Takeuchi-san can really tell a story! She pulls you in, to the extent that her childlike art stops feeling awkward and becomes downright charming. A most excellent work.
(As a digression, I wonder if the "bad" art, by being slightly abstract, helped the mangaka overcome what must have been high emotional barriers to sharing her secrets with the world. As evidenced by the "good" art in a few places, she can draw fairly well if she wants to.)