[DeepL Translation - needs review] Volume 1 Introduction: Nanako enters Seiran Gakuen High School, a prestigious girls' high school, and is thrilled to see the gorgeous upperclassmen every day. Then she learns of the existence of "sororities," which are only open to specially selected students whom all the students admire.... Jealousy and twisted desires swirl in the social club of a prestigious girls' school... Riyoko Ikeda depicts an elegant love-hate drama in this first volume!
(Translator: DeepL)
Great final volume. Overall this is one of the most incredible manga series I've read, for its originality and emotional depth (while somehow being very sparse). I'm really looking forward to reading the author's other series (like Rose of Versailles), and this a classic that will stay with me!
Please not there will be major spoilers beneath this section
Read at your own risk
Padding this, since the blur feature isn't fully working
The outline was mostly identical to the anime, but with some substantial differences:
1. Rei's suicide was very expanded in the anime, and felt more realistic - particularly that the anime dealt with the way it affected the characters much more 2. The volume ends with Nanako learning of Kaoru's death, and her resuming letters to Takehiko - no implication about her having a potential male romantic partner 3. There's no Nanako mourning the loss of Takehiko as a potential romantic partner. 4. Nanako finding out about her family's history and Takehiko is much less dramatic in the novel 5. The aftermath of the girl who got stabbed is greatly reduced, and there's no reconciliation arc in the manga 6. We don't really see as much of Miya's adjustment to the lack of sorority in the manga 7. The disbanding of the sorority didn't have all the crazy accompanying violence & murder attempts