A slice of life manga that "takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary," Gin no Saji manages to make life at an agricultural high school seem (consistently) attractive, humorous, and entertaining. Given the mangaka's track record, I fully expect this series to become a classic, or at least enjoyed by many audiences to come. I love the characters, the setting, the plotting, the narration, the little life lessons Hachiken experiences... It has a light tone but ultimately this series is full of heart. It's difficult to quantify what exactly makes this series so outstanding, but Arakawa has it, and the awards Silver Spoon has won arefully deserved.