The Summer You Were There may not get as much attention as the big names in yuri manga, but it's a step up from Yuama's previous work and well worth reading, albeit not for those who want completely happy stories.
The story is about a suicidal high school girl named Shizuku who plans to kill herself after throwing out the manuscript of a story she just completed, only for her classmate Kaori to pick it up, read it and suggest that they pretend to date over summer vacation so that Shizuku can write another story. Shizuku reluctantly accepts, but finds there's more to Kaori than meets the eye. The story is reminiscent of Your Lie in April in many regards, and while the subject matter- including bullying, suicidal depression and terminal illness- is often dark, it handles it tastefully.
The cast is fairly small- only four major characters and six total named characters- but is fairly well-developed overall. They not only change significantly over the course of the manga, but also at a believable pace considering the relatively small timeframe the story takes place in. Miscommunications and conflicts inevitably happen, but rather than being contrived ways to stir up drama, they feel like natural results of characters' shortcomings, such as Shizuku's tendency to assume the worst or Kaori hiding her pain from others.
The story is well-paced. It lasts 32 chapters, spread across six volumes, and takes place over the course of a month and a half, with most chapters beginning the day after the last one, if not where the last one left off. While some chapters are more important than others, something significant happens in every chapter. The fact that the series has a duration that's established at the beginning helps give a clear idea of how things are progressing, and avoids any issues with rushing to or dragging out the outcome.
The romance also proceeds at a good pace, as while Shizuku initially reluctantly goes along with Kaori's plans, she gradually comes to trust and love Kaori, and takes a more active role in their relationship over time. You may be disappointed if you're expecting a great deal of physical intimacy, as they don't go beyond hugging and Holding Hands due to the time frame and an aspect of the Foregone Conclusion I won't spoil here, but to me, that's less important than the development of the relationship itself.
While I'm not all that good at commenting on the art, I found it relatively well done, and especially liked the character designs. The characters' hairstyles, body types and fashion sense all effectively complement and show their personalities; for example, you can tell how unusual it is for Shizuku to put on a dress for a date with Kaori.
Without spoiling too much, the ending is not completely happy, although it's something of a Foregone Conclusion. That being said, the journey is well worth your time, so I recommend the series to fans of the genre.
Manga Underrrated, if sometimes depressing, yuri manga
The Summer You Were There may not get as much attention as the big names in yuri manga, but it's a step up from Yuama's previous work and well worth reading, albeit not for those who want completely happy stories.
The story is about a suicidal high school girl named Shizuku who plans to kill herself after throwing out the manuscript of a story she just completed, only for her classmate Kaori to pick it up, read it and suggest that they pretend to date over summer vacation so that Shizuku can write another story. Shizuku reluctantly accepts, but finds there's more to Kaori than meets the eye. The story is reminiscent of Your Lie in April in many regards, and while the subject matter- including bullying, suicidal depression and terminal illness- is often dark, it handles it tastefully.
The cast is fairly small- only four major characters and six total named characters- but is fairly well-developed overall. They not only change significantly over the course of the manga, but also at a believable pace considering the relatively small timeframe the story takes place in. Miscommunications and conflicts inevitably happen, but rather than being contrived ways to stir up drama, they feel like natural results of characters' shortcomings, such as Shizuku's tendency to assume the worst or Kaori hiding her pain from others.
The story is well-paced. It lasts 32 chapters, spread across six volumes, and takes place over the course of a month and a half, with most chapters beginning the day after the last one, if not where the last one left off. While some chapters are more important than others, something significant happens in every chapter. The fact that the series has a duration that's established at the beginning helps give a clear idea of how things are progressing, and avoids any issues with rushing to or dragging out the outcome.
The romance also proceeds at a good pace, as while Shizuku initially reluctantly goes along with Kaori's plans, she gradually comes to trust and love Kaori, and takes a more active role in their relationship over time. You may be disappointed if you're expecting a great deal of physical intimacy, as they don't go beyond hugging and Holding Hands due to the time frame and an aspect of the Foregone Conclusion I won't spoil here, but to me, that's less important than the development of the relationship itself.
While I'm not all that good at commenting on the art, I found it relatively well done, and especially liked the character designs. The characters' hairstyles, body types and fashion sense all effectively complement and show their personalities; for example, you can tell how unusual it is for Shizuku to put on a dress for a date with Kaori.
Without spoiling too much, the ending is not completely happy, although it's something of a Foregone Conclusion. That being said, the journey is well worth your time, so I recommend the series to fans of the genre.