Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
Don't let the cutesy art-style of the manga and anime fool you; this is a story about ghosts, and the author does not hesitate in pulling any punches.
- Yako's backstory. She was a stone fox at a shrine and the one person who cared about her was a kind schoolteacher named Misaki. He taught her to read and write and visited her daily, even including her in the class picture. He died falling down the stairs in a tragic accident and Yako was left wondering why he hadn't come to see her for a long time, before learning the truth. She became determined to bring him back no matter what. It's rather disheartening to see her voiceover in the journal entries go from a sweet child to an increasingly bitter adult. The rumors about the Misaki Stairs changing, further warped her into kidnapping students to make makeshift bodies for Misaki and turning them into dolls when they failed. She acknowledges that Misaki wouldn't approve of her actions, but she would face his disapproval if she could only bring him back. In fixing the situation, the scissors Misaki gave her are broken.
- Mitsuba's arc. He just wanted to have friends and lead a happy life, but died due to an accident, making him a ghost. Even as a ghost he managed to form some happy memories after Kou befriends him. But then, Tsukasa, who had agreed to grant his wish, later turned him into the Broken Neck Mitsuba, thus forcing Hanako to Mercy Kill Mitsuba so that he wouldn't harm the students. Kou desperately tries to wake him up, but Mitsuba is already gone.
- After this whole thing, Hanako says the following to Kou, which reminds not only Kou, but also the readers that this is a story about ghosts, meaning people who are already dead:Hanako: Kid. Death... is the end. You can become a spirit and wander the near shore... But that's not a continuation of life. Once you've died, it's over. There's nothing after that. You can't go anywhere after that. It doesn't matter how deep your regrets are, or how much you wish things were different. If you couldn't do something in life.... You can't do it after you're dead. That's how the world is made and if you try to fight it.... this (referring to Mitsuba) is how you end up. I thought... if anyone could take care of his unfinished business... severe his attachment to this shore, it would be you. But looks like it backfired. It's no use. You can't be so kind to the dead. Because..... We have no future.
- This scene is even more heartbreaking in the anime due to the music playing in the background.
- Mitsuba appears later in the Hell of Mirrors arc....... only for it to be revealed that it’s not Mitsuba, he’s a artificial ghost created by Tsukasa.
- After this whole thing, Hanako says the following to Kou, which reminds not only Kou, but also the readers that this is a story about ghosts, meaning people who are already dead:
- Just about anytime Tsukasa appears in front of Hanako, most notably in chapter 16. He immediately breaks down and is straight up terrified. It's clear that beneath that goofy and cheery facade, he actually hides a lot of guilt over his murder of Tsukasa.
- The Reveal about Nene's lifespan in chapter 27. As it turns out, Hanako knew about it the whole time, but didn't say anything because he felt that even if he did, nothing would change. And he didn't want to burden the others with the truth.
- The flashback in chapters 13/14 is already heartbreaking as it is, but it becomes worse after reading chapter 38, where Nene, during the festival, accidentally time travels back to the time when Amane was a little kid. He was a cheerful kid who used to be genuinely happy, as seen in his interactions with Nene. Fast forward to his middle school self in that flashback; he is withdrawn, gloomy, apparently being abused but refuses to say even a word about it, and has seemingly given up on his dream of becoming an astronaut, saying that he has decided to not go anywhere, with what could be best described as a 'defeated look' on his face. The sheer disparity between his child-self and middle school-self makes you wonder: Just what happened in his past that changed him to this degree?
- The Picture Perfect Arc. From the truth about Shijima and the rumours about her apparition to the scenario that she created in her fake world... The whole arc is just one big Tearjerker.
- Watching Hanako (as Amane) and Mitsuba happily living normal lives, just like any other school students, especially Amane. Just makes you wonder how could things have turned out if Hanako and Mitsuba were not ghosts and just normal students.
- Kou's confrontation with Mitsuba. Mitsuba knows that this is a fake world and that he could never actually live as a normal human being, as he never even was one in the first place (he is the spirit of a dead ghost). Seeing him cling so hard onto this life, even if it's fake, just shows how desperately he wishes for a normal life, despite knowing that it's not possible.
- 'Shijima' attempting to kill the past Shijima (or, to be more accurate, her "creator") so that the misleading rumours would never even have started. She had been considering herself a nuisance for the real!Shijima due to not being able to do anything about the false rumour... but the truth turns out to be the exact opposite. As she reveals, Ghost!Shijima was originally a painting real!Shijima had made, thinking of it as her ideal self and thus unknowingly creating ghost!Shijima. This 'ideal self' (and ghost!Shijima) was what refrained her from giving up on life completely, and gave her hope during her sleeples nights and darkest of times. Explaining all of this to spirit!Shijima, real!Shijima thanks her, making her realize that she was never a nuisance, but a source of hope for her. Both heartwarming and tearjerking.
- And at the end of the arc, there's Hanako and Yashiro's confrontation with Yashiro breaking down about how she wanted to continue living in the real world and have fun, despite knowing she barely has a year left to live, and Hanako finally dropping his Jerkass Façade as he tells Yashiro what his actual wish is- for her to keep on living. This whole scene is so bittersweet and heart-wrenching, that you can't help but want to give both the characters a big hug, especially Hanako, who, as we know, is already dead and knows how it feels to have your own future cut short.
- Chapter 71. Just.... the whole damn chapter.
- Special mention goes to Hanako's extremely poignant and wistful confession to Nene as he shatters away in front of her; he reveals that he wishes things could remain the same and wanted to try living again too.
