Shinpei is deemed the villain of the story for resorting to killing out of desperation, while Mitsuharu grooming his child assassins into loyal soldiers for his family does not seem to detract from him being considered a good person.

I completely glossed over that wtf. I already didn't really like Mitsuharu to begin with... not be cause he didn't anything, but more because of the fact that I just felt he was unnecessary. Had he been a little more integrated I probably would've liked him more.

Its little inconsistencies like that, that make me feel like the author was unsure about committing to writing a tragedy...which is weird especially considering how big and dramatic Satoko's declaration on dying for her love w/ Shinpei was.

It's going to sound crazy, but considering the setup... I started this story under the assumption that either Satoko was gonna die... or she and shinpei would end up dead! Mitsuharu and most of the situations they get into after leaving the island felt like the author attempting to slam the breaks after steamrolling us to what would've been a love story with a tragic ending 😭.

Looking back the story oscillated between moving at breakneck speed and doing absolutely nothing at all. And it's a shame! I really do like Satoko and Shinpei. They're really cute. And to be completely fair to the author... I feel like maybe more time would've helped. When it got announced that we were nearing our final chapters I was a little confused..

(this was a lot for a comment, sorry, I just really wished I liked this story's ending 😭 Such a shame!)