Number Call follows the story of high schooler Eito Tachibana, who has always despised his name due to the jokes and puns associated with the number 8. However, his perspective changes when he meets a classmate named Tomoya Hatta, also known as Hachi, which means "8" in Japanese. What starts as casual interactions soon develops into a deeper connection, leading Eito to realize that there might be more to his affinity for the number 8 than he initially thought. Could this shared nickname lead to something meaningful between them?

Number Call is a heartwarming high school romance that explores the power of connection and the unexpected ways in which people can find love. Nagisa Furuya's storytelling is both charming and poignant, drawing readers into the lives of Eito and Tomoya as they navigate the complexities of adolescence and relationships.

One of the strengths of the manga is its relatable characters, particularly Eito and Tomoya. Both protagonists are well-developed and endearing, each grappling with their own insecurities and desires. Furuya captures the nuances of teenage emotions with sensitivity and authenticity, creating characters that feel genuine and relatable to readers of all ages.

The artwork in "Number Call" is beautifully rendered, with expressive character designs and dynamic panel layouts that enhance the storytelling. Furuya's use of visual cues and body

Number Call was a really cute story and I found it quite enjoyable, but I didn’t connect with it the way I wanted to. Perhaps it was my lack of knowledge with mangas in general or just my slight confusion with the storyline itself, but I found myself wanting a bit more overall.

I enjoyed Eito and Hachi and their connection over both of their names meaning 8, but I didn’t fully understand the connection. In the native Japanese, I feel like this would have been much more clear than in the translation. I liked both of them though and found their friendship, and eventual relationship, very sweet.

I liked the art style, but often found myself mixing up characters as many of them looked the same to the main characters. Especially Eito’s friend and Hachi. I also found myself wanting a bit more depth. There are few actual interactions between the characters and I would have enjoyed seeing more from them to fully understand their deep connection.

Overall, very cute. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Not enough story for me. I think the blurb was more captivating and gave away the entire plot. I feel like it repeated the same idea 100 times without anything actually happening.

a cute manga, a friends to lovers, it reads very quickly, the manga art is good, but i get confused about the characters because they look like the same, this is the first work that I have read by the author and although it is not bad it is not very good either, i was expecting something diferent and better.
Thanks to netgally and the publisher for this advance copy.

Rating: 4.67 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Cover (+art): 4/5
-Story: 4/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: BL, Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, YA
-BL: 5/5
-Contemporary: 5/5
-LGBT: 5/5
-Romance: 5/5
-YA: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: YES

Hated|Disliked|Meh|It Was Okay|Liked|Really Liked|Loved

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

A cute manga that brings two boys together because of their names and the number 8. It is your typical BL but it is cute and quick. I feel like this would be a good palate cleanser.

This was cute and I wish it was longer.

I honestly really related to both the boys as they were developing feelings for the other. As someone who’s had to navigate liking someone of the same gender and trying to figure out what I was feeling, I really liked it. Both of them have the feelings of “what the heck is this and why do I feel like this” which feels incredibly relatable for teenagers figuring themselves out.

The first 3 sections are all following Akito then in the 4th section we switch to following Hachi as he’s figuring out his feelings but then it switches back to Akito to end the story.

At the end of the book we got a couple little shorts of them plus side characters that were cute.

I liked the side characters as well and wish we would’ve gotten more from it. While they were not a focus of this story I’ve seen other manga still have well developed storylines for side characters while still following the main plot and wish the side characters would’ve gotten more love.

I think my biggest annoyance if this was We were FINALLY getting to a relationship between the two boys and it ended?! I wanted it to keep going so I was kind of disappointed that the story was done when they just get together.

Overall though it was cute and I’m not mad I read it.

This is a cute story about falling in love in high school, while it was very enjoyable I feel like there wasn’t enough to it.

The storyline of this story is quite interesting with the names Eito and Hachi having similarity to the number 8 and their names. It’s a very interesting concept but it feels like something was missing. The character gives off black cat vs golden retriever vibes.

The only time we got to see the character interacting was when they were either walking home from school or in school there wasn’t any interactions beyond that which I feel like could’ve added more to the story.

I did get confused with who is who since some of the side characters look so similar to the main characters that it got confusing at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, all be it brief, yaoi/slice of life manga. I would have liked a little extra from this story, but that being said the characters are charming and there is a sweetness to their interactions, if you are looking for a quick one shot high school romance then look no further!

2.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an ARC of "Number Call" by Furuya Nagisa in exchange for an honest review.

Originally serialized between November 20, 2013 and June 30, 2014, in the bl manga magazine gateau, "Number Call" is Furuya’s first publication (and it shows). Compared to her later titles, "Number Call" is largely unremarkable. It’s a pretty standard high school bl romance, and it has all the expected clichés and situational contrivances that push the main characters together when they might otherwise have no reason to interact.

The pace is slow, which isn’t necessarily bad. Technically, it is considered to be slice-of-life, so one shouldn’t go into this title expecting anything much to happen. Still, there’s something a little too unrefined about the way the narrative has been constructed to really make the slow pace feel earned.

My favorite slice-of-life titles generally have two things in common. First, they lean into the character work and do good jobs creating intriguing characters that make me want to spend time with them even if they aren’t doing anything. And second, they create an atmosphere that ultimately captures the feeling of a lazy afternoon. It should be a relaxing kind of slow.

"Number Call" does have its endearing moments, but its characters are underdeveloped and forgettable, and the atmosphere doesn’t even come close to achieving that satisfying feeling. Rather than a relaxed unfolding of a relationship that had me invested in the outcome, for the most part I was just bored.

This might work for people who are already a fan of Furuya’s stories or for those who just want an easy read to pass the time.

This was a cute story about a couple boys with similar names in high school. It's a story about growing and learning how the main character really feels about this boy who has become a part of his life. If you like cute high school stories and like stories where two boys become more then friends this might be a book for you. The art is also very well done.

This one was fairly cute. The names being based around the number 8 was a fun way to get the characters to initially react. I had a decent time with this one. For me, it doesn't have the staying power in my mind like some other series, but it's a great intro to queer manga title.

I really enjoyed this story, it was a cute strangers to friends to lovers story about two guys who share a name similarity and end up being friends then later realize they like each other. I'd definitely read more about this couple or a story involving the side characters, I feel like the pacing was done really well and nothing felt rushed. Both characters had their own well thought out personalities and it was nice to see them connect.

Following two high school boys who start bonding over name that sort of mean the same number (8), Number Call is a sweet queer story. While Eito Tachibana hates it because of all the jokes and puns, meeting Hachi turns out to be the best accident in the most adorable way.

They start greetings each other in hallways and with ocassional hello, soon they have library study dates, walking to the train station together. It was cute and heartwarming.

I also loved how they sat down and had the conversation about liking each other and why that sort of confused them. It made more sense since they were High School kids.

This was my first book by the creator and I loved it..

This was a cute idea where the main characters bond over the quirks of their names both including the number 8. The story follows a very predictable story line of Japanese queer high school boys discovering their queer feelings and the way overused phrase "but we're both guys!".

I did like the way none of their friends seemed to take issue with queerness, any movement towards queer norm is a nice trend to see.

The art style was good and the characters weren't completely flat, but this didn't really stand out as anything particularly new or revolutionary. A cute story, but not something that will stick with me.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this manga.

This is my second manga by this author. This one had a bit less plot than the other. The story was cute but definitely had limitations on how much story could be told from it.

The illustrations are really pretty. The characters look great.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story was short and sweet, a great afternoon read! I love the art style it is beautiful and still unique to other manga I have read. The writing of the two queer main characters was refreshing it didn't feel forced, awkward or just for show as LGTBQ+ characters can sometimes be written. The characters had a genuine connection, appreciation and concern for each other. It was also extremely relatable when they went through that period of not talking to each other while they stepped back and figured things out. Glad I read this, will definitely look for more by the author!

Thank you to NG for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ahhh I loveeed this one!!! It was so kawaii.

The art style and expressive nature of the drawings were fantastic. There was some really great chemistry between the two mc's was so sweet and wholesome.

Number Call is a manga about two boys in high school who meet. One of them Eito is shy and doesn't make friends easily. One day he meets Hachi and they become friends. After getting to know each other and spending more time together, Eito begins to develop feelings for Hachi and pushes him away. However, as he pushes him away, Hachi begins to reflect on their friendship and what Eito means to him.

Number Call was a sweet school romance. Both of the characters were well developed and had depth to their characters. Their interactions were sweet and had you rooting for them to come together. I liked how Hachi pulled Eito out of his shell and how Eito changed around him. The story was hard to put down as I just wanted to know what happened next in their relationship. I loved their chemistry and banter together. The illustrations appeared simple at first glance but had plenty of details within them. I would recommend this manga for anyone who is looking for a sweet innocent romance manga with adorable characters.

Two classmates find a commonality with their name -- it’s spelt like / sounds like the number 8. This was an interesting concept and I liked the uniqueness of the names. Though on the faster side, I did enjoy the growing bond, however, I would’ve like a bit more development with the plot. Still a cute, quick read!

This is an adorable high school, friends to lovers story with no explicit scenes, just a super sweet and awkward confession scene at the end.

I received a digital ARC of this manga from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.