I wasn't certain what to expect going into this story, but I absolutely loved what I found. Imperfect Girl is a short and sweet psychological thriller with some interesting underlying themes. While the core narrative may not be particularly original, it's conception and execution are excellent. The art and panel design are great; they really enhance the presentation of the story and help create an intense, captivating atmosphere. This is one of the few manga I've read to date whose ability to tell a story with illustration left a notable impression on me.

The story is more character driven than narrative driven, concentrating on the protagonist's interactions with the girl he nicknames "U." He strives throughout the story to discover who U is and why she's doing what she is, and in doing so also uncovers pieces of his own character. Regarding the latter point, we get an interesting look into the mind of the protagonist as he uses this experience to reflect on his failure as an artist (and perhaps as a person more generally). However, I think there is more here than just the story of a broken girl. Early on a question is posited to the reader. "... what's the difference between an author and an aspiring author?" I would recommend that prospective readers keep this in mind as they make their way through the series. The question and its answer (not only the explicit answer we receive, but the implicit answer we can perceive in the stories events) are what I think to be a rather profound commentary on the social utility (i.e., value proposition) of art, and perhaps also the necessary qualities of an artist.