Title: ミライの恋人
Author: Nanatsu Zono
Release Date: July 25, 2019
Publisher: Kasakura Publishing (Cult Comics Equal Collection)
I sampled a part of the first chapter on Pixiv and was curious what would happen next so I purchased this manga. Mirai is the nickname of the main character (a misreading of his last name) and it could also mean “future”. The title translates to “Mirai’s Lover”. This is the first time reading this manga-ka’s work and I will probably try her other titles too. I really liked this one. It’s very romantic and has enough mysteries to want you to read on. Despite the mysteries, it is not a heavy subject matter and is pleasant to read.
The story is about Miurai Satomi who is a very shy office worker and doesn’t really hang out with others. One day he wakes up to find himself naked in a bed he doesn’t recognize and beside someone he doesn’t know. He is first startled by the situation he finds himself in and he learns that it is a year later than he remembers. He then begins to find it to be more comfortable because this unknown person treats him in an incredibly sweet way. Satomi soon wakes up and finds out that it was a dream, but when he goes to the office he is introduced to a new person named Takanashi Shuuichi. He looks just like the person in his dream. In his dream he finds that this person is called “Shuu-kun” which matches his name, but then is confused when he is introduced to Shuuichi’s twin brother Shuuji. His name could also use the nickname Shuu-kun. Shuuichi first misread the Miurai last name as Mirai, but then corrects himself. However Shuuji calls him Mirai, the name Shuu-kun calls Satomi in his dream. Mirai then musters up the courage to try to make his dream a reality but also has to figure out which one of the brothers is the real Shuu-chan.
It’s really refreshing and cute seeing the shy Mirai trying his best to come out of his shell and do things he is not used to. This is all so he would be able to end up in the kind of relationship in his dream. If it wasn’t for this dream, he would never think of having a boyfriend (and yes he has been hiding that he is gay) or even encourage himself to land a happy life with someone. We do find out why or what has been causing these dreams and it ties in very naturally, although not much is revealed about it. Among the brothers, Shuuji is more outgoing and proactively becomes friendly with Mirai. But Mirai is also fond of Shuuichi (who acts more calmly than his brother) and he slowly becomes close to during and after work. And so he becomes quite confused as to who the real Shuu-kun is.
My favourite part is when Mirai wakes up in his dream and tries to ask if Shuu-kun is Shuuichi or Shuuji. Shuu-kun is displeased by the question and shows some jealousy. Here you see him acting somewhat differently to Mirai rather than showering him with sweetness like usual.
If you want to read a story where the character really grows throughout the book, this is a good one. Instead of leaving it to fate, Mirai creates his own future and this makes the manga an enjoyable read.
Purchase:
Amazon Japan | CD Japan | Honto
Cover image from Amazon Japan.