Manga 138390 Oujougiwa No Imi Wo Shire

The title roughly translates to "Know when to give up!" The manga follows around a filmmaker named Ichimatsu who still cannot get over his ex-girlfriend, Hiyori. His best film featured her during their dating days. He was and still is madly in love with her, but one day she dumped him and disappeared. Fastforward to now when Hiyori suddenly appears in front of Ichimatsu again with an absurd request. She wants his baby, without most of the usual implications. No fatherhood or even intercourse. She just wants the seeds... This time, Ichimatsu is determined to make Hiyori want him as a partner again.

Story: 9/10
The manga ... is unlike I have ever seen. Hiyori's motivation is actually to get revenge on her psycho mother, the main antagonist. The manga has elements of mystery, thriller, and romance all blended in a great package. It is still ongoing, but from what I have read so far, it has an addicting story.

Characters: 10/10
The absolute best part of this manga is the crazy characters. There is maybe 1 normal character in the whole manga (a girl named Noriko, who unfortunately has feelings for Ichimatsu). The rest of them? All nuts in their own ways. Sometimes their actions are so illogical that you may find them frustrating, but I found this to be the biggest hook of the series.

Art: 7/10
It seems a bit strange at first (especially the long eyelashes) but you will get used to it. Hiyori is pretty enough.

Enjoyment: 8/10
The series is very enjoyable but there are a lot of moments in which I just want to slap the MC. The title is perfect. He just does not know when to give up. Actually, the title applies to a bunch of the characters. At other times, I want to slap the main girl for being such a manipulative little you-know-what. These factors both enhance and diminish the enjoyment, but that is the identity of this manga.

Overall: 9/10
It has a unique story and an unusual setup for both romance and revenge. If you are getting tired of formulaic plots for these two popular themes, do check this one out.