A Couple of Cuckoos started out well. The initial chapters created good characters and credible relationships and the plot had a clear direction where it suggested authentic development. The integration of romance and comedy was appealing and the novel possessed an individual charm that kept readers curious to know more. The characters were established and their circumstances sounded realistic. For a while the series might have been one of the greatest romance manga series out there. But ultimately the series strayed off. What was initially a cute and emotionally deep series eventually turned into an infuriating and shallow read. The characters who initially reacted in thoughtful and realistic manners began reacting in seriously irrational manners. It seemed like the author was out of ideas and began introducing random dramas just to prolong the story. Rather than actual growth or emotional scenes the manga resorted to repeating the same misunderstandings love triangle scenes and conflicts that led to nothing. The writing became dull and the plot lacked the real attachment that initially made it special. Consider Hiro Segawa as an example. She was once one of the strongest characters in A Couple of Cuckoos. She was cool mature and a pleasure to root for. She loved her friends and always put them first. And then she dropped Nagi for no reason. There was no buildup or emotional consistency to this betrayal so the breakup felt entirely out of place. This discredited her character. After the breakup Hiro began acting completely out of character for who she was before it happened. She started sabotaging other characters and trying to get back together with Nagi after being the one who called it off. It feels like the writer forgot who the character was meant to be. Why would someone break up with someone that they still love? It completely erased what people enjoyed about her. The same issues also strike the rest of the characters. Erika the previous fun and uninhibited girl is now erratic. Shes good one moment but a plot device to serve up laughter or drama relief the next. Nagi the previous conscientious and easytorelateto character is now wishywashy and aimless. He gets himself into the same trouble over and over again and never learns anything or progresses. Its heartbreaking to witness these characters reduce to flatness. The worst thing about the situation is that the manga would have concluded so much sooner. There were plenty of points at which the story could have concluded well but the writer went on to add unnecessary side stories and filler chapters. When something would finally be going to happen the story would loop back and the impression would be given that nothing was that important. Its evident the manga was prolonged just to make more money and not give the fans a pleasant conclusion. The pacing has been slowed down the jokes were no longer effective and the romance is artificial rather than natural. A Couple of Cuckoos would have been great. It had a great concept a great cast of characters and a story that was capable of finding love and family in a great way. But now its just a disappointment. The magic that kept me interested from the beginning is lost. The characters dont develop the story doesnt progress and everything feels forced and strained. You can still catch glimpses of what made it great but theyre smothered under terrible writing and melodrama. Reading the manga today is tiring. Every chapter is a copy of the last chapter. It hurts to see how something that had so much potential in the beginning became such a shallow and dull flop. The author had something better but they messed it up by stretching it too thin. Hiro Erika and Nagi deserved better than this. I only wish that the author can figure out a means of bringing back the charm and atmosphere that initially caught peoples hearts to A Couple of Cuckoos. Because currently it is difficult to be concerned with a series that lost everything that made it good.