Natsu no Zenjitsu

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A wonderfully composed work of art written by Yoshida Motoi. Natsu no Zenjitsu conveys something genuine and pure that transcends this literary genre we call manga and places itself at the level of realism, depicting real life in full form. Essentially this title is a portrayal of two adults, intertwined in an enigmatic romance that's handled with composure and maturity.

When I speak of maturity, I'm not referring to school girl romances you guys think maybe "mature". No, I'm talking about a series dealing with adults and real problems, justified and consented sexual encounters, debacles solved through intellect, and magnificent artistry to boot. Natsu no Zenjitsu ... isn't some Shoujo tripe series, read for horrendously cliche' romantic stimuli.

In retrospect, Natsu no Zenjitsu is a calming and thought provoking Slice of Life serialization; that doesn't necessarily intend to stress some excessive plot on it's readers. However it does pose something elegant and beautiful that I think everyone can relate to and enjoy. The premise of this title deals with a young artistic who lacks inspiration in his life, one day he find his muse; that being an older women named Akira.

The older women/younger male relational dynamic is handled magnificently throughout the course of this series. There's a definite difference in the level of maturity between the male and female lead; so in that regard, I find it most interesting in the way these characters grow as a couple.

Rating: 10/10

Natsu no Zenjitsu shows the difficulties of maintaining a relationship that is founded upon raw passion. Sex is usually not enough to keep two people together long term. Chemistry and common interests are. This is what people miss when they criticize the ending for being terrible because so and so event happens that contradicts the reader's desire, not realism.

Tetsuo is a character that many may find difficult to tolerate. He is an insecure curmudgeon that shows little apparent care for anything aside of his fickle career ambitions. but this is true of many isolated young men who are too prideful to share their concerns with others ... and lack the social skills to express themselves fluently. Tetsuo is in the midst of a bizarre period of adult life, not yet mature enough to know what he wants for himself and not yet wise enough to understand what opportunities lie in front of him. He needs a muse and a support system in order to break through his self imposed barriers. He finds that and more in the older vixen Akira.

Akira stops at nothing to support Tetsuo's endeavors as an artist, even at the sacrifice of her own selfhood. She molds her own ambitions around that of a younger man full of the potential that she no longer carries as an older woman. Together they make for a very sexy couple, but perhaps not one that is destined to last forever when their chemistry is only truly evident within the confines of a bedroom. In social spaces, they are very awkward together and struggle to hold a conversation.

Hanami does not fawn over Tetsuo. She does not sacrifice for the sake of Tetsuo. She doesn't have a stable career nor is she even obviously attracted to him. Why is Tetsuo so enamored with her? Why is this a love triangle when one partner is so clearly more invested than another? These are questions that the reader will probably ask themselves to the point of frustration. Being of similar age, not being easily accessible to him (allows him to keep her in the realm of fantasy, which can help with his art), and someone that he genuinely falls for on his own volition are some valid reasons for his attraction.

There is a lot controversy over the ending of this manga. It is basically the only reason the score is a 7.7 rather than in the mid 8 range. I will not reveal what that controversy is for the sake of spoilers, but do know that the conclusion is heavily foreshadowed and does make sense based on the characters personalities and struggles up to that point. Sometimes we as readers are quick to criticize an outcome that is not desired, even if it suits the narrative perfectly.

Appropriate for a manga concerning art, the artwork is some of the best I've ever laid eyes on. Every single detail of a character's mannerisms and expressions are well drawn to the point where words aren't required to understand this story. The visuals trend towards realism more so than cartoonish fantasy, helping to accentuate the intense passion between Akira and Tetsuo during sex scenes. Do make note of the seinen tag - this is an explicit adult romance in every sense of the word. There's lots of banging, appropriately so in order to properly convey the extent of a mature adult romance. Proceed with caution.

This is from the author of Koi Kaze, a slightly problematic story of a twenty seven man who is sexually attracted to his fifteen year old sister. They have sex at one point. There is no controversy in Natsu No Zenjitsu of that magnitude, but there is a lot of tension that permeates between the lead characters as an age gap that causes some internal conflict.

Natsu No Zenjitsu is somewhat of a hidden gem in the manga community that deserves a far bigger audience than it actually has. I'd encourage more people to give this a try and follow the journey of an artist coming to grips with who he is and what he really wants out of life through his romantic relationships.

There's a lot to like about this manga, but there's also something that I really hate. What I liked was the relationship between Tetsuo and Akira. It had a very strange chemistry that worked really well, with Tetsuo being incredibly awkward and often selfish, but Akira making up for that with kindness and understanding essentially. It was incredibly nice, so even though after it developed it was just them living their lives while being together without much development, it was enjoyable to read through. However, in the end it decides that it wants to take things in another direction, and throws in Hanami, who throws their relationship ... into chaos. I felt that such an arc that tests their relationship wasn't really necessary at all, and while it was written pretty well, I think that the way it was ultimately handled was downright awful. The story never felt like it was really about character development, as Tetsuo and Akira never really grew over the course of the manga. There were some subtle things that I thing were attempted to be emphasized upon towards the end, but overall it really felt like it wasn't the focus. Rather, the relationship between the two is what really matters. Hence, the way that it ultimately ended, with their relationship abruptly changing and not really any explanation of the aftermath, made the ending feel completely hollow. It definitely does hit a very strong sad emotional note and is consistent with the overall plot, but just being able to do that doesn't make it a good ending. Rather, having such an ending begs the question, what was the point of the plot, what was it trying to show? A relationship that was interesting, but in the end left the main character exactly the same as they were before, gaining nothing? That, while perfectly realistic, just doesn't make for a very good story in my opinion. The art had some really good shots of characters, especially Akira, but in general I don't like the criss cross style of shading that it was using, especially for the backgrounds. 

tl;dr: An interesting story focusing on the relationship between two flawed characters that has a very unsatisfying ending.

Spoilers for begunning of story present!!!!

I did like it at first because the story was progressing, the characters were likable and the romance was there. I still like Akira's character because she puts up with all of Tetsuo's shit, but she should abandon ship like I did. My reason for dropping it is that it didn't go anywhere from the first chaptets. I can't seem to find the driving force behind this story besides that the main character is whiny and has problems. He seems to be good at drawing, as mentioned by several characters in the story, but he has zero confidence and seemingly ... little motivation to draw. For someone who left his home to pursue art, this is weak. He doesn't want to accept help from anyone and gets overly aggressive about his independence when Akira tries to help him. Even though I am also near graduation and trying to find my path in life, I can't relate to this guy at all because he just has these made up problems.

Next, the sex scenes go from story driving elements to reminders that he is still "in love" with Akira. Initially the sex marks the beginning of their relationship and confirms that they like each other. Over time however, the sex scenes only pop up as either fan service or a reminder that Tetsuo and Akira are still in a relationship, because Tetsuo doesn't seem to do much else with Akira besides fuck her and leave to spend the rest of the chapter brooding.

Lastly, this phantom love triangle. Tetsuo sees some random chick at random points during the story and is apparently also head over heels for her. However, nothing is explicitly stated, and so nothing happens, at least in the first 12 chapters. I'm not a huge fan of triangles, but I understand they happen to progress the romance through the character making a choice. What I hate more than triangles is this bullshit, where the 2nd chick just randomly comes in for a few panels, and the author just reminds you that she might be brought in for a triangle later.

For me, this was enough to drop this manga a third of the way through.

Natsu no Zenjitsu is quite the realistic romantic drama, definitely not for the faint hearted or one who can't deal with realism. This manga starts of a bit slow with the first chapter, but once you get through it you want to find out more and more how their relationship unfolds and what tragedy foreshadows these two.

I really love how realistic the relationship is in this manga and how the author sets up the two characters so smoothly. This manga contains a lot of sex scenes, but I'd imagine the reader picking this up is mature enough to appreciate the scenes without judgment.

The characters ... are very realistic, which may make them not very interesting. For me, this was what I liked. This is a very serious manga and in real life, people aren't that interesting. This manga is about career, romance (mainly the female lead - Akira's occasional concern about her being the older of the couple), and personal conflict.

The art was fantastic, it has a very unique style. Motions and expressions were drawn well enough that you could feel the tension and emotion.

Akira was drawn very well that dignify her as the mature (traditional) woman. I'd imagine the author created her character with the image that is what most men late in the 20s or mid 30s would seek for in a partner.

Tetsuo the main character represents a lot of men in their early 20s, confused, frustrated, lost, and often selfish.

Finally, I know some people weren't happy with the ending. I personally found it very satisfying and like I said before the main selling point of this manga was the realism and it did just that. This is a very bittersweet manga and it is definitely written towards a much older audience. In some way, it reminded me of how Paradise Kiss ended, very bittersweet and real.

Life isn’t easy, there are many things that get thrown at you whether you’re prepared or not. But you learn to move one and grow from each experience. Sometimes you find love in these moments life will either give you the worst, or if it works will you give you something that you should cherish forever. But life will keep throwing, and you have to keep catching or the love you have will be lost or even worse. This is what Natsu no Zenjitsu, or in english The Day Before Summer, tries to get across to its readers. It tells a story where a struggling ... artist trying to make ends meet and prove to the world he can make it, and a woman who loves selfish men.

Background

Natsu no Zenjitsu is written and drawn by Motoi Yoshida, she is known for her unique storytelling and art directions. As for other published works, she is known for Koi Kaze, Mizu to Gin (the sequel to this manga) and Kannou Sensei. This series was published in 2008 in Good Afternoon and spans 5 volumes over 6 years totaling 38 chapters. This is also the highest rated manga by far for her, as most other manga released are rated 6 or under on My Anime List, the only thing coming close is Koi Kaze which is around the same rating but lower and was also adapted into an anime of the same name.

Story

Natsu no Zenjitsu is a story that has many faults, but when it’s good, it’s extremely good. And to start off and get the bad out of the way first, let’s talk about it’s pacing. Sometime I feel like this manga bores me to the point of where I want to put it down. There are a couple moments like this, and thankfully they are around 2 chapters here and there. These are usually paced really slow, or just take you out of the story all together. They also tend to focus on singular characters rather than the main characters together like how the story is usually told. It’s not that it’s a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but they do damper the experience quite a bit as these chapters are really long usually. Which, now is the perfect time to talk about another fault with the series. I think that we should have gotten a little more development for Akira. To me if we knew a little bit more about Akira’s backstory like who she was before all of this, and how she got into art, well then I think everything that comes in the second half would have been so much more emotionally powerful. As it stands, she is a strong female character so that’s not exactly a problem, but I found her interesting and what’s even more odd is she probably has the most dialogue in the series.

But moving onto what’s so great about this is just simply how emotional and in depth it is on a lot of topic and ideas. They don’t exactly get developed at a breakneck speed, even for 38 chapters, but once these elements are developed these parts of the series are the absolute best parts and are so satisfying to see. Let’s take for example, and being spoiler free, Tetsuo’s weird code of honor where he doesn’t want women in his life because he feels like it lessens his art. By the end of the series we this character with this idea he has get completely flipped on its and not exactly proven untrue, but develops with it as he becomes more of a man. It’s quite an interesting development that is integral to not only this character, but the whole series. It has extreme ramifications with what’s to come later. And not only this, but for the most part, this series has very good pacing. Most everything flows very well and before you know it you’re 10 chapters in. Not only that, but the series loves to leave you with a hook, so if you’re reading this late… well you may end up staying awake a little bit longer than intended. At least that’s what happened to me.

Characterizations

For the Characterizations, I feel this series knocks this out of the park and back. Every character down to secondary characters are developed and have meaning in the story.

First off we have, Tetsuo. He’s the definition of a poor college student, and a man that has his beliefs. To put it simply the show portrays him as a young man making mistakes and being stupid as he tries to figure out what exactly he means to Akira and she means to him.

Speaking of Akira, she’s a woman older than Tetsuo, but feels a deep love for him. She’s always there for him like a mother, but also wants to be more than just another woman to Tetsuo. She yearns to be loved by someone, and she fears that she’ll be alone forever even though she is made out to be this kind and caring beautiful woman who has it all.

As for the secondary characters, they are of the utmost importance to this story. Some would say integral as without them, there wouldn’t be a story to tell. They are also developed quite well, even though they don’t share much panel time like Akira and Tetsuo does. This is because of course the story is still about Akira and Tetsuo’s love for each other, but these characters are here for a reason, and it can’t be understated not only their importance, but also how well they are written.

Art

I’m going to level with you guys right now, this isn’t an erotic manga, but it might as well be in the erotic manga section. This manga has so many sex scenes with graphic detail, including splooge that you will be wondering if you accidentally started reading something different by accident. So yeah, there is boobs, yeah there is butts, and yeah there is splooge, but don’t be fooled. These panels are incredibly drawn as well with it’s normal, not sexy time panels. It’s such an unique style that I would compare to some kind of scratch style blended with detailed drawing. It’s much like another manga I reviewed by the name of Molester Man, but I think much more detailed even though there is that scratch style. I think the character designs are amazing too, I think Akira’s by far will be the one that stands out the most to everyone. And this is because she’s the character who shows the most emotion out of everyone. From a crying face you can’t tell is cute or sad, to an angry emotional face or even just a very emoji style adorable face anime is known for.

Final Rating

Natsu no Zenjitsu is a very heavy and real romance manga. If you don’t like realism in your romance, then steer clear and never look back. This series will have your heart hurting, and your head spinning by the end of it. It’s a manga that isn’t afraid to do something different, which is important here. I can forgive its faults to a certain degree because it’s so different and refreshing. While it isn’t supposed to be bubbly or even fun to read at times, it still tells a story that should be told more than it really is. Love is really hard, and if there is one thing this manga gets across, it's that love is one of the hardest things to maintain.

Natsu no Zenjitsu gets a 7/10!

(Spoiler Free)
This is a very interesting one. Unlike a lot of current romance manga, it is unapologetic, bold, painfully realistic and most of all very objective and sharp in its writing.

The story is most the time almost uncomfortable for how real the emotions feel. The paralels and metaphors with art inside the story are on point and work through a surprisingly large range of human emotion.

The characters feel incredibly layered and alive, being at the same time, incredibly consistent from a writing stand point, while feeling as unpredictable as any alive person, and without ever giving the sensation it was a writing choice, but rather, ... a real decision made by the characters.

It is very uniquely and incredibly well written and drawn, without any panels or chapters feeling pointless or unecessary, and at the same time presenting gorgeous art and text.

Re-reading was also as interesting and engaging as the first read, with details sprinkled through every single line or word.

I would recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys engaging stories that treat the reader with enough respect to make them uncomfortable in order to present something beautiful.