Boy Only Dates People for a Week, But Will Date Anyone Who Asks on Monday
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Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Seven Days: Monday - Sunday. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to violence, mentions of breakups (not between the main couple), classism, cheating (not between the main couple), gossiping, sexism, and homomisia, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Yuzuru Shino is a former prince of the archery club. He is still considered a prince at his school because of his beauty, but his personality would send most girls running if they ever got close to him. He is self-serving, says things with little to no filter, and is unwilling to compromise on things he doesn’t see as important or fun. Unfortunately, Shino rarely, if ever, gives them the chance to get that close. He is fully aware that the girls there want him because he is beautiful, and he has no interest in going along with their whims out of politeness or what have you. He only does things he is interested in, and that has worked out just fine for him.
One thing that has got him very curious is all the gossip surrounding first-year heartthrob Toji Seryo.
Supposedly, Seryo dates a new girl every week. He isn’t a player by any means. He simply gives in to the first girl who asks him out on Monday of each week, treating them with the utmost care, though at a distance, and then the following Sunday, he breaks up with them, telling them that he is sorry he couldn’t fall for them during their time together. The cycle then continues with the next girl, and the next, and so on. Shino’s female friend, who has dated Seryo in this manner, says it’s like living a dream.
Well, Shino wouldn’t mind giving the dream romance a try.
Review:
I adore Rihito Takarai‘s artwork. Ten Count is one of the most stunning manga I’ve read, both in its writing and its art, and I even picked up their artbook. I have heard so much about this title, too – I just had to give it a try. I went in knowing good and well that this was not going to be near the quality that Ten Count was (I mean, there is approximately a 6-year gap between the start of this publication and Ten Count), and, as a result, I was not at all surprised to see some very inconsistent and sometimes ugly art. I love seeing how much an artist has grown over time, though, so while these characters have long, lanky bodies to rival some Clamp characters and hairstyles like inky mops, it is amazing to see how Rihito Takarai started. There is an endearing, down-to-earth quality to it that may not always be pleasing to the eye, but is like an echo of something familiar. I like it, especially when there are panels that really show just how good Rihito Takarai eventually gets.
Now, as for the story, it was written by someone else, so if you’re looking for something similar narratively to Rihito Takarai‘s work, this isn’t it. With that said, the overall writing is pretty good in this one. I do feel like the ending was a bit rushed, but we’ll dive deeper into that later. What I want to discuss first is the structure of the story. This has parallel points of view, with Shino and Seryo each perceiving their relationship as they presume the other is, which leads to misunderstandings and frustration beyond belief, but it’s a powerful way to show how assuming others’ motives and thoughts can lead to trouble.
For example, the whole start of this thing is a misunderstanding. Shino asks Seryo out due to curiosity. Seryo is shocked, but says yes. Shino doesn’t realize Seryo is serious until he starts showing up and treating Shino like a partner. This is when Seryo realizes that Shino didn’t mean he actually wanted to date Seryo. From here on, the two never verbalize that this is all a sham, but they both act on the assumption that the other thinks it is either real or fake. There are many moments when Shino surprises Seryo by playing into their relationship as if it were real, and his thoughts on this relationship end up becoming real as he plays into it, making it real for him despite initially not being seriously interested. On the other hand, Seryo is constantly reminding himself that Shino doesn’t really believe in this relationship. Yet Shino’s dedication to the fake relationship ultimately wins Seryo over. These two are foils for each other and create a contrast that can be frustrating but also brings out the best in the other.
Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy the narrative construction and the characters, the ending is extremely rushed. As expected, we get to Sunday, the dreaded day when the relationship is meant to end. At this point, we’ve had runaway after runaway moments, and now the two are meeting together on a bridge to face the truth of what their relationship is – a farce. They agree to break up at a specific time, and as soon as the time comes, Shino tells Seryo that he is in love with him. And then it ends. It is such an unsatisfying way to end such a long, drawn-out week between these two, and really undercuts all the buildup. We get an extra later on with the two at graduation, where Seryo’s weekly dating ritual is joked about like a long-forgotten memory, which is nice and generally a preferable ending. Still, I feel like getting one more day or two would’ve made this feel much more cohesive and tied up narratively.
Results:
This was nice. I hate that it took me so long to get to it because it is generally a nice read. I loved the narrative structure and how the characters naturally fit together, despite being a bit at odds with one another. If the ending had been better, I actually think this had real favorite potential. The art isn’t the best, but it has hints of what Rihito Takarai is now, which is fun to see. It is a bit antiquated in today’s landscape of never-ending BL, but I do think this is nice to look back on.
Have you read Seven Days: Monday - Sunday? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
