This work is Matsumoto's sandbox and it's up to you whether you want to play in it or not. His style is completely devoid of mainstream boundaries; linear narration is substituted for juxtaposition of almost non-cohesive panels. The effect of such an approach is that instead of a passive observer, you feel as if you're inside of character's heads. There are no moral of the story moments, it's more like sheer realism; you could even call it conveyance of youthful boredom. As such it obviously doesn't pertain to the excitement, but the mood is set in a masterful way to keep you interested. Positive pointsfor implementation of surreal slapstick which Matsumoto doesn't even bother to throw it in subtly.

Aspects such as development are completely thrown away, these characters simply live their empty and purposeless lives. No justification is provided for their actions nor are there any hints for a better future. You'll either hate their dull existence or consider it comically realistic.

It will feel quite heavy, especially due to the abundance of Japanese pop-cultural references, lack of vivaciousness, ostensible non-coherence manifested in erratic presentation, and simply the fact that Matsumoto refuses to serve it on a platter. I'm also sure that his artwork won't appeal to many, especially since it's not consistent, albeit really shines here and there.

Aoi Haru is a dichotomic work, it's perfect in its imperfection. It's definitely not a masterpiece in every sense of that word, but for its attempt to tackle such a risky theme and present it in such an experimental way, one could consider it a masterpiece by its own standards.