June 4, 2026 4 min read

Manga Review: Blue Summer Haze Volume 1

Blue Summer Haze Volume 1 by Dondon. Review by NostalgiaDepartment.com

Any sports romance story is already high up on my to-read list, so when I saw the cover of Blue Summer Haze volume 1, I knew I had to read it despite knowing there would be a potential love triangle between a pitcher and his two catchers

Official Summary

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...

Quick Information

Story and Art: Dondon
Publisher: Kodansha
Published: July 7, 2026
Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Sports Romance
Rating: 16+
Series Status: Ongoing

Review

Childhood friends Makoto and Shusuke play baseball together while growing up until one day Shusuke moves away. Promising to play again together at Koshien, Makoto continues to play in hopes of reuniting with his best friend.

I enjoyed that Blue Summer Haze didn't forget it was a sports story at its core. We see baseball and its importance and impact reflected in each part of the narrative, intermingling with the drama and romance. The mangaka did a great job balancing each part of this story.

What I found most interesting in this story was the motivation for each character playing a sport. All athletes are under immense pressure both physically and mentally. The motivation for one to keep playing a sport has to outway the grueling nature of its demands. Makoto, for instance, never wanted to play baseball in the first place. He only played it because Shusuke wanted to play and that became his reason to play alongside him. After Shusuke moved away, his motivation for playing changed. He was playing to meet his friend again. The joy and happiness he once felt morphed into just focusing on playing and getting better.

The cast of characters are three-dimensional with their own unique voice and character traits. I also really enjoyed seeing the different relationships Makoto has between Shusuke and Hokuto. It wasn’t just another childhood friend vs. high school friend story. They each have their own individual connection to each other and reasons for why baseball and Makoto are important to them.

I don’t often read love triangle stories because they often are handled poorly and leave the reader feeling unsatisfied, but I was intrigued by the premise of the story enough to push that aside. The love triangle is present in this first volume and actually follows through with showing the romantic feelings between the boys involved and is not just simply bait. I have to say I personally did not like Makoto’s childhood best friend Shusuke at all. Not only does he lie to him repeatedly, he does some pretty mean and petty things in this first volume. I know most love triangles usually end with the original best friend getting together with the MC, but I really hope Blue Summer Haze can do it differently all things considered.

The art style is gorgeous and this especially shows strongest during the emotional scenes. Makoto is very expressive with shining wide eyes and full-faced blushes when he's flustered or upset. The cover is eye-catching and really captures the whimsy of a high school summer romance.

If you enjoy a good balance of drama, sports, and angst wrapped up in the whirlwind of youth, you will enjoy reading the first volume of Blue Summer Haze.