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An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels for Me!, Vol. 4

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By Yuishi and Kagachisaku. Released in Japan as “Inkya no Boku ni Batsu Game de Kokuhaku Shitekita Hazu no Gal ga, Dō Mitemo Boku ni Beta Bore Des” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Satoko Kakihara.

As I was reading this book and looking at the inner illustrations, I am reminded that the core audience for this is meant to be guys, and most likely guys trying to relive their past high school history only with much better luck with women. As such, the art is very reminiscent of old-school visual novels: try not to show the guy at all, and if you do show him, make it as little as possible. That can’t quite be done here, because so much of this art is “the perfect date”, which involves things like our young couple making the ‘heart’ sign with their hands, but it mostly fits, as do the covers. The Introvert is the reader. The Gyaru is what we’re here for. Well, that and the happy ending, which this book drags out as long as possible but eventually gets to.

Well, Yoshin and Nanami have finally gotten to the one-month mark, and they’re both ready to confess their terrible, terrible secrets. But before that, they have one last date to go on… or rather, two dates, which they insist is the same date. The first day is her choice, and we see them go to a sweets-themed amusement park, where they see chocolate made, go on train rides around the park, and take cute pictures of each other. The next day is his choice, and they go to a petting zoo, getting to deal with sheep, monkeys, polar bears, and many others, and take cute pictures of each other. Then they go to a shrine, where both basically pray for the gods to watch over them as they confess their terrible, terrible secrets. Finally, we get to the following day at school, where Nanami leads Yoshin to the spot she confessed to him… and says it was all a lie.

I will admit, this book can be a bit trying at times. It is so sweet it’s almost sickness inducing. Not only are Yoshin and Nanami adorable together in the eyes of the reader, everyone else in the book thinks so too. Amusement park employees squee over them. Little kids point out how they’re holding hands. Old folks who’ve been married for fifty years say that the two of them already feel like they’re married. All of this despite the fact that, until the end of the book, kisses on the cheek is as far as they’ve gone. Even the confession, where Nanami admits she asked him out on a dare, and Yoshin admits that he overheard this and knew, is framed adorably, with a “Gift of the Magi” quality to it as they both beg each other for forgiveness and affirm their love. Heck, they talk a lot in this book about what they’ll do when they have kids. These two have it bad for each other.

So yes, this is good, but a bit much at times. What’s worse, there is a 5th book, so we get even more sweetness without the pull of “they’re secretly sad because they think they’ll break up”. What could possibly happen now? Licking ice cream off each other’s face? Who knows?

The Deer King, Vol. 1

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By Nahoko Uehashi and Masaaki Yamamoto. Released in Japan as “Shika no Ō” by Kadokawa Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Cathy Hirano.

I was not originally planning to read this book, as I have sort of given up on any license that is basically “we got this because there’s an anime movie version of it”, and most folks saw this when the movie came out two years ago. But then I saw it was from the author of the Moribito series, and I recalled a lot of friends were very much into that series, so I thought I would give it a shot. I’m glad I did, as it’s a very different kettle of fish to the standard “what if we were transported to another world?” fantasy novel that you see these days. The Deer King is a more fantasy kind of fantasy book, exploring a world where, over two centuries ago, a plague ravaged the land. Now that plague has returned, and doctors are desperately trying to figure out how it’s spreading and how to cure it. Meanwhile, one of our two main characters has it, and instead of dying he seems to be changing.

The book is divided between two protagonists, alternating their stories. Van is a rebel leader who was captured and has now been sentenced to work in the salt mines as a slave. Suddenly the mine is invaded by wild dogs – and those who are bitten go into convulsions and die. Van does not die, though, but seems to gain some sort of unworldly connection with something instead. He takes the one survivor – a toddler who was also bitten but did not die – and escapes, trying to find a place to stay. Meanwhile, a doctor, Hohsalle, has discovered that an ancient plague is returning, seemingly brought about by being bitten by wild dogs/wolf hybrids. Is all of this somehow being deliberately engineered in order to kill off the conquerors? and can Hohsalle find a cure or a vaccine while also negotiating troubling politics?

The double viewpoint can be frustrating – this 350-page book is divided into sixths, with Van getting part 1, 3, and 5, and Hohsalle 2, 4, and 6. Just as you’re getting into the narrative from one protagonist, it switches to the other. That said, I also appreciate the different viewpoints. Van can be difficult to like, despite the fact that he’s clearly meant to have the audience’s sympathy – it’s not quite clear what he’s become after being bitten, but the general sense is that if he ever gives into it and stops trying to be human, Bad Things will happen. Which, um, makes it a bit of a problem that Yuna, the little girl he rescued and then adopted, has been kidnapped. As for Hohsalle, his care as a doctor is excellent, and he clearly wants to save people, but he’s also rather casual and flippant about the other aspects of life. We frequently follow his bodyguard and straight man, Makokan, just for a more down-to-earth viewpoint.

Still, the plot was interesting enough that I’ll read the second volume. recommended for those who like high fantasy combined with race-against-time thrillers.

Pick of the Week: Ice Guys and Sentai Guys

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SEAN: It’s a new season of anime, and several of my favorites are finally getting a chance to shine. As such, my dual pick of the week is the 9th volume of The Apothecary Diaries and the 2nd manga volume of Tearmoon Empire. Go watch the anime, please.

MICHELLE: Super Morning Star looks like fun, so that gets my vote this week!

ASH: Had I not completely misremembered its release date, Nejishiki would have definitely been my pick last week seeing that it collects some important and influential alternative manga touchstones. But if I am to limit myself to this week’s releases, I’ll have to admit that I am rather curious about The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl.

ANNA: I’m also intrigued by The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl, so I’ll make that my pick as well.

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-Up, Vol. 3

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By Rino Mayumi and Machi. Released in Japan as “Jimihime to Kuroneko no, Enman na Konyaku Haki” by M Novels F. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Evie Lund.

I am pleased to report that, at long last, this series about a break-up actually has it. As for whether it’s satisfying or not, well, I can’t speak for the characters, but as a reader it exceeded my expectations. Given that this series began with a misunderstanding because a bunch of teenage dumbasses were shit-talking at each other, so I’m amazed that in the end everything is resolved by people maturely behaving like adults. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone is happy… honestly, the only happy one may be Seren… but it does mean that this book is blissfully free of people doing dumb impetuous things or kidnapped fiancees or any of the plot twists that happen in countless other light novels. The main complaint, as with the previous books, is that the books are still a bit too long, and Seren ad Viol are still a bit too dull. That said, this book features a speeder bike chase through the forests, which surprised me. All it needed was Ewoks.

As the book begins, Seren is already ridiculously good at magic, and we see her in this book go from that to ludicrously good at magic. She’s a prodigy, and that’s honestly the only reason this plot works at all. She even manages to surprise Viol several times, especially when she takes the cart she’d been using and combines it with flying to essentially make a hovercraft. She’s also still training with the others in the salon, though her sister Marietta is starting to feel the crush of expectations, and it’s depressing her, because she’s not a prodigy like her sister. Finally, in order to get Seren to do what she’s unconsciously been avoiding and TELL EVERYONE what she’s doing, Vi reveals the truth: he’s actually Viol, something that she frankly takes much better than I expected given she’s been clutching this cat to her bosom every night. Now all she has to do is tell her family and the royal family she’s dumping them.

As I said, this *is* a satisfying break-up. Seren explains exactly what she wants to do, what was the inspiration for her studying to do it, and shows off that she absolutely has the skills to pay the bills. The reaction of her mother and father is basically “we are bad parents because she didn’t even consider telling us about any of this”, but they do make sure to tell Seren that, yes, she SHOULD have told someone else about this, and that is a fault of hers. As for Prince Helios, given that this basically arose because of one accidentally misheard conversation where he was agreeing with his dumbass friends to brush them off, he’s a bit devastated, but once he sees her resolve (and possibly her love for Viol, though that doesn’t really occur to her till the end of this book), he makes the best of things and moves on. Hell, even Marietta, who I was certain was going to snap at some point, recovers from her depression slightly and resolves to try her best.

So yes, a bit boring still, but this was probably the best in the series to date. And yes, there’s a 4th and final book in the series, which may consist entirely of sweet love-love moments, since most everything wrapped up here.

Raven of the Inner Palace, Vol. 4

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By Kouko Shirakawa and Ayuko. Released in Japan as “Kōkyū no Karasu” by Shueisha Orange Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amelia Mason.

Usually when you see character development, it’s meant to be heartwarming, or affirming, and generally a good thing. And there is that here. Seeing Jusetsu gradually open up to being around others, helping people, and growing more comfortable in her own skin is absolutely a good thing, and the Emperor knows it. That said, the fact that she is the Raven Consort makes this a bit of a double-edged sword. The classic joke “I’m not like other girls” is eerily true here, and that’s why there’s a sense of this series moving faster and faster down a hill towards a crash that Jusetsu is not going to be able to stop. It does not help that certain factions in the court are trying to apply the accelerator rather than the brakes, and suddenly instead of being fond of Jusetsu, or looking up to Jusetsu, they are WORSHIPING Jusetsu. And that’s definitely a bad thing, give that’s she’s already a part of a god, and the other god who is the enemy may be getting back to full strength.

The main plot shows the Crane Consort’s father, Choyo, arrive at the palace, supposedly in order to apologize to the Emperor for what happened in the last book, and grace him with some of their most valuable silkworm cocoons. In reality, Choyo is there to blackmail/threaten the Emperor with the knowledge that he knows who Jusetsu is and that she should stay isolated in her own quarters. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the events of the third book, Hakurai, may have lost an eye but is not remotely down and out, and he’s here to try to kill Jusetsu *and* destroy her reputation – and nearly succeeds at the second. And, of course, these events are interspersed with the meat and potatoes of this series; a ghost is in the palace, let’s figure out why.

Generally speaking the main reason to read any of these “inner palace of the Emperor” series, be it Apothecary Diaries, Though I Am an Inept Villainess, or this one, is for the court politics, and that’s no exception here. Jusetsu is trying her best, helping people and making sure to right wrongs and save those who can be saved (and send to the afterlife those who can’t). But by the end of the book she’s basically been asked to stay shut up until further notice, and while I doubt that will last long, it feels like a loss for her. This is not to say that Choyo wins, however. Banka easily gets the most interesting plotline and the best moment in the book, as she’s seemingly ineffectual, useless, and getting sicker and sicker over the course of the book. I say seemingly because she confronts her father angrily near the end, reveals a secret she’s been holding back that upends a lot of what will be coming, and basically says “I’m not your toy anymore”. It’s great. I can’t wait to see how she nobly dies in a future volume.

Good intrigue, great characters, worrying that it will end with half the cast dead, but hey. Romance is sort of vaguely there but very much in the background. To sum up: read this, it’s good.

Maiden of the Needle, Vol. 2

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By Zeroki and Miho Takeoka. Released in Japan as “Hariko no Otome” by Kadokawa Shoten. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kiki Piatkowska.

I’m still really enjoying this series, possibly more than it deserves. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, being another variation on the Cinderella story we’ve seen come up a lot in light novels lately. The first volume features Yui being rescued from her terrible fate and given all the love and comfort she’s ever wanted, but the second volume shows that things are not exactly happily ever after yet. There’s still far too many curses around this kingdom, be it from the old king’s late wife or from Yui’s twisted family. But Yui is developing at just the right pace, not abusing her “I’m from Japan” buttons too much, and frankly still unable to eat more than half a plate of dinner or speak for longer than 30 seconds without coughing. I appreciate that the abuse has not gone away no matter how loved she is. As for the rest of the cast, well, this is a book filled with people discovering their old family bonds. Sometimes they were deliberately hidden, and sometimes they were nearly destroyed.

Due to her constitution, Yui is leaving Rodin’s employ for the moment and going with Argit to Menesmetlo, which has winter weather – and also a labyrinth where they might be able to find some things to help undo all the curses. Once there, all the girls quickly check out the hot springs – but what at first seems like a “wacky” comedy scene with everyone trying to stop Mimachi from sexually harassing Yui gets more serious when she accidentally activates a long-buried underwater terminal, which can apparently transport certain people to the Gods’ dwelling. No, Yui does not go to the gods – but Senri, a commoner maid who’s as normal as can be except for her superhuman strength, does, and finds out a lot of secrets about her family. Meanwhile, Yui’s old family is quickly sliding faster and faster into evil, and a purge is required.

The other girl on the cover, by the way, is Yui’s sister Meilia, who, like the rest of her family, had turned on Yui over the years, but is pretty much the only one who regrets it, and finds herself wishing she could see Yui again. The scenes with Meilia may be the best in the book, filled with subtle horror (the pain Meilia is in from the weight of the spider on her shoulder, showing that it’s turned into a monster even though she never looks at it), non-subtle horror (the end of the Nuir family itself, as well as the friendship bracelet from Yui being what saved Meilia’s life and soul), and also bittersweet redemption (Mei is saved, but has lost her memories, and the implication at the end of the book is that she’ll live the rest of her (admittedly very happy) life without ever seeing Yui again). It’s hard being a child in a dissolute family of spider monster manipulators.

Unfortunately, this series comes out VERY slowly in Japan, and the third book is not yet on the horizon. Till then, enjoy this story of fairies, spiders, and girls who don’t realize they’re descended from gods.

The Manga Review: We Got The Beat

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Thanks to Deb Aoki’s stellar recruitment efforts, The Beat has recently expanded its coverage of manga, manhwa, anime, and webtoons. This week, she introduced readers to the site’s newest contributors and announced that she’s currently serving as The Beat’s Manga/Anime/Webtoons Editor. If this week’s output is any indication, expect more in-depth coverage of licensing news and industry trends, as well as well reviews.

Also of note: ABLAZE just launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish Gannibal, a 13-volume horror series about a remote village with a gory secret… Brigid Alverson has the deets on Manga Plus Max, Shueisha’s brand-new subscription service… the Miami Film Festival will screen The Boy and the Heron in November, one month before its official American release… Twitter suspended Glacier Bay Books’ account with no explanation… Yoshihiro Togashi has hinted that he’s back at work on Hunter X Hunter… and Netflix just unveiled the trailer for Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka.

AROUND THE WEB

If you’re interested in stories about “passionate athletes” and “thrilling competitions with unpredictable outcomes,” I highly recommend the newly launched Sports Baka website (formerly a Substack). Recent articles have focused on series such as All Out!!, Birdie Wing, and Yama o Wataru (Crossing Mountains). [Sports Baka]

Which Shonen Jump titles made the best first impression on readers? Matias De la Piedra crunches the numbers. [The Beat]

Kara Dennison recommends three supernatural manga for readers in a Halloween state of mind. [Otaku USA]

Bill Curtis compiles a helpful list of October’s new manga and light novels. [Yatta-Tachi]

Francine Yulo interviews Ryan Holmberg about two recent translation projects: Nejishiki and My Picture Diary. [Drawn & Quarterly]

For a thoughtful conversation about Shuna’s Journey, check out the latest episode of Cartoonist Kayfabe. [Cartoonist Kayfabe]

Danica Davidson interviews Patrick Macias and Samuel Sattin about their collaboration on two forthcoming books: The Essential Anime Guide: 50 Iconic Films, Standout Series, and Cult Masterpieces and  A Kid’s Guide to Anime & Manga: Exploring the History of Japanese Animation and Comics, both of which will arrive in stores this November. [Otaku USA]

REVIEWS

Megan D. takes The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions for a test drive… Demelza reviews the Collector’s Edition of A Girl on the Shore… Sara Smith recommends Alice in Kyoto Forest for readers in grades 5-8… and Danica Davidson praises My Picture Diary for “giving a voice to countless women who feel stifled and trapped by roles pushed on them by society.”

New and Noteworthy

Complete, OOP, and Ongoing

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, Vol. 5.5

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By Saekisan and Hanekoto. Released in Japan as “Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Ma ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nicole Wilder.

Oh dear, it’s a short story volume. Worse, it’s a short story volume that takes place entirely before the lead couple get together. So right after I write a review that basically says “I’m so glad we’re no longer frustrated waiting for these two dipshits to confess”, I get an entire book filled with scenes where these two dipshits are not confessing. So as you can imagine a majority of this volume is filled with short stories where our two leads clean the house, or cook a meal, or play a videogame, and pine for each other. If you enjoyed the earlier volumes, this is great for you, though unfortunately the author’s narrative voice can occasionally make both of them come across as a bit creepy some of the time. Fortunately there are three stories that aren’t about Amane and Mahiru’s relationship, and they actually have plot!

In among the stories I mentioned above, we get three others. The first is Mahiru’s perspective on her childhood, and so as you can imagine is rather sad and depressing. Sometimes trying to be the best so that your parents will notice you simply doesn’t work out. No amount of Angel is going to make her mother care. The second story has Chitose telling a curious Mahiro how she and Itsuki started to date, and it’s much more serious than you’d expect given Chitose’s entire vibe. She was all about track, and did not really care about anything else – but rejecting Itsuki’s confession leads to unforeseen consequences. Then we hear about how Itsuki and Amane became friends, which is also more serious than expected and relies on Amane’s terrible memory for faces.

The whole point of this series is that its two leads are ridiculously pure. Nothing is going to happen, especially in this book, where they aren’t even a couple yet. But it’s still being sold to GA Bunko readers, so a certain amount of horniness is required by publisher statute. As a result, you get a lot of times, pardon me, where you just want to yell at the writer “It’s OK to say erection!”. Several scenes in the book are blatantly Amane getting aroused around Mahiru and feeling embarrassed and awkward about it – the worst of which comes when she sees him, supposedly asleep (he’s faking) and rubbing his exposed stomach… then drifting lower. It really creates this … not quite a “moe gap”, but in that neighborhood, and it makes the two even sweeter, somehow. Still, it’s actually a surprise later in the book when Chitose says “boobs” – and Mahiru’s reaction to this is exactly like Amane’s. As for the serious stories, well, all four leads have gone through major events that have caused them to change the way they behave around others. For Itsuki and Chitose’s that’s been a net positive. Mahiru and Amane are still working their way towards that.

So, short story volume. Fluffy, sweet, a few deep things. Horny, but in a Saturday Morning Cartoon sort of way. Back to being a couple next time.

Manga the Week of 10/11/23

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SEAN: It’s Indigenous Peoples Day next week! Any manga that might apply? Probably not, but we shall see.

We start with Yen Press, which has one title, and it’s a debut. The Red Thread is a BL manga adaptation of a Thai novel, and runs in Asuka Ciel. A boy at college who’s always felt that he’s destined to meet someone gets to college and… meets someone. Could it be destiny?

ASH: I’m interested in this if for no other reason than its transnational lineage.

SEAN: Viz Media has an anthology, Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology. This features both Japanese and Western creators, all of them trying to scare us to death.

ASH: Definitely interested in this one, too! Horror manga and comic for the win.

SEAN: Viz also has Akane-banashi 2, Case Closed 88, Dandadan 5, Jujutsu Kaisen: The Official Anime Guide: Season 1, Kaiju No. 8 8, Komi Can’t Communicate 27, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes 15 (the final volume), and Rosen Blood 5 (also the final volume).

From Tokyopop we see the debut of The Black Cat & the Vampire (Kishukusha no Kuroneko wa Yoru wo Shiranai), a BL title that ran in Chara. A young man tries to get through his days at boarding school and fend off the attentions of the head boy. Then vampires arrive.

We also get Acid Town 2, If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die 3, and Ossan Idol! 7.

SuBLime has two titles. We get Black or White 7 and Given 8.

MICHELLE: Haven’t had a new volume of Given in quite a while!

ANNA: Yet another thing I need to get caught up on!

ASH: I’m behind, but looking forward to it.

SEAN: Square Enix debuts The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl (Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryo Joshi), a Gangan Online series that also had an anime recently. A handsome office worker is a descendant of the legendary Snow Woman… but what really causes him to freeze up is talking to women!

ANNA: I’ve been looking forward to this!

ASH: This totally counts as being yokai-related, right?

SEAN: They also have The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses 6 and My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World! 9.

The debut from Seven Seas is The Villainess Who Has Been Killed 108 Times: She Remembers Everything! (108-kai Korosareta Akuyaku Reijou: Subete wo Omoidashita no de, Otome wa Ruby de Kiseki shimasu). This Dengeki Daioh title is exactly what you think it is.

They have a danmei title next week, Remnants of Filth: Yuwu 2.

Also from Seven Seas: Classroom of the Elite: Horikita 2 (the final volume), The Dungeon of Black Company 9, and My New Life as a Cat 3.

One Peace Books has Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer 4.

Kodansha Manga debuts Super Morning Star (Oko-sama Star). This BL title from Gateau is about a guy who discovers his scary yakuza classmates is actually… a sentai performer?

MICHELLE: I cannot resist this premise.

ANNA: Haha!

ASH: Right??

SEAN: Also in print: FAIRY TAIL: 100 Years Quest 14, Orient 17, and Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 14.

And digitally we see Cells at Work! Lady 2, DAYS 37, The Fable 19, Gang King 10, Giant Killing 39, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms 8, and WIND BREAKER 12.

We get print from J-Novel Club. Ascendance of a Bookworm: Fanbook 3, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Omnibus 10, the 5th Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles manga volume, the 2nd Tearmoon Empire manga volume, and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer 10.

ASH: Yay, print Bookworm!

SEAN: Digitally the debut is Knight’s & Magic. Apostrophe not mine. A mecha otaku is reborn into a fantasy world… which has magical giant robots. He’s fine.

They’ve also got The Apothecary Diaries 9, Ascendance of a Bookworm (manga version) Arc 3 Part 2, By the Grace of the Gods 13, Full Metal Panic! Short Stories 8, Infinite Dendrogram 20, Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World 7, The Mythical Hero’s Otherworld Chronicles 5, The Sorcerer’s Receptionist 4, Sweet Reincarnation 8, and Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster 3.

Ghost Ship features Please Go Home, Miss Akutsu! 3 and The Witches of Adamas 6.

Because Amazon has made it impossible to use Advanced Search any more, I keep missing the prestige publishers doing their semi-yearly manga releases. This is especially annoying as they’re inevitably Ash’s picks of the week – on the wrong week. In any case, Drawn & Quarterly put out Nejishiki, the third in its collection of Yoshiharu Tsuge works, last week. Sorry, D&Q. Blame Amazon.

ASH: Oh, yes, indeed! I’ll have a Bookshelf Brief for this one in the near future.

SEAN: Dark Horse Comics has Cat + Gamer 3.

There we go! Not as many as usual!

The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend, Vol. 4

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By Kennoji and Fly. Released in Japan as “Chikan Saresou ni Natteiru S-kyuu Bishoujo wo Tasuketara Tonari no Seki no Osananajimi datta” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sergio Avila.

This book tends to work against my fragmentary memory. It’s been almost a year since the last volume, which doesn’t help. Nor do Fly’s illustrations, which in this series tend to make everyone look very similar to each other. And, of course, everyone refers to each other by different names – be they polite “last name only” folks, childhood friend first names, cute nicknames, etc. What all this ends up meaning is that I find myself constantly trying to remember which girl is which and what their backstory is. But then that’s also what Ryou is doing here, of course. His entire childhood seems to be a blur, and even the promise with his childhood friend turns out to be something of a lie. He can remember things when literally confronted with them, as we see in a beach scene. But he’s too buried in his own self-loathing to really try experiencing anything else, such as, say, dating one of the girls in love with him.

The bulk of this volume is concerned with making the movie everyone has decided to do, with Ryou as the director, Shizuka as the writer, and Hina and Ai as the actresses, with the clever conceit that the guy they’re both in love with is never seen, but merely implied offscreen. Of course, there are a few hiccups to get through. Getting a camera requires getting a part-time job, but fortunately Ai’s agent can help Ryou out. A scene filmed on the beach turns into an entire vacation day at the beach, and Ryou and Hina almost, ALMOST moving forward in their relationship but still failing. The big subplot, though, is that Hina, the talented amateur, and Ai, the former-idol-turned-actress, are both up for the same role in a production. Only one can get the job, while the other is doomed to disappointment. What can Ryou’s role be in regards to both of them? And can he find a path of his own?

Probably the most gripping scene in the book is where Ryou, at the absolute limits of his utter loathing of himself, starts pouring words out into a notebook for the entire night, and they end up turning into another, different film that he wants to make – this one with Shizuka as the lead. We can probably guess why – given that it’s a product of his own frustration and despair, it makes sense that he’d turn to the girl in his life who’s also gloomy and self-hating to get the right vibe. But the frustration and despair stem from the two main girls in his love triangle (sorry, Shizuka), who are both gorgeous, talented, and know what they want to do with their life – or at least, that’s what he thinks. We know from the occasional non-POV narration we get from them that both are also feeling a bit lost and afraid, which is why Ai’s agent asks Ryou to step in and help in THAT way at the book’s conclusion.

There are better “summer of my youth” romances out there, but there’s nothing really wrong with this one.