I kind of bought this entirely by accident. I went to a store I know, was looking around, and they had the first three volumes of Umi Yorimo Fukaku in a set for $2.00. I figured, gee, the artwork is pretty, I need to start a new series, why not?

So I picked it up, and was immediately pleased. The main story line is that of the relationships between three high-school students, Kikuchi, Mitsuki, and Hatori, 11th graders. Kikuchi, Mitsuki, and Hatori have been friends since beginning high school. Kikuchi is male, with dark hair. He's handsome, but also very cold and somewhat mean (this is a feeling we get from the very beginning, when a girl asks him to go out with her, and he states that he would only go out with her if she has sex with him). Mutsuki, on the other hand, seems to be both lively and shy; he wishes to please and get along with Hatori and Kikuchi, but seems rather confused with it at times. And finally, Hatori is a very quiet, thoughtful girl. She doesn't tell exactly what she's thinking and feeling, but she does obviously care very deeply for her two friends.

Obviously, this is a fairly simplistic structure, but it does get more complicated. Old friends come in and out of the story; Kikuchi melts a bit, and admits his feelings for someone you'd never expect, and Hatori falls in love.

The art work is beautiful and very attractive, although the cover art is fairly plain. I especially like the way the eyes are drawn -- they're fairly big, but they're very pretty and she isn't repetitive in their style.

I highly recommend this series; it's realistic and refreshing in comparison to so many of the totally ridiculous shoujo school stories.