In my quest for the ultimate shoujo, this stands as one of the best. All the elements are there and, what's more, they feel perfectly done. It's so refreshing to see a coming-of-age ensemble piece that treats the subject matter the characters go through with the necessary weight that it should be treated with. In youth, stuff like first love, friendship, the future unknown... this is all stuff that doesn't feel earth-shaterring in hindsight but always does so in that moment when you aren't kids but not yet adults. Too many of these types feel flimsy—a side-effect of the adults that make it. This one levels with its audience, and that's why it soars.