Your Summer, My Storm – Series Review

Natsuki is a high school student living with his parents, older sister Riyo, and their dog Rock. This summer is already going badly for him. His girlfriend Sakura suddenly dumps him after only three months of dating. He didn't even see it coming. Natsuki thought their relationship was going well, so he tries to figure out what went wrong. Did he upset her? Say something stupid? Miss a giant warning sign? Sakura gives him a simpler answer. She doesn't think he ever loved her. Natsuki starts to overthink what the word "love" means.

After getting dumped, Natsuki hides out in a convenience store to pull himself together. Instead, he starts crying. A university student named Souta notices the miserable teenager. Once he hears about the breakup, Souta tries to cheer him up. Later, Riyo brings her boyfriend home to meet the family. Surprise! It's Souta, the same guy who caught Natsuki crying at the store. Even worse, Souta already told Riyo about the heartbroken student he met earlier. Now she realizes the mystery crybaby was her own little brother. Natsuki is mortified. Why are you blabbing about his personal business!? Souta isn't making a great first impression.

Natsuki's university mock exam results are terrible. We're talking 12 points in mathematics. Natsuki tries to bury the evidence before his parents can see it. Unfortunately for him, Riyo has the investigative skills of a nosy detective. She finds the discarded report and exposes everything. Suddenly, the whole family is panicking about his future. Natsuki says he wants to attend university, but that's about as far as his plan goes. Which school? No clue. What program? Haven't thought about it. Everyone is worried. It's already July, so the real entrance exams aren't far away.

His parents suggest that Riyo tutor him. Both siblings are against this idea. Natsuki thinks she'd be a horrible teacher, while Riyo thinks her brother is too dumb to teach. Still, she realizes their parents are worried about him and his future. That's when Riyo gets an idea. Souta is good at mathematics and science, which happen to be Natsuki's academic nightmare subjects. Why not make the boyfriend useful and turn him into a private tutor?

Unfortunately, Natsuki still has a bad first impression of Souta. He doesn't like this guy. Riyo encourages her brother to give the tutoring a chance instead of giving up so quickly. University might not magically change Natsuki's life, but it could still open up new opportunities. Reluctantly, Natsuki agrees to begin one-on-one tutoring with Souta. Their first lesson is a little uncomfortable. Souta seems afraid of dogs and gets nervous around Rock.

Despite the initial awkwardness, Souta is sincere about helping Natsuki improve. Souta is patient with his student and explains everything thoughtfully. After each lesson, he even gives Natsuki a little sticker. Collect enough stickers, and a special reward awaits him. Natsuki starts to think he might actually learn something from his new tutor. As the tutoring sessions continue, Natsuki starts falling for Souta's kind-hearted personality. There's just one tiny problem. He's developing a crush on his sister's boyfriend, and the guilt is eating away at him.

Your Summer, My Storm is a cozy little BL drama. One thing I really like about this series is the feel-good atmosphere. The positive vibes are everywhere! A lot of the warmth comes from Natsuki's loved ones, who clearly adore this kid. His parents dote on him, while his older sister shows her affection with a bit of light teasing. Even the dog is part of the lovefest. Whenever the family is hanging out at home, the mood feels so comfortable and welcoming. I wanna show up at their doorstep and ask them to adopt me too!

The series looks so vibrant. Everything is bright and colourful, which adds so much to the cozy atmosphere. Whenever the characters head outdoors, they're surrounded by lush green fields and clear blue skies. The colours pop off the screen! Back at home, every room looks warm and inviting, like an actual family lives there instead of a production crew decorating a set. I also love how much attention goes into the tiny details. At one point, an anniversary cake appears on screen for a few seconds. Yet, they still designed the cake so that it looks like the family dog. That's so cute! These little touches make the series feel extra polished.

The story begins with a juicy premise. Ooh, Natsuki has a crush on his sister's boyfriend! Watch out, sis… Little bro is taking your man! I was excited for the messy drama, but nothing scandalous happens. Instead, the story finds a convenient way to break up the love triangle, which feels like a cop-out. Where's the catfight!? As Natsuki and Souta spend alone time together, their sweet moments make me smile. Aww, they're kinda cute! Yet, their chemistry is fairly mild. Your Summer, My Storm wants me to think the couple has an incredible connection. Hmm… but do they?

Your Summer, My Storm can get kinda corny. It loves delivering sappy speeches and squeezing in sentimental moments. Worst of all, some of those heartwarming scenes don't feel genuine. The characters try so hard to sound deep, but the dialogue is unnatural. No one talks like this in real life! The background music is doing too much. Any time Natsuki gets vulnerable, the soundtrack turns so damn loud. Natsuki is having feelings! Bring in the orchestra! Instead of getting swept up in the emotion, I become hyperaware that the series wants me to feel emotional.

Natsuki is a sensitive character. The role puts a lot of pressure on his actor (Ryusei Fukada) to sell all those emotions. One scene needs tears. Another needs a wounded expression. Sometimes, he pulls it off. Other times, I'm watching him like, "ehhhh… almost." I like his co-star (Hidaka Ukisho) more. He fits comfortably into the role. The rest of the cast has a nice chemistry, which keeps the mood lighthearted. And I must give a special shout-out to Rock! I love how often this cute family dog appears in the background, hanging around like another member of the household.

Your Summer, My Storm ends on a slightly bittersweet note. By the finale, Natsuki and Souta are on good terms, yet they never become an official couple. Souta says they don't need labels. Excuse me? You two don't need labels because you're not in a relationship. There's nothing to put labels on! The series had ten episodes to build a romantic arc, but somehow we end up in this vague limbo. They don't even kiss in the end. Overall, I'm annoyed with how little the relationship progresses. Your Summer, My Storm is sweet and cozy, but the love story only gives us crumbs.