The story's primary failing is its inconsistent pacing. At times it's a slog, chapter after chapter of nothing of note happening, then a rapid development that's cut short just before returning to a frustrating lack of action. It's honestly quite good in many respects but could have done with...
Like most manga that follow this style, the story is pretty average, by no means bad, but nothing especially exciting either. Then, of course, the ending completely falls flat.
This is the type of manga I really wish I could enjoy, I like the "polar opposites in a situation where they form a bond" sort of trope but...good God giving them their own love interests here is horrid. I see a few comments here comparing this to Toradora, and there are similarities in the base...
Pretty good until those last few chapters. I can't say I mind the pairing in an ethical sense, but it didn't really seem to fit the characters here, so it felt really forced. Would've preferred a longer series with more of a "family" focus than "romance", maybe some yuri with the beastkin.
Ah, honestly, Horikita's development here is better then the novels, there she's just insufferable. Kiyotaka's character is entirely different though, doesn't feel like the same person at all. I wouldn't dislike the pairing if Horikita had ended up more like this in the novels, but c'mon, Kei...
Alright, it wasn't awful, but the story is way too condensed for any of the character development to feel natural. And then that ending, good lord that ending, THAT was absolute garbage.