Let's Talk About Us
What happens when you have the chance to reconnect with an old high school classmate that made a big impact in your life?
Disclaimer: This is a review of a mature 18+ series. This title is not suitable for minors.
As my manga collection grows, the less I want to collect longer series and when I saw Let’s Talk About Us by Samba Maekawa at Kinokuniya I decided to add it to my basket without knowing much about this title. This is a short story following two men who met in high school, then went their separate ways after graduation. The two of them took very different paths in life but after things didn’t work out, they find their way back home where they eventually reunite. Have things really changed that much in the quiet Japanese town?
Genre: BL, romance, drama, slice of life
Age Rating: Mature
Publisher: Manga Planet
Status: Complete, one volume
Synopsis:
Free spirited boy Makito had big dreams of leaving his small hometown in pursuit of becoming an Idol. During his high school days, a single interaction with the stoic and artsy classmate named Junpei made a lasting impact on Makito. It was Junpei’s work ethic and determination that inspired Makito to pursue his own dream, but life had other plans for Makito and his dreams of becoming an idol did not quite work out.
After a breakup with his partner, Makito flees the big city to return to his hometown and it’s there that he reconnects with Junpei and they get to learn more about each other. Makito assumes that life for Junpei has been easy after high school, but he later learns of Junpei’s own struggles. The two men begin to confide in one another as they learn how to move forward as adults.
Favorite Things:
Junpei: I really enjoyed him as a character. He was extremely compassionate and caring, even towards people who did not treat him kindly in the past.
Short: This was a short but sweet read. It kind of gave you everything from Makito’s backstory, you got to see his life in Tokyo, and some high school flashbacks. I also thought it bounced between both Makito and Junpei’s perspective pretty well.
Communication: I really enjoyed seeing Junpei and Makito being honest and vulnerable with each other. It was almost always Junpei pushing Makito to not be afraid to be honest, but sometimes you need a little push in order to open up to someone.
Notable Things:
Junpei’s PTSD: Junpei joined the self-defense services and developed PTSD during his service. Maybe it’s because San Diego is such a military city but I hear so much from people who have served dealing with PTSD. I thought the way his PTSD was discussed and shown was done well and it’s something that some readers may relate to.
Makito’s Cheating: Another realistic scenario shown in this series is how Makito unknowingly ended up becoming the other man in the relationship he was in. He went into the relationship with good intentions but you can really see how discovering that his partner was cheating on his spouse with Makito really affected him.
Rating: ★★★ / 5
Although I enjoyed reading Let’s Talk About Us I don’t think this story is revolutionary nor life changing. I also don’t think it’s one to run to buy or try to hunt down since this title isn’t available at most bookstores.