Please don’t get the wrong idea, “This Wonderful Season With You” is still above-average for a BL story. It’s tightly written, well-paced, and the characters lean away from the more uncomfortable tropes that permeate through the genre. I just feel like it didn’t quite reach the heights of Dekoboko, though it is still an extremely enjoyable manga in its own right.
Dekoboko’s main couple were interesting because they felt unique; a short, temperamental boy falls for a taller, more feminine boy. Those characters twisted the typical archetypes, making for a really engaging romance.
In “This Wonderful Season With You,” the characters are so generic it hurts. Enoki and Shirataki are clear cut “nerd” and “jock” stereotypes, respectively. Their dynamic is very typical and very boring. Shirataki at least gets some depth when the story focuses on his family life, but he remains pretty flat overall because he’s so stoic. Meanwhile, the narrative doesn’t reveal much about Enoki at all. I couldn’t tell you anything about his family life, history, or opinions. His character never gets much development beyond “cute & shy nerd who likes video games.” Enoki and Shirataki are the most bland BL couple I’ve read about in a hot minute.
I also have a bit of an issue with the art, specifically when it comes to Shirataki. To me, he was drawn in a very inconsistent way, with his face kind of morphing depending on the panel. Sometimes his chin looks MASSIVE, and sometimes his eyes look like they’re placed on his forehead. A lot of the time, he just resembles a walking thumb, and I don’t think it’s intentional. These inconsistencies were very distracting and totally pulled me out of the story.
With all that being said, “This Wonderful Season With You” is still good. It’s just not great! If you’re looking for an easy-breezy, heartwarming BL, then this manga will get the job done. It’s still very enjoyable and totally worth reading, just be sure to manage your expectations.
