"I always feel like things are only gonna get better. You might say I'm an optimist. But what lies ahead is grim enough... even I can see it coming."
I am not a fan of Jun Maeda's work. I think that just about everything he's ever had a hand in has some interesting ideas, but wastes them by drowning them in other wacky story beats that clash with the setting, on top of being plotted with the finesse and subtlety of a sledgehammer. People celebrate him for being a master of tragedy, but I've never been able to suspend my disbelief enough to shed a single tear at any of his stories.
That's the opinion I would have given you of Maeda two years ago (HBR launched a bit earlier than that, but due to my low expectations I was late trying it out.)
And now?
As I see it, Maeda just took a long, long time to figure out how to play to his strengths.