Best tragedy manga, in my opinion. A genuine tear-jerker.

The story is somewhat well-known. A girl in WWII Japan falls in love with a college student who enlists in the air force.

You can pretty much guess what happens, but it doesn't matter.
That's the beauty of this work. You know the story--easy to predict, if you didn't already know it, but it still moves you emotionally.

The characters and the pacing are brilliant. The length, as well. Long enough to derive empathy for the characters, and short enough so that you don't get sick of them or bogged down with sappiness.

Back in those days, where parents dictated one's social life, where dating was only permitted if marriage was agreed upon previously...those kids sought love, like any generation of graduating high school students.

This manga is the story of two late teenagers who fell in love when life threw them the mother of all curveballs. Instead of folding and looking passively at strike three, they took a chance and aimed for the fences. This manga is based on a true story, and believe me when I say that this is a worthy adaptation.