This is a single-volume, fast-paced BL manga with supernatural elements, and a delicate, pretty art style.

We follow Iku - a university student, part-time cashier, and otherwise full-time otaku. His life is pretty ‘same old, same old’... until one night he realises he can see ghosts. And there's one spirit in particular that just won't leave him be: Mimori, a young man whose deadly fall from a bridge repeats every night at 23:45.

Now that he's found someone who can finally see him Mimori starts haunting Iku’s apartment out of boredom and a craving for connection, and we soon start to see that Iku needs that connection just as much. Their blossoming relationship over the months they spend together is really sweet, and I found myself rooting for them (and worried we were heading for a bittersweet ending for a moment there!).

My only gripe is that I think this could have benefited from being in more than one volume, especially considering how much back/side story stuff the author decided to weave throughout. It made it a little confusing in places due to the quick pacing and the jumping from dreams or flashbacks back to the present day.

But overall this had an interesting premise and a hopeful ending that left me smiling :)

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for sending me an eARC.

This for me was a very interesting read. The twist was also a big predictable. I will definitely discuss this with my customers who come in for romantic manga. Can’t wait for volume two to see how the story expands.

23:45 is a supernatural BL manga about a boy - Iku - who realizes he has the ability to see ghosts and the ghost he meets - Mimori - who ends up following him home.
I really liked the artwork and the premise of this manga and thought it was very interesting. It explores emotions like loneliness, grief and guilt which I appreciated. The pacing felt rushed at times but I liked watching Iku and Mimori grow to care about each other.
I wish it had been a little longer but overall it was a quick, heartfelt read. I would definitely read more from this mangaka in the future!
～Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the ARC!

This cute, gay manga follows Iku, a nerdy student living on his own as he accidentally brings home the ghost of a hot young man with no memory of what happened or why he reverts back to the bridge he was found on each night at 23:45.

This was an enjoyable read, but a bit confusing at times due to slightly unclear formatting and some plot points felt a bit resolved.

I was very much looking forward to this read due to it's supernatural aspect however it fell flat. Parts of it were endearing, sweet and semi intriguing but everything else was just okay. I just couldn't get invested in the story or the characters enough, to care what happened next.

One of the first BL I have ever read so this was a great foray into that genre. Overall, this was a really interesting story and I really liked the ending.

The main character can see ghosts, and one day he meets a boy on a bridge who realizes he can be seen—and then follows him home. Their relationship grows from there, leading the main character to start looking into the boy’s past. What he discovers is both intriguing and heartbreaking. I absolutely loved the ending of this emotional story. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous and brings the story to life beautifully.

🕚 23:45 🕚

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (3.75)
Finished: 04/19/25

I found this manga to be pretty interesting with the main character being able to see ghosts. The mystery of trying to find out how Mimori passed and their relationship that continues and how emotional it conveys with Iku hugging and trying to keep him in the moment to make Mimori stay with him.

I was happy to see the twist in the end of the manga, and them getting a HEA. Mimori was a nice boy and I'm glad they were together in the end.

23:45 follows Iku, a nerdy & introverted college freshman, who came to Tokyo for two things and two things only: college and anime memorabilia (emphasis on the latter). What he did not come to Tokyo for was to mingle with the coworkers at his part-time job or suddenly develop the ability to see ghosts-- or really, one handsome ghost in particular. After said ghost (named Seo) follows Iku home, the two work towards uncovering the mysterious circumstances around Seo's passing and, in doing so, begin to open up to one another.

This work is a lovely little BL novel that reminded me of 90's romcoms (e.g. Sleepless in Seattle, Ghost) in its character-focused narrative and poignant, yet playful tone. If anything, I wish that it was a longer work so that there could be more room for the supporting cast and so the character reveals could be meted out a little more slowly. But overall it was an enjoyable, quick romance that doesn't skimp on emotional highs & lows.

Although a cute story with good, clean art, the pace was confusing and the rhythm erratic. There were scenes that left me wondering what was happening, not to mention that the sex scene felt forced. There were lots of holes. Even though I wanted to like this one, I couldn't connect with the characters, especially due to the negative portrayal of otakus.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kodansha for the e-ARC of 23:45.

I really enjoyed the concept of 23:45 and felt that it was very unique. It also was able to balance comedy and more heavy topics pretty well throughout the volume. For a standalone volume it was able to wrap everything up well all in all - the only drawback for me is that the romance felt a bit rushed: but again for one short volume it was probably paced as well as it was able to be. I do wish this could have been a slightly longer volume to allow for more time for the romance to develop, or for it to even be split into two volumes.

Overall, I would recommend 23:45 as I did enjoy it and it is a very unique concept. I am looking forward to seeing other work from Ohana.

I was aware of this manga published many years ago. But have not found a legal and well translated copy.. So grateful now there's an official copy out there.

For a shy otaku to live a peaceful life then to see ghosts, that's just weird. The thing is how does a ghost and a human relationship work? It's a bit like the Dead Romantics but BL and in Japan. But the concept is sweet and adorable. There are lots of hints along the way, but read till the end. You must! It's a lovely story, thru and thru.

Thank you to NetGalley & Kodansha Comics/ Vertical Comics for the ARC.

Tone & Overall Vibe: dark, emotional, hopeful, mysterious, reflective, sad, medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Star Rating: 3.75/5.0

I really liked this magical realism college BL manga. It started out as a little silly and supernatural, but turned into a heartwarming love story by the end. I loved the epilogue where there were echos of memory, even if it was not clear. The romance felt natural and sweet, even if I would have loved more content after the twist toward the end. I liked the author’s art style and writing. I would definitely read more by Ohana in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC! :)

I don't know why but I just could not get into this one, even though the premise was interesting and the art is nice. The ending is kind of a cop-out in my opinion -- nobody likes an unresolved amnesia romance.

Thank you to Kodansha and Netgalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A gentle, thoughtful paranormal romance.

Iku is a troubled loner with a history of regrets. Since he moved to Tokyo two years ago he has been able to see ghosts. Then one day he finds that he can interact with Mimori, a ghost he meets on a bridge.
The story follows the two young men as they discuss the things that are important to them, and discover new things about themselves, while addressing trauma from their pasts. As their relationship develops, Iku delves into Mimori's past, risking everything that they have built together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

A quick read manga that had me hooked from the beginning to the end. I immediately liked the art style and it was easy to get into the story. It presents an interesting premise and I definitely want to continue reading to learn more. The characters are extremely loveable and you get to know them quite well quickly.

23:45 is a one-shot, soft paranormal romance BL manga by Ohana, about an otaku university student named Iku Kurihara who can see ghosts. One day, he accidentally drops his new purchase, but runs away in shock when a ghost on a bridge tries to help him. The ghost, Mimori Seo, follows him home to return Iku's forgotten items, and their relationship buds from there, slowly unveiling each young man's fears, hopes, and difficulties navigating society.

This was a sweet, self-contained story with a hopeful ending. While I would have loved more page space at the end, and certain genre elements felt a bit fast-paced because of page limits, I really enjoyed this one-shot and felt that it used its constraints well to tell the story in a concise but meaningful way. Something I also found interesting about this romance was that gender/sexual orientation did not come into play at all--by which I mean there was no declaration of specific identities (ex. gay, bi, etc.), but nor was there the often-cringey "I don't like men, I just like you" trope that can crop up in BL manga. This was simply a story about two people who grew close to and fall for each otehr in a very private space, and most of what they have to worry about is Iku appearing to talk to himself in public. The tough issues mentioned in this book (ex. suicide, family/societal issues) were broached well enough that they weren't uncomfortably cliché, and the book had an open but hopeful ending that made sense with the context of the story. I would recommend this to interested parties.

Readers who enjoy 23:45 may also like: Sasaki and Miyano by Shō Harusono, Semantic Error by Angy and J. Soori , My own Ghost by zucchini-kun, My Boo by Jeongseo, and Out of Sight, Out of Body by Fuzzzzyy.

Always thankful to Kodansha for making their titles available on NetGalley!

I'll write about 23:45 in length on my blog and update with a link when I do, so I'll just briefly summarize my thoughts for now.

My immediate thought on the art style was "Wow, this takes me back!" Especially the character designs, the clothing and accessory choices; everything reminded me of 2010's. Since this is a new license, I don't know why I expected the series to be recent as well. But I was on point!

Art style aside, nothing else gives away that 23:45 is 10 years old. It's beautiful, poetic, gripping, bittersweet. I'm a big fan of ambiguous endings, messy relationships that aren't clearly defined and while I love a happy ending as much as the next person, a part of me constantly yearns for different relationship dynamics or exploration of all kinds of emotions or topics. 23:45 was a title I appreciated in that regard! I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking or experimental, but still it was different than most titles we get.

4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical Comics for this arc!

4/5 stars

This was a sweet, quick one shot manga about an introvert otaku and the ghost boy he falls in love with. I enjoyed this story, however with just a few more pages of explanations it would have made the story a lot more cohesive and impactful. That said, this was still very enjoyable, and only a little heartwrenching!