Such a cool interesting sci-fi romance. I originally supported the creator on Kickstarter and purchased the digital copies volumes 1-3. This year I had the pleasure of being surprised by the presence of the creator at a con and purchased all three physical volumes. The story is set in a technologically advanced future where there are people that live on various different planets. It is both a fascinating and a horrifying utopia. I'll get to why in a moment. There are a lot of technological advances that make many things more efficient, including sex. The romantic relationships in this world are like arranged marriages based on compatibility. Marriages lack physical and emotional intimacy stripping them down to a roommates/friends with benefits relationship. It was very strange to realize that people engage in sexual activity with a machine that is specialized to their physical needs/wants. It's literally two people watching each other get their physical needs met by technology with no physical contact between the two human parties. It's not really much different from voyeuristic masturbation. I think the reason it disturbs me is because you would think the point of sex is to have the ability to connect with another person via physical touch, and not just sexual necessarily. 

Our main character, Abeille, is an immigrant from another planet that has a lot of curiousity about physical touch. Part of this is also probably informed by how much of an outsider she feels like on this new planet. She has an entry level job that makes her feel quite inadequate and ignored. She also is still learning how to make more friends while learning about the planetary culture. Despite all this, she is very optimistic, kind, and charmingly awkward.

Abeille quickly befriends, Miel, a local, early on in the story. Miel is incredibly friendly and likeable and helps Miel her on endeavor to experience physical intimacy. He volunteers to be her emotional backup on a few dates. This, in a very entertaining and funny turn of events, ends terribly, but not for the reasons one might think at first. There's no social judgement in this world when it comes to engaging in sexual activity as long as it does not actually involve touching another person (this includes kissing/cuddling romantically). It made me think that this must be the norm in this society for quite a while. It sounds like they have boiled down relationships to a science to the point that everyone is emotionally detached and isolated without realizing it.

Miel and Abeille have a lot of chemistry from the moment they meet. The romantic interest between the two is very clear. They are both shy, though, and physical touch is new for both of them as a concept. There are multiple side characters that also have their own secondary storylines besides them that are incredibly engaging and interesting. Aster and Clove are two characters that have some of my favorite character designs. They are also queer characters that serve to expose that this world as openly accepting of all sexualities and gender identities. The world is also racially diverse, which is highly appreciated because there is a lot of sci-fi out there that does not.

The first volume ends on a cliffhanger as Miel and Abeille share their first physical touches. I'm looking forward to them exploring their already very cute relationship. I also want to see how all of the other characters explore their own journeys with romance. There are already some of them that undergo major changes in their relationships. I was very happy that the writer took the time to make each and every characer important and distinct. I have a fondness for all of them and just want to continue to learn more about them.