A boy who lived in his otaku world just fine until he starts seeing a ghost and sees how that young man ends his life by jumping off a bridge and is determined to change the course of his... 'life'?

I can't say that I'm completely convinced, I feel that something was missing or that I personally didn't quite understand it. I don't feel that the characters have been very developed and that something else is missing. I don't know what.

I know that the story continues so I'll be on the lookout for the continuation.

Thank you very much Kodansha Comics for the ARC that I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this story, but I would've liked for there to be an explanation for why he was the only one capable of seeing the "ghost". The story felt more akin to an ongoing retcon -- like "just kidding, he's not actually dead" -- then ended on the biggest cliffhanger ever.

Because 23:45 has such a great premise, I really hope the second volume is not as messy as this one.

This was just okay. I wish that the story had gone a little further into the mystery and the romance as it felt like everything just fell into place so quickly and effortlessly. It had a lot of potential though.

The story was emotional and beautifully written, with moments that really stuck with me. The characters felt real, and their journey kept me hooked. Some parts were a bit slow, but the depth and heart of the story made up for it. A touching and memorable read!

Pretty disappointing. The story didn’t flow well, which made it tough to keep track of what was going on, and the characters felt pretty one-dimensional. There were big jumps between events that missed some context, making the whole thing confusing and easy to forget. Overall, it was a letdown and didn’t really stick with me.

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Iku falls in love with Mimori who is a ghost. 3 stars

Iku is able to see ghosts, and one day he bounces into one and let the ghost into his life. Now they are living as roommates. Iku wants to know more about the ghost and starts to research his life while developing feelings for him.

Our two characters here fall into the typical stereotype in these kinds of mangas. The shy guy and the sunshine extroverted guy. The trope didn't benefit or draw back from the story at all. Also Iku is a geek or an Otaku if you wish to call him that, and Mimori finds that interesting and starts to fall into the same hobby. This was fun to read. They do feel a little flat as characters doe.

The relationship, in my opinion, developed a little too quickly. It felt like they had no reason to fall in love, and that they didn't necessarily know each other well enough. Oh well, maybe the next volumes will expand upon it more.

The story had an interesting premise and executed it fine. I wanted a little more, maybe a lot more tension or mystery surrounding Mimori's death. The wrap or ending to the story came a little bit out of left field and was slightly disappointing to me. I get why it was done, but I wish it was saved for a later volume.

The art was simple, but pretty. Not too many details or the typical yaoi style.
But even with a pretty artstyle, it can't save the story. Fell a little flat for me.

If you haven't read much LGBTQ manga, this might be a fine point to start. Some may find it a little boring, especially those who have read a lot of them before. Young adult to adult readers.

I am giving this 3 stars, interesting premise, but fell a little flat. I don't think I will be reading any more volumes.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed this story, I think the romance was cute and I liked the concept a lot. The first half of the story didn't really stand out to me, but as I moved along it became more interesting. It was definitely cute, and the little twist at the end took me by surprise.

This had some cute moments but it was missing a ton of development so the story didn’t land for me at all. It ended up feeling flat.

Honestly, this is a super interesting premise for a manga, & it even manages to tug at the heartstrings a little! Boy who can see ghosts... meets ghost boy? Awesome. Follow along with this duo as they form a bond while trying to get to the bottom of why this new ghost friend is caught stuck in a time-loop, seemingly repeating his last day indefinitely. I enjoyed the underlying mystery, & appreciated the time given to unwrap the backstory of both of these MMC's.

Also, since this is a manga— obligatory note that although the art was simple, it was beautiful! However, some pages did get a little crowded by text bubbles & could benefit from some additional panel spacing.

⛩️ Set in Japan
👻 Paranormal
❤️ Romance
🔍 Mystery
🥺 Heartfelt moments & personal reflection!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kodansha & Ohana for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!

i'm not sure what i expected, but i thought it was going to be a much more angsty love story between a ghost and human, and while it was angsty, i don't think it hit the way it should have. i liked the chemistry between Mimori and Iku, a classic grumpy x sunshine though. that whole bit on Iku not wanting him to regain his memories and move on was on point, and the handholding!!

still, the plot twist that (spoiler!!) Mimori is alive and in a coma as a little obvious.

still, i like this. it's a quick read that's entertaining and fast paced.

★ ★ ★ ✬
Length: 196p
Source: ARC - NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics
Release Date: March 11, 2025

Iku is new to Tokyo but extremely happy with his otaku (someone obsessed with a hobby) life. Until he starts seeing ghosts and a specific one catches his attention—Mimori, a young man standing on a pedestrian bridge until he shows up at Iku’s apartment one night and kind of “moves in.”

Like most manga, we get tossed into a story and it shoots off like lightning. You can IMMEDIATELY feel the pull between Iku and Mimori. I’ll admit Mimori’s situation seemed a bit ridiculous but I LOVED how it ended on that cliffy!

With this being volume one I’m giving it another chance. I ADORE the artistry and as long as the story begins to flesh out, I’ll be happy!

♡ yaoi manga
♥ ghost roommate
♡ otaku life
♥ ya romance
♡ memory loss (kinda)

{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

Read it in one sitting! Even though this is a premise I've seen many times before (so I knew what the twist/ ending would be), I was still rooting for the characters and was invested in the story. Enjoyed it!

Thanks to Netgalley, Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics for the ARC.

This is a really cute story that falls pretty flat, unfortunately. Iku realizes he can see ghosts after bumping into Mimori, a spirit that haunts a local bridge. Mimori follows Iku home one day and is reluctantly invited to stay. However, at 23:45 every night, Mimori disappears from the apartment and ends up back at the bridge reliving his end. Iku decides to try to break this loop, and the story progresses from there.

I think it's an interesting concept, but somehow nothing, from the plot to the characters to the relationship between the characters, feels fully fleshed out. The characters are cute but flat and the relationship doesn't have any real depth to it. I did enjoy reading this, but I wanted a whole lot more out of it. Worth a read if you're looking for something quick, cute, and not too deep.

I quite enjoyed this manga. I know I’ve seen some not so high reviews and talking about how the plot lacked substance or depth, but for a standalone manga that’s under 200 pages, I thought it was great. If you are looking for an easy/quick read & a lovely story about two MMCs (one being a ghost) with some shared trauma & a developing love story, this is a great option.

And the art style was beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations. The only thing that I felt took away from the story (for me) was that some of the transitions within the storyline felt off & it didn’t flow well.. at point I was confused about how we got from one point to another. But not confused enough to be taken out of the story all together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the chance to read and review this lovely story.

23:45 is a quiet, heartfelt romance wrapped in a touch of the supernatural. It follows a shy college student who, by some strange twist of fate, ends up with a ghost tagging along after him. What starts as an unusual encounter slowly turns into something beautiful—two lost souls finding exactly what they need in each other.

There’s something really special about the way their relationship unfolds. It’s not rushed or overly dramatic; instead, it grows in those small, intimate moments, shared silences, quiet understanding, and the simple comfort of knowing someone is there. It’s the kind of story that sneaks up on you, wrapping around your heart before you even realize it.

I do wish it had been a little longer. There were parts of their pasts that felt like they could have been explored more, and I would have loved to spend more time in their world. But even in just one volume, the story feels complete, like a soft, lingering memory you don’t want to let go of just yet.

For those who love gentle, introspective romances with a hint of the supernatural, 23:45 is a perfect choice. It’s a quick but touching read, great for anyone 12 and up who enjoys stories that feel more like a quiet whisper than a loud declaration.

e-ARC from NetGalley.

This was 50% beautiful and 50% needed more time. Our protagonist is an otaku who has cut himself off from other people since moving to Tokyo for school and, for some reason, developed the ability to see ghosts. When he bumps into a ghost he sees every day on his way home, the ghost follows him home.

This needed to be double the page length. I enjoyed it, but further on-page development would have made me love it. Maybe a little less discussion of anime and a few more hints that Mimori had gotten his memories back or that their friendship had developed into love.

Still very sweet.

This manga was an enjoyable read. It was quite reflective in the way that you get to learn about the character’s inner turmoils while also seeing their different perspectives in life. Although this manga did have some romance in it, I don’t think that was the main focus of the plot. I feel like the two main characters fell in love while trying to figure things out in the plot, which is something I quite enjoyed because of the tone of the manga itself. The romance felt natural and although the ending hurt me a bit, it also felt like it was a natural progression of the plot. The plot twist was actually quite unexpected but I enjoyed it. The pace in the beginning felt a bit fast but after the midpoint of the plot, it felt like the pace was a bit more slower and going more in depth about the characters' backstories.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this manga!

I fell in love with the artwork—the illustrations are simply stunning. The story itself is bittersweet, filled with emotions that tug at your heart. It made me tear up at times, but it also showed me how, in the end, soulmates always find their way to each other, no matter what. A truly beautiful and touching read.

This was a nice story, and the art was pretty. I think the students at my school will like this more than I did. I think they’ll appreciate the things I didn’t really care that much about, for example the story around the main character’s mom. The twist at the end was predictable, but I was still glad it ended like that.

⭐ Rating: 4/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: March 11, 2025
🏷️ Tags: BL manga, supernatural, otaku x ghost, opposites attract, emotional


I really enjoyed this manga, particularly the romance between nerdy Iku and the sunshiney ghost Seo. Their relationship was very soft and cute!

The tragedy of a person falling in love with a ghost gave the manga an overall melancholy feeling, but it was well-balanced by the gentleness of the romance.

I did feel the wrap-up was a bit quick and I wanted more, but it also felt like a fitting conclusion for the characters and story.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts shared in this review are my own.