Wataru Toda and Chiharu Saeki eagerly plan their third summer together. After returning from studying abroad for his second year at university, Chiharu reunites with Wataru, who balances his part-time job at the cinema with university studies. As both celebrate their twentieth birthdays, Wataru looks forward to legally enjoying a drink. However, it quickly becomes apparent to Chiharu and his colleagues that Wataru struggles with a low tolerance for alcohol. Despite his claims to the contrary, he gets tipsy after just one glass. When he goes out with his cinema coworkers, he soon falls into a deep sleep, prompting them to call Chiharu for help. This situation leads to Niimi-san, Wataru’s boss at the cinema, witnessing Wataru kiss Chiharu, eventually asking if the two are dating. Does he have ulterior motives, or does he possess unexpected empathy for their situation?
Chiharu senses something has been troubling Wataru for a while, but Wataru struggles to articulate his feelings. Have they reached a pivotal moment in their relationship where they can’t move forward until Wataru confronts what’s bothering him?
Unique Art Style and Relationship Growth
Nagisa Furuya occupies a special place in the slice-of-life Boys’ Love genre, earning recognition for her distinctive art style and the realism she brings to evolving friendships. In this My Summer of You Volume 3, both Chiharu and Wataru officially reach the Japanese age of majority. At the time of the manga’s creation, this age was 20, though it dropped to 18 in 2022, while the legal drinking age remains at 20. But what does this milestone mean for their relationship? As both focus on university studies and part-time jobs, unspoken feelings linger between them. They cherish their summer time together, yet Wataru, influenced by alcohol, reveals a hidden side of himself that changes their dynamic. Chiharu realizes that an action from their high school days still haunts Wataru, hindering their relationship’s progress.
Bonus Story and Rating
As in Volumes 1 and 2, this volume includes a bonus story where Wataru and Chiharu help at a traditional seaside inn for a friend and end up spending the night. This volume arguably deserves the OT rating among the three in this Boys’ Love series. However, it remains mostly implied, allowing readers to use their imagination. The emphasis lies on the evolution of the young men’s relationship as they become more attuned to each other’s feelings, making it a highly recommendable volume for LGBT+ sections in high school and sixth-form libraries.
Color and Presentation
Nagisa Furuya’s manga features her signature use of blue to evoke a sense of summer, good weather, and optimism, which continues in this volume, along with three of the four color pages at the front.
The translation, as always, is expertly handled by Jocelyne Allen, and Nicole Roderick’s lettering ensures a smooth reading experience. The volume also includes a page of translation notes and a charming two-page afterword from the mangaka, originally featured beneath the dust jacket of the Japanese edition.
Preview and Upcoming Works
If this volume appears chunkier than usual, it’s because Kodansha has included the first chapter as a preview of Nagisa Furuya’s 2015 one-shot BL My Ultramarine Sky, set to release in late December 2023. I thoroughly enjoyed this title after reading it in French from Hana, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts on the U.S. edition soon.
