It feels a bit unnecessary. I suppose the mangaka felt that Miyama had some personal demons to battle, but his carefree, relaxed attitude was one of the things I enjoyed most about Arashi no Ato. I don't entirely share the view that he needed fixing, necessarily. I figured that was just... how he was, and his attitude was refreshing in how different it was from most characters in BL stories, especially for how young he was. I appreciated his outlook, naive or odd as it may have seemed.

But if we get around that, it's the usual good writing here from Hidaka Shoko. It's realistic, nuanced, and each character feels unique, as they always do. Even a minor character ends up having a surprising amount of personality. I'm not a big fan of the main couple, but clearly I don't represent everyone. There's nothing really.. even wrong with the couple, I just feel like Miyama deserves a character that is more dynamic and interesting to balance him out.



For what it is, it's fine. It's a worthy sequel. I just hoped this character would've had a more dynamic ending that was worthy of him. He was surprisingly one of my favorites from Arashi no Ato, but this story feels very... ordinary. A little dull, but well-written and worth checking out.

So many feels in this story!! I wish there was more haha, hopefully she has another continuation/spin-off someday like she's been doing for the characters in this universe!! I'd love to see this author do a school-life story someday... It would be so interesting!!

I took a look at some raws for the tankoubon version and there's a couple - scratch that - there's a lot of fill-ins that make the story much clearer and run smoother. I hope it can be scanslated someday!

... Last updated on December 24th, 2014, 12:41am

I liked the story's simplicity. It wasn't nerve wracking but it's one of those stories where you feel good after reading. It made me go back to the time when I too first met and parted ways with my hatsukoi...

For me, stories that I could relate to are really good ones. It's real and honest and it's likable just by being that.

I liked it, just like the other works of HIDAKA Shoko.

The drawing style is kept simple, yet it is matching the atmosphere and attractive in it's own way. For me, especially the eyes are drawn in a likeable and sharp way, so that you can easily get a glimpse of the characters feelings through them.

The storyline is a strong point of this piece of work, if you ask me. It is interesting and mature, because it deals with a topic, that people easily try to forget or ignore after entering the adult life. It shows another side of the first love scenario, aside from the prettied and getting closer to the realistic side. The fact, that the characters face their feelings during high school and in front of many others, that are also at an age, where they become aware of such things, is definitely a difficult thing to point out. Still - The author pulled it up well. I could clearly see the drama coming and how things have changed, after the characters matured. Actually I loved it, how the ending kept the characters wondering and hesitating, because this let them seem more realistic.

As for the characters theirselves, they are distinctive and you can understand their behaviour quite well, after getting the first introductions and details.

That's why, if you got some time and if you like mature viewpoints, then you shouldn't miss this one. Give it a try and maybe you get to like it, just like it was for me the case.

... Last updated on October 16th, 2013, 1:10pm

I loved this because a) you can tell people apart, b) there was no "top" or "bottom" and you couldn't tell who was supposed to be the "boy" or "girl" - they were two guys who liked each other, c) it didn't wrap up into a pretty bow with everything magically solved.

I do wish there was more - I'd like to see if they make it.

I wish we'd gotten a view of when/if Nishina was comfortable enough to say that he was dating Miyama.

But overall it was a calmer manga, which I like (no weird tiny people waving their arms around crazily in an effort to convey emotion - this conveyed emotion in better ways, like with facial expressions and words and body language).

Lovely, overall.

I real enjoy Hidaka Shoko's works, and this one doesn't disappoint.

There's really not much else to say, because well if you've read some of her other works you'll understand that her vibrant style fills the pages of this one, but it was just not long enough; I feel like I didn't get to know the characters thoroughly.

... Last updated on February 19th, 2017, 11:37pm

Despite the happy ending and the fact it was, for the most part, a true slice of life, I found this story far more heartbreaking than I was expecting. Like mtmt1311 pointed out, it's hard to just overlook what Nishina did in the past, not only because one should always take resposability for their actions, that's a no brainer (plus, what he did to Miyama was seriously damaging, as we saw), but also due to the way he acts as his current self. He didn't care enough to look for Miyama after their graduation, he didn't care enough to leave the wife he didn't love, he might have been scared of loniless (most of us are) but he could also be a tremendous jerk. And then he may just be frightened of not being normal. To the very end, this ambiguity of intentions lingers, but that's hardly a flaw.

As far as we're talking fiction, I think it's fair to say Nishina behaved like a darn real highschooler. He loves the attention Miyama gives him - it empowers him, and he grows conceited enough to trick the poor boy into confessing his real feelings for him. Then things start to develop a lot faster, and because he's far weaker than Miyama, the one who never cared and never will, he can't refuse him. It scares him so much he leaves. Weak, weak, weak. The fact that his feelings for Miyama rekindled would have been more convincing if he didn't say, so bluntly, he totally forgot all about him. I feel sorry for Miyama, and on that alone I don't think Nishina should have gone to his cafe after he learned the truth.

I'm glad he did though. I liked this very much. I don't usually like it when the characters can't come clean with their feelings for each other (and no matter what Nishina said, his actions tend to go against his words), but I did like Nishina. He is a nihilist who totally lacks passion in his life, but when it came to Miyama he sure was lustful. I think it makes for an interesting case, even though they are probably far from being the perfect healthy couple. Miyama's obsession for Nishina is also very intriguing. Perhaps he felt attracted to that nonchalant-lustful side of him too, or maybe it was something else that I completely missed, fufufu. I did feel for him though, especially when--



Visually speaking he reminded me of Neil from Shingakkou - Noli Me Tangere, who I love, so every time a close-up came up I would squeal like a fangirl. It was nice, ahah.

I wish there was more to this couple. And I loved, loved, loved the art and the fact that they were a reversal couple. I'm totally addicted, ahah. Can't wait to read more from this author!

... Last updated on October 2nd, 2013, 5:26am

Finally I can see some real life feelings. The main character has totally normal reactions - people just react this way and there's nothing beautiful in such a behaviour but it just feels out-of-real-life. I just loved this aspect of the story.Even while reading I just wanted to say "Come on we are just human , people learn from their mistakes". As for me absolutely great you can rarely find something so "truthful".

Who am i kidding? I liked it a lot to be honest. I liked how the characters were. Out of the related stories this one is my favorite. Maybe one of the main reasons is because it didn't drag too long for them to convey their feelings. Some people might complain about Nishina and the decisions he made in the past, but i get why he did it, it is shown after all. But i loved it, and both characters are totally of my liking! The only thing missing is more chapters of them AFTER the whole thing happened, like the extras but longer XD

... Last updated on April 15th, 2013, 7:36pm

this series reminds me a bit of the cornered mouse dreams of cheese in that the relationship dynamic is somewhat similar (also the reversible part XD). one of them is desperately in love with the other and insecure about the other's feelings while the other person is, after being away and experiencing life in general, clinging to this one experience that made him feel more than he had ever felt, ever. i dont think that nishina is quite in love with miyama yet by the end, however he does truthfully acknowledge that miyama had made him feel happiest in his life, even if in the end those feelings troubled him greatly. his life after leaving miyama had been dull and lifeless, the life he had supposedly wanted for himself and also miyama. "normality". turns out normality is not it's all cracked up to be and nishina ends up regretting giving up miyama, who continued being himself and ended up living out his dream.

i think the lack of certainty about the relationship gives a nice edge of reality to the story and gives a great commentary that not all relationships are fluff and romance like we read in other bl stories and that some live on shaky territory like this one. i thought it was really nicely done.