Seven Days

Even though this is Shonen-ai this is a very interesting story. The cover really made me open this manga and i'm glad I did.

Art: The art is clean and crisp.

Plot: Seryou goes out with anyone who asks on mondays, but by the end of the week, ends the relationship because he does not find love. Shino seems to want to find a meaningful relationship, but gets dumped because his personality does not match his image. The catch is that they have only looked at women as mates and Shino asks out Seryou as a joke but didn't think he was serious.

The first two chapters give promise of not a highly dramatic series but of subtle strategies of getting closer and getting to know each other.

Character: They are both cool characters, that do not say everything they have on their minds. Neither of them are the dense stereotypes or forceful males that have to dominate. It gives promise of a mature and intellectual relationship that is not only fruitful but very interesting for the reader. They both seem to have equal control over the relationship so far and are feeling each other out.

I enjoyed this piece as a well drawn, well edited piece, where not every emotion is displayed and hopefully it will not turn into something more cliche. This story made me want more and I will have to wait for more chapters..

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

If you could go out with the most popular boy in school, even if only for a week, would you do it?

Yuzuru Shino doesn't hesitate the least, asking on impulse once the week starts, as a gag. But what if it turns out you can't keep it as a gag in your mind? What if you actually fall for the person?

I was expecting a typical shounen ai, slice of life manga. But I got so much more. I got to see an actual love story with so realistic perspectives I could dive into the story myself and feel what the characters were supposed to feel. I really can't put it into words how much I loved this manga, from beginning to end. First of all, let me just praise the setting and ESPECIALLY the characters. The realistic idea behind the keypoints of the series was what really caught my eye and the realistic, although a little rushed at some points, view on how the characters' feelings change over the course of the story, however short it may be. It doesn't paint the story of the typical flawless romance you're used to see. We go through infatuation, admiration, anger, jealousy and of course unconditional love side by side with the characters and I think that's beautiful.

In short, we get to see each and every aspect of a real romance and how it builds up during a specified amount of time. We see how Yuzuru asks Seryou if he could be his date for the week as a gag, and at that point of the story, most of us would expect the so called "predictable" ending that these two doesn't just go out for the week, but actually fall for each other. Okay, sure. We get that. But what if I told you that your prediction will waver and falter through the course of your reading?

It most certainly will. At first, you will probably see right through it and think, "well, it's the same unoriginal story". I know I did, but stay with me here. A couple of chapters in and you will start to re-think your previous statement. At some point, you will surely start to doubt the course of the story, start to think "but wait, this isn't how it's supposed to be!"

In the beginning, you will go through the same old typical start of the main protagonist already being fascinated by the other main character. We see Yuzuru admire Seryou from afar as his junior but it's not that hard to read through his facade of it being more than just plain admiration. But at the same time, it's hard for us as readers to pinpoint exactly what more Yuzuru is thinking when he looks at Seryou. Is it plainly because of the fact that he knows how Seryou has a different partner every week? It is because of that disappointment? Or is it because he can't read his own feelings over this person and the whole situation?

Well that's one thing that's left up for interpretation, I guess. But still, the start isn't as cliché as one might think at first. In some way, the story makes the cliché trope of pre-fascination into something that actually catches your eye and makes you want to read more.

And the realistic depiction of jealousy and anger was what really interested me. We see how even though Yuzuru tries to hold it back, his blood is obviously boiling with anger when he hears about the other girl that still has contact with Seryou. "Shino this, Shino that". We see the so familiar miscommunication between Yuzuru and Seryou whenever the other girl comes into the conversation, whichever way it may be. The "It's like that, right? It must be that way" which brings me back to my point of your "prediction" of the ending faltering. The drama in this series isn't your ordinary romance drama where you will see right through it and stop minding it. This will literally make you anxious over whether you will actually get your happy ending or not. It made me feel like it wasn't worth reading if I didn't get the ending the characters deserved, because the drama prolounged to the very last minute. It went on for so long and with such an intensity, I was 90% sure that this would be another one of those endings were it would be a conclusional ending, but certainly not an acceptable one from a readers perspective. In short, I was sure that "Seven Days" would pull and [Spoiler] No.6 kind of ending.

But if I was so sceptical of this series, why did my final rating of this series become a 10? No, not just because of the ending, but because of the emotional rollercoaster it took me on and how well it solved all it's issues that came up and how well though out it was. As my final word about it, it will certainly not let you down. I recommend this manga to each and everyone who wants to go through a romance side by side with the characters and in the end, feel the heartwarming blessings the characters are supposed to feel.

True love happens in any situation, regardless of any factors going against it. You cannot fake true love, or a true love story. Seven days is a story of true love.

Yuzuru is a third year student in high school who has a pretty face that the ladies chase. Until they find out about his true personality and leave him. Many think it is a shame he was blessed with such a pretty face and such a bad attitude. His bad attitude is that he is impolite and laid back, not the knight in shining armor everybody thought he was. He hates it that people judge by appearances because it ends up just being a waste of time for both parties.

Seryou is a year younger than Yuzuru and a ladies man himself. He gives one week to anybody who asks him out and he treats them like nothing else matters. But at the end of that week, if he did not fall in love with that person, he would break up with them. In his personal life, Seryou has a complicated relationship with a woman who shares the first name Shino with Yuzuru. He loves her, but she will always love his brother more.

Yuzuru hears about Seryou and asks him for a week of his time. Seryou decides to go along and the two are in for the strangest week of their life. Spouts of jealousy, anger, and compassion. And of course, falling in true love.

Seldom do I give out perfect scores and those who do receive a perfect score from me, are worthy of it. Seven Days is a story that will grab at your heart and take you for a ride. The situation under which this all occurs is original, but not entirely realistic. Of course we are all searching for love, but I do not think we would do it like this weekly basis. Unless we are speaking of this true love which can happen in such a short amount of time. It progressed at a well enough rate and kept me turning to the next page.

I liked the art. I don’t know what I can say about it since I am not the visual artistic type, but it was well down and pleased my eyes. The scenes were grabbing and the emotions on their faces were well done.

Seryou and Yuzuru felt like actual people with emotions. They had things they hated and things they liked. It can be contested to a point that they are from the cookie cutter, but from there they had things that were unique to themselves. Archery was a talent they shared and their personalities were mimicked by how they did in archery. If a lot is on your mind you are going to do worse at it, as we see. If you are at peace, then you will do better. I had a connection to each of them and they were like genuine people.

I enjoyed Seven Days a lot. If you can’t tell already, I was excited reading this. I was up until four in the morning reading it. It kept itself on track and everything did something to move me forward.

Story: 10/10
Art: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

Rounded Total: 10/10

Well, I guess you couldn't call this a real review. But I can't help but adore this manga, and profess my love for it. I love the way it's not hardcore like you'll get in most yaoi, where it's just... like intercourse every chapter? Yeah, I don't mind those but out of them all, I'd say this is my favorite. I'm going to be so sad when I finish reading it all. And I love the characters. It's not like filled with dominating seme practically raping their uke at all. More like, just two guys. Normal guys. Kind of. Anyways it makes you feel all happy that it's more realistic. Oh, and I simply adore the art. It's just so beautiful and vibrant for black and white. I love this type of drawing, in fact, I think this shall remain my permanent drawing type.
Anyways, to all those who would love a real good read, enjoy this. :)
(wow, I gave it all tens)

Let me start off by saying that I am not anywhere close to being a fan of short manga. For me to actually really love a manga it has to go on for a while so that I can live with the characters for a bit.

That being said... I really did love Seven Days.

It was sweet and fun and overall a nice thing to read. Considering it couldn't have taken me over half an hour to go through the story, it did a surprisingly good job at making me smile. This is probably my favourite manga under 20 chapters.

Story:
Ah... is there ever a more universal plot then love? I'm not a person especially believing in true loves and happy endings but I have to say it's something manga always (or at least some of the time) seem to be able to pull off. Everything was nicely paced (which is hard to do in 13 chapters) and the dialogue always seemed to fit. I found the whole premise somewhat interesting but I think something more important to the story was the way people perceive one another. Seven Days really managed to show this concept off nicely and simply. Everyone wants people to love them from who they are. This is what the story is based around and it's not overly played with, the theme distributed in the right places and leaving room for other ideas and interpretations.

Art:
To be honest, I'm not the best judge with art in manga but... I know what I like and I know what I don't. Usually I get caught up in the story but if the art is good enough, I'll look over something more than once. Despite my lack of attention, character facial expressions and I guess overall appearance matter to me. Often enough I'll find a manga with (usually) old art and cringe at the face some poor guy is wearing. Seven Days was easy to look at though. It wasn't eye-catching to the point where you became distracted (which is good) but it was also really nicely used to show subtle emotions and give hints to the characters pasts.

Character:
It's normal for everyone to grow attachments to characters. I am no exception. That's usually why I dislike short manga. They reel me in with an interesting character before slapping me across the face with an ending. The characters were interesting and complex people with similar wishes of 'acceptance' and 'love'. It was nice to have characters that weren't built up from each other. Both of the main boys are their own people and unlike a lot of other romance-themed manga, they didn't rely solely on each other (how could you in 7 days?) which I felt was a good point of showcasing originality. They're characters you can feel something for without it going over the top to the point where you're frustrated by the length.

Enjoyment:
Did I enjoy this? From all my points you could probably gather yes. Hell, with the way I went on with each aspect this seems like it should be a 10! Alas, I can't find it within me to rate such a short series a 10. But it was still a really fun read. Especially for 13 chapters (I know I keep going on but ehhhh I don't care). Seven Days was fun and curiously simple. It's something I can imagine re-reading at some point. I'd say that it would've been nice for a longer story (maybe they could've changed it so he dates people for a month?). I dunno. I just can't ever seem to get over my sulking of short reads...

Overall:
It won't take you seven days to fall in love with this title. Maybe you won't love it at all but it's worth a read for a lot of audiences due to the story and characters. If you are going to take anything from my review take this: strong concepts are what make good stories into more. Go read it and find out if you understand that. Trust me, you will.

After having read tons of yaoi manga with little to none realism and since I was getting bored with plots relying solely on nicely drawn sex scenes, Seven Days was quite refreshing and I enjoyed myself overly much.

The story completely draws you in and it's just so beautiful and entrancing I could feel the characters' emotions go through my entire heart and soul.I felt pained when they were sad,I felt true joy when they were happy.

To put it simply,this is a story about pure love and how even though it may hurt,falling in love makes a person happier.

Story (10) - I give it a ten because, like I already said,in between all the smutty yaoi manga,this romantic story brings in a nice refreshing feeling and simply warms you heart.

Art (10) - I'm that kind of reader that just can't read a manga if I don't like the art.And,oh,Gawd,Seven Days' art is absolutely adorable.It makes me happy just looking at their faces.It's just really darn cute.I simply adore this kind of art so much.

Character (9) - This receives a nine only because there were a few times when I was just standing there wondering "Why the hell did(n't) you do that?".They were very few, but they were still there, so I think giving it a ten would be slightly overrated.Even though, the characters were very believable and realistic.I just couldn't help but like how normal they seemed.They had their own flaws,there's no such thing as a "perfect" character and that's exactly what makes them so likeble.It got me really into the story.

Enjoyment (10) - What can I say?I utterly adore this manga and it can easily be called one of the best shonen-ai manga out there.The story and art were great and the characters weren't idealised.I can without a doubt say this is an extremely enjoyable manga not only for the fans of boys love, but for all people who like stories about true love.

P.S. This is the first review I'm writing.I just thought I really wanted to do it for Seven Days,as it made its way into my heart.I'd be glad if you rated this review as helpful/unhelpful but more importantly, I hope you'll read and enjoy this manga as much as I did.

The story is quite nice, its something fresh and unique(go see the synopsis)... it deals about "reality" where people judge others through looks... but this one is special because of the couples... it was really sweet, and another thing is, its a bit unpredictable, making the readers more curious about it... the twists and turn of the story is very nice and it happened at perfect intervals...

as you read it, it would make you more and more excited regarding what would the climax of the story would be...

though the ending was something that would make you want more, as if the story needs more, because I wasn't satisfied, I was hoping for more... but nevertheless, the story itself is complete...

Ok so I'm just a yaoi fan girl like most of the girl who read this manga but let me tell you one thing before you anti-yaoi anime lovers dismiss this as another waste of time and a useless piece that is tainting the manga genre. Forget everything that you have seen or heard about the yaoi genre. Forget that this story has a shounen-ai tag. Imagine yourself finding this manga by chance and thinking that this will be a great slice of life story to pass time. As you read, you will realize that this is not simply a tale to satisfy the fantasy of boyxboy craved young women, but that it holds a true value, a true lesson to teach you. You will not see the two men presented before you as lovers of the same gender but simply as two beings. And when their story unfolds and you have discovered their profond secrets, you will realize that deep inside you, you are cheering, secretly hoping that these two soul may find confort in each other's company.

Story: The story starts out very simply. A guy finds relationships trivial and untrue and feels that every girl that has asks him out since has only been after his good looks. Yet he has made the effort of going out with everyone who asks him out, thinking that it will always end the same as it always has but secretly hoping for one relationship to work. So...what happens when his fellow classmate/distant friend ask him to go out with him, thinking that the latter has not taken his request seriously? Well that is for me to know and for you to find out.

Art: This is a slice of life after all so you can't expect anything extravagant. The drawing style is simple. It makes you concentrated more on the story and the characters rather than the scenery.Don't let that fool you because the characters are still good looking enough be be called mid-bishies.

Character: You won't be able read this without feeling like you can relate to these characters. I'm sure that you have always wondered if you were liked/acknowledged because of who you were or because of your looks. I am also sure that you have met people who are desirable only because of their outside looks but understand their predicament and their true conflicted character. Hence you will find these character easy to relate to. IN ADDITION,THERE ARE A LOT OF GIRLS IN THIS (compared to most yaoi) so do not concern yourself about this matter. This is not a perfect world where everyone is gay and everyone is male.

Enjoyment: Obviously this manga will be enjoyable for yaoi fan girls because of its boyxboy story but I think that non-fans will be even more overjoyed to have finally found a manga in this bizzare genre that will move you more than you cold have ever imagined. This manga will not be a letdown, YOU HAVE MY WORD.

Because of its uniqueness and innovation, it give this manga an overall 10/10.
Hopefully, this will make you reconsidered the shounen-ai/yaoi manga genre as a whole and make you look for stories just like this (even if they don't belong to the genre).

Story: If you've read the little summary, then you already know the basic gist of the story. Now, my reason for giving the story a 10 is because not only is it original in its own case, but it has this sense of real-ness. A sort of reality that this can happen to anyone regardless of gender, preferences, etc. There's not much to say about the story, only that you really have to read it to understand the fullness in it.

Art: Personally, I didn't enjoy the art as much as I should. I mean, if there was a decimal rating within the full numbers, than I seriously would've gave it a 9.8 at best but I rounded high. Why I say this is because I often seriously pay attention to the details and styles within the manga I read. So this is because I have a serious eye in things like these. HOWEVER, that does not mean you shouldn't read it. No, in fact, the reason why I started reading this was partly because of the art. It is simple in its own ways and brings out the very fullness of the manga. It gives off that soft-glow feeling just looking at it.

Character(s): Seryou and Yuzuru. Probably the only two characters that I'm almost glad that they don't have a sexual-close relationship. Seryou is that certain guy that'll make you feel so special despite the fact that he doesn't really care about you. Then we have Yuzuru, the highly misjudged boy in which girls practically label him as that strong, silent type even though he's not. Now, if you add them both together, you have a series of contradictions and negatives. But in the end, it's almost like they HAVE to be together. Yuzuru's blunt and moody personality seems to compliment Seryou's kind and masochist-like behavior and vice versa. All in all, the characters are really nice. I doubt anyone could hate either one.

Enjoyment: I started reading this when I accidently saw the ending scene and seriously, not even KNOWING the characters, I fell in love with the manga. It's probably how simple the ending was that it impacted much more emotion to it. I certainly had a wonderful time reading, though there were some parts (or people) that made me just wanna skip through it and go to the ending scene but I held against it.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I would like to say that I'd like to see this become an anime/OVA but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much as I have when I read it. It's just something that has to be read rather than seen through animation. Besides, it is a pretty short story and it'd be a waste of time to animate, find VAs, etc. Anyway, go on and read it~ You'll definitely enjoy it!

In this world, people judge according to one’s appearance. Neglecting them if they’re disappointed after peeling off the skin. Harsh? Yes. This is the reality of what this story takes place to. It takes your mindset into something captivating.

The main storyline focuses on two characters namely: Yuzuru, a person who may seem unblemished, ethical and perfect. He gives off a stoic vibe to many people who sees him. Most of his classmates adore him. There’s only one thing, he isn’t like what you’re imagining. A prince?No, definitely no. He’s quite the opposite. He’s moody, grumpy and frank. And most of the times ends up getting dumped by the girl who confessed to him, it’s contradictory.

On the other side of the picture, Seryou, a year younger and is the ‘I-go-out-with-girls-with-no-feelings-attached’ kind of guy. Looking up from different angles, he seems to be a bad guy. But peeking through the needle hole, he is someone who is surprisingly unfathomable. He’s mysterious, bizarre and apathetic.

For the plot, it starts off when Yuzuru gets a chance to go out with one of the most popular guys in school, Seryou. But wait–there’s something more. All we know is both of them are straight, right? Seryou goes out with random people for a week, and dumps them afterwards saying that he can’t feel anything for them. Yuzuru on the other hand, hears this gossip and piques his interest. A while after, he asks Seryou if he could go out with him. Yuzuru takes this as a joke while Seryou, after hearing this took it seriously and started to act like as a perfect boyfriend.

We have two of the most common characters in a plot just like this. There’s only something between them, a relationship. Then what?Love?Misunderstandings?Trials?

And this is how the story starts to get more enticing.

In a typical shounen ai read, the strongest element that can be made is its art. Seven Days’ design was really alluring. Fully detailed and the background really gets the readers to notice them. It creates more depth and sets the characters on the perfect flow and atmosphere. It feels like the characters were from a picture book and it just keeps you staring at it. There are many words to describe it actually. But uniqueness is something more suitable.

The characters has a chronic impact. It intercepts most of the minor flaws and gets back again in a good progress. It provides the readers captivity through its detailed scheme. It strips down one of the most pleasant elements in a story and directs satisfaction with no constraint. It simply makes you want to love them.

Some supporting characters are merely for support. In the beginning half of the story, they were a big help with the comical part and the progress of the main cast. But on the latter part, they seem to achromatize. Which I think needs improvement, nevertheless it did not affect too much on the flow of the story. Some outweighs the others which makes the readers focus more on them. Just like the other Shiyo, while she made half of the story interesting, the others were used for back up but is also reflexive.

Monday to Thursday has the majority of Yuzuru’s thoughts. He primarily thinks of things complicatedly and often leads to misunderstandings. He’s too self conscious due to his past relationships. Passing over these facts, we may also find him adorably childish. He sticks to his friends oftentimes and acts like a spoiled child when with Seryou.

On the contrary, Friday to Sunday premiers Seryou’s intricate mindset. He loves Yuzuru more than anyone else. He loves Yuzuru as a whole; as a child, a student, an upperclassman, a friend, a person, a man and as a lover. Still, he doesn’t comprehend with Seryou’s thinking. In many instances, Seryou is seen surprised by Yuzuru’s actions. He wants to knock on the door of Yuzuru’s life. He wants to be with him, even after seven days.

This is another recommended shounen ai read for those who are hooked up with platonic relationships. It focuses more on the character’s development and the relationship between them gives off more of pure love rather than sensual feeling. Though I say that it’s pure love, you won’t find a girly uke here. It’s all masculine, in a different kind of way.

Seven Days is not merely just a title. This is where the whole storyline revolves,starts and ends. It actually doesn’t end. It’s a cycle of events where people are not only to be loved because of appearance, but because he is the being himself.

Speaking of seven days, how many days does it actually need to fall inlove with someone?