Ryo Asai (朝井リョウ ) began creating picture books at the age of six and writing stories while still in grade school; soon he was submitting manuscripts to new-writer contests as he dreamed of publishing a book of his own. He made his literary debut as a student at Waseda University, when his novel Kirishima, bukatsu yamerutte yo (Kirishima Says He's Quitting the Team) took the 2009 Shosetsu Subaru New Writers' Award. He has kept up a constant stream of publications since his debut. When his novel Nanimono (Somebody) was awarded the Naoki Prize for the second half of 2012, he was only 23, making him the youngest male author to have ever won the award. His other works include Chia danshi!! (Guy Cheerleaders!!), Mo ichido umareru (To Be Born Over), and Shojo wa sotsugyo shinai (Girls Don't Graduate).
Aika kiinnostava kuvaus koululaisten arjesta. Kirishimaa sivutaan, mutta kaikkien päähenkilöiden elämä kiertyy lopulta lähinnä heitä itseään kiinnostavien asioiden ympärille ja Kirishimaa koskeva ehkä dramaattinenkin tapahtumaketju jää häilymään kulisseihin. Kertojan äänet ovat keskenään hyvin erilaisia, mutta kukin tuntuu silti uskottavalta.
Helppolukuinen ja taitavasti kirjoitettu, mutta silti tuntui, että jotain jäi puuttumaan.