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I've just finished reading Kuzu no Honkai (Scums Wish) and I felt the need to put my thoughts into words, so I decided to write a review. As this work is ongoing take my current score with a grain of salt, as many of you know you can't give an accurate score till something is over. However, rest assured the 8 does mean that I have "enjoyed" what I've read (More on those quotations later). That being said, let's get into the nitty gritty.

Story:
The story is simple enough, two people find comfort in each other as the pine away for the ones they truly ... love. At it's heart the author tries to make the manga about the pain of having unrequited love. However, the more I read of this manga I begin to see something more. The author has created something more, something honest. Scums Wish shows depravity. The characters in Scums Wish are empty. And this emptiness gives way to their struggles. They want something desperately to fill their emptiness, but they can't get it. This is where the honesty comes in. How often do we pine away for something to fill up our own longing? Scums Wish shows this struggle. People seeking something, something they may not even be fully aware of, and that something is destroying them from the inside out.

Art:
The art is clean, and consistent, no qualms and not much to say.

Characters:
Scums Wish is an accurate title. The characters in this manga are truly scum. They are empty people doing selfish and empty things with no concern for the damage it may cause them. They so desperately want to be filled that, the very desire they wish for is killing them. Our two leads are pitiable, but not just them, the whole cast (Except for one) are sad individuals. Lonely and broken people. There have been countless times during reading the manga that I wanted to punch the characters, to yell at them. But this is not because I hated them. It is because it is painful to watch people go down a path of self-destruction. This is not bad story writing, when I stepped away from this work to look at it objectively, I agreed with how the characters acted. If I had the values that these characters hold, I could see myself doing what they have. They acted honestly to their characters, and I my mind no matter how much I hate that honesty, it is the mark of a good character when you see where their actions come from. However, that honesty is painful and frustrating to read.

Enjoyment:
Now, let's talk about why I had quotations around my "enjoyment" earlier. As I hinted at in my characters segment. Watching people spiral down a self-destructing life cycle is painful. It is like watching a friend who has a drug addiction fry his brain. You want to punch your friend, but it won't do anything. Scums Wish is a hard read, but despite how sad the characters are, I enjoyed the work. I can look at the world Sums Wish has painted and agree with the action of its characters, even if those actions frustrate me, it is an honest look at the way I believe people are. We may not seek such rotten fulfillment in love, but we may in other areas. Scums Wish is introspective and honest, and I found my self enjoying it.

Overall:
I'll wrap up my thoughts here, and add a warning to future readers of Scums Wish. Scums Wish is an honest depiction of how empty people act, when they can't reach for the thing they think they desire. Bad decisions pile up, one on top of another. I ate the story up because it fascinated me, and if you can handle the shear sadness of the characters I would recommend you try it too. If you are not instantly turned off, you may learn something about people too. I know I have.

That being said, I want to end with a warning. Around the 33rd chapter or so, the main female lead decides to find a resolution. I am desperately worried that this manga will slip into a cliched "I'll believe in myself" kind of manga which would depress me greatly. I'll be honest, I'm a sucker for happy endings, but a work like Scums Wish should not be set up for one. Unless the Author can find a way for her characters to find true redemption, I worry that Scums Wish will end hollowly. She has painted an honest world. One where people are screwed up, and I feel as if a shallow solution to the characters problems and trauma would be a disservice to this work. So be warned, all readers of Scums Wish, you may be in for a poor ending. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.

tl;dr: Scums Wish is interesting. Although the characters are frustrating, they act honestly. The drama is intense, and can be an off put, but instead of focusing on it, instead ask yourself this question, "Where do you seek fulfillment?" If it is in love, do you see yourself honestly acting any different if put in the characters situations? Try it.