Hitori to Hitori no 3650-nichi

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From the very first chapter, I could feel tears streaming down my face. I should preface this by saying I'm a bit of a crybaby when it comes to any romance story, but damn, this one- this one utterly broke my heart. There's no tragic end if that's what you're thinking; instead, I simply mean that in the span of 6 chapters, I got so invested in the wonderfully crafted characters that it was impossible not to get emotional.

The plot is relatively simple: two best friends in high school grew apart because one of them confessed, and got badly rejected. Although, the story takes ... place 10 years after this event when the characters are all grown up. One is miserable, plagued by the guilt of hurting his friend; the other has moved on but is still trying to find love. They meet and, ah, I'll just say, prepare your heart.

See, the thing that makes this manga stand out from all the yaois out there, is the fact, that the latter character that I described (Maki) is so incredibly mature and wholeheartedly an amazing person. He is truly unlike any seme I've ever read about. When I say he's a "nice guy," I honestly, genuinely mean that. And no, it's not the "nice guy" cliche where you pity the guy so much for his unrequited feelings and how he broods over the other person until they realize how "nice" he is. No, I mean, Maki is an emotionally stable character that does not take advantage of his friend's vulnerable state, and that he understands boundaries, he knows when to hold back because there's a time and place for everything, and he actually communicates his feelings- like a goddamn decent human being.
Now, that's not to say that Maki is some kind of flawless character, he, of course, has his own faults, but the fact that when sees his friend hurt themselves, he says this: "I don't know why you're doing this, but you were a person I once loved so I would never want you to do this." Wow, my heart- I mean, his friend hasn't even apologized to Maki, but that's not the point, isn't it? Maki said that he has forgiven him and moved on- and HE ACTUALLY MEANT IT. It's such a healthy response that I find so rare in yaois nowadays.

As well, at the climax of the story, the thing that shocked me was how the two characters didn't *shag* once they bared out all their emotions. Why? Because it really wasn't the time and they knew it.
And that's what so many yaois out there get wrong. When a person is emotionally vulnerable and heartbroken, consent is a very hazy line. It's the same as using someone else's sadness to take advantage of them in their vulnerable state. In any other yaoi, I'll bet money on how the seme will pressure something to happen. But like I tell you, Maki, who's an actually decent human being, know's that he shouldn't be the one to make the first move and that his friend needs to heal. He realizes this and ACTUALLY FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH IT. No bullshit excuse of how "he can't hold back."

To top things off, this manga's art style is utterly gorgeous. There's no way around it. The character designs were immaculate, the layout and dialogue flowed so well together- Really, there are no complaints whatsoever in the visuals department. Overall, it's a great manga with well-rounded characters and beautiful art that you should definitely pick up. Highly recommend :)

A very beautiful and mature story of friends who fell in love during high school, but due to their complicated relationships with their own sexuality couldn't make it work until some 10 years later as adults.

It's important to note a trigger warning for noncon/dubcon for those who are sensitive to such topics. I typically try to avoid yaois that deal with that stuff because it's often handled poorly and fetishized, but to my great surprise this manga is very mature, progressive, and tactful when addressing the topic. Though it can be quite graphic in its portrayal, it's never romanticised or brushed off as something that's ... okay or healthy, it's called out for the crime that it is.

Beyond that, there's a very healthy relationship between the two main leads that is just so heartwarming and refreshing for the genre. The guy with the longer hair is truly a bean of a human being, such a loveable and supportive character who's unwaveringly kind. Truly a character to be celebrated!

I think the only issue I had was that the story felt pretty rushed. The core of it is contained to the volume's first 4 chapters. It would have benefitted from having a bit of reading room for characters to slowly digest certain personal developments. Like I think an extra chapter would have helped a lot to break up the heavier developments by allowing for further introspection with our leads, and also to get to know some of the side characters better - specifically the gay guy with the fisherman's hat.

Anyway, 10/10 would recommend, just be aware and mentally prepared for some heavy and graphic noncon/dubcon