The magic ingredient that makes this story work is the delinquent MC's genuine effort to avoid senseless violence because of how much he respects the president and aspires to be like her. By not glorifying violence, action scenes require careful justification, and are contextualized into either progress or relapse. Consequently, we get a balanced mix of storytelling, like a quality tea, that allows for delicate flavors like light drama and slice-of-life to emerge. Instead of only alternating between gag comedy and beating up thugs to move the plot like in his other works, Nishimori demonstrates he can actually write and be subtle when he has to. Scenarios as mundane as characters going home together, telling childhood stories, or helping a bug stuck on its back, end up being the best chapters in Ocha Nigosu because of how effectively they establish chemistry.
While the narrative qualities are strong, the manga is difficult to read. The scan quality is low, and the panels are filled with jokes and puns that make little sense in English. Some of it is awkward translation, but the rest of it, judging by his other works, is Nishimori's weird sense of humor.
Considerable effort is spent on developing the cast, giving them convincing weight and their own journeys. It's also, strange as it may sound, one of the few manga that does a good job with organic male friendships. All character growth by the end of the manga, feels earned and well paced at 100 chapters. What's more, the conclusion to the kindness question does not simply retread previous chapters but offers an elegant twist that wraps up multiple characters at once. This is a rare case of a known quantity mangaka managing to really punch above his weight, and it deserves some acknowledgement.
