Love on the Horizon Volume 1
Writer and Artist: Machi Yamashita
Publisher: Kodansha (print & digital)
Translation: Leo McDonagh
Lettering: Nicole Roderick
Editor: Tiff Joshua TJ Ferentini
Cover Design: Abigail Blackman
Publication Date: Jan 7, 2025
Rating: Older Teen
Genre: Manga (JPN), Boys’ Love, Romance, Slice-of-Life
Love on the Horizon‘s first volume from Kodansha hit the physical and digital shelves earlier this month. This 2-volume series is Machi Yamashita‘s first commercial BL as an artist. The publisher likens this series to some of Furuya Nagisa’s works such as My Ultramarine Sky or Number Call, so let’s see what Love on the Horizon Volume 1 offers its readers!
Yu getting plastered till he has no memory of the night and Nagi taking him home because they’re next-door neighbors has become something of a recurring motif in their college experience. The two are members of the folk music club and whenever they’re done after a night of drinking, the others leave Yu in Nagi’s care with apologetic smiles. Little do they know that Nagi secretly looks forward to these moments of closeness with his upperclassman.
And who wouldn’t anticipate spending time with someone like him? Yu is well-built, very handsome, likable and a social butterfly who can fit into any environment he’s a part of, putting everyone under his spell. Didn’t the warm kindness Yu extended him on a rainy day strike Nagi like an arrow into the chest as well? However, this physical closeness doesn’t alleviate Nagi’s anxiety, especially when he keeps hearing about Yu’s dating history.
I’d like to point out how beautiful the cover design for the English version is. I love how Abigail Blackman keeps the panels that compile the moments our leads share, which effectively highlight the slice-of-life side of the story, but changes the literal translation of the title in neon green, Tomorrow Maybe Love, with the localized version. I also appreciate the space made for the title in the middle with a beautiful font that emulates the dynamic, handwritten vibe of the original. And that little sun detail in the midst of rising on the horizon? Absolutely adorable.
That homely, serene air signature to the slice-of-life wholly envelops Love on the Horizon. The clean lines, uncluttered backgrounds, character designs with features on the round side and large emotive eyes paint a relaxed atmosphere. As someone who sees manga as a visual medium first and foremost, works where the visual narration is prioritized over speech have a special place for me. While I can’t say this prioritization is consistent throughout the volume, there are moments, especially in the second half where there are pages with zero spoken words or inner monologue. Machi Yamashita chooses to convey the feelings through the way panels are arranged and body language and does so successfully.
The plot will feel quite familiar to BL fans, and Yamashita clearly doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Nagi is the overthinker in the dynamic, contrasted by the carefree, slightly air-headed Yu. While he first doubts the nature of his ‘admiration’ towards Yu, Nagi comes to terms with what he feels is romantic love and longing for intimacy pretty quickly. The same realization hits Yu belatedly compared to Nagi, but thankfully the series doesn’t spend a lot of time and energy to get there. Instead, the remaining chapters are spent exploring the initial stages of their relationship.
For the most part, Love on the Horizon is straightforward in its themes and execution and flows well. However, I was puzzled by Nagi’s ‘habit’ of secretly sleeping next to Yu. The series opens up with Nagi secretly sneaking into bed to sleep next to Yu, taking advantage of the young man’s intoxicated state, of him not having recollection of the previous night.
While this isn’t portrayed in a sinister tone, or Nagi is doing this at the cost of Yu’s well-being, the artist never returns to this case though it is supposed to be a recurring thing. It ends up being touched on once in the initial pages and then swept under the rug. My criticism is less about the moral implications of Nagi’s behavior and more about its presence in the story if it was going to serve no purpose. And it begs the question, why open with a detail that you won’t include in the entirety of the work? More importantly, why introduce a character like Nagi, who’s on the timid, straight-laced side, doing something as risky as this? I failed to make sense of this introduction, but considering the volume as a whole, it was a very small part of the first chapter.
If I set aside this plot point that doesn’t cohesively blend into the rest of the volume, the first volume of Love on the Horizon is a sweet, warm, down-to-earth story of two young men getting together, being sickeningly lovey-dovey and getting you in on experiencing the butterflies they feel in their stomachs. While this volume reads as self-contained, it’s nice to know there’s more to their story. We can never have enough established relationships in the romance genre!
Hence, Machi Yamashita’s debut work will definitely appeal to fans of Furuya Nagisa in terms of the subdued and unhurried air it exudes. If the character designs and fashion sense in Shikke’s Pink Heart Jam worked for you, then you’ll find Love on the Horizon‘s artistic direction pleasing as well. I’d recommend this title to readers who are looking for a comfortable and charming read! I’m looking forward to the next volume, which unfortunately doesn’t have a release date yet. I’d also like to see Machi Yamashita delve deeper or explore more sides of human relationships in their future works!
The header image is taken from Machi Yamashita’s X (previously Twitter) account.
Love on the Horizon Volume 1 is available digitally and in print, out from Kodansha.
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