Natsuyuki Rendezvous ("Snow-in-Summer
Rendezvous") is a manga series by Haruka Kawachi. It ran in the Josei magazine Feel Young from 2009 to 2012.
Hazuki Ryousuke is a young man completely smitten with Shimao Rokka, a widow who owns and operates a small florist shop. He goes so far as to take a part-time job at her store just to be with her more. But just when things seem to be progressing romantically, the ghost of Rokka's husband Atsushi starts interfering. If Hazuki wants to be with Rokka, then both she and Atsushi will have to overcome their lingering attachment issues...
An anime adaptation aired in the summer of 2012 in the noitaminA block. It is available on Crunchyroll and The Anime Network.
This series contains the following tropes:
- Badass Boast: May also be taken as a Jerkass one-liner—"One of these days, I'm gonna steal your wife."
- Bittersweet Ending: While Rokka and Hazuki get a happy end at the end of the story's timeline, Shimao has to wait decades for his, and sees both Hazuki and Rokka pass on..
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Shimao Atsushi, to a point that he causes a poltergeist to occur.
- Grand Theft Me: Atsushi continually asks Hazuki to borrow his body, and in episode 4, Atsushi actually succeeds as a drunken Hazuki less-than-consciously gives consent.
- Although, this case may be more Demonic Possession without the Demon element, as Atsushi was a body-less spirit at the time.
- Hard Truth Aesop: At some point you should "let go" of the deceased loved one, because you can not keep mourning forever, even if it was One True Love. Otherwise, you will bury yourself.
- I Need a Freaking Drink
- Invisible to Normals: Shimao Atsushi is only visible to Hazuki and no-one else so they can't talk (read: Hazuki can't tell Shimao off) when other people are around. Causes problems when Hazuki tries to call Shimao pathetic whilst Rokka is there and she slaps him not realizing Shimao has been interloping on their romance. It also means as much as he wants to Shimao can't touch his wife or get her into bed when she passes out from fever.
- The two exceptions to this are Hazuki and Hazuki's grandson.
- Justified Title: The "natsuyuki" (snow-in-summer) in the title apparently refers to the potted plant that Shimao spirits away from his house as he runs away still in Hazuki's body.
- Lady Looks Like a Dude: Rokka, thanks to her haircut.
- Likes Older Women: Hazuki. It's heavily implied that Rokka's a few years older than him.
- Love Triangle: The whole premise of the series focuses on Hazuki trying to woo Rokka while her dead husband tries to drive his rival away and win her over again.
- Magic Land: After Atsushi possesses Hazuki's body, his ousted soul is transported into another realm and is guided by a miniaturized version of a young Rokka.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Uttered by a grief-stricken Rokka when Atsushi has passed on his deathbed. His ghost complied to her request and stayed beside her ever since. This served as a catalyst for the entire story.
- Resurrected Romance
- Romancing the Widow: Hazuki spends the entire series developing a relationship with Rokka, whose husband passed away three years prior to the main story.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Hazuki, as it seems.
- What Does She See in Him?: This is what bothers Atsushi (while in Hazuki's body) when Rokka reciprocated Hazuki's feelings for her.
- Yandere: Atsushi Shimao for Rokka. He loves his widowed wife, even from beyond the grave, and hasn't left her side since he passed away. However, when Hazuki enters the picture, he becomes jealous of him and does everything he can to keep his wife to himself. He's even willing to possess his body so that he can woo her again and get rid of Hazuki. However, this behavior diminishes over time and Atsushi allows Hazuki to be with Rokka.
- You Can See Me?: Shimao had heard of people who can see ghosts before, but in the three years since his death, Hazuki is the first one he's encountered.
