The art is delightful, but what a strange way to play this story. So far it's like Rei is Elmer Fudd and Ami is Bugs Bunny, constantly yanking the rug out from under Rei to reveal an aching chasm beneath. Rei winds up to receive love, and gets hit in the face with a mallet or has her feelings blown up with dynamite every time.
The youth of the characters is handled very strangely, as well. They look extremely young, but they act increasingly sophisticated. And when they get dressed up to do out, they sort of present as adults. I think by the end of this third chapter it seems clear enough that Ami isn't some quirky girl who doesn't understand her feelings, but she is rather a straight-up sociopath. She tells Rei point-blank she prioritizes her own well-being above everyone else's, and tells Rei she enjoys tormenting her, because she enjoys seeing all the emotions Rei produces flit over her face as a result. She describes feeling not much of anything for Rei, and every time Rei decides it's better to give up (at least once in each chapter so far, unless I'm mistaken), Ami starts splitting hairs over how she words things, does whatever she thinks she needs to do, whatever little doling out of "affection" will keep Rei coming back for more.
I appreciate the earnestness of Rei a lot, and that, combined with the art, has kept me reading so far––that, and knowing it's not very long. But gosh, the emotional cruelty is not what I'm ever here for. It reminds me quite a bit of The Feelings We All Must Endure––which I gradually came around to appreciating quite a lot? So maybe I'll come around on this one, too. The author isn't making it hard to hate Ami, though.
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