This was the first chapter of this manga that really clicked with me. I'd never really loved this series at any point before- the art was pretty and the content was fluffy, but it always felt like it was lacking a distinct, central identity. But since it was one of the 'big' yuri series currently serialized and also one of the earliest ones I'd read, I followed it on instinct, and boy, am I glad that I didn't give up.
Kino and Yori really come into their own characters this time around- they feel like real, breathing, anxious people, with all the fluffy little SOL bits of character-building reinforced on the date. There's a very realistic flow to their dialogue and thoughts that I couldn't find before, a sense of emotion packed into every panel, and you can tell just how much Eku's art and storytelling has grown from the first chapters of this manga, which felt rather like Kirara 4-komas in their odd, disconnected flippancy. Now that this story's committed to exploring the two as a couple and giving us a peek into their relationships while also fleshing out the musical world, I am extremely hyped for what's to come.
It's been a great ride, but I feel like the fun's just starting.
