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The only 3 anime episodes that are out for the moment got me very interested in the plot, and thus I blindly proceeded to start reading the manga.

I think these kind of shows really hook you up because of the mystery element. At least that's the case for me. The experience was pretty pleasant until.... the chapters 32-33. Not only that's terribly cheap but it's also disgusting. Especially after you've grown to like the characters. I saw some people defending this as a necessary plot device to "develop" the characters. Using RAPE to develop the characters? Give me a break. In my eyes, here it ... is seen to be used only as a cheap shock-factor. Even the aforementioned brought "development" wasn't that big of a deal and could've been done in many other not less interesting ways.

I did continue to read until the last chapter that is out for the moment (53). Very mixed feelings. It felt immensely promising in the beginning, but when the author pulls out such a dirty trick on you it feels just tremendously frustrating. Maybe it was the author's intent, to make the reader so frustrated without any good reason. I just can't understand why. I couldn't even like the characters anymore after this.

What pisses me off the most is that neither of the main characters did act belivable in this whole situation and the resolve is extremely unsatisfactory. A couple of chapters later they act as goofy as ever as if nothing happened? What the heck. Kiruko reflects on it casually just ONCE and does so only a dozen of chapters later and it didn't even feel even as she was traumatized by any means by this event. A bit unhappy maybe, but not much more than that. Even the night after the rape Kiruko says something along the lines "I'll just follow the orders for now". What the fuck? You've just been raped, and you want some more?? Does the author imply that she'd simply obey the rapist unless Maru would show up? When Maru appears Kiruko just unties her arms by herself as if there was no rope in the first place(why didn't she escape if she could by that moment!?). Robin gets almost no punishment at all besides a couple of punches in the face from Maru who was stopped by Kiruko almost instantly after he inflicted his fists on him. I can't believe any of this. That Kiruko didn't fight back and even was willing to obey. That Maru stopped at once when Kiruko asked him. It didn't even feel like Maru was enraged with any of this like he should've. And the next thing he does is tell Kiruko he loves her!!?? What the fuck!? She's just been raped!!? And you say that after letting the offender walk away with close to no resistance?? Dude!??... Just think about this: would you REALLY just let the one who sexually assaulted your beloved one walk away so easily? With a couple of punches? In a lawless world?.... bruh... This completely broke my suspension of disbelief. The characters didn't feel real and likable after that anymore. I felt as much disgust towards the main characters as towards the rapist after that. I kept on reading because I still was interested in the plot and probably secretely hoped for a retaliation or comeback of some sorts from the author's side. Did not happen. Looking back, the reading experience was already ruined to me at that point leaving a very bad taste in my mouth that was not washed out with the consecutive chapters.

Some people might think: "How can you judge the whole manga on basis of a couple of chapters?". Look. If you take a barrel of honey but put a spoon of shit in it and mix it up, then it is not a barrel of honey but just with a spoon of shit in it, it all just becomes a barrel of shit. But alright. Let's imagine that this horrific episode didn't happen for a moment. The manga is still very intriguing, but I'd say that it is too slow in its pace for the most of it. And I admit I would still like to learn the truth about what actually happened in this built world and all of its riddles even considering that I pretty much hate this manga by now. The drawings are detailed and look somewhat old-school style, I liked that. Besides that, there's not much I can add to this.

I believe some people would still find the manga really cool even considering the aforementioned cursed chapters. In order to prevent you from thinking that I'm some over-sensitive person who just can't handle dark themes in fiction I want to mention that I did read titles like Berserk and Oyasumi Punpun etc. and enjoyed them a lot. But what happened in this manga to me seemed out of place and felt incredibly stupid. Do not recommend to people who value believability in fiction. Or to people who want to like or relate to their main characters. By believability I don't mean like the author broke his own world's rules, it's just that he butchered his own main characters' believability. Believability is highly subjective of course, and so is likability but if I knew something like this would happen in the plot in the first place - I certainly would not spend time reading it.