“The White and Blue Between Us,” by Kiyuhiko

Hozumi left his hometown and boyfriend Mishima after graduating high school. After seven years Hozumi returned and realized his feelings for Mishima wont end. Mishima however won’t interact with anyone, especially Hozumi.

I really liked this manga. It was sweet and sad but hopeful. The art is so good. There are some bedroom scenes in the book but not overly graphic. When I was reading the book, I was invested and sucked in immediately. I will be reading more manga by this author. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC.

The cover and the art are absolutely gorgeous. The story was short, a bit rushed, but sweet and enjoyable.

This story was a little fast for me. I wish it could've been stretched out and filled in a little more, but I didn't hate the story.

However, my biggest problem is the throwaway assault scene, which is very common in bl but I still think very worth calling out. The story would've been more believable without it. Why would anyone continue to be in a situation developed from that? Especially when it's never a point of contention and there isn't any resolution from it. The writing literally waves it off.

Because of those reasons, I can't give this more than 2.5 stars.

Even though I did not like this story, I would like to thank NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read this story.

Can you forgive someone who has broken your heart, when you were both young? It's a hard question. I have a lot of trust issues as it is, and it would be hard for me to forgive something like that.

Hozumi cruelly broke up with his high school boyfriend because he didn't see a future with either of them. He was worried he'd be holding Mishima back with his plans to move to the city, and Mishima helping with the family business.

Years later, Hozumi realizes how stupid he's being when he has to return home after his father gets injured at his job. Mishima is still on the island but has become a recluse with trust issues, working in his grandfather's lighthouse. Realizing it's his fault, Hozumi makes an excuse to go see Mishima. Maybe, just maybe with persistence and the right effort, he can make up for his worst mistake.

This manga is sweet and hopeful about what we can do when we communicate. Yes, Hozumi was an idiot, and he fully admits that. But he has grown, and is making an effort to improve. His brother Sosuke is also the clear MVP of the book. He knows exactly what to say to give Hozumi courage at a crucial time.

What an amazing manga. I'd love to read more from the creator!

I absolutely loved the cover and artwork and, given that this book is a one-shot volume, I was looking forward to a self-contained story. Unfortunately, while the bonus story helps a slight bit in understanding how the main characters come together (before the breakup with which the main story starts), I feel the plot was lacking and could have benefitted from showing instead of telling how their love was so that they couldn't stop thinking about each other seven years later.

I enjoyed this book ithought the plot was inviting you know long lost friends/lovers comeback to eachother to try and reconnect after a few years apart. I thought the writing was good and the art and cover were very pretty and I really liked the main characters. But what I didn't like is the sex scenes it's just not something I like in a manga and that's just personal preference I found it kinda weird to see illustrations doing the nasty. All in all I would recommend this to a friend though.

appena ho visto la copertina è stato amore a prima vista veramente dovevo leggerlo ...e che dire?appena l ho iniziato a leggere me ne sono innamorata dei protagonisti ma anche come si svolge tutta la loro storia ...ho adorato anche i flashback che ci fanno ancora di più capire il presente dei due protagonisti e capire perchè succedono certe cose ....quando l ho finito ero un misto di emozioni ,da una parte ero felice dall altra ero triste perchè ne volevo ancora e ancora ....i disegni sono assolutamente stupendi per non parlare del faro ...Leggetelo tutto .....merita davvero

The White and Blue Between Us had a quality that I am just learning about. The coziness of BL Manga. This being the third one I've read I'm quickly wanting to read more. In some ways this felt as an extension of a prior one, to the determent I had make sure it wasn't.

This was also adult magna which means I was shocked to see sex. Not mad but shocked.

The overall story worked for me on a lot of levels, and I felt like we got the perfect amount of story. I love the low angst, and low action. I love how in love the protagonists are. Just had a good time overall and will defiantly be recommending.

The cover was what first drew me in, the colors and the art appealed to me. And I feel like it really matches the story. It evokes this feeling of summer and being the only two people in the world when you're together.
The inconsistency of the story threw me a little off. In the beginning you get a version of how they got together and then in the bonus content at the end, there's another version. I kind of hated the plot. I like the estranged friends reconnect after several years trope, but there was nothing that made me feel like they actually cared about each other? It all felt selfish to me. Especially the main character. He just thinks about what he wants and doesn't care about Mishima's feelings and then Mishima's inner monologue it's just "He's annoying". I was disappointed with the story but I believe the translation job was well done. It didn't feel awkward like it does sometimes. And the art is good, very traditional manga style.

A beautiful tale of two broken boys that will keep you flipping till the very end. A story that will leave you not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

I love a second chance romance and this was pretty much perfect in that aspect. The development of the characters and their relationship, meeting again and coming back together-all excellent. The only real downsides were how incredibly fast everything moved. While that's not always a bad thing, it seemed not quite right for this story and it ended a little clunky. But overall it was very cute and an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The White and Blue Between Us is another solid addition to the shounen-ai/BL genre. I would describe this as a second chance love story, when Hozumi returns to his hometown island and runs into Mishima. They have history together and we slowly learn about their relationship and their regrets. The lighthouse island setting is unique, however the overall story is quite standard compared to other stories in the genre.

It's unfortunate because I think given the basic structure of the story, I think that this could have been a really impactful, meaningful and beautiful one-shot story.

One might think it could be challenging to fit so much character into a one-shot, but to name a few top tier ones: <i>This Wonderful Season With You</i> and <i>Our Dining Table</i> are both one-shots filled with tender moments and ones that would touch your heart. Their characters were lovable, had depth, and personality.

And I can see that this book was trying to get there, but it doesn't help that the characters were completely flat and one dimensional. I didn't have a proper reason to really care, which was a shame. This facet, paired with their actions and thoughts were just... I can't even find the words, but were just uneventful. I'm sorry, I just felt bored.

This story had its moments. The art is super pretty and there were times I thought that the relationship between the main characters was sweet but ultimately it did not leave a lasting impression on me. I really disliked the nonconsensual part of this story, it caught me by complete surprise and it’s something I steer clear from and it kinda ruined my experience a bit.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC :)

Thank you so much for letting me read this manga. this was such a cute little story about a second chanse at love for both the characters. And such a nice slice of life story along it.

~ thank you, kodansha comics and netgalley, for the copy ~


•

It's been a while since I've read a queer manga, and I'm so happy to be able to get my hands on this book. While being grateful for the opportunity, I have to be honest and provide my thoughts on what I really felt upon finishing this.

Communication is probably the most important thing here in this relationship, probably irl relationship. I'm glad that the problem has been resolved. I think the only thing I didn't like is that the storytelling is confusing and messy? I was quote confused on some panels, to be honest. I think that's the only thing I had a problem with.

Overall, I did enjoy this despite the issue I presented.

This was such a nice standalone manga about love, family, reconnection, and trust. I really enjoyed this and the beautiful artwork. A lot of BL manga can sexualize the characters in uncomfortable ways or be so overly pure that you're questioning if it got marketed correctly. This struck that perfect balance and delivered a really nice and simple story of two boys learning to love after time apart.

I gave it a 2.5 stars! The art was very beautiful, but I couldn't connect with the characters and felt like I needed a bit more backstory to understand their relationship. I felt like there were a lot of plotholes, which made me quite confused.

The White and Blue Between Us shines with its brevity. Honestly if they tried to stretch out this story for more than one volume I would have demanded so much more, but the economy of storytelling executed in this one volume made it a quick, pleasant read.

Summary:

White lies are commonly told to preserve relationships – but can they also tear them apart? Seven years ago, Hozumi left the island he called home. That wasn't all he left behind, as he left his best friend and probably the love of his life.

He thought a lie would help make it easier. He was wrong. That lie tore everything apart, himself included. Now he's home, and he has to see if their love can be mended.

Review:

First, I just want to say that I really loved the cover of The White and Blue Between Us. It's what drew me to it. That said, I'll confess that I was mostly disappointed with this read – it had so much potential!

My biggest problem with The White and Blue Between Us is that I just didn't care. I didn't care about the characters, the plot, any of it. So, it was hard to feel invested in rebuilding their bonds. My other problem with it is the pacing. We go from broken hearts to back together (sort of) in just a few pages.

I feel like more build-up would have made the plot feel more honest and sincere. Oh well. I also really wish we were given a better explanation for Hozumi's thoughts/actions. Overall, I'd say that this isn't bad, but it could have been so much better.

Highlights:
Manga
Yaoi
LGBT Romance

Will I continue the series? Nope

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.