Aaron Gertler's Reviews > かくかくしかじか 1

Yes, I cried at the end, which makes this the second story about a teacher to accomplish this (the other being Good-Bye, Mr. Chips, which wasn't nearly as funny). A good-old-fashioned artistic bildungsroman, complicated by the protagonist's general malaise and illuminated by the spirit of a marvelous instructor.

Might have been four stars, but gets over the edge because of the way the author's journey interacts with the format. We know she'll be an artist, because she's illustrating the story, and seeing the way that comes to pass (despite the aforementioned malaise) feels like hearing a chord resolve after an unbearable period of suspension.