A Long & Short Love Story Review
Sarah •
Ibuki and Kippei are childhood friends and next-door neighbours but now they’re in high school, that close friendship is about to change… Ibuki finds himself wondering, “I wonder if he’s sick of being with me all the time?” But then he kisses Kippei and their relationship falters as both try to come to terms with what has happened. The relentless school calendar rolls on and exams loom, as well as the prospect of choosing what to do when they graduate. Maybe they can share an apartment together?
This seems to be the very first of Kei Ichikawa’s manga to receive an English physical edition (her Stray Bullet Baby manga has been available from Kodansha in digital format since 2018). Better late than never, however, and this volume showcases her delicate colour art at its best, as well as delivering an endearing story about two childhood friends and neighbours which manages to use and transcend the well-worn stereotypes usually found in such stories. Now pretty please can we have a physical English edition of her best-known BL series Blue Sky Complex (no longer available on futekiya/Manga Planet)?
A Long & Short Love Story is slice of life par excellence; a series of vignettes from Kei and Ibuki’s everyday lives, each of the twenty short chapters preceded by a full-page colour illustration. It’s almost an art book as it’s such a treat to have so many colour illustrations by this gifted mangaka reflecting the passing seasons; the little pops of colour that appear in the black-and-white panels are cleverly used to emphasize little details, such as red nose-tips in the winter chill, the glossy pink of a tulip or a sudden splash of blue sky. The use of high-quality paper is a plus in ensuring that the colours sing. The way falling leaves are scattered across the page to show the coming of autumn (and also the passing of time) first in Chapter 6 and later in Chapter 12 is an attractive touch. And all the events of the Japanese year (that matter to high schoolers) appear as a background to the story: fireworks, the school cultural festival, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, New Year…
The translation for Yen Press is by Katelyn Smith with lettering by Aila Nagamine and both work well to convey the story (which is told through minimal dialogue and the art). There’s an interesting two-page illustrated afterword in which Kei Ichikawa tells how this was originally a one-year project for the magazine Ciel that eventually stretched to three years!
Even given the brief snapshot format of the story-telling, the mangaka’s skill ensures we get to know Ibuki and Kippei through these glimpses and watch over them tentatively negotiating what it means to be in a relationship. And the last chapter is charming. No spoilers!
This slim BL manga volume is a little gem; if you haven’t read any of Kei Ichikawa’s work before, this is a great place to start as it showcases her art and subtle storytelling skills at their best.
Read a free preview on the Yen Press website here.
Our review copy was supplied by the publisher Yen Press.
