The Beginning of Summer (4/10) -- 15 pages long
As the description says, two high-school aged friends go the beach. One has the hots for the other, and that's pretty much it. One of the volume's low points for a couple reasons. The entire story is based on one (unfunny, in my opinion) gag involving diving. Its also unnecessarily ecchi, The ending is ambiguous as well so there's also no real conclusion to the already meager plot.

Suika (7/10) -- 15 pages long
About two high-school aged friends during summer (you'll notice these are two of several very prominent recurring themes... ) When summer is over, one of them will have to transfer schools. Very funny and romantic, and the ending, while a bit abrupt, is genuinely sweet. Nothing else to say really.

Sketch (5/10) -- 15 pages long
Sketch is about a female cowboy and a professional skier. Just kidding! Its about two high-school aged friends in summer (getting deja vu yet?) Sketch is, however, thematically different from the other stories in the collection. One of the friends is a member of the art club, and is sketching her friend. The art club member thinks has a crush on her friend, but thinks her friend is in love with someone else, so the story aspires to be bittersweet. Again, though, it falls short. 15 pages is way too short to develop the story properly and the characters are bland compared to the other stories.

Natsu no Ari (3.5/10) -- 15 pages
Two high-school aged friends in summer. Right, you get the picture. In Natsu no Ari they're already a couple! They've been going out for a year. One is a science geek, though, and pays more attention to her freaking ant farm than to her girlfriend. They make up and make out a little... and that's it.

Again, unnecessarily ecchi and nothing happens. There's also some very strained metaphors involving ants, but never mind. In my opinion the worst in the collection.

Inner Revolution (8/10) -- 15 pages
The first of the three stories that really make this collection. Two high-school aged friends in summer (yeah, yeah) are at the pool and get trapped there when a heavy rain starts. Its revealed that at the beginning of summer one of the confessed to the other and got turned down. It tells a little from both perspectives and is both interesting and touching. This story, as in the next one (The Secret Stream) has a distinctly vivid setting. I don't know how to describe it, but if you read it you'll understand.

And, yes, don't worry. There's a happy ending.

The Secret Stream (10/10) -- 15 pages
This is a masterpiece in 15 pages. It has one of the most powerful and vivid settings of anything I have ever read. Every line of dialogue is flawless as well. In it, two high-school aged friend in summer (what did you expect? ) visit a secret stream in the woods (shocking turn of events, I know.)

Frankly, I don't know how to describe how simple, powerful, poignant, and true to life what happens is. Yes, the entire story is a bit of an idiot Plot (Idiot Plot = a plot where everything is caused by a single silly misunderstanding, and everything could be cleared up by a quick clarification.) That does not affect how powerful it is.



Summer Is All About (10/10) -- 15 pages
A sweet, romantic story about two high-school aged friends in summer. That's the theme of the volume and the mangaka sticks to it better than some David Cameron to his talking points. In this case its not just the broad outline that's familiar. At the end of summer one of them has to move away... yup, identical to Suika. The only difference is that everything is done better in this story. Its funny, romantic, and gets me every time.

Birthday (??/10 -- ?? pages
I can find no record of this story existing.

.

My rating of 7 is not an average of my reviews of each story, because in my opinion the good outweighs the bad. I have more than a few quibbles with some of the stories, but "The Secret Stream" and "Summer Is All About" are two of my all time favorite stories.. Overall the stories have recurring themes and are worth reading together. Recommended.

(A short addendum: this collection is like a miracle, because most of this other mangaka's work is amazingly awful. Their work ranges from meh {Blue Drop} to jaw-droppingly appaling and offensive garbage like Two and Two {don't even be tempted to look out of morbid curiousity} -- and there's more of the latter than the former. Some are even borderline homophobic {!} with their portrayal of homosexuality. The fact that this addendum even exist should say everything, but in case it doesn't I'll go on. I am absolutely serious in saying you will regret it if you ignore this comment. Curiousity killed the cat, as they say. You have been warned.)

... Last updated on May 17th, 2015, 10:51pm