Genuinely the biggest aspect that is holding this series back from being a full 5-stars for me is that fact that the narrative repeatedly leans very heavily on jumping through huge chunks of time by just using a 1 or 2 page spread of photos showing time passing before going back into the story like "omg okay so it's now 1 year later". I feel like there must be a better way of doing this, or if not, this aspect should be used quite so much? ( )

The big action scenes of last volume are behind us as the adventuring party continues their leisurely trek north with frequent stops and diversions. It's very slice-of-life and, since I love these characters, totally mesmerizing. ( )

“Children aren’t the only ones who need emotional support.”

I really love this series, and I hope my opinion on it doesn’t change anytime soon. Lovable characters, no degeneracy, fun humor, and a gooey emotional core.

Aww, the lotus flower jewelry warmed my heart
Spoiler: I was ambivalent at the obvious FernxStark pairing, but now I can see its appeal. Fern’s awkwardness/aloofness is gonna miss out on a decent cutie pie if she doesn’t stop hiding behind her feelings lol. ( )