As always, a big thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing a free review copy, much appreciated!

The White and Blue Between Us is a well-intended work with a lot of details that I love (or would love to see more of) in BL like young adult/adult characters and established relationships. It can be appealing to people who love the second chance trope with time skip, and I certainly love a character who can admit that they love another boy/man without the "What's this beating in my heart," dragging on for 5 chapters without substance. The major pitfall for these second chance stories is that there's not enough room to develop everything with depth they require, unless you're really good at short form like Kumota Haruko or Natsume Ono. In that sense, the story itself falls a bit flat and comes across as fast-paced.

Artistically though, I was more than pleased. The town our main characters grew up in is fleshed out in detail with lots of pretty natural sceneries. You can also see the interiors don't lack furnishing or character either. Backgrounds are hard so oftentimes we get either screen tones, black or white simple backgrounds and whatnot, so I appreciate the effort. The character designs reminded me of Misaki Takamatsu, the creator of Skip and Loafer, which felt familiar and cute!

Overall, The White and Blue Between Us by Kiyuhiko, while isn't bad and can follow the beats of your usual single-volume BL, isn't a memorable title either. You should give it a chance if the tropes are details that you like in BL!

I will never dislike Manga! This one was amazing!
I‘ve literally done nothing but talk to my friends about this since I’ve read it! They’re getting impatient for it to release!

Unfortunately, I didn't like the book. The art was only so-so but the plot was way too jumpy. They went from one moment to the next to years after without any depth to the single frames. Also, they didn't see each other for seven years... People change yet they know they still love each other after like meeting for two mintues? I usually don't mind long term reunions though, so it's probably because there was not enough background story before that it was hard to believe.

It was fine. Some things were questionable but could have been answered if they did not happen so suddenly. It was a decent short read I'm not mad about. But the author should, like I mentioned before, write more to make it a more complete story.

Way too scattered with way too many narrative gaps to feel like a complete story. Could've been a lot more evocative given the setting.

I had to DNF this manga. I did like the art style but the story plot did not keep me hooked and everything was too fast paced?

I was hoping I would like the manga more but I didn't.
It's an adorable manga, the art is good but it seems like it needs a few more pages.
It seems that the story is not complete since it goes by very quickly and does not take the time to explain the situations in depth. I would have liked it more if they had expanded the personality of the characters a little more and why they act the way they do, if they had added a few extra pages to complete the story and make it feel more developed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a digital copy of this book.

thank you for the copy, netgalley! <3

but...... does he r@pe mishima?!? did i read that right?

i really enjoy queer stories with angsty second chances, but that scene caught me completely off guard. it seems like almost everyone else feels the same way.

The cover and the art style are beautiful. And unfortunately that was pretty much all I enjoyed from this volume.

The storyline wasn’t smooth at all, it felt like there was no buildup and things were randomly tossed in. The first sex scene came from out of nowhere and it honestly felt more uncomfortable than anything else. It didn’t add anything to the story.

The dialogue felt stilted and the conversations didn’t have any depth in them. I felt like I learned nothing substantial about any of the characters.

Overall, I really wanted to enjoy this one but in the end I just couldn’t. I hope others can enjoy it but it isn’t for me.

Very cute art style, but the plot was a little too messy.

I was mostly confused reading this.
I have so many questions, and I hate when the story feels incomplete.

The smut, although not too graphic in my opinion, feels out of place. I also hate smut just for the sake of having smut.

For how short this was, it could’ve been constructed a little more thoughtfully.
Or just make it longer, and actually add some depth and personality to the characters.

Unfortunately, not the most engaging story out there -- the imagery of the lighthouse and returning back to home town on an island were lovely, but the whiplashy developments of the relationship weren't great, both from the angle of tension & release and payoff of sex scenes, which lacked the sense of intimacy and seemed just /there/ for reasons of having sex scenes in your BL story. I didn't feel any deep connection to either of main characters, or the substance of the story, of which there wasn't too much. The art is pretty but it alone doesn't do the job.

You see, this story holds very little substance. The art is pretty, but apart from that there isn’t anything that stands out. The cookie cutter characters don’t evoke emotion or make you feel like they’re into each other.

The plot? There is none. It’s very basic and forgettable. Luckily for me, I want to forget about this story asap.

There’s no reason for the “spice” that’s in this one. It’s such a juvenile story, and it doesn’t add anything to the characters interactions. Both scenes are incredibly out of pocket, but the first one is just out of place and was bleh.

It was not a good manga. I’ve read singular chapters with more interest than the entirety of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Hozumi and Mishima started dating in high school, but Hozumi breaks up with Mishima in a cruel way and leaves the island they grew up on. Seven years later he returns and realizes that he still has feelings for Mishima.

Take my opinions with a grain of salt, because I have not read much manga before. What I enjoyed about this story were the setting and the artwork. I also liked the bonus chapter, which takes us back in time to when the characters first met and got together. I really liked getting that background, and it helped me to understand the characters better. I wish it had come at the start of the book and been even more expanded.

I did not like that there was not much emotional resolution from what happened in their past, how they left each other, and what had happened since. There is minimal substantial communication between the characters at all, and it was difficult to connect emotionally to their story. There is also a steamy scene with ambiguous consent, which I don't personally like.

While this one had some room for improvement, I'm curious to try more manga like this in the future!

3.5/4 stars

So it would have probably rated higher if it wasn't for the fact Hozumi forced himself on Mishima the way he did... Even if he knew he had feelings for him. However, the it all flowed well together and didn't feel rushed or awkward jumps in the story.
Hozumi's brother is an MVP in my opinion for 1. accepting the news his brother likes a guy 2. Helping with their parents and telling them to hear him out.

Hozumi returns to his hometown fro. The city to help out since his dad was in the hospital for his back. Once he returns, he goes to a class reunion hoping to see Mishima after 7years. However, he learns he shut himself in at the lighthouse. So naturally he continues to go there in hopes to talk but Mishima doesn't. This is well deserved after telling him he loved him in highschool and then saying it was all a lie. Even though they both have feelings for each other still, how will things end up and can he be forgiven?

*Do note that there are some mature scenes (they are tame compared to many BL).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This manga didn't feel like a put-together story. It felt like I read the end of a series as the first volume, and then the bonus chapter was supposed to be the beginning. It felt a bit all over the place, and there wasn't much story cohesion. The story premise had plenty of potential, but being a one-shot really hampered the ability to tell the full story. The segway to the [spice] scene felt super awkward, and it was over being it had even started. It really didn't need to be put in that spot of the story. The art style was good, it's honestly the best thing about it.

Actual rating: 3.75

The White & Blue Between Us is a standalone story about Hozumi and Mishima. There are some flashbacks to when they were in highschool on a small island together and Hozumi had told Mishima that he loved him, only to retract it in their last year together. When Hozumi returns to the island to help his injured father, he discovers that Mishima has become a recluse, living in his family’s lighthouse.

We have an excellent forced proximity scene where Hozumi has to stay in the lighthouse with Mishima because of a bad rainstorm and overtime these two slowly open up to each other. When Hozumi reveals the truth behind the statement he made as a teenager, they finally begin to move on with their future together.

I really enjoyed the progression of their relationship over time, nothing felt rushed, and even the two steamy scenes felt part of the plot with how heavily they contrasted each other. One was very sudden and almost felt impersonal, but the other was much more intimate and you can see the bond they have between each other several months after the start of the story.

Based on this standalone, I definitely want to read more from this author.

*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*

The book is fine. For me, the plot felt rushed and we could've dug deeper to the characters. If someone needs to read for past time, this could be a book for them.

The White and Blue Between Us is a cute BL about two guys that grew up on the same island. It’s now been seven years, since Hozumi left the island, and Mishima, behind after lying about his feelings and breaking Mishima’s heart. Hozumi is desperate to make things right, but Mishima isn’t ready to forgive him just yet.

This Manga has many cute and adorable moments shared between the MCs. I liked the story, but I found the pacing a bit clunky and confusing in patches, making some parts feel rushed. Overall I really enjoyed this, especially the bonus chapters sharing high school flashbacks and I’m grateful to have received a copy of the arc from Netgalley and Kodansha Comics.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this advance copy :)
I’m very conflicted about this one; there were things I really enjoyed - the art style was beautiful, and I particularly liked the seaside setting (I always love a good lighthouse!). The dual-timeline was well handled, and I loved seeing the two main characters’ relationship progress.

However:
Sometimes I found the narrative a bit confusing and difficult to determine what was happening - although I don’t read a lot of manga, I’ve been able to clearly understand all the ones I’ve read in the past.
Parts of the story aren’t clear what’s going on- for example, I THINK there is a non-consensual sex scene between the protagonists, but it is brushed over so quickly as if it never happened and makes me wonder if I misinterpreted it.
If it wasn’t a misunderstanding on my part, the scene is highly questionable - but either way, what was happening was unclear.

Overall, this had a lot of potential. Great art and an interesting idea, but unclear at points.

Jesus was this all over the place with no real rhyme or reason.
Frankly, I felt the relationship between the love interests was irredeemable. I did not feel the chemistry between them or enjoy reading about their strange relationship.
I loved the side characters, though. How open minded and welcoming the brother and mother were really made me happy.

Thank you Net Galley and Kodansha for the ARC in exchange for a review.