Still the "letter from the future" set up has its draw backs. Although it brings depth to the story, the tricks the author uses are sometimes a bit obvious. For example, the whole story stems from a mistake made in the first chapter, that happened because of how ambiguous the letter was written about that event. In comparison, further events are thoroughly explained, but the first recommandation is just straight forward with no explanation, and obviously the main character doesn't pay that much attention, since she's still wondering what to think about the letter itself. If you, reader, sent a letter to your past self, wouldn't you make sure that he doesn't make that same mistake ? Wouldn't you give him all the tools ? Yes that mistake needed to happen for the rest of the manga to unfold, but I hate seeing the narrative's construction lines. I would argue that the main character's clumsiness throughout the manga serves the same purpose, but let's be real, it's in every other romance shoujo out there. Still, in this set up, it takes it to another level since the manga isn't only about succeeding in your high school love story, but about preventing the mistakes foretold by the letter to happen.

Another issue I have is that the manga feels tricky. The male lead character is quite an interesting one. There are a lot of psychological aspects to this manga, that could be incredible. But if you compare it to a manga with a more realistic set up - I have Koe no Katachi in mind, but to be fair that one is on a whole other level - you have this feeling that Orange stays on the surface, on how to comply to the letter's instructions, rather than telling us about the characters. Not that the characters' feelings are overlooked, just that the approach is biased.

And to finish with my draw backs, the manga has a pacing issue. The story is set to take place during basically a year long. And, although at the time I'm writing this review, it is still ungoing, it is near the end, the manga being relatively short. The love story is as slow as any shoujo can be. And still the set up is very rich, there are a lot of questions to be explored, in the relationships between the characters, in the consequences of the letter, in the drama itself. I wish the author could go further and tell us more about all that.

Yet, while often being frustrated while reading the manga, I still enjoyed it a lot, and consider it to be one of the better shoujo out there. The manga goes back and forth between the characters now adults in the future and the high schoolers, which I found interesting. The suspense - will the main character succeeding in chaning her future ? - gets more intense as the end draws near, and I can't wait to read the next chapter. Still it is not just a manga about changing the future, it is about human feelings, how to help a friend in times of need, and is a read that stays on the mind of the reader.

Can the past be changed?
If not, they can we possibly change the past of a parallel world?

Orange is an OUTSTANDING manga that does what most shoujo cannot (IMO), it evokes real emotion.
What do I mean by that?
I know a lot of manga can do that but what they don't do is make the feeling last.
It really makes you think about what suicide must be like. How you should really treat people.
When you read a shoujo you either pretend you're the character going through the story or you just relate all emotions back to the story instead of relating it to yourself or real life.


[STORY] ... - 10
Now, a lot of people say that this manga doesn't show what you REALLY should do if someone if suicidal.
Here's the thing, at the end of the day...it's still a shoujo STORY. It's NOT meant to be THAT realistic.
EVEN THOUGH I said it does make you think about the real world, it's not ACTUALLY the real world.
Once you get past that (and you REALLY shouldn't be focusing on that "error" too much) you'll see that this is a wonderful story about friendship, love, regrets, & the fault in human nature.



[ART] - 10
The art is BEAUTIFUL. I love it. The cover art is just outstanding. The characters are well drawn.
It doesn't really look like how shoujo usually looks.
Don't get me wrong, it's still a shoujo art style but a lot of shoujo look similar but Takano Ichigo's art has gone from basic shoujo to a unique shoujo-style of her own.


[STORY] - 9
I LOVE all of the characters.
While reading this, I really craved their friendship. It seems so unreal but it really does exist.
Friends who unconditionally love each other despite their faults. Friends who are different but find their way to each other & stay together.
It's a beautiful thing.
NOW, A LITTLE BIT OF A SPOILER. It's won't be MUCH but it IS sort of a spoiler.
-
A LOT of people favor Suwa over Kakeru.
DON'T DO THIS.
People favor Suwa because he's not depressed & he's more fun & caring than Suwa. Why do you think?
KAKERU. IS. DEPRESSED. REMEMBER THIS THROUGHOUT THE MANGA. Even though he's smiling, inside he's STILL depressed.
Suwa was upset about 1 photo he found of his alternate universe's future & he decided to give his all for Kakeru.
That's VERY admirable but please please please DO NOT hate Kakeru for this.
What Suwa eventually does is the right thing.
-
END OF SPOILER

So yeah each character is pretty lovable & the personalities are nice because they're personalities that you wouldn't think would mix well. We have a geeky guy, a sporty guy, a shy girl, a gaudy girl, & a girl who looks too serious. Then we have Kakeru, the person they ultimately set out to save.

I give this a 9 though because I would've loved to see more of them BUT the mangaka has poor health & wanted to focus on the main story so she decided to shoot towards the end without taking any long detours to explain the side-character stories.
I do hope/believe that she'll draw/write out their stories or more about them in the future because she IS continuing her other manga so...



[ENJOYMENT] - 10
I cried. I laughed. I smiled. I yelled at my screen.
It was all worth it.
Need I say more?



[OVERALL] - 10
Overall this manga is gold.
Ao Haru Ride touched down a bit on the emotions (that make you relate the reality that) I talked about earlier but it never fully touched down on it.
Orange fully touches down on it.
The friendship.
Love.
Trials.
Feelings.
Story.
Will make you love this manga.

(Manga is still ongoing but my thoughts so far)
This manga has to be one of the saddest ones i've read so far. So basically the story is about a girl who receives a letter from her 10 year older self from the future. It tells her that she has many regrets and wants her younger self to change that.

Story 10/10
This story will make your heart melt. I've never read any manga like this and although it makes me want to cry i continue to want to read it. Waiting for the next chapter to come out is rough.

Art 9/10
The characters are attractive and the settings ... are amazing

Characters 10/10
All of the main character's friends have amazing personalities and the characters in general are great. They're funny and sacrifice a lot for each other.

This manga makes me want to cry a river ;~;

I am really into shoujo manga but this is the first time I'm seriously MADLY in love with a shoujo manga like this.

Story:
The story is about the 16 years old Naho, who receives a letter. The letter was from herself, 10 years from the future. As she reads on, the letter recites the events of the day. It also said that a boy will transfer to her class, named Kakeru.
Naho, her friends and Kakeru becomes good friends but after his first day in school, he was absent from school for 2 weeks.
Naho from the future stated that she has many, many regrets and she ... wants to fix them by telling the 16 year old Naho to do the things the future Naho regretted not doing, most things regarding Kakeru. The future Naho wrote that she wanted the present Naho to watch closely over Kakeru, because then years later, Kakeru will no longer be with them.

This plot was what was interesting me to begin with. It is a really outstanding story and it makes you wanting to read it. The more you read, the more you love it. You'll just keep loving it more and more. Or at least, that was what happened to me.

10/10


Art:
The art is really cute and pretty, but it's not unique enough to give it a 10. I really like Takano Ichigo's way to draw though.

9/10

Character:
The characters are really great and they all have their own personality. The funny and outgoing Azusa, scary but really nice Takako, the nice and sporty Suwa, the emotionless but nice Hagi, the mother-like and nice Naho and the nice and sweet Kakeru.
They all get really along well and they all love each other. I like how they are so different(okay not really THAT different) but still getting along so well. Friendship is magic haha.

10/10.

Enjoyment:
I totally enjoyed this anime from beginning to where I am right now. It's a tragic but sweet manga with lots of emotions that can make you cry.

10/10

Overall:
Overall this is a really good shoujo manga and I totally loved this! Highly recommended. But prepare a tissue or something first.

9.5/10