Natsu no Zenjitsu

There's a lot to like about this manga, but there's also something that I really hate. What I liked was the relationship between Tetsuo and Akira. It had a very strange chemistry that worked really well, with Tetsuo being incredibly awkward and often selfish, but Akira making up for that with kindness and understanding essentially. It was incredibly nice, so even though after it developed it was just them living their lives while being together without much development, it was enjoyable to read through. However, in the end it decides that it wants to take things in another direction, and throws in Hanami, who throws their relationshipinto chaos. I felt that such an arc that tests their relationship wasn't really necessary at all, and while it was written pretty well, I think that the way it was ultimately handled was downright awful. The story never felt like it was really about character development, as Tetsuo and Akira never really grew over the course of the manga. There were some subtle things that I thing were attempted to be emphasized upon towards the end, but overall it really felt like it wasn't the focus. Rather, the relationship between the two is what really matters. Hence, the way that it ultimately ended, with their relationship abruptly changing and not really any explanation of the aftermath, made the ending feel completely hollow. It definitely does hit a very strong sad emotional note and is consistent with the overall plot, but just being able to do that doesn't make it a good ending. Rather, having such an ending begs the question, what was the point of the plot, what was it trying to show? A relationship that was interesting, but in the end left the main character exactly the same as they were before, gaining nothing? That, while perfectly realistic, just doesn't make for a very good story in my opinion. The art had some really good shots of characters, especially Akira, but in general I don't like the criss cross style of shading that it was using, especially for the backgrounds. tl;dr: An interesting story focusing on the relationship between two flawed characters that has a very unsatisfying ending.

Life isn’t easy, there are many things that get thrown at you whether you’re prepared or not. But you learn to move one and grow from each experience. Sometimes you find love in these moments life will either give you the worst, or if it works will you give you something that you should cherish forever. But life will keep throwing, and you have to keep catching or the love you have will be lost or even worse. This is what Natsu no Zenjitsu, or in english The Day Before Summer, tries to get across to its readers. It tells a story where a strugglingartist trying to make ends meet and prove to the world he can make it, and a woman who loves selfish men. Background Natsu no Zenjitsu is written and drawn by Motoi Yoshida, she is known for her unique storytelling and art directions. As for other published works, she is known for Koi Kaze, Mizu to Gin (the sequel to this manga) and Kannou Sensei. This series was published in 2008 in Good Afternoon and spans 5 volumes over 6 years totaling 38 chapters. This is also the highest rated manga by far for her, as most other manga released are rated 6 or under on My Anime List, the only thing coming close is Koi Kaze which is around the same rating but lower and was also adapted into an anime of the same name. Story Natsu no Zenjitsu is a story that has many faults, but when it’s good, it’s extremely good. And to start off and get the bad out of the way first, let’s talk about it’s pacing. Sometime I feel like this manga bores me to the point of where I want to put it down. There are a couple moments like this, and thankfully they are around 2 chapters here and there. These are usually paced really slow, or just take you out of the story all together. They also tend to focus on singular characters rather than the main characters together like how the story is usually told. It’s not that it’s a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but they do damper the experience quite a bit as these chapters are really long usually. Which, now is the perfect time to talk about another fault with the series. I think that we should have gotten a little more development for Akira. To me if we knew a little bit more about Akira’s backstory like who she was before all of this, and how she got into art, well then I think everything that comes in the second half would have been so much more emotionally powerful. As it stands, she is a strong female character so that’s not exactly a problem, but I found her interesting and what’s even more odd is she probably has the most dialogue in the series. But moving onto what’s so great about this is just simply how emotional and in depth it is on a lot of topic and ideas. They don’t exactly get developed at a breakneck speed, even for 38 chapters, but once these elements are developed these parts of the series are the absolute best parts and are so satisfying to see. Let’s take for example, and being spoiler free, Tetsuo’s weird code of honor where he doesn’t want women in his life because he feels like it lessens his art. By the end of the series we this character with this idea he has get completely flipped on its and not exactly proven untrue, but develops with it as he becomes more of a man. It’s quite an interesting development that is integral to not only this character, but the whole series. It has extreme ramifications with what’s to come later. And not only this, but for the most part, this series has very good pacing. Most everything flows very well and before you know it you’re 10 chapters in. Not only that, but the series loves to leave you with a hook, so if you’re reading this late… well you may end up staying awake a little bit longer than intended. At least that’s what happened to me. Characterizations For the Characterizations, I feel this series knocks this out of the park and back. Every character down to secondary characters are developed and have meaning in the story. First off we have, Tetsuo. He’s the definition of a poor college student, and a man that has his beliefs. To put it simply the show portrays him as a young man making mistakes and being stupid as he tries to figure out what exactly he means to Akira and she means to him. Speaking of Akira, she’s a woman older than Tetsuo, but feels a deep love for him. She’s always there for him like a mother, but also wants to be more than just another woman to Tetsuo. She yearns to be loved by someone, and she fears that she’ll be alone forever even though she is made out to be this kind and caring beautiful woman who has it all. As for the secondary characters, they are of the utmost importance to this story. Some would say integral as without them, there wouldn’t be a story to tell. They are also developed quite well, even though they don’t share much panel time like Akira and Tetsuo does. This is because of course the story is still about Akira and Tetsuo’s love for each other, but these characters are here for a reason, and it can’t be understated not only their importance, but also how well they are written. Art I’m going to level with you guys right now, this isn’t an erotic manga, but it might as well be in the erotic manga section. This manga has so many sex scenes with graphic detail, including splooge that you will be wondering if you accidentally started reading something different by accident. So yeah, there is boobs, yeah there is butts, and yeah there is splooge, but don’t be fooled. These panels are incredibly drawn as well with it’s normal, not sexy time panels. It’s such an unique style that I would compare to some kind of scratch style blended with detailed drawing. It’s much like another manga I reviewed by the name of Molester Man, but I think much more detailed even though there is that scratch style. I think the character designs are amazing too, I think Akira’s by far will be the one that stands out the most to everyone. And this is because she’s the character who shows the most emotion out of everyone. From a crying face you can’t tell is cute or sad, to an angry emotional face or even just a very emoji style adorable face anime is known for. Final Rating Natsu no Zenjitsu is a very heavy and real romance manga. If you don’t like realism in your romance, then steer clear and never look back. This series will have your heart hurting, and your head spinning by the end of it. It’s a manga that isn’t afraid to do something different, which is important here. I can forgive its faults to a certain degree because it’s so different and refreshing. While it isn’t supposed to be bubbly or even fun to read at times, it still tells a story that should be told more than it really is. Love is really hard, and if there is one thing this manga gets across, it's that love is one of the hardest things to maintain. Natsu no Zenjitsu gets a 7/10!

(Spoiler Free) This is a very interesting one. Unlike a lot of current romance manga, it is unapologetic, bold, painfully realistic and most of all very objective and sharp in its writing. The story is most the time almost uncomfortable for how real the emotions feel. The paralels and metaphors with art inside the story are on point and work through a surprisingly large range of human emotion. The characters feel incredibly layered and alive, being at the same time, incredibly consistent from a writing stand point, while feeling as unpredictable as any alive person, and without ever giving the sensation it was a writing choice, but rather,a real decision made by the characters. It is very uniquely and incredibly well written and drawn, without any panels or chapters feeling pointless or unecessary, and at the same time presenting gorgeous art and text. Re-reading was also as interesting and engaging as the first read, with details sprinkled through every single line or word. I would recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys engaging stories that treat the reader with enough respect to make them uncomfortable in order to present something beautiful.

Natsu no Zenjitsu is quite the realistic romantic drama, definitely not for the faint hearted or one who can't deal with realism. This manga starts of a bit slow with the first chapter, but once you get through it you want to find out more and more how their relationship unfolds and what tragedy foreshadows these two. I really love how realistic the relationship is in this manga and how the author sets up the two characters so smoothly. This manga contains a lot of sex scenes, but I'd imagine the reader picking this up is mature enough to appreciate the scenes without judgment. The charactersare very realistic, which may make them not very interesting. For me, this was what I liked. This is a very serious manga and in real life, people aren't that interesting. This manga is about career, romance (mainly the female lead - Akira's occasional concern about her being the older of the couple), and personal conflict. The art was fantastic, it has a very unique style. Motions and expressions were drawn well enough that you could feel the tension and emotion. Akira was drawn very well that dignify her as the mature (traditional) woman. I'd imagine the author created her character with the image that is what most men late in the 20s or mid 30s would seek for in a partner. Tetsuo the main character represents a lot of men in their early 20s, confused, frustrated, lost, and often selfish. Finally, I know some people weren't happy with the ending. I personally found it very satisfying and like I said before the main selling point of this manga was the realism and it did just that. This is a very bittersweet manga and it is definitely written towards a much older audience. In some way, it reminded me of how Paradise Kiss ended, very bittersweet and real.