Number Call is about two boys that share a similarity with the number eight in their names. I've never read Heartstopper but have read that Number Call is similar, just as a manga. The artwork is simple, clean and subtle but it works for the story as it allows the reader to pick up small quirks the characters do as they learn their feelings for each other.

The story itself is short and sweet, a very light read if you want to see beautiful artwork and finish something within an hour. Personally I wish it was longer to see that relationship develop as they go through college but as is I still thought it was so charming.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics!

Number call is a nice and cute read that can be finished within an hour. If you are looking for fluff this is where to go, theres not a super strong plot and its too short to get super attached to the characters but it is still fun to follow along a romance story none the less.
Sadly I think its length being so short is making it be rated lower, if it was 2-3 volumes I definitely think I could have connected better. I also think the artist has a little bit of an issue with same face syndrome, sometimes the characters looked very similar. Other than those critics I really enjoyed reading it!

In this story, we follow two high schoolers, Eito and Hatta, who happen to meet because of their peculiar names, which leads them to become friends and maybe something more.

This manga went by very quickly and I truly enjoyed it! It was a cute friends-to-lovers and the number 8 being the link between their names was very interesting. I also appreciated the change of POV after the first conflict, which gave us an insight into what Hatta was feeling and thinking. Though I have to admit, sometimes I had a bit of trouble identifying the characters, especially the friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC.

❥ 2 stars ☆

❝One simple word... One little smile... makes such a difference.❞


This is Nagisa Furuya’s first manga book, and I wanted to read it since I’ve read and really liked all her other mangas that she has written after this one, but this manga was unfortunately underwhelming for me.

Maybe I had a bit too high expectations for this manga, or it may be because this was the first one that she wrote, so she has gotten a lot better since then, or the story just wasn’t for me.

I felt like the story was a bit more slow paced. While reading her other stories, the stories has drawn me in right away and I’ve loved the stories as soon as I started reading them, but it just didn’t happen with this one.

I liked the associations and references with the number 8 in the story; both the main characters having names, nicknames and birth dates associated with the number 8. The number 8 can understandably be meaningful to many people, and the most common association is probably that it looks like the infinity sign, 8 meaning fate etc.

I also didn’t really like the art in this manga, while I’ve liked the art in the author’s mangas after this one.

💌 Thank you to NetGalley + Kodansha Comics for a digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a good time with this manga! The story flowed nicely and the number 8 being a connection between the two main characters was unique. The development of their relationship was sweet, and the occasional chnage of POV from Eito to Hatta was a nice bit of insight into the other's mindset.

As usual, it has the usual small conflict of most BL protagonists, where they think 'I'm not gay, but I like you', but it's actually not too prominent in this, and the two of them seem to overcome this quickly, which was super refreshing!

I think the weakness was in the side characters; I felt like the friends were barely there, only occasionally popping in for funny dialogue or contextualising some small things. Though with only 196 pages, I understand the author would want to focus on the relationship between their two main characters instead.

Overall, this was short and sweet, and I enjoyed my time with this manga!

2.5 stars

this was a really cute comic for what it was! the plot wasn't very interesting and i thought that the whole thing with their names was pretty low stakes but it was still a really sweet and short story.

i would have liked to see the world better developed and learn more about both of the characters' lives outside of their interactions with each other. i think basing the whole thing off of their names wasn't the best choice because it wasn't very interesting. but the drawings were so lovely and i had a fun time!

thank you to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Soft dnfed this, it was just too much for me the angst in this story.
Also if I can't get into a story I'm trying to do more soft dnfs these
days :)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6297674370

This was a cute, quick manga for any age group. It was very slice of life, easy reading with no stakes or drama; just two high school boys with similar names who happen to find out they have more in common than their nicknames.

3.5 Stars

What I enjoyed about Number Call is the pacing, the story is slow and gentle and truthfully not much happens. However, this makes the emotional connection of the two main characters much more convincing. I think this makes the reader more invested in the romance.

As an aside, the watermark colour lines on the review copy were really distracting at times. I appreciate this might be needed in review copies due to copyright but maybe there is another way of doing it?

Number Call is a romance between two boys who bond over the same nickname: Eight, both caused by different ways to read their names. By this chance meeting, they grow closer and then apart as they wrestle with their growing feelings for each other and what their future might hold.

This is a pretty easy read with a sweet storyline and simple art. The translator did a good job with the really specific culture surrounding the names & etymology at work here, which couldn't have been an easy feat. The lack of backgrounds also helps pick up the pace since your eye doesn't have as much to follow. I would recommend if you like more innocent style high school romances.

This was such a cute read. I really liked those two characters and the pun with the number. The fact that they're both connected with the number 8 because of their names and how it annoys one but still gets him connected with the other guy is just too cute. I know how it is to be called a name you don't necessarily like but get to like after a while. Now I seriously don't know why I hated it so much at first haha. Anyway, this was such a cute story and I loved it so much.

Eito and Hachi are so adorable! I love the sweet innocence of this story. I especially like getting inside Eito's head as he processes everything that's happening.

CUUUUUTE!!!! I love a good pun, and if that pun just happens to inspire some cosmic love connections between two boys, nice to see it. The line work is crisp, the story always tight, and I loved the sentiment of wishing you met someone earlier in life. Okay I will go cry now.

This was a really cute story about two boys who came together because both their names make people think of the number eight. They become friends and get closer, and one of them catches feelings. They spend some time apart, but eventually come back together. Super cute <3

This was so cute!! I'm honestly giggling like an idiot right now because of how much i liked it. In all honestly this just like any other boys' love manga but that's what made me really like it. That's exactly what I wanted right now. I really liked the two main characters, but they were so OBLIVIOUS. How can someone be so oblivious?

One thing I would like to point out that I didn't really like was how the characters looked a bit to similar to eachother. Sometimes I genuinly couldn't distinguish the main characters from the side characters. They all looked too alike!

"Number Call" is so sweet and what I would expect from a cute boys love story. Two schoolmates become friends after learning that they both share a name that sounds like the number "8". The progression from strangers to friends to something more felt very natural and not forced like some other stories in the genre. This was a very wholesome story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted romance or anyone looking to learn more about BL.

A must-read for fans of Nagisa Furuya!
I couldn't believe this was her first published original manga, the quality is amazing. The art, the characters and their interactions, everything feels natural and unique at the same time.
And the premise, albeit surprising, it's handled in a realistic way that gives meaning to the story.

one of my favorite genres seems to be "brought together by coincidence". this one is no different.
the story is very enticing and a page-turner. you get to know them more in-depth and connect to both. they develop such a cute relationship and I'd love to read more volumes of their story.

This was Heartstopper in manga. A contemporary romance set in high school, about two boys that connect through their names been confused with the number eight. This was such a fell good read! It felt very realistic high school, with both guys having great friends, it was funny and just a good read. If you’re looking to just relax with a book and have a tea, it’s a great option.

Two boys in different classes bond over their name. One coincidence leads to another and soon their paths start crossing. This is a sweet and mundane story that reminds me of my own high school experience. The one downside that I didn't enjoy was that it felt as if the story went by so fast. Would love to see a following volume with them much older, The two are kindred spirits, who, I believe would spend the rest of their lives together. We often get stories with so many different problems so this was a mouth of fresh air. Would love to see more like this.