What: a quick rom-com featuring four childhood friends who reunite in middle school. Some things happen at a nostalgic sleepover, and their feelings begin to stir…

Title translation: Tonight, We’re Having a Sleepover
Author: Rerioto

中学生になり、仲良しだった幼なじみと疎遠になっていたヒロト。しかし偶然４人で一緒に帰ることになったのをきっかけにヒロトの家でお泊り会を開くことに…。思春期真っ只中の男女が織りなすリアルラブコメ開幕！

On starting middle school, Hiroto grew distant from the childhood friends he had gotten along with. However, by chance the four of them go to his home together, and taking advantage of the opportunity, they decide to have a sleepover at his home… So begins this true-to-life romcom for these boys and girls in the midst of puberty!

Where to Read: On Shonen Jump (37 chapters; no translation available).

The Good:

• Has an interesting premise and moves quickly with it without dragging things out.
• Doesn’t veer too far into melodrama, and also isn’t unrealistically perfect.

The Bad:

• Some oddities in the art.

Overall: 4/5. It’s a great read that stays interesting without overcomplicating things. As a bonus, if you’re learning Japanese, it isn’t a difficult read.

Scale for reference:

• 1/5: not really worth looking into; you won’t see many of these because I’ll just drop it without bothering to review it.
• 2/5: probably not worth the time, but you may enjoy it regardless.
• 3/5: an average to above-average series; may be a 4/5 to fans of certain genres or themes.
• 4/5: a strong recommendation with some flaws or shortcomings.
• 5/5: a universal recommendation; one of my favorites. Not necessarily flawless, but has something extremely compelling.