To be honest, I’m not a fan of straight romance stories because they’re usually incredibly cringey and cliché. So, I didn’t go into this manga with high expectations. However, I read the rest of the chapters on another site and have to say I really liked it a lot.
Unlike other high school romance manga, it takes a much more realistic approach to romance. In my opinion, all the characters are relatable, especially Koyuki, the protagonist. She is a very introverted, anxious, and socially awkward person who has difficulty trusting others. The story is basically about how she slowly learns to let down the walls (which fits perfectly with the English title “Ramparts of Ice.”) she built around herself because of past trauma.
But it’s about so much more than that. It’s a story about interpersonal relationships and personal growth. The friendships and romantic relationships between the characters aren’t rushed. Instead, they develop gradually and in a completely natural way. The social interactions, internal monologues and flashbacks allow you to understand the actions and motivations of specific characters really well, making each one feel like an actual, real person. Of course, everyone has their flaws, but no one behaves in an extremely childish way like in other mangas of this genre. Instead, they act appropriately for their age, just as it happens in real life.
Even the dramatic chapters/scenes don’t feel like they’re just artificially inserted to add tension to the plot, but rather like believable, realistic scenarios. Of course, there’s also miscommunication and misunderstandings here, but that’s the case in real life, too. In my opinion, every single character is extremely likeable. You might not like all of them at the beginning, but you definitely will by the time they’ve gone through their character development, which every important character in this manga undergoes!
The story wasn’t unnecessarily dragged out, never bored me at any point and gave me plenty of heartwarming moments without being unnecessarily cringey. Overall, the manga is wholesome, dramatic and funny and it truly shines with its interesting, relatable characters. It’s easily one of the best high school romances I’ve read so far!!!
To be honest, I’m not a fan of straight romance stories because they’re usually incredibly cringey and cliché. So, I didn’t go into this manga with high expectations. However, I read the rest of the chapters on another site and have to say I really liked it a lot.
Unlike other high school romance manga, it takes a much more realistic approach to romance. In my opinion, all the characters are relatable, especially Koyuki, the protagonist. She is a very introverted, anxious, and socially awkward person who has difficulty trusting others. The story is basically about how she slowly learns to let down the walls (which fits perfectly with the English title “Ramparts of Ice.”) she built around herself because of past trauma.
But it’s about so much more than that. It’s a story about interpersonal relationships and personal growth. The friendships and romantic relationships between the characters aren’t rushed. Instead, they develop gradually and in a completely natural way. The social interactions, internal monologues and flashbacks allow you to understand the actions and motivations of specific characters really well, making each one feel like an actual, real person. Of course, everyone has their flaws, but no one behaves in an extremely childish way like in other mangas of this genre. Instead, they act appropriately for their age, just as it happens in real life.
Even the dramatic chapters/scenes don’t feel like they’re just artificially inserted to add tension to the plot, but rather like believable, realistic scenarios. Of course, there’s also miscommunication and misunderstandings here, but that’s the case in real life, too. In my opinion, every single character is extremely likeable. You might not like all of them at the beginning, but you definitely will by the time they’ve gone through their character development, which every important character in this manga undergoes!
The story wasn’t unnecessarily dragged out, never bored me at any point and gave me plenty of heartwarming moments without being unnecessarily cringey. Overall, the manga is wholesome, dramatic and funny and it truly shines with its interesting, relatable characters. It’s easily one of the best high school romances I’ve read so far!!!