I felt the need to contradict the only other review that gave this a mind-boggling 9. They are entitled to their opinion but I think that rating is insanely generous, or they simply are brand new to reading manga. FYI, MAL says 20ch, but there are actually 29 (ending at "24.25" whatever that means). This series started out cute but at this point I'm just over here saying "refund please". Waste of time & frustrated me enough to write this review which I believe is my first one. TL;DR: If you read nothing else from my review, even score aside, I would highly recommend skipping chapters 23& 24.25 unless you like crappy unfinished cliffhanger endings with introduced drama that didn't exist before these two chapters & never get resolved because drama cliffhangers are cool? 23.2 (halloween special) is fine.

Long-winded & spoiler version below:

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Plot: Kayako falls for a younger (by 5 years) co-worker, Kaori, to whom she confesses reaaaaal early in their friendship. Kaori responds with "why don't we try dating" and "maybe I'll fall in love with you too", which she quickly does. Cute/fluffy after but this series should have been a onshot or half the length because the author really flubbed the landing or otherwise simply didn't have any sort of plan or fleshed out storyboard.

Art: I was fine with it, though the artist is clearly a novice. No complaints from me, either way and no further comment because art is subjective.

Relationship progression was fairly typical, satisfying, and non-graphic. Hand holding & some kiss scenes. The artist clearly cannot draw a kiss, though they do kiss a few times "off screen" or "looking at back of FL's head with a 'chu' label", etc.. No further skinship. These aren't complaints, just info.

My problem with this series and the biggest reason I'm scoring this at a 3 can be summed up in two major cons:

1. Pacing is not good. Character writing is not good. There's fluff & flutters here and there, sure, but the character writing is genuinely poor. The characters are two dimensional despite thoughts and introspection being a common thread through the series. I've been more invested in oneshot characters. The side characters? None of them had any point but filler. Random chapter with X co-worker we never see again. Random chapter with grandma who we never see again. Random chapter with friend group that we never see again. All these incidents & side characters all had one common purpose: to introduce insecurities to our two leads and NONE of those insecurities are ever resolved.

Kayako is insecure about her age. Kaori is insecure about overstepping her boundaries & interacting at work. Both are insecure about dating another woman. Just to name a few of these insecurities. Drama can drive narrative and character growth but if you don't actually use those points in a way that serves the narrative or that actually provides said character growth then it is nothing but waste floating on the water. Why intentionally add waste to the water you are in full control of pouring with no intent to clean it back up? I just don't get it.

2. The last two chapters of the series literally do nothing but introduce a completely out-of-left-field love rival which just throws a shit in the pool, confusion in the lead, and then curtains close. Really (not) great writing. I don't care if the series was cancelled, if you can't close the plotline that you are STARTING in the last two chapters of your story, don't even include them. It's insulting to this story you've crafted & to your readers. It gives a very "who the fuck cares, I had them drawn so here you go!" impression. I was annoyed enough by these two chapters that I wrote all this. Nothing gives me bigger gripes than abrupt endings but it's really just so awful to introduce such a plotpoint in your abrupt ending. Things could have ended so non-problematically but noooo.

Unless you love pointless drama cliffhangers just skip chapters 23 and 24.25 (23.2 / halloween special is fine). I'd mark the whole manga as a miss though. The author stopped caring 3 chapters in, so why bother.