I thought the artwork was a bit overly extravegant (esp the eyes) at first, but it really is pretty. I've never
seen the anime version though...
Now for the storyline and characters, I have to say it's one of my faves. The story is quite involved and
complicated, with odd relationships (esp Sarasa and Shuri). but I love the conflicts presented, and how someone may seem
evil, but from a different point of view, may change the perspective. Like the Red King and Shido. The themes are pretty
good too, esp the conflicts within Sarasa. Esp after Shuri is killed, and Sarasa decides to spare his wife. But Nagi
(who I thought was a woman for the longest time XD) reminds her that she should've killed her, because the mother
will teach Shuri's son to hate Tatara.
As for characters, it's one of the few series where I actually like the main character. Sarasa may seem like the
typical strong heroine, but she does have fears and doubts, and even though she pretends to be male, she still yearns to
be female. I also love her resourcefulness and cunningness. At first I wasn't too fond of Shuri, but he's
growing on me. I'm not fond of Asagi as of right now (I'm on vol 6), but we'll see.