Makoto's favorite childhood memories are of playing baseball with his best friend and former teammate Shusuke, the catcher of his baseball team. When Shusuke suddenly moved away, Makoto was left devastated, but he clung to the promise of the two of them someday reuniting for the championship game at Koshien Stadium.

Now in high school, Makoto is the ace pitcher of the baseball team, and he and Hokuto, the team's catcher, are an all-star duo. But then Shusuke suddenly transfers back to Makoto's school, and it gets harder and harder for the boys to keep their heads in the game under the scorching heat of the baseball diamond...

Blue Summer Haze has a story by and art by Dondon. English translation is done by Jacqueline Fung and lettering by SADHA. Published by Kodansha USA (July 7, 2026). Rated T.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Every so often, the angst hits just right. The boys of Blue Summer Haze do a remarkably good job of being both endearing and positively riddled with angst, and they pull it off without making the story feel mired in despair. In large part, that's because, unlike most angsty romances, this isn't a situation one actual conversation would solve. It feels like it at first – back in middle school, Shuusuke transferred schools at the last minute, leaving his childhood friend and battery partner Makoto behind. Makoto kept up with baseball solely for someday reconnecting with Shuusuke, only to find that when he came back, he was no longer playing. “But Rebecca,” you may be saying, “there are at least two conversations there that could clear things up!” Yes, there are. And contrary to most romance manga, they actually have them.

The issue is that nothing is so easily resolved because human emotions are messy. Shuusuke explains what was going on back in middle school and why he no longer plays baseball, as a catcher or otherwise. Makoto lets him know how hurt he was and that his feelings for Shuusuke aren't just platonic. But just knowing what the other boy is thinking and feeling doesn't mean things will magically work out. Even if Hokuto, Makoto's current battery partner, didn't flat-out tell Shuusuke that he has a crush on Makoto, a lot is going on between the original pair. None of the boys is sure what to do with what they're feeling, and simply saying things aloud doesn't seem to help.

The major wrench in all of this is what caused Shuusuke to move in the first place. We only get sort of sidelong glimpses into this, but it's clear that his family was falling apart around him, and it looks like just he and his mom moved away. Why he came back and whether his mom came with him are up in the air, but his romantic issues seem to stem directly from this. Makoto hasn't been dating because he's in love with Shuusuke. Shuusuke hasn't been dating for what feels like more complicated reasons, although I daresay “in love with Makoto” is one of them. Hokuto is completely on the outskirts of everything except for the fact that he's the one who's been there for Makoto for the last three years. Whether or not that turns out to be meaningless remains to be seen.

Dondon's art is softer than I expected for a sports manga, but it works very well, and Makoto's big-eyed look, paired with his prickly demeanor, makes it clear why he catches people's attention. The baseball itself isn't drawn often (or strikingly well), but it also doesn't detract from the manga. If you're in the mood for grounded angst with BL and baseball, give this a chance.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

Sports stories are such a great setting for a love triangle. You have the physical effort of training, the highs and lows of competition, and the many relationship tensions on and off the field. Dondon's Blue Summer Haze, Volume 1, neatly captures all of that and offers up a nearly perfect baseball BL.

Makoto is a hard-to-like character, with layers of spikey aggression built up around the loss of his best friend in junior high school. When that friend reappears in his life, he's not at all ready, willing, or able to make space for Shusuke again. Shusuke clearly has some issues with honesty and is finding it hard to be honest even to himself. Hokuto, Makoto's new catcher, tells Shusuke that he likes Makoto. Shusuke is put in a position of having to admit something…but when Makoto pushes the issue, Shusuke retreats into the lie he's been telling himself all along. This is really the only weakness of the story. Like a poorly pitched ball, this plot complication is telegraphed, and then the ball doesn't even land right. With Hokuto so open and honest, Makoto so unwilling to tolerate prejudice, Shusuke's hesitation becomes a pointless obstacle to the plot.

I won't belabor baseball metaphors; I'll conclude this way—this is a very good baseball BL that would have been perfect if it didn't run into a few tired tropes. It's a lot of fun, as both a BL manga and a baseball manga. Even so, as a love rivalry of catcher vs manager with eyes on their prickly pitcher, Blue Summer Haze, Volume 1, is a fun summer read.