"I become stronger just by having you next to me -- I believe that even now" - Kido Tatsuhiko

Iv'e never in my life witnessed a manga that has captivated me, astounded me, and brought me to my knees just as Nozoki Ana did chapter by chapter. Manga such as this is the soul reason of why I even have the patience to write a review. This manga is special is so many ways that this review can't even do it justice, let alone explain how much this manga changed the foundation of why I read manga and watch anime altogether.

I hope this review brings you insight and gives you the wisdom needed to discover exactly what lies behind that "peephole" and shed some light to why you should "peep" this manga out for yourself.

Story: Nozoki Ana begins with our main protagonist Kido Tasuhiko who is a art student currently enrolled at his vocational/technical school for the arts. The synopsis sums up the main exposition of the story but it's what happens after that truly catches my undivided attention. Pure emotions, heartbreak, betrayal, love, revenge, courage, and honor are words that describe not only the manga but what I felt as this manga grabbed me, threw me across the room, and proceeded to stomp on my heart page by page. Don't let the cute colorful cover of this manga deceive what you're about to read because this manga has it dark dramatic moments that have you screaming throughout the story. It's these key moments of drama and intensity that make this manga absolutely breathtaking to read. You mix these dramatic moments with a bit of comedy, a lot and I mean A LOT of romance, and a dash of cruel intentions what you get is a manga that is pure enjoyment. It's a story of constant faults and mistakes, a story of love and regret, and a story that will grab your attention as you contentiously discover new things every chapter.

Characters: Personally I would argue that Nozoki Ana has many great characters that can be analyzed, dissected, and discussed for hours; however, for the sake of your time I will be discussing the 2 most important characters that drive the story forward and captivate readers for their unique personalities, traits, and yes... fetishes. Let's begin with Kido Tatsuhiko, Kido-kun is a person who I like to call... "Mr. Showtime" He's a very average 18 year-old young man who is tries to make a living for himself as a art student. He's the center of all attention and throughout the manga many girls are attracted to Kido-kun's charm calling him "sincere", "caring", and "funny". Many of the girls Kido-kun talks to honestly would do anything just to spend a night with him and YES.... the girls LITERALLY drop their pants without moments hesitation but of course many of these moments don't go without justification. As the story moves forward you start to see how Kido-kun changes and we can't address this change without the person who changed it for him and this leads us to our second lead.... Ikuno Emiru. Ohhh Emiru-chan... where to begin... Emiru is a "unique" character that has many different quirks that make her my favorite character of the whole series. Let me just say this, Emiru-chan is indeed a pervert but in a good way, she likes to "handle her business" by looking through a hole in the wall but that shouldn't be the main trait that defines who Emiru is. Emiru is SOOO clever in how she handles everyday situations if she puts her mind to it anything with her is possible. She is very strong minded and courageous, she gets put in situations where I would just give up and cry and turns them to her favor. Lastly, she is VERY VERY Caring, she is one of the sweetest girls I have ever witnessed and will do anything to make sure that you always have a person to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. These two characters are foundation of why this manga is so fantastic, it's a constant push and pull with these characters that generate waves of excitement, tears, and frustration that can only be achieved through their "special" relationship.

Art: Let's begin by saying this, Nozoki Ana is a manga that can be quite "heavy" in a sense that there is a lot of nudism involved where every other chapter illustrates naked bodies to truly set the overall tone and feel of the manga. After a couple chapters I personally got used to the nudism and just admired the story as a whole using the nudism as an advantage rather than a poor excuse for "fan service". The Nudism is what brings character to the art style and just brings a sense of realism to what the manga has to offer. You start to get a feel for just how unique the style is and like I said it will eventually fade away the more you read it and if anything bring more passion to what you are reading. Overall they did a solid job with the art style, great character designs, and stunning backdrops and scenery.

Nozoki Ana is a manga that I wish many people took a bit more seriously. The genre "ecchi" can do 1 of 2 things, it can either draw in people, or repel people and that is something I truly wish wouldn't happen. Many people look at this with the mindset of "OH... it's a ecchi manga... only perverts would read that" or "the cover looks super girly and childish.... I'll skip this....." but I beg you..... Please consider checking this manga out. I'm trying to make a valid point here that this manga is amazing from start to finish it took me on a emotional roller coaster that very few manga can do and it showed me that there are precious gems out there such as this one. It's pure entertainment from start to finish and as you read chapter by chapter you will discover on your own that on the other side of the "peephole" is not just some generic boring manga.... No... it is beautiful story that is worth much much more... than what it is.