There is a principle at the heart of this scoring system a belief that must be tested against the full spectrum of art: that masterful execution is superior to unrealized ambition. A flawless success no matter how small its scale is a greater artistic achievement than a glorious but incoherent failure. I can think of no manga that puts this belief to a sterner test than Nene Yukimoris Kubosan wa Mob wo Yurusanai. It is a work of microscopic ambition executed with such unnerving placid perfection that one must begrudgingly respect the craft while feeling utterly unmoved by the product. To be clear Kubosan succeeds entirely on its own terms. Its goal is to be a pleasant heartwarming and utterly inoffensive romantic comedywhat the modern vernacular calls fluff. In this its execution is absolute. The art is clean consistent and professionally rendered to maximize its moe appeal. The comedic timing is gentle and effective. The narrative a simple straight line from boy is lonely to boy is not lonely is coherent and free of contradiction. The entire work is a masterfully calibrated machine designed to produce a single simple emotional effect: a warm fuzzy feeling. It is a perfect success. And yet it is a success that signifies nothing. In its pursuit of flawless comforting execution Kubosan strips itself of every possible element of intellectual or artistic substance. Its characters are not people but idealized archetypes. Junta Shiraishis social invisibility is not a compelling psychological condition to be explored but a convenient plot device and a running gag. Nagisa Kubo is a fantasya perfectly kind perfectly cute girl with no discernible flaws desires or interiority beyond her interest in the protagonist. This is not psychological realism it is a comforting fairy tale and a simple one at that. The works ambition does not extend beyond its character sheets. The world is a sterile high school backdrop. The plot is a series of gentle vignettes devoid of tension or stakes. Thematically the manga is a vacuum. Its profound message delivered with the subtlety of a greeting card is that it is nice when people are nice to you. This is an unimpeachable sentiment but it is not an insight. It is an emotional comfort blanket not a thematic argument. This leaves us with the final assessment. A baseline analysis of its empty characters and nonexistent themes would place the work in the category of Bad. But this would be a disservice to its undeniable craftsmanship. Kubosan is a flawless object. Every simple element works in perfect harmonious synthesis with every other simple element to achieve its simple goal. It is a masterfully baked cupcakesweet expertly constructed and utterly devoid of nutritional value. Therefore it earns its score of 51/100. It is the platonic ideal of Mediocre: a work so competently made that it cannot be called bad yet so intellectually and artistically vacant that it can never be called good. It is good enough to waste time on but it is ultimately a forgettable trivial confection that offers no new insights and leaves no lasting impact. It is a testament to the respectable artistry of the confectioner but it will never be mistaken for a nutritious meal.