*Review* Orange by Ichigo Takano

Beware the Ides of every month, because Joood - Hooligan of Platypire Reviews will be dropping in to share her actual thoughts on a book she has actually read and actually reviewed herself.

I realize this may cause some confusion since I have started posting my weekly Joood's Reviews, but to differentiate, these legitimate reviews will be titled just like my own reviews and they will not have my super fun Joood's Reviews graphic. Also, I will include at least the first part of this notice on all of them. Mostly this is just a way for Joood to get someone else (i.e.: me) to build some of her blog posts for her (and it helps me out a bit too because it means that I'll have at least one review post a month that requires very little time on my part.) 

Genre: Manga

Published: July 25, 2012

Pages: 192

Goodreads

Synopsis

One day, Takamiya Naho receives a letter written to herself from ten years in the future. As Naho reads on, the letter recites the exact events of the day, including the transfer of a new student into her class named Naruse Kakeru.

The Naho from ten years later repeatedly states that she has many regrets, and she wants to fix these by making sure the Naho from the past can make the right decisions—especially regarding Kakeru. What's more shocking is that she discovers that ten years later, Kakeru will no longer be with them. Future Naho asks her to watch over him closely.

Review

I have a subscription to Crunchy Roll, which is where I read this. When it comes to manga, I generally prefer romance and lots of drama. This definitely delivered. This story starts with Takamiya Naho, the main character, getting a letter from herself 10 years in the future. I'm intrigued about this, but don't expect to get answers on how this is done until the end of the series. The letter gives her a warning about a new classmate, saying he will become special to her but will also be taking his life after his 18th birthday, and so she needs to keep it from happening. One thing I absolutely loved about this series is how it not only gives a glimpse what can come about with depression, but it also shows how a support system can help. Don't read this expecting to have some great insight into the mind of a depressed person. There is a lot that is missing. I do love a story that keeps me captivated, and this one definitely does. It is also on the short side for a series, with only 5 books. Which means there wasn't a bunch of filler. That's always great! There are flashes into the future, at first this confused me - until I caught on to what was going on. If that isn't confusing enough, there are also some flashes into the past, but this past is different than the one where she received the letter. I wasn't a fan of those sorts of changes. Another thing I really liked was how the letter helped keep everyone from doing or not doing things they'd regret later on. It helped them all grow as characters, and it was interesting seeing both paths their choices caused. All and all, I found this story to be quite entertaining. It did have me crying in certain parts, which I love in a manga. Also, it made me think a lot about the topics mentioned. Another big plus. I enjoyed the artwork, both the background and character styles were pleasant. My issues mostly lay in how the letter was sent to the past and the transitions between past and future. 3.5 Platypires - Joood - Hooligan

Buy the Book

Volume 1: Amazon

Volume 2: Amazon