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While only "Two Lions" by Nagisa Furuya has been published on the German market so far, the mangaka is currently enjoying great popularity with publishers on the US market and numerous of her works have been released in recent months. With "Number Call", fans of the mangaka can now also enjoy her debut work, which ran in the "gateau" from November 2013 to June 2014 and was subsequently published as a single volume. The title is published on the US market by Kodansha.
How was it?
Number Call tells the story of high school student Eito Tachibana, who has always despised his name because of the jokes and puns associated with the number 8. However, his perspective changes when he meets a classmate named Tomoya Hatta, also known as Hachi, which means “8” in Japanese. What begins as a casual interaction soon develops into a deeper connection that leads Eito to the realization that there may be more to his affinity for the number 8 than he first thought.
The single volume fulfills the expectations of those who have already enjoyed other works by the mangaka. “Number Call” is a heartwarming high school romance that explores the power of connection and the unexpected ways in which people can find love.
One of the manga's strengths lies in its compelling characters, particularly Eito and Tomoya. Both main characters are carefully fleshed out and endearing, each struggling with their own insecurities and desires. The mangaka captures the subtle nuances of teenage emotions sensitively and authentically, creating characters that are realistic and relatable to readers of all ages. Although it has to be said that due to the number of pages, there is not a great deal of development and depth in the end.
The plot flows smoothly and seamlessly. The author initially offers us a fairly simple, not to say banal, story in which we experience our two characters in their everyday lives as high school students. The romance is very, very light and late. We rather experience the emergence of a friendship and how feelings slowly develop out of it. It's a sweet development that elicits a tender smile as we watch this duo blossom before our eyes.
The author skillfully weaves her story through the Japanese script. For those not necessarily familiar with kanji, it requires understanding that "Akito" and "Eight" can be written with the same kanji. Information provided via footnotes and glossary. However, once this fact has been explained, the meaning behind the number 8 is clear.
It is praiseworthy that the mangaka not only focuses on the main characters but also introduces their surroundings. Although it's not much and we only have one or two friends on each page, it allows us to get to know the main characters outside of their romance. Although there is a slight problem with this fact: the mangaka's drawing style doesn't seem mature enough at this point, so that at the beginning in particular, you're initially taken aback because the respective friends look eerily similar to one of the main characters.
The resolution was also pleasing. It exudes a certain maturity, and it is recognizable, which is the core of Nagisa Furuya's boy-love titles. The story is not particularly new, but it offers a feel-good atmosphere.
Unfortunately, due to the limited number of pages, boy-love manga sometimes cannot tell as detailed a story as would be desirable. While this single volume is satisfying in some ways, it certainly could have offered more if it had been expanded with a few additional chapters. Nevertheless, it is an appealing read.
Although it is Nagisa Furuya's first professional work, the title already presents itself in a fairly mature style. Compared to recent works, there may be minor flaws in terms of background details, but the expressiveness of the characters is already visible at this earlier stage. The design is clear, delicate and soft, which fits the plot perfectly.
Kodansha is publishing the single volume in large format. The volume opens with a color page showing the two main characters and Eito's friend.
Conclusion
As a debut work, "Number Call" certainly still has a few weaknesses in terms of the depth of the story and the drawings. The single volume is far from being memorable, but it does provide a pleasant atmosphere that makes it worth reading and shows the mangaka's future potential.
If you like quiet, slow-paced boy-love stories with no explicit scenes, then you've definitely come to the right place with “Number Call”.
Number Call
€12,59
€13,99
From the creator of My Summer of You comes a new high school romance about the power of numbers, and how the number 8 draws two young men together--the author’s Japanese debut, now available for the first time in English!High… read more
