Ahhh geez I quite enjoyed Girl Through the Viewfinder but there's no doubt it was a bit rough around the edges, often saying less than would reasonably be expected a story. This one is on another level, like Kabocha is really figuring it out.
I'm super sad to have started reading this while it's ongoing. I love love the blank panels with just, staring. That's gotta be the Kabocha Specialty. I love the harsh transitions. The imagery? Oh my gosh the imagery. The allusions. The theming. Gosh, it's so cool to read an Age Gap
story that actually has something to say about age. A yuri series that actually has a plot and unique, developed characters. The moodiness is excellent too, and the payoffs being so cute help it rarely feel suffocating.
The volume writing is really intriguing, too. Volume 1 is really mysterious and unsettling. There are secrets, and suggestions, and deep character issues. I assumed surely, this is a tragic story where someone did a very bad thing they shouldn't have. Then Volume 2 happens and some of that lingers but little is explored further in favour of backstory and slow plot development. Now Volume 3 is setting its own pace, expanding the scope of the story and honing in on Koto and Aya's relationship troubles. I'm not sure what to make of this. I thought for sure after Volume 1 this would be a Mystery/Drama exploring the origin and fallout from Aya's disappearance. That "broke the triangle," after all. Apparently, the story has a lot more to say. I really hope it's able to before closing.
(P.S. My absolute fav part of this story is Aya's character. Hard to describe exactly. She's just a great realisation of the "perfect" fish out of water.)