(Not) Same Blue Youth.

Synopsis

Teru is a boy who, haunted by a childhood trauma, sees himself as a loner and avoids human connection. His only joy comes from video games... until a fateful encounter at his usual arcade starts to shake up his quiet world. A heartfelt, 88-page, full-length boy-meets-girl story of two awkward souls drawn to each other night after night. (Source: MangaDex)

a heartwarming story of striving past societal pressures and embracing your true self, whilst exploring the construction of a friendship between two people who appear to be opposites but are united by the struggle of being alone. nitamono doushi received a seven from me. it is nothing unique, and it doesn't exactly contain anything mind-blowing but, in my opinion, it does serve as something that served as a nice read. some flaws are apparent, primarily in the clichés that made my eyes roll -- the unrealistic interaction between saioniji's two "friends" and the protagonist was the main particular one that felt, as i said before, cliché.and cringe. narrative-wise, it does serve a purpose by showcasing the juxtaposition between mikage's genuine friendship (with saionji) and the two girls' superficial friendship (with saionji.) the initial dynamic between mikage and saionji also struck me as cringe, but that might be more of a personal dislike to the trope rather than a shortcoming on the manga's part. when it comes to the characters themselves, they all felt flat, unrealistic, and cliché barring mikage and saionji -- to which seems to be the norm in most romance mangas. so, take that as you will. if you wish to read a manga that explores more than what it promotes, then you won't be satisfied; if you seek to read a manga that has a pretty romance with a bow on it, then this might be your cup of tea. nonetheless, it fits my point that this manga isn't anything special. it is what it wrote itself to be: short and sweet with little beyond that.