Piece is a 10-volume manga by Ashihara Hinako. The story centers around college student Suga Mizuho and her quest to find the man who got her friend pregnant before that friend died of cancer. As Mizuho ‘pieced’ together fragments of her friend’s life, she learned more about herself and the people around her.
I don’t really want to spoil the story because it’s just layer upon layer of mysteries and one red herring after the other. It’s not your typical shoujo, that’s for sure.
Gosh, now that I can’t spoil too much, I don’t what to write about lol. Anyway, the stuff Piece discusses is something that’s real in teen societies. I’ve known people who had the same or similar problems to the protagonists. The characters are very much people with their own charms and shortcomings, and that’s what made Piece so interesting to read.
Piece has themes on bullying and child abuse, and it doesn’t end on a perfectly satisfactory note (plus it’s a bit unsettling) so that’s what I want to say to those who might be interested in reading. It’ll give you lots to think about and interpret on your own. I personally think this is a very good manga.