Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me this eArc to review.

This is a perfectly fine manga with nice art and a story a bit reminiscent of Heartstopper. It is a simple story that quite a few manga have but I'm not mad at that as I still enjoyed it.

the art in this was STUNNING, that’s always a sure fire way of getting me to love a book but another is having a truly wonderful story of friends to lovers where you can see the full relationship develop on page. it was just so lovely to read about them, and it really felt like i was watching my two friends fall in love.

Esse mangá é tão fofo! Adorei a história do Chiharu e do Wataru. Eu tenho uma queda por friends to lovers, fazer o quê? Fico muito feliz que agora vou poder ler essa história em português porque o mangá está saindo no Brasil.

I thought this was a really sweet read! Friends to lovers where you can really see the friendship established on page. Lovely art, too, very understated.

Wow this was really good and seeing the characters move towards each other was fascinating. I really fell in love with this and really hope I get to read the next volume.

This was a quick, cute read about two teenage boys and their friendship and possibly more romantic relationship. I definitely got some mild Heartstopper vibes from this.

I felt a bit lost/confused with Wataru's reactions and thoughts a lot of the time, and it would have been great to get a bit more introspection on how they were feeling since the story was essentially from their point of view.

If you are into queer, highschool, friends to lovers stories, then this will be right up your alley.

***Thank you to Kodansha Comics for providing me with the e-ARC for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Digital copy provided by Netgalley - thank you for this and I know I've hardly ever kept my promise to review the books you do grant me access to, but that is definitely going to change from now on!

I enjoyed this a lot.

Once again, when I go for shounen-ai stories, I either want long-running webcomics or short, sweet manga volumes that pack a punch, and here is one of them. The writing is very tender and sweet and it very much subverts that usual first chapter confession that kicks off many of those "comedic" mangas that build a story out of the absurdity factor of a guy telling another guy he loves him.

This has a first chapter confession but we don't jump into a relationship, in fact, this is merely an inciting incident for a lot of introspection that was incredibly sweet to read, in my opinion. I wasn't expecting this to be so angsty but I also wasn't expecting to get so invested in something that took an hour to read even when I tried to savor the art and writing as much as possible. The writing is tender and really gave me a grasp of the characters, even the minor ones!

I enjoyed the interactions, the backstory and definitely the ending. This would've been a BANGING novel and if this ever gets an anime adaptation I will be first in line to watch it and rave about it.

My Summer of You is an adorable manga. Wataru and Saeki have a great, albeit unexpected, friendship; they both love movies and constantly go to see them together. It all changes when Saeki confesses of liking Wataru, who doesn’t know what to say to that. They continue to be friends and Saeki has a request – they do a homage to one movies and visit the set places during the summer.

The art is beautiful and captures emotions perfectly. Wataru and Saeki are very different, but their differences compliment each other. There’s great dialogue and has many gorgeous scenes. The story is great, there’s some drama and suspense but it’s done very well. Overall, it is very heartfelt and sweet story.

What a cute little story! Reminded me slightly of Heartstopper (only very lightly, please don't crucify me!).
Have laughed all the way through! It's a bit weird reading a manga from the laptop, don't think I can appreciate the drawings as much, but I liked the story. Definitely curious to see how it goes on!

'The Summer of You' (My Summer of You Vol. 1) by Nagisa Furuya is a beautiful graphic novel that I devoured within a day and re-read it again later that same week. Graphic novels are unique and reading The Summer of You Vol. 1 felt amazing,

Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda are high-school friends who bonded over the love for movies, especially Black Flash. They were the only ones who loved watching movies in their school and it didn't take long for them to become each other's best friends, until one day Saeki realizes that he has fallen for Toda. When Saeki confesses his love, Toda suggests that they remain friends and carry on with their summer, as planned. But soon Toda starts to realize that this friendship may not be as simple as he thought it to be, maybe he also felt the same way about Saeki, as Saeki did for him.

Again, I wanna say just how much I loved reading this Japanese manga with such a stunning and heartfelt story. I am definitely reading the next part. Thank you NetGalley for this amazing graphic novel.

The illustrations on this book were very pretty. It really is the perfect sort of summer read, it made me nostalgic in a way.

This was a fast read for me and I loved it. It was a nice friends to lovers romance and the fact it was gay made it better. I loved how it was the popular boy who receives a lot of confessions was the one that fell first and I loved watching their relationship develop. This was such a cute story, or at least the beginning was. Their shared interest in movies was perfect and I liked how it set up the rest of the book. It got angsty towards the end though. The angst was well written and I could feel Wataru's emotions. I thought his anger was justified and especially that punch. The line 'you can't go turning a person into a memory' was great and I loved it.
I am glad we got a happy ending for the two of them.
I loved the cover of the book and the title really fit. The illustrations in this manga were beautiful. The facial expressions were amazing and I loved seeing our main characters smile.
The bonus stories were a nice addition.
I only had two issues with this book. The was I wasn't really a fan of the plot point where Saeki was dressed as a girl when he was younger and then Wataru helped him. The second was in the second story was when Wataru told Saeki to stop a couple times and he didn't stop right away. I understand that Saeki was making a joke and that Wataru wasn't really in danger, but still it was not a good scene.
Otherwise, this was a great story and I would recommend it/read it again.

This is a really sweet manga, and the art is really beautiful. You won't find a manga full of sexy scenes, so if you want a more PG one, this is for you. Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda are two high school students who find that they both have the same hobby. They bond over their love for movies. One day, Saeki confesses to Wataru that he likes him but is fine with them staying friends, but he has one condition. He wants to spend his summer with him going on a pilgrimage to movie locations from their favourite films. I like that Saeki just wanted to remain friends and not push his view onto Wataru. I hate when one character forces their love onto them, so I loved the way it was done here. As they go on their trips together, they start to learn more about each other, and Wataru starts to become aware of Saeki more. It moves a long at a good pace. Then, when we get to chapter 4, so many things Saeki said and did make sense. I felt bad for Wataru then, but it gave him a reason to truly evaluate what Saeki meant to him. The letter in the last chapter explained how they first met, and it was so sad reading it. One thing, though, at the end was a bit hard to believe. I loved reading this beautiful story, and I'm off to read volume 2!

I absolutely loved this LGBTQ graphic romance novel

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend

3.5 stars out of 5
Thank you so much to the publishing company, Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with a copy!!!

Kodansha Comics never fails to deliver the cutest shoujo manga. And seeing some LGBTQ+ rep, I was sold.

This was a quick and light cute read. The characters were just so well portrayed. You just can’t help but fall in love with Saeki and Wataru. Their interaction was just so wholesome. I did feel it was rushed though…

I’m a big fan of the friends to lovers trope and this was well done. Some plotline to it was kind of predictable, but still an okay read.
What really got to me though was the artwork. Super super ADORABLE

I will definitely be checking out the second one!

Loved it! Not anything revolutionary, but very well executed. The story flows smoothly, and the characters are easy to like and relate.

My Summer of You is a manga I could certainly picture coming out as an anime movie. I usually don't watch movies alone these days but I will certainly love to watch this one!

We follow Wataru and Saeki as they navigate through summer while knowing Saeki likes Wataru in romantic way but they still remain the best of friends, going together finishing Saeki's request. I really liked how the whole manga gave off vibes of summer - people chilling out, going to visit places, having the whole feel to it of being long but rushed. There were certain instances where the story felt a bit rushed but I guess that aided to the whole "summery vibes".

Furthermore, I really appreciated how Wataru wasn't weirded out by Saeki liking him or showed signs of homophobia as I have seen in a few other manga. He was a bit surprised but never by the fact that a guy could like him. And how they discussed movies, went to movies together and flirted with each other without realizing they were flirting was honestly very cute. And okay this is a bit of personal opinion and matter of liking, I liked how the ending chapter or the bonus illustrations did not have a sex scene and rather a more understanding approach towards the characters and their background.

Coming to things that could have been better... I did not appreciate the heteronormative stance that the book had with side characters assuming that Saeki was rejecting girls because he was "interested in a girl but they couldn't figure out which girl". There was this scene where Saeki shoved Wataru on bed to idk make him feel nervous about being locked in a room and he was touching him without permission. Now Wataru asked him to stop and Saeki did stop so a good thing I suppose but still I have mixed feeling about that scene.

I was provided with an arc of the manga via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

My Summer of You, Vol. 1, by Nagisa Furuya
★★★★★
256 Pages


This was seriously STUNNING! A beautiful story, wrapped up in beautiful art.

I recently read my first story by this author – The Two Lions – and it made me super excited to start this series. Nagisa has a true talent for writing a beautiful story and backing it up with relatable, smart, great characters who touch your heart.

There was a bittersweet element to this story, but it progressed beautifully.

Saeki and Toda have been friends for nearly an entire school year, since accidentally meeting in the video store nearby. Not in many classes together, their friendship is based on a love of movies. They love to share and explore new movies together, talking about them over dinner. Saeki is super popular, while Toda isn't, but their friendship is sweet and innocently wonderful from the start.

Then Saeki confesses his feelings for Toda and...nothing changes. Toda is embarrassed, but able to accept how Saeki feels without behaving differently or changing their relationship. At first. As their friendship continues, he realises that some things can't be revealed and still keep the status quo.

Everything changes.

And I nearly cried about three times. There are multiple panels I took screenshots of, because they were beautiful quotes, moments, scenes, that really showed the progression and emotional maturity of the two boys. Though teenagers, they showed real growth and maturity, accepting their feelings and finding the courage to express them.

I seriously can't wait for the next volume, to see how the story continues. And I'll be reading EVERYTHING this author ever releases, from now on. This is one author I'll be making room for on my physical bookcase, as well as my electronic one.

I was left with somewhat mixed feelings about this. On the positive side, this is an adorable story and it's nice to see a friends to lover story that felt so believable and grounded in reality, without over the top drama, and with a connection - movies - outside of the romance, it was a delight to read. I liked both the main characters, and the relationship between them, and there was some great banter. The art style was lovely, and paired with the story - it really is an adorable, summer romance. What gave me the mixed feelings is that it was somewhat generic with familiar tropes and trends, and I am not sure it has the impact to stand out from the crowd. However, it was a lovely story that I enjoyed, and I will certainly check out the next volume.

When it comes to BL, like other manga romances, love confessions between characters are hard-fought and usually happen as a part of the story’s climax towards its middle to end. But in My Summer With You Volume 1: The Summer of You, the confession starts at the beginning while the volume focuses on how romance slowly blooms through small moments between friends.

My Summer of You Volume 1: The Summer of You is created, written, and features art by mangaka Nagisa Furuya. Initially published in Japan in 2017, the volume is localized and published in English by Kodansha Manga. This edition of the volume features translation by Jocelyne Allen, lettering by Nicole Roderick, editing by Tiff Joshua Ferentini, and cover design by Adam Del Re.

In My Summer of You, Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda are two high school students who don’t immediately seem like they would be best friends, but they share a common hobby: They’re film buffs. Having met in the aisle of a movie store, the two opposites of the social spectrum became fast friends, and then, Chiharu confesses his love for Wataru. Happening in the beginning of the story, the moment is vulnerable and loving in the way teenage romance is. It’s a sweet moment of first love, and in response, Wataru is unbothered.



Set on maintaining their friendship, the two remain by each others’ side, all to fulfill one request. While Chiharu made it clear that he didn’t need Wataru to return his feelings, he wanted one thing, a pilgrimage to see different filming locations of their favorite films. As the two travel together and experience moments of becoming closer through their love of film, Wataru stops being unbothered. Instead, he starts to react to Chiharu’s smile, his touch, and his words. Wataru blushes, his heart races, and he realizes that he wasn’t unaffected by Chiharu’s confession, but instead, he understood it deeply.

My Summer of You isn’t so much about unrequited love as it is about friendship evolving into something more and the process of letting yourself feel a romantic connection to another person. There is a sweet vulnerability and acceptance between the two teens that builds over each chapter. And the most beautiful part is not only that Chiharu felt comfortable enough to confess his feelings to his best friend, but that Wataru accepted them. While he was surprised, he didn’t see their friendship differently.

Chiharu’s confession serves as the opening of a door for himself and for Wataru. It’s a moment that allows the two to grow. Chiharu never pushes Wataru into an uncomfortable space, respecting his friend’s boundaries, and Wataru doesn’t make assumptions about Chiharu’s actions and doesn’t treat him delicately. The two organically grow together, and so does their relationship.

While the story in My Summer With You is emotional and loving, Furuya’s art makes it feel whole. There is a dreamlike quality to the illustrations of romance between the boys, a soft quality that makes the story feel as if each character is sharing themselves completely. Additionally, there are moments of landscapes that are beyond gorgeous.

Overall, My Summer With You Volume 1: The Summer of You captures the vulnerability of young love and the courage not only of confessing your feelings but being open to receiving them. Both Chiharu and Wataru are comforting characters, open, and comfortable, even when small notes of conflict are introduced. This all makes the volume a beautiful look at love and how it grows, and how it can change from platonic to romantic between friends.