I Want to Love You Till You're Dying Day feels like a small story with grand ambitions. It's very humble and almost quiet in its approach to storytelling. Not a lot happens throughout this first volume, but every few pages you'll see an image or a character make a comment alluding to something much bigger going on in the background. We have little girls being trained for a war that we barely know anything about. Violence is treated in such a casual way implying that either things have been going on for quite some time or the girls have just been conditioned into thinking that this is natural. This contrasts well with Sheena.

The inciting incident of this story is that her roommate dies on the battlefield. When you combine this with her chance encounter with Mimi, arguably one of the most dangerous child soldiers at their school, Sheena begins to wonder what direction her life will take. She doesn't want to engage in this war and dreads the day that she might be forced to face a similar fate to her roommate. That's a lot of pressure and the few moments where she is left alone with her own thoughts are probably some of the more emotionally resonant moments of the book. She is a solid character with a lot of potential, but I'm not allowed to relate to her struggle as much as I think the book wants me to.

There are a lot of hints about the larger story and foreshadowing for future events, particularly when it comes to Mimi's character. There's a big question mark as to what exactly she is, how she sees the world, and what her inevitable relationship with Sheena might become. The downside is that the narrative feels lacking when you have a story focused on selectively eluding to its larger story. Not a lot happens in this first volume and chapters end so abruptly because it doesn't always feel like there is a proper buildup to the events that do transpire. While I like Sheena's characterization, it's difficult for me to engage with this story when it feels like so much is being hidden from me.

I'm very curious about the fate of these characters, the nature of the war they are forced to be a part of, and ultimately what kind of solution Sheena will come to when dealing with these complicated feelings. However, I still need to feel like I am getting something out of this volume outside of just the promise of more stories later on. Outside of one twist at the end of the book, nothing here sticks with me meaningfully. Even the romance feels like it barely has a solid foundation which is a shame because I see the potential.

This story is hard to recommend based on the first volume but it gets better after this point. Neither of those sound like particularly strong selling points. Even the presentation and artwork leave a lot to be desired. Sometimes the panel layouts can be confusing and while the characters' designs are certainly appealing, they also feel plain. The best part about the presentation is when it contrasts the more dainty and mundane aspects with something more violent and harsh like Mimi being covered in blood or a limb being chopped off. Those moments will stick with you but they feel too few and far between.

I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day is consistent in that approach. Some moments certainly stand out, but I don't think it's a good sign when the best parts of a story are promises that more or better things will come later. It's my job to ascertain whether or not there is something powerful or interesting to deliver to you in this first volume but unfortunately, I cannot make that declaration. I like our main character and I'm curious about what will come next. Still, I need to wait and see what comes next before I can recommend this story.