"The Summer of You" hits on that vanilla kink that needs to become more popular: a relationship based on friendship. It's nice to see a couple actually get together and get along with each other, not just get thrown together for the sake of plot. Their existing friendship made the eventual getting-together all the more satisfying. It's a healthy relationship and it doesn't get explicit, so I'd say this volume is safe enough to purchase for a school library or for a young reader who is into BL. (I received an ARC from Kodansha via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

This was a short and simple story. Charming but not particularly original. There is something really refreshing about how straightforward it is. It’s universal enough that anyone who reads can have a connection to what the characters are going through.

The friends-to-lovers relationship that develops was very cute and felt earned without being too overdramatic. The two boys complimented each other well.

That twist in the final chapter had me a little shocked but over-all I felt it added an interesting dynamic to the relationship.

I am excited about future volumes.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for the e-galley via NetGalley.

Such a sweet and mellow summer story about two young boys and their developing feelings. I was pulled in by all of it - especially as the story developed and I got to know Saiki and Wataru more. I loved each of their stories and how they were connected. This summer manga was just so refreshing and I really enjoyed it. I felt like the story was nicely wrapped up in the one volume but I understand that there’s a volume 2 so I’m a little curious as to what that may be about.

Cute fluffy romance between two boys, going on a pilgrimage to see the places where the movies they bonded over were shot. It also dealves into queerness and dress codes.
Perfect for a summer read!

Now that The Summer of You has been officially translated into English I wanted to try this again, since I first read this in a different language. In a sense I'm still undecided whether this is three or four stars. Saeki and Toda become friends through mutual interest in movies. Interestingly so they actually met years ago and Toda ended up changing Saeki's life and now the boy has a crush on him that's soon said out loud. They make a movie pilgrimage trip and it takes time, but Toda starts to have feelings too until Saeki disappears. They do end up together though. This is a slow series and full of pondering, which I loved. It works so well, but somehow everything still feels so easy and perhaps because of that I give it three stars. I'm interested in what happens in the next volume though!

The art looks nice and works well with the boyish imagery. In a sense the art is small and nice, which highlights the feeling of the whole book. This could become something interesting, since the manga is very grownup and realistic. I do hope there's more to the series on the long run.

This book has an amazing representation of compulsory heterosexuality. Compulsory heterosexuality is an important topic not talked about enough and this book describes it graceffully. The art style is beautiful and complements the writing and plot so well. Honestly, even if I didn't like the plot I would have stayed for the art. This book was a perfect read for me and an amazing summer read that I would recommend to anyone especially if you're queer.

The Summer of You was a quick, light little read and I completely fell in love with Saeki and Wataru. They were the best part of the story - their clear character traits and sweet interactions made me continue to read even when I found some of the sections to be unclear. I found pieces of their attraction and interactions to be fuzzy and hard to follow, though the overarching idea and themes were there. Wish we could've had more of Wataru's family dynamic - loved his sister!

Storyline: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
Characterization: 5/5
Graphics: 3/5
Quality of Writing: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

I had fun reading this and, to me, that's what a graphic novel is all about! It was enjoyable and cute, with a slight plot twist that deepened the main characters' bond with one another.

This is a beautifully told and beautifully drawn friends-to- boyfriend manga. Chiharu is the hottest guy at school. All the girls want to date him and he spends a lot of his time turning them down. Wataru is Chiharu's friend. They met by accident and found out that they both have a similar taste in movies. They're really good friends and looking forward to the summer, but all this changes when Chiharu tells Wataru that he has feelings for him. This changes the dynamic of the friendship and Wataru has to work through his feelings and decide how he feels. Meanwhile summer is here and there are movies to watch and places to visit together but what does this mean for their friendship. Both of them have the of summer holiday to figure it out.

This is a lovely story with a gentle romance and great artwork. It is funny in places, great to read and thoroughly enjoyable.

Copy provided by Kodansha Comics via Netgally in exchange for an unbiased review.

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me an e-ARC of the book.

Disclaimers: All my reviews are my thoughts of the book and according to my personal preferences. Even though I had received a review arc, it does not affect my review and honest thoughts for the book.

Personal Ratings: 4.5/5🌟

Total No of Chapters : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5
Bonus Chapter : 3 chapters

Plot: 5/5
Wholesome : 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Easy to read: 5/5

Overall: Its a manga for those who wants a calm-paced story

A story of two boys who found friendship in the stories told in movies and an unexpected love that blooms.

Short Summary
Saeki and Wataru have nothing in common. They were not from the same school, they have never been in the same class but there was one thing that sealed their friendship was their love for eccentric movies. When a thunderstorm leads to a sudden confession, their friendship was put to a test. This is a story with a very calm pacing, about friendship found in the solace of movies, memories of a kind boy and fates that changed.

My Thoughts
I was genuinely surprised of how calm and wholesome this manga is. It has the elements of confusion after a confession but does not have that toxic injection and repulsiveness that comes with it.

I love the pacing of the story and how calm overall the manga is. Both Saeki and Wataru are characters that has so much depth but their friendship is just very wholesome. The trips down memory lane made me go 🥺 and tugged a string in my heart.

Overall, this is a manga for ones that needs a short but wholesome manga that leaves you smiling at the end.

This was a cute, lighthearted, and quick read! It's my first time jumping back into a manga after about 3 years, and I'm glad it was with this one. However, I didn't really "buy" the relationship or at least it did not resonate as strongly with me, and I found some events in the last chapter to be a little problematic with some harmful stereotypes which is the main reason for the star deductions. Despite that, the art is still lovely and it's easy to enjoy.

This was super adorable, the art work and meaning behind the story was great to look at and read. I would totally read more from this person in the future for sure.

Super sweet. I loved the faster pace of the book. It kept it interesting. A perfect summer romance. Very much captures the uncertainty of love.

This was really cute, and although it's only volume one of a manga series, it can definitely be read as a standalone and feels pretty complete. That being said, I will likely pick up the next volume, but I wouldn't say it ends on a real cliffhanger that'll leave you unsatisfied or dying for the next volume.

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.

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 about the author.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This story was just ridiculously cute and cheesy. The characters are sweet and their chemistry is great too. Nothing about it was particularly mind blowing or ground breaking, but that doesn't really matter. It was very enjoyable

Every meme about how terrible queer folk are at picking up when they are being hit on? Paid off beautifully in this sweet summer manga.

I'm not especially familiar with the artists other work or if they have much of a resume but I jumped back into my first manga in nearly a decade for this cute cover and premise. Chiharu and Wataru are film nerds - and genre film nerds at that. As a queer nerd who does a mostly movie devoted podcast - I felt really seen there in the initial pages. The relationship between them as close but unlikely friends plays out well and I was genuinely invested as the story plays out over summer break and the touchstones of movies and their past.

With the exception of one slightly problematic trend in BL manga, I thoroughly enjoyed the story from beginning to end. Lots of long moments of bonding and relationship building is great. I love a slow burn that is actually given some time to be considered. The bonus stories at the end are also lovely and help give some context since the main story is over before you know it. I'm really eager to see what the second volume has in store.

Content warnings for potential domestic violence are the main reason for only four stars.

This is a really cute manga, and it really felt like a summer adventure to read it. I love the main characters and the way their friendship developed. Saeki confessing his feelings was super sweet, and then the way Wataru didn't immediately have any reaction but realized over time he also had feelings was sweet. Like, overall this whole manga was a super sweet story and I would love to see where Wataru and Saeki end up as their relationship continues and they have to navigate the long-distance. But I have complete confidence in them figuring out how to make it work and spending time together!

Very sweet friendship to love story.

There are a few twists when you realize they'd met as younger kids and how important Wataru is to Chiharu. The pacing of the development is realistic and unhurried.

Art is well done with proportional figures.

This book was ULTIMATE cuteness. I have cuteness overload at the moment.

This was amazing! I loved everything about it, it finished too quickly, I wanted more!! And it's only the first book too! I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out, I'll be waiting here, very patiently.

This reminds me so much of Heartstopper that I'm super happy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the earc in return for an honest review.

Thank you ever so much to Kodansha Comics for this eARC of the first volume of "The Summer of You" by Nagisa Furuya. Although I have been gifted this ARC, my opinion is purely my own.

This has such high potential. The story is so lovely and I know its gonna be an amazing manga but also each character is relatable and I feel comfort with both of them. The art style is perfect and it works with the entire story. I am very excited to see the future of this manga.