“The Summer of You” is the story of two high school students, Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda, who bond over their shared love of movies. One day, Saeki confesses his love for Toda. Surprisingly, Toda is unfazed and accepts the confession, and the two boys continue to spend their summer visiting the filming locations of their favorite movies. As time goes by, Wataru realizes that he may not be as unaffected by Saeki’s declaration as he initially thought.
I enjoyed reading this short Boys Love (BL) manga. I particularly loved the relaxed ambiance of the story. Every time they had a conversation, it felt like there was feel-good music playing in the background. I appreciated that there was no villain, and the boys simply went with the flow. Wataru’s easy acceptance of Saeki was lovely and kind, and both characters are likable.
The backstory about Saeki’s childhood was a bit cringy, but I guess people like that exist. I thought the conflict was realistic; sometimes you have to let go to move on, though that isn’t always the case.
Reading this manga gave me a break from heavy novels filled with gore, ghosts, and family drama. It was very refreshing, and I look forward to reading more about the boys and more works from the author.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback, 256 pages
Published June 1st 2021 by Kodansha Comics (first published July 28th 2017)
A copy of this manga was provided by the publisher, Kodansha Comics via Netgalley for an impartial and honest review.
About the Author
Nagisa FURUYA (古矢渚, Furuya Nagisa) is a Japanese mangaka, best known for being the author & artist of Kimi to Natsu no Naka, Futari no Lion, My Summer of You, Gunjou no Subete, and Number Call.
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