Ayako and Family Dynamic

This story is a little, well.. depressing. And the imagery definitely accompanies that. The compositions are all high contrast and show the darkness of living underground for decades very well. The lines used to convey that, dark cross-hatching that seems to eat up the pages and Ayako whenever she is in them, are done really well, evoking emotions of unease and loneliness. What's really odd about this art is that the style is very childish and 'cute' but is able to evoke feelings of darkness and desolation when combined with the story and the lack of color/use of line.
I don't know if I would have given this as much of a chance if it were not for class solely because it was as depressing as it is, with all of the family dynamics and the storylines of each character in it, but I can say it was an interesting and engaging read. I think what I benefit most from when it comes to stories like this is an exposure to different cultural family dynamics, whether they be positive or negative. Sometimes living in a country surrounded by similar family dynamics, it is easy to forget how different it can be anywhere else. Things that you'd never think to do or things that you view as completely normal can be the opposite in another place and with another family.