Saku-chan to Nozomi-kun feels more mature than the usual shoujo manga. The story deals with growing up and family conflicts. Burdened with a trauma, growing up is not easy for the main girl in this story. However, she found comfort in her classmate whom she relates to as they both try to find their own identity. Even with the short length, the story executed the growth of the characters well. The theme of growing up with a trauma, how it affects their life and relationship with others, and how they resolve it is told concisely in the 2 volumes of this manga. Besides the heavier theme thanmost shoujo manga, the art style also helps in makng this manga feels more mature with the simpler style and lack of sparkly or over-the-top effects.