This was one of the first mangas I ever read (perhaps second after Cardcaptor Sakura) and it totally sucked me in. In high school, I went on to read at least 20 volumes. Picking up the first book again, ten or fifteen years later, I realized how much I had forgotten about it! This first installment is such a great start to a series; all of the main characters are quickly introduced, and the ongoing emotional dramas are established. There's so much humor and real heart. The page on which Akane's ponytail is cut off was imprinted on my memory and her grief over the end of a childhood crush, which she finally lets go, is beautifully written. Takahashi's ability to draw bodies in motion is so impressive. The very frequent martial arts fight sequences are dynamic and exciting and my respect for her as a cartoonist has only grown now that I know more about the mechanics of comics.