Very cozy and gentle family josei. Judging by the synopsis, I expected a bit lengthier, multi-generational story. I'd lie if I said this series wouldn't have benefitted from an additional volume or two. Each character deserved a few more chapters so we can get a deeper perspective into their personal matters. Even in its current short format, however, it's a soothing read. 'Josei' can be a sliding scale - some series are quite feminine; others can include some traces of shoujo (more often) or seinen (for more mature drama) in them. 'Soshite, Hare ni Naru' is 100% josei - in fact, one of the most purelyjosei works I've read. It maintains a quiet type of drama that stirs something inside you, yet doesn't go overboard. Self-contained, if you'd call it.

The series gets a 7/10 exactly because it's too short for my taste. The middle chapters could have been slightly better thought out/ordered, too. Nevertheless, 'Soshite, Hare ni Naru' will take you an hour or two to go through it. I'd say give it a shot, it will sate your cravings for a slightly iyashi-kei emotional story.