In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Volume 7 Review

“Me, a boyish girl, just happened to be there right where you happened to be. We ran into each other in the hallway, got interested and fell for each other. Isn’t that enough? Can’t we just go ahead and call that destiny?” – Yoi to Ichimura in Volume 7.

Volume 6 of In the Clear Moonlit Dusk was filled with ups and downs for protagonist Yoi and boyfriend Ichimura. Now on summer break and with Yoi having filled her days with all kinds of activities, they haven’t been able to make a lot of time for one another. And even when they have seen each other, misunderstandings have led to a gloomy atmosphere between them. Will things improve here in Volume 7? Let’s find out!

At the end of Volume 6, just as Yoi and Ichimura had finally found some quality time for each other, Ichimura’s growing jealousy of Yoi’s co-worker Takuto and his insecurities get the better of him. In a sudden outburst, Ichimaru lets slip that he believes if Takuto had asked her out first, she’d be happily dating him instead. This naturally angered Yoi who stormed out and hasn’t seen her boyfriend since.

As we reunite with the two for Volume 7, we find Ichimura dragging Yoi away from Takuto (the two had simply been talking after work) before he sincerely apologises for his actions and showers Yoi with sweet treats in the hopes of earning her forgiveness. He admits he’s never gotten into a fight with a girl before and has no idea how to make amends for his actions, which he acknowledges are born out of his jealousy.

Having had time to work through her feelings after storming out on Ichimura previously, Yoi is willing to forgive him. In a heartfelt exchange she admits that she has no idea what could have happened if Takuto had confessed first, but right now Ichimura is the only one who makes her feel this way. With that crisis over, the two return to school where things are about to get busy as the classes prepare for the up-coming school festival.

This, unfortunately, sets off another chain of misunderstandings for the two. Since Yoi has wanted to keep their relationship a secret from their classmates and to prevent any rumours, Ichimaru continues to keep his distance. But when they’re both entered into the annual King & Queen Contest, all eyes fall on them and the gossip begins to make Yoi uncomfortable. Now she’s wondering if they should make their relationship public, but whenever she attempts to talk to Ichimaru about it, he acts cold toward her or doesn’t give her the chance to speak her mind.

Mika Yamamori’s In the Clear Moonlit Dusk continues to be a fabulous romance series that doesn’t shy away from the difficulties these two face in their relationship. Yoi and Ichimura are both inexperienced when it comes to love and they’ve fallen hard for each other, which is bound to lead to tricky situations like those Yamamori has been depicting here. The important thing is that when all’s said and done, they work through it together and come out the other side.

And it’s not just the relationship that Yamamori develops so well, both of our leads have plenty of insecurities and issues that are also being worked through over time. For Ichimura, it’s the fact he struggles to convey his feelings, which leads to some of these instances of miscommunications. Meanwhile, Yoi is now being perceived as more feminine by those around her and she’s not exactly upset by that but, given she’s always been seen as a ‘prince’ before, this is a new experience for her.

One of the things I most appreciate about In the Clear Moonlit Dusk is the fact that Yoi is a fairly androgynous female lead, which we don’t see in shojo often. Yamamori’s a skilled mangaka and always strikes a good balance when drawing her, sometimes leaning into a more feminine or masculine style depending on the scene and situation. It’s not just a visual element either, as Yoi is often thinking or talking about her appearance. It’s such an integral part of the story and I’m grateful for that element.

Of course, the other important thing here is that although it sounds like a lot of drama has been unfolding recently, it doesn’t feel like Yamamori is forcing it into the story. What’s happening here will be relatable to a lot of young couples in the same situation and that genuine feeling is what makes this such a compelling read volume after volume.

In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Volume 7 comes to the West thanks to Kodansha and continues to be translated by Sawa Matsueda Savage with lettering by Lys Blakeslee who do a wonderful job as always. The release includes some attractive colour pages as well as translation notes at the back of the book.

Volume 8 of the series is currently scheduled for a release in July, which once again gets us caught up to Japan who are also currently on #8. The series is also being released on K Manga, but of course, if you’re in the UK that service is yet to be made available to us.

Overall, Volume 7 of In the Clear Moonlit Dusk is another excellent entry in this ongoing series. Mika Yamamori’s work continues to be relatable and very compelling as we watch her two characters figure out love and how to walk side-by-side. The only downside now is the long wait between volumes since we caught up to Japan!

Our review copy from Kodansha was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.