*Disclaimer: The TLDR is at the bottom.*


Not your typical magical girl transformation shojo, to say the least: 'Full Moon o Sagashite' is much more than that. It's a story about second chances and the pursuit of self-love, forgiveness and redemption.

The characters are layered so wonderfully, and grow naturally as the story progresses. Arina Tanemura does a fantastic job interweaving the relationships and back-stories within Full Moon's universe; you'll find yourself falling in love with all of her characters over and over again. She masterfully and delicately handles the topic of childhood illness and young love. Somehow, she is able to keep the atmosphere of the story lighthearted, though bittersweet, while still maintaining a believable fantasy universe where shinigami and ghosts not only exist, but are fully-realized main characters. Tanemura wonderfully builds her characters up bit by bit, all the while slowly revealing more of the darker elements of her story.

Read 'Full Moon o Sagashite', and you'll not only be impressed, but you'll be laughing and crying along with its beautiful characters. However, if you're looking for a light and fluffy, easy to digest, magical girl transformation shojo, this may not be the right story for you. 'Full Moon o Sagashite' is much darker and more complex than its cute characters and gentle themes may imply; the story has magic, yes, but it also speaks on other topics such as suicide, cancer, death, heartbreak, betrayal, sacrifice, love, self-harm, depression, trauma, fame, etc. The themes in 'Full Moon o Sagashite' are very adult, despite its cute appearance and overtones.

TLDR:

Story -9
Art -8
Character -10
Enjoyment -10
Overall -9