The Girl For The Other Side is the only manga I've ever read off the bat solely from looking at the initial volume cover (bought the first 2 volumes online as a result), and it's shaping to be my 2nd favorite manga yet. Something about the presentation, especially after witnessing Volume 3 recently, leaves me with a emotional response I've never quite felt, and can't even properly describe yet. For as simple as the story is, the themes of tragedy, innocence and parenthood and its melancholic portrayal is something I've rarely experienced as strongly.
The fault I had, however, is that the art style was so bleak and impactful, I feel like, similar to Tokyo Ghoul, the material would be, simply put, unadaptable. The B&W art coupled with the simple yet somehow dense imagery feels impossible to replicate faithfully.
Thank the Lord Almighty, Wit Studio actually proved me wrong.
I thought the OVA was breathtaking. Not only does the art manage to be just as unique as the manga, but the approach to the story takes great imagery from the original source, yet it kind of tells a new story in comparison. I mean, it's not a direct retelling of points in the manga. It took a kind of creative liberty that I vastly appreciated, because it gave me a similar yet new experience like the original did. Heck, it was only 10 minutes, but it got me incredibly teary-eyed in the end. A big round of kudos there.
To me, this OVA is my favorite I've come across to date.
