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this is a good manga that gets very close to greatness but falls flat on its face near the end where it just becomes kind of a word soup that you're not sure you even understand TOO well- however, it does a good job of representing how insane each character is in its own way, especially in the conversations between satou & misaki and yamazaki's speeches, so i'll give it that (lol).
ignoring the missed potential of this manga, where it could have been used to maybe expand a bit more into the depths of japanese society and worked a bit more with it's characters, ... i think it's genuinely funny and the characters are so delusional it makes it interesting to see how they interact with each other and what happens to them. at the same time, it's genuinely depressing and embarassing to read at some points, so be prepared.

ART 10/10: no complaints about this. the art style fits this very well, both in the comical and serious moments, and the lineart is so satisfying on the panels where you can clearly see each pen stroke (this makes me sound crazy)

CHARACTERS 8/10: i get it, they're mentally insane and quitting an addiction/changing your lifestyle is not done in the blink of an eye. but the repetitive arguing between the characters with no clear resolution still gets kind of tedious! it's like they're always dealing with the same conflict and never ever decide on anything.

CONCLUSION: i reccomend it! it was funny and actually very thought-provoking for me. but as i said, be mentally prepared for mentions of suicide, pedo & rape jokes, and delusional people making bad life decisions.

Now, since Hetalia is about personified countries and contains a couple of stereotypes, perhaps it's not for everyone, but that doesn't automatically mean it's bad!

1. Characters: (almost) Every character in this is a country represented by a human, and it's what you'd expect. But they're really likeable and their individual quirks are too silly not to end up loving. Plus, some of the comedy moments are really funny and well executed. It's very easy to end up with a favorite character or two. 9/10

2. Art & Animation: Hidekaz Himaruya's art style can be a bit unappealing the very first time one watches this, but you ... get so used to it it ends up being pretty cutesy (his artwork is better than in the anime!). The animation is nothing extraordinary but it gets the job done. 7/10

3. Soundtrack: Hetalia's ending is one of the catchiest and most memorable i've heard so far, despite it being so short. On top of that, it's pretty adorable with their chibi versions marching. The opening is pretty short, but it's also memorable! I can't help but give it all a 10/10.

4. Story: Rather than having a complex plot, every short episode contains a situation where two or more countries get into somewhat of a conflict or misunderstanding. However, they're very very enjoyable. 9/10.

Conclusion: If you want a basic history lesson with cute country-boys (literally) and something silly and exaggerated to ligthen up your mood, definitely give Hetalia a watch. And it's sequels, and the movies, and-

If you're a fan of 2000s slice of life, this is definitely a good watch. Ultra maniac sets itself apart from other shoujo anime (especially at the time) by having the protagonist, Ayu, be smarter and a bit more realistic than the average shoujo protag. It really makes you root for her and her friends. The animal companions in this are realy cute, too (especially rio! but maybe im biased towards cat boys)
This series has some really funny moments too, and it never drags out the conflict. The best thing is that the characters ACTUALLY communicate and solve their problems!

1. Characters: As said, Ayu ... is a GREAT protagonist. Nina is a good character too, she's clumsy but not overly annoying and her friendship with Ayu can be truly heartwarming at times. The two main boys, Kaji and Tsujiai, are genuinely likeable and not completely one-dimentional or straight up mean like a lot of shoujo love interests. Watching their relationships develop is fun, well-paced and feels realistic. However, the supporting characters... are annoying. You could skip Luna and Shinnosuke's episodes and be fine. Nina's grandpa is also unreasonably mean to her. Because of that, i'll give it an 8/10.

2. Art & Animation: I wish i could rate it higher, but sadly it's a bit wonky sometimes and it could totally be better. The promo art looks miles better than the anime. To give Ultra maniac a bit of credit, it's from a studio that's not really well-known and from quite some years ago. Perhaps a 6/10.

3. Soundtrack: The background music fits well with the scenes, and it's nothing to complain about. The op and ed however? big dissapointment. The singing is out of tune and the opening itself is nothing too special. It's fun but the out of tune singing ruins it soooo much T_T i skipped it every time. The ending is plain boring. 3/10. It doesn't ruin the experience, though. I'd rate the anime higher if it had more enjoyable songs...

4. Story: Nothing original, really, but i feel like it's executed nicely. Except for things like when Nina or Maya have to transform, which i feel is too long and could be better. Also, i wish they went more in-depth about the whole princess situation. 5/10

Conclusion: It's a cutesy 2000s slice of life with magical girls (and boys) that might have some wonky aspects but it's well paced, doesn't feel rushed at all, and has amazing characters. Give it a try!

i don't usually write reviews, this is my first one, in fact, but i just felt like i had to write one when it comes to this manga.
at first, hachimitsu to clover probably reads like any other slice of life. some guys living together, getting through hardships idk. but hachikuro does it differently, and you need to see beyond just the summary.
the characters are very well fleshed out in my opinion, and they have such good moments with so much personality in them, it really makes you get attached, especially for our main guy takemoto-kun.

the comedy is also enjoyable, it comes naturally with whatever ... situation the cast gets in and isn't forced or bland, i have laughed quite a couple of times with this manga.
same goes for the sad parts, you know, it's usually really hard to get me emotional, but i got very close to shedding a tear on some of the backstories. they are very well written and i think chica umino has a way with words.

that being said, the ending chapters ... went a little bit downhill. hanamoto-sensei's behavior ruined the ambient for me, and the open ending doesn't leave anything resolved. i really wish there was a conclusion for the character's feelings, and it feels a bit like a waste, since the characters have so much personality and growth and the ending is just unresolved.

however, that does not stop my love for hachimitsu to clover, and i wholeheartedly recommend it.