I'm afraid their tendency to leave questions unanswered irritates me dreadfully. I found it impossible to comprehend anything that was going on, but perhaps I'm a very dense person who isn't very good at understanding Gainax stories. I liked Vespa girl though. Even though I don't agree with your take on the manga, I still think the essay was well-written, it covered what any graphic novel/manga review should cover: story, characters, and especially the art (which I find to be the most important). However, I'm one of the people you described as throwing the book down in disgust (and utter confusion!) and walking away.