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?

It was the cover that made me read this manga. Because seriously, how beautiful is that cover? It's amazingly drawn and the blue colour is very beautiful. *sigh* I can stare at it forever.

And the story doesn't disappoint. I loved the characters and the plot is something I've never seen in a manga before. The fact that the two guys' relationship progresses slowly makes the manga believable and interesting. Very highly recommended, even to those who have never tried the shounen-ai genre, but want to!

This was a wholesome story about first love. I'm not that good at writing reviews and normally don't bother but I just had to cause I loved this a lot.

Story: (10/10)
Just with 13 chapters and some extras this was amazing. Seryou goes out randomly with anyone for a week, and after a week he dumps them by saying he couldn't feel any feelings for the other. Yuzuru, just out of curiosity and moment of impulse asks Seryou to go out with him. While Yuzuru takes this as a joke, Seryou took it seriously and started to act like a perfect boyfriend.

Art: (10/10)
I don't think I need to say anything, just it's pretty.

Character: (9/10)
Yuzuru, due to his looks people just assume of him as their mr. right and when they start dating and get to know his true personality which wasn't what they thought, he gets dumped mostly. At first glace he seems like a prince but in reality, he's the opposite. Moody, grumpy, frank (But that's cute >w<)
Seryou is the "no-feelings-attached-going-out-with-anyone" guy. But actually he is also pretty different from the image he gives off.

Enjoyment: (10/10)
It's a wholesome shounen-ai which is realistic and really good. I can't explain it well, but try it out.

Overall: (10/10)
I liked it so I wished there would be an anime adaption but sadly, that may not be possible cause it has 13 chapters and completed. In anime, they cut off some scenes from the manga and with just 13 chapters it won't be possible even if nothing is cut. But I still hope there's a sequel for it.

I've read a lot of yaoi manga for the past month and this is definitely the first shonen ai manga that I have ever read in my almost a decade of being an otaku.
This manga really surprised me in a very good way. I've encountered this title at recommendation forums in manga fox but I never expected it to be really good. First of all, the cover art is not that attractive although it was kinda unique in its own way. I read the synopsis at myanimelist.com and it got me really interested to push through reading this manga. I thank all those yaoi fans for introducing me to such an interesting and emotional manga.
I loved this manga and for the first shonen ai that I have read. This would totally be the best I bet and that this would become a benchmark for those other shonen ai manga that I might read in the future! I love this manga! I bet you would too (--only applicable for those who are comfortable with BL stuff...).

From the looks of the other reviews, I'm definitely in the minority here. But ignoring that fact...
I was expecting for this to be fantastic, introspective, and altogether beautiful but my feelings while reading this were lukewarm. I was as satisfied as one may be when they go to a restaurant with nothing but a picked-over buffet table at 8 in the afternoon.

Story: 7
It's a short manga, so there isn't much to say beyond what is already in the premise. There are some things that I would have preferred to have been resolved (who is Shino, what is Seryou's brother like, etc.) and for other things to be expanded on (archery club, Seryou's questionable attendance, his week-long girlfriends), but unfortunately these things never are.
I wasn't too crazy about the dialogue. There wasn't anything wrong with the scanlations I was reading; the dialogue was just too lackluster. A lot of simple sentences.
I like how their entire relationship wasn't sexual. It's very frustrating when two people meet and decide to solidify their relationship by having sex or whatever. In this case, it wasn't even about being gay, bi, straight, etc. it was just two people who love each other.

Art: 6
This art was comfortingly familiar because I had previously read something with the same artist, Torikagosou no Kyou mo Nemutai Juunin-tachi. However, it wasn't as good in this manga. While the art still had that soft, sweet quality about it, the proportions of people were off- small heads, too-long arms, etc.

Character: 5
Shino is supposed to be a guy with a beautiful face but a disappointingly taciturn personality. Or at least that's what everyone kept saying...His "terrible" personality was really blown up. For example, after getting a bulls-eye in archery, he does a little fist pump. His teacher yells at him for his "vulgar" display. Is there some cultural thing that I'm not getting here, or...?
Seryou seemed like a bit of an airhead. I'm not sure that he thought through the whole "date a girl a week" thing, nor am I sure why he was so hooked on finding love.
Overall, the characters weren't shallow, just not developed enough.

Enjoyment: 6
Not the worst, not the best. Seven Days is worth reading though because of the unusual circumstances that Shino and Seryou's relationship is formed and the basis that it was formed on.

I think I'm going to be a minority voice here, but I didn't much care for this two volume series. I used to be a pretty big Yaoi fan in my teens, but once I hit twenty, I got kinda tired of the same plot rehashed over and over (which is what every subsequent book DMP released felt like). However, I kept hearing rave reviews for Seven Days, and I had to admit my curiosity was piqued.

After reading both books, I found the story to be very par for the course once again. It's cute, but nothing so amazing that it could get me back into the genre. I'd go into the plot, but that small blurb up at the top covers it quite well. Character wise, I didn't find either too likeable as one was more like a doormat (and an admitted Masochist, so I suppose he's in character in that case :/ Meh.) and the other's big reveal is that he has a pissy personality and is an insensitive jerk. These flaws could've been saved in my eyes if it weren't for the biggest offender in this situation: the translation.

I am now convinced that DMP had the worse translation team in the market. The dialogue was flat and lacked personality. I also felt like the break up of dialogue between word bubbles were a bit too unnatural. It was offensive enough (to me anyway) to want to go back and smooth the dialogue over more. It felt like an unpolished scanlation, which makes me sad cause I spend about $24 procuring these books. Now, I can understand that there's a very vocal majority who likes their manga as trans-literal as possible and Yaoi is still a niche market and I can see DMP catering to that if that really is the case...but as for me, I'll be passing on any further purchases from that label. I knew they had this problem before when they first started, but I guess I had hoped that they had gotten better. Oh well, ebay here I come...

Shino Yuzuru is a third year high school student who is constantly being judged by his good looks, that are in contrast to his personality. It's not strange that when he hears the story of a junior's weird habit he feels quite curious about it; Seryou Touji is a sophomore that has adopted as a custom accepting any girl, who confesses first on Monday, as his girlfriend during the week. If he doesn't fall in love with them, the relationship ends in that Sunday and, since he is so popular, he is very lucky to get a new girlfriend every Monday, or maybe not so lucky. Shino is pondering about all this when, coincidentally, he turns out to be the first person to meet Seryou in that week. His curiosity takes the best of him, so much that he jokingly asks Seryou to be his couple of the week after hearing he would accept anyone. What will happen when Seryou takes his "rule" a bit too seriously...?

Seven Days is presented to us as a boy's love manga, but it's certainly much more than that. This is a romance story with a premise that transcends any genre; the nature of falling in love. We all judge based on appearances, at least until we are able to know more, that's why the concept of seven days to fall in love sounds so compelling and very interesting. From that idea, the plot progresses slowly, instantly taking us to our days of innocent dreams, and creating a sort of magical purity between these teenagers, who wouldn't be able to enjoy such details if they weren't completely unexpected. The week promise is the thread that keeps them together and can definitely separate them at the end of that week.

This manga would probably become only an endearing story, if it weren't for the breathtakingly beautiful way the game is presented to us. A sort of delicate, disheveled and yet beautiful art-style; a very clever way of placing simple words, playing with panel alignment and flashbacks to empower them; and characters with very interesting and quirky personalities. Tachibana Venio's story, combined with Takarai Rihito's art, worked with these details in a way that made Seven Days a light but brilliant piece. There is definitely a lovely harmony between all the elements, each of them enhancing the beauty of the other, until the point you can feel, for example, the tension and tranquility in Yuzuru's archery performance, just as Seryou would picture it.

Character-wise, there is nothing more interesting than realistic, flawed personalities, at least for me. These boys are considered handsome, and they are very popular, but they have a lot of complicated and not so good qualities that people don't like to imagine while looking at them. However, they complement each other nicely, and their bad points can actually become charming once you get to look at them from different angles.

Compared to most fast-paced boy's loves, Seven Days turns out to be very simple and original, in a way that strikes me as slice of life. In fact, every time I read this volume a strange sense of peace overcomes me. I can't help but think that I slowly fell in love too, but with the manga, because it artfully caresses any fiber of romanticist you might have. Shino and Seryou remind us what falling in love is about. Not the I love you since I first saw you or you are so hot/strong/powerful that I can't resist you type. It's the this is the real me, I'm getting to know you, and I really like what I see kind of love. Honestly, this is the sort of romantic development that I would like to see in most romantic stories. For now, they are just getting to know each other (makes me wonder about the 16+ rating, this is not yaoi), but we almost can't wait to see what will come on Friday in one of the best weeks of boy's love. Seven Days would serve as a really heartwarming introduction to boy's love with an unusual and well-thought "game" that leaves us thinking about the reasons we fall in love.

“Seven days to see what’s in my heart… it’s short, but it’s enough…” or is it? Can a person really fall in love in just one week or is it just long enough for a good dream?

Through two characters that seem just like a pair of ordinary boys, we experience a whirlwind of emotions as their relationship grows and falters just like in any love story in real life. This is what really separates Seven Days from many other similar themed shounen-ai mangas. Unlike others, it’s simplistic and realistic, merely focusing on telling the story rather than getting carried away with fan-service and yaoi material. Having said that, the story would not have worked half as well had Shino’s character been a girl. There just wouldn’t have been the same awkwardness that gives tension to the manga that draws the audience in.

From an artistic point of view, Takarai Rihito’s unique drawing style is quite distinctive and has an unimaginably captivating quality to it that is easily likeable by most readers. In Seven Days the art has been drawn with much detail and depth, which is rare to see these today. Her drawing style is not the usual “bishie” or super masculine look that is commonly found in shounen-ai or yaoi titles. Nevertheless, the style does suit the story very well.

Overall, Seven Days is an honest and charming story that readers will find exceptionally gratifying. It’s well drawn, well written and has a decent plot that does not stray into fan-service territory. After personally reading Seven Days several times over now, there is no doubt that it is an easy all time favorite for devoted BL-fans as well as those simply looking for a good read.

As a straight guy I've never really been into shounen-ai anime and manga ("No.6" and that one episode of "Shinsekai Yori" are about my only experience with the genre). So why did I choose to read "Seven Days"? Because I thought the synopsis sounded really interesting, same reason I read most manga.

The story of Seven Days follows two extremely popular high school boys who are both in the archery club at their school. In reality however, the two of them are about as different and yet as similar as two high school boys could be. Shino Yuzuru is tired of being asked out by girls only to be dumped by them when they find out that he isn't as perfect as they imagined. Seryou Touji dates a different girl each week, treats her perfectly, and then breaks up with her at the end of the week saying that he was sorry, but he couldn't fall in love with her. Seryou also has some other problems stemming from his older brother's "on and off" girlfriend. Yuzuru hears about Seryou's weekly "routine" and ends up jokingly asking him out early on a Monday morning. Seryou, to Yuzuru's eventual surprise (even though it seems like he knows Yuzuru was joking) agrees and starts dating him.

What really caught me when I read over the synopsis before reading the manga was the part about Seryou's weekly dating routine. It just struck me as really unique and interesting. It kind of makes the shounen-ai aspect of "two straight guys falling in love" a bit more believable especially when you add in Yuzuru's built-up annoyance at women. Cause honestly, that kind of stuff doesn't generally happen in real life very much, so the setting here, which made it more believable, was really nice in my opinion. The rest of the drama as the story goes along for the next week (hence the title), is well thought out and there aren't any unnecessary or forced moments just to get them to kiss or have a romantic moment.

The art is also exceptional. Even for someone like me with no attraction to guys, I'll admit the two main characters are drawn extremely well, even compared to most shoujo manga guys. And it stays consistent throughout whether the story is comedic, dramatic, or just normal. The scenery of the city they live in also stands out as well as the school they attend (the archery dojo especially).

The characters are mostly just Yuzuru and Seryou with just a few rather unimportant minor characters. The minor characters are mostly just there to add more depth to the two main characters though and none of them get any development. However, that is made up for by both Yuzuru and Seryou being very good protagonists. They really do make a good couple (even if most people just think they are joking) and without each other, they may have just stayed stuck in their fairly depressing, repetitive lives. The story uses both of them as the narrator (internal pondering usually) at times despite starting off with Yuzuru initially, and it really helps. You get a better connection with both of them and how they are feeling in this "unique" situation. The drama between them is something you really feel connected to all the way to the end.

Overall - 8.5/10

I really enjoyed this manga and probably would have liked it even more if I was a girl (or gay) and was attracted to one of the guys. Still, I would recommend anyone who enjoys romance manga to read this whether you are a guy or a girl. It's just a genuinely nice story with just the right amount of shounen-ai aspects to please girls but not annoy guys (at least it wasn't enough to turn me off from the manga). The story takes precedence over the romantic moments, and I think it has just the right mixture of these elements (the manga's rated around #60 on MAL so it's kind of safe to assume other people think this as well).

What would you do if you could go out with one of the most popular people in school with no catches? What if you found out that you could only go out with them for seven days, would you still be willing to ask that person out?

Yuzuru Shino is your average high school student. He has a few friends, belongs to a club and just goes about his life like any other teenage boy. Touji Seryou on the other hand is somewhat strange. Being one of the most attractive and popular guys in the school, all the girls lust for him. Touji is a bit unique however as Touji will go out with any girl who asks him to on Monday. But, after seven days he will split up with the other person by saying "I couldn't fall in love with you". One Monday, Yuzuru and Touji end up at the school gates together and out of curiosity, Yuzuru asks him out for the week. With seven days on the clock what will Yuzuru do with his week? Seven days shows us Yuzuru's week with Touji in sixteen beautiful chapters.

The art is one of the first things that draws your attention. Takarai is exceptionally talented and from the first few pages the art catches your eye and invites you to read on. People who see the art as something make or break in their manga should have no fear of reading this as it is by far some of the best I have seen. It definitely fits the tone of the story, the characters and backgrounds are highly detailed and no corners seem to have been cut. You can tell that a lot of effort and care was put into this manga.

Next to the art, one of the most important things in a manga for me is the characters. While not a lot of them are developed, we do get to see a great deal of development in both Yuzuru and Touji. Throughout the sixteen chapters, we get an insight into both of the teenager's feelings about the other person and their thoughts about what will happen when the seven days are up. The only main issue with the characters is that a few are introduced in the first couple of chapters but we don't get to know a lot about them. They're just there. Sure, they're supporting characters but it would have been nice to know how they feel about Touji's seven day trials. However, you have to give it to Tachibana. She's managed to create wonderful character development in such a short time. Not only that, she's managed to make the character's easy to become quickly interested in. Neither of the two mains are boring or dull. They both have intriguing thoughts that make you question how the story will end.

Talking about the ending, it is no letdown. Without giving anything away, prepare to make the ending to Seven Days one of your favourite manga endings. Every single page leads up to the conclusion at a nice speed, without feeling too slow or too fast. The final two chapters are without a doubt the ones that really tug at the heartstrings. These two chapters show us just how powerful a comic can be and just how talented Takari and Tachibana actually are. Prepare to shed some tears.

Seven Days is not only a beautiful manga, it's a work of art. Sixteen chapters may not seem like a great deal but every chapter is enjoyable and while there is still a sense of the story being somewhat rushed at a few points, it's not a major problem as the plot is still wonderful. The sixteen chapters were enough to tell this beautiful love story. People who aren't big on yaoi or shounen-ai shouldn't worry as there is no sex and no typical plot of,"I hate you" *practically gets raped* "Wow I love you now". This story is about how love can bloom. It's something so much more moving than your average boys love manga. If you're looking for something to pass an hour or two, read Seven Days. If you're looking for something to make you cry for hours, read Seven Days. If you're looking for the definition of art, read Seven Days.

I am not particularly interested in shounen-ai, but this should not be classified as strictly "eye-candy" or "love between boys." I believe this story was not written for the sake of it being shounen-ai, but for the sake of telling a "true love" story.

At first, I was drawn to the manga because of the beautiful art style, and once I started reading it, I could tell it was unique. The plot started out differently, and moved at a pace that was not rushed, but was not too slow. The characters felt almost real, as you learn more about them as the story progresses. They are not shallow characters. They have faults, like real people, and that's why I really like the characters in this.

I'm not very good at writing reviews (this is my first), so I'm not sure what to say exactly. But I can tell you that this won't disappoint you. Contrary to cliched romance stories, "Seven Days" is unique and captivating. It is not about love on the surface. The characters don't love each other simply because they are both boys, but because they learn more about each other and how they bring out the best in each other.

Overall, what really touched me in this manga was its purity and portrayal of "love." It's rare to find a meaningful story like this.