The Summer of You is the story of two high school students – Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda, who found themselves bonding together for their shared love of movies. One day, Saeki confesses his love for Toda. Toda was unbothered and just accepted it, and both boys continue to spend their summer going to film spots of their favorite movies. As time goes by, Wataru realizes that he may not be as unaffected by Saeki’s declaration.
I enjoyed reading this short (Boys Love) BL manga. I particularly loved the relaxed ambiance of the story. Every time that they were having a conversation, it feels like there’s feel-good music playing. I loved that there’s no villain here, and the boys were simply going with the flow. The easy acceptance of Wataru towards Saeki was lovely and kind. Both characters are likable.
“You can’t just go turning a person into a memory.” 
“I could never say what I wanted. It was that boy who changed me.”
That little backstory about Saeki’s childhood was a bit cringy, but I guess people like that exist. I thought the conflict was realistic, I mean, sometimes, you have to let go for you to move on, but most of the time, that is not always the case.
Reading this manga gave me a bit of a break from reading heavy novels with gore, ghosts, and family drama. It’s very refreshing, and I am looking forward to reading more about the boys and more 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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