My Summer of You – Series Review

Wataru Toda is a high school student who loves watching movies. At the start of summer, he visits a retail store and browses the DVD section. There, he runs into Chiharu Saeki, another student from his school. Although the two teens have never talked before, they still recognize each other. As they chat, Wataru discovers that Chiharu is also a huge film buff. Both guys are especially big fans of Noir Hawk, a movie they consider criminally underrated.

At school, Chiharu is in Class A, while Wataru is in Class B. Even though they come from different social circles, the two still become friends. They bond over their similar taste in movies. Sometimes, they even meet up to catch a film at the cinema together. Wataru's other friends, Guchi and Hiraoka, are baffled by this unexpected friendship. Chiharu is one of the most popular boys in their grade. He's handsome and athletic, so plenty of girls have crushes on him. Guchi and Hiraoka can't understand why someone like Chiharu chooses to spend so much time with Wataru, who's pretty much just an average guy.

Wataru doesn't really understand it either. Even so, he enjoys spending time with Chiharu. Wataru likes being around him because he can relax and simply be himself. Their friendship also catches the attention of Asada, one of Wataru's female classmates. She has heard plenty of gossip about Chiharu from the other girls. Many of them have confessed to him, but he turns everyone down with the same explanation. Apparently, Chiharu already has feelings for someone else. Asada wonders if Wataru knows who Chiharu's mysterious crush is. Wataru has no clue.

One evening, Wataru and Chiharu finish watching a movie together. It's a romantic comedy where the main character gives a funny confession to his love interest. After the movie, Wataru is still laughing as he re-enacts the scene. Then, he gets curious and asks if Chiharu has someone he likes. Even though Chiharu is put on the spot, he answers honestly. He has a crush on Wataru. Caught off guard, Wataru assumes his friend must be joking. The confession sounds like another funny quote from the movie they just watched.

However, Chiharu is serious. The confession comes out of nowhere, but his feelings are real. He has liked Wataru for a long time, and he's relieved that the truth is finally out there. Wataru is stunned and has no idea how to react. His friend likes guys? More importantly, his friend likes him? Chiharu explains that he dated girls before, but Wataru is the person he fell for. Wataru is too shocked to give him a proper response that night. Chiharu is simply relieved that his friend hasn't reacted with disgust. He doesn't expect Wataru to return his feelings. For now, he's satisfied knowing that Wataru understands how he feels.

The next day, Chiharu and Wataru hang out like usual. They still talk casually, and the sudden confession hasn't ruined their friendship. Instead, they start making plans for summer break. The two want to go on a "film pilgrimage". Both teens take the train to a rural area and visit locations where their favourite movie, Sea of Light, was filmed. It becomes a relaxing getaway, and they have a great time making memories together. Beneath all the positive vibes, Chiharu's confession remains in the back of both their minds.

I liked My Summer of You the most at the beginning. Those first few episodes are pleasant enough, reminding me of a cozy little high school BL drama. The two leads make oogly eyes at each other! Aww, there's a love confession! Now, we wait for them to sort out their feelings! While this series doesn't reinvent the formula, it starts sweetly with soft moments and gentle conversations. Early on, My Summer of You left a good impression just because the story felt nice and harmless. Yeah, the wholesomeness is working on me!

Of course, the gorgeous visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting. My Summer of You looks so ridiculously pretty. The warm colours and intimate cinematography make the whole series feel like a dreamy summer memory. I especially love the outdoor locations. My favourites are the countryside setting in Episode 2, the seaside view in Episode 6, and the cliffside scenery in Episode 11. No matter where the couple goes, the cinematographer captures the beauty of the surroundings and creates a romantic atmosphere. As Wataru and Chiharu share a moment in the middle of a breathtaking landscape, it's easy to believe they're falling in love.

Around Episode 5, My Summer of You starts to annoy me. There's a weird flashback. As a kid, Chiharu felt miserable because his mom dressed him up in feminine clothing. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but this storyline hit a nerve with me. Why is crossdressing being framed like some kind of childhood trauma? It comes close to a conservative talking point that boys who wear girls' clothes are psychologically scarred. Oof, I don't love that messaging. Even though this subplot only takes up a small part of the story, it soured my opinion of the series.

As My Summer of You continues, I lose interest in Wataru & Chiharu's romance. They have plenty of sweet moments together, but where's the personality? In many scenes, their flirting feels like generic BL filler. Somehow, I have more fun watching Wataru hang out with his high school friends. Everyone jokes around, teases each other, and makes me smile with their group chemistry. That lively spark is missing from the couple's romantic exchanges. Chiharu's actor (Kazuto Mokudai) also seems too reserved. For a leading role in a BL drama, he doesn't show enough charisma.

The biggest problem is that My Summer of You drags on for too long. On paper, this is a fairly straightforward romance. You can predict how everything will unfold. Yet, the series stretches a simple plot across five whole hours. The story's pacing slows to a crawl just to fill twelve episodes. That means sitting through lots of unnecessary conflicts and dumb misunderstandings. Ugh. This BL drama could've wrapped everything up nicely in half the time. Gimme six episodes or less! Instead, My Summer of You outstays its welcome and becomes tedious to watch.

Despite all my frustrations with the series, I'm still kinda rooting for this couple. Wataru and Chiharu are both big softies with sweet personalities. I like how they look after each other and offer words of encouragement. Is their romance exciting? Absolutely not. The relationship scenes are bland as hell, but they don't bother me that much. In the end, I'm glad these two lovebirds seem happy together. Overall, My Summer of You is mildly pleasant and mostly inoffensive. Compared to other annoying or toxic BL dramas, this one falls comfortably in the middle of the pack.