This was my first time reading a manga on my kindle. I'm not going to lie I was disappointed I had to swipe like a book but read like a manga, but that is more about how I love reading manga than anything wrong with the book. Once I got used to this reading mechanic it went smoothly. The story was super cute. I really enjoyed the the characters and their different personalities. Seo Mimori is a cute little cinnamon roll. He just exudes goodness. Iku reacted like anyone else would when confronted with seeing ghosts and that made his character personable. I liked that he didn't immediately accept he could see ghosts and tried his best to ignore it.

The art was lovely though some scenes I had to reread before I figured out what was happening. Ohana told Iku and Seo's story very well with their illustrations. They made the story a visual experience. Iku and Seo has more to tell and I am invested in their story. I am looking forward to more of them and can't wait to see where Ohana takes them. This is definitely a manga I would like to add to my shelf.

I actually really liked this story. For me it was really sweet and a cute romance. I liked how the ending was different than i originally anticipated and it made it cuter in my opinion. The two main characters were brought together by chance and it was sweet to see how their fates are intertwined even after the fact. I’d definitely read the next one after to see how their story ends.

Iku is living his best life as an otaku after moving alone to Tokyo. But things are a bit… interesting. For some reason, every night at 23:45, Iku is drawn to a pedestrian bridge and watches the ghost of a man fall off the bridge.

Part of Iku doesn’t believe it’s real, so he ignores the friendly spirit. But after he drops his doujin on the bridge, his life is about to change forever. The ghost of the bridge rescues his manga, knocks on his door and introduces himself as Seo Mimori.

Overall thoughts:

Loneliness attracts the lonely.

Man, what a line. These introspective reads always catch me off guard. If you’re expecting a wholesome romance between a ghost and an otaku, there’s much more than meets the eye here.

This is a story to read more than once to pick up on whatever you missed and then clicked in the ending. It’s an introspective story some things are left open and others you kind of piece together later and have that little “ohhhh” moment. Hence, your mileage may vary!

Who is this for?

This story is for fans of introspective and implicit relationships. It has a couple of details that are left to the imagination—or the sequel—so you might want to read this more than once and then back-to-back with the sequel. Certainly one for fans who enjoy reading a little more into stories!

This volume comes out on March 11! Let me know if you’ll be getting this one, or if you’ve already read it!

See you in the next one!

I love fluffy ghosty stories, and 23:45 was a super cute one.
A simple art style and a predictable storyline, but still very sweet and heart-warming.
Would’ve loved to see more of the romance or more of why Iku sees ghosts, but it was still a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Iku moves to Tokyo when he starts seeing ghosts. He becomes close with a ghost named Mimori. I liked the concept of this manga and I loved the art, but I felt like the pacing was kinda off. I also had a hard time getting invested in any of the characters.

The storyline was really great and catched my attention from the start. The art style was beautiful. Sometimes there were a few too many speech and thought bubbles on one page.

3.25
This was quite sweet and the art was gorgeous but I found it difficult to connect with the characters.
I think this manga might have attempted to deal with too much since it only had six chapters (spoiler ahead), Iku's strained relationship with his mother, the mystery around Mimori's death, Mimori's childhood, ghost stories popping up all over the place, questions about what it means to live and die...really it was a lot. I think it was handled well, it was poetic and graceful, but simply too much in one go unfortunately.
I also had some minor issues with the translation at times but that was not too distracting.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

This is a complete story at one volume, halfway a Sasaki to Miyano type thing, halfway a standard supernatural romance with a ghost of a hot dude in a coma (and if that sounds familiar as a concept, you can tell exactly how every beat of the story will go). It managed to be a mix of predictable and chaotic, the bits that felt sincere had no relation to the main romance (this would be the relationship between the MC and his mother) and the supernatural element resolved in a pretty anticlimactic manner.

I loved it!!! I'd love to read more about these characters, their relationship was so cute!! The artwork was amazing and the story was very fast to read even though I would consider their relationship slow burn.

Loved, loved, loved!!! I'm gonna be reading more books by this author.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!!

I quite enjoyed this one and it even brought a few tears to my eyes.

This is the story of two lonely souls— one of whom’s a ghost, and how they strip away each other’s facade, break down their insecurities and grow more into who they ought to be.

There’s a bit of angst and I do pray that there’s a book 2, but if not, I was quite satisfied by the end!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an egalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was good, but I didn't love that the ending was open. I would've liked to see more of a mystery around Mimori's death and finding out what really happened. I also think it would've been cooler to see him reunite with his mom more in depth rather than just in a few panels.

*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

1.5 stars

Not very flavorful.

The entire thing was just okay. The illustrations weren't very detailed. The story lacked flow. The romance was insta-love. Characters were just there. Nothing groundbreaking. Not a must-read. Just a time-filler.

AAAAAAAAAAAAUGH I need a better conclusion. Still rather cute and sad all at once. I know there's a sequel, so I'm getting my hands on it asap.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eARC!

⭐✨
Rep : Achillean MCs

💕BL Manga
👻Falls in love with a ghost
🗼Set in Tokyo
🪦Mystery of what caused the ghost to die

What I Disliked
1) The art style was ok but nothing too special

2) The storytelling was so disjointed and confusing that it was difficult to know what's going on

3) I didn't believe in the romance at all as we didn't really get to see them falling in love. It was just a few scenes of hanging out then an 'I love you' which I find very unbelievable

4) The mystery element of this was interesting but the way everything was revealed ultimately made it lackluster

5) There were a lot of insensitive comments. A few examples are 'Don't body shame me! That's sexual harassment' and 'it's like spooky terrorism'. They feel like a teenage boy trying to be edgy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kodansha Comics and Ohana for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“I won’t ever let you die again.” This striking opening line sets the tone for 23:45, a manga that blends supernatural elements with an emotional depth rarely seen in typical BL narratives. At its core, this story follows Iku, who can see ghosts. When he encounters Mimori, a spirit trapped in an endless loop of tragedy, Iku becomes determined to break the cycle and save him from an eternity of reliving his final moments.

While 23:45 initially presents itself as a familiar supernatural romance, it takes an unexpected turn that elevates it beyond the usual "ghostly love story" formula. I think the reveal surrounding Mimori’s existence midway through the manga is its most striking narrative choice. One that redefines everything I assume about his character. This twist breathes fresh life into the common trope of spirits bound to their final moments, making it a standout element in the story’s execution. The manga’s pacing unfolds at a steady, engaging rhythm, allowing me to sink into Iku and Mimori’s relationship at a good pace albeit there are times when I felt like it was too convenient for the pace.

Let's talk about the illustrations. Visually, 23:45 delivers a compelling reading experience. The character designs captured both the lighthearted and tragic moments beautifully. The use of shadows and atmospheric panels enhances the story’s melancholic tone, reinforcing the weight of Mimori’s predicament (I specifically like how the mangaka presented Mimori's final moment by the bridge without showing the fall. That's a good one.) The balance between soft, emotional close-ups and haunting imagery effectively conveys the tension between love and loss.

For BL enthusiasts and supernatural fans alike, 23:45 offers a heartfelt, engaging experience. While it doesn’t stray too far from familiar tropes, its unique take on the ghostly afterlife and its emotional depth make it a worthy read. For me, the solid pacing, striking visuals, and unexpected plot twist earn this manga a well-deserved 4-star rating.

Thank you netGalley and Kodnasha for the eARC!

23:45 is a one shot manga written about a boy who can “see ghosts”. And one keeps reappearing each night. The overall story is well paced, and the twists as the story goes on are heartbreaking and make more sense upon re-reading.

Overall it was a story about the two main characters, with the side characters filling us in where they could not. I really enjoyed the plot and the author’s ability to pace it well despite a small page count.

The premise of this manga, sound Spooky fun and romantic. However the execution felt rushed and lackluster. We don't get any feel for who the character are and the main guy came across as the bad sort of creepy.
The art is lovely but not ground breaking- this could have been better

This was both sweet and a little sad, and I appreciate the complexity of a range of emotions in a story. That's life, after all.

I found the paranormal/fantastical aspect mixed into a love story to be really fun and to hold a depth of captivation that can sometimes be missing from a romance plot.

I fully enjoyed watching these to grow to care about each other.

Great story and art. I really enjoyed the depth and the themes portrayed, not that common in BL stories.

This was an interesting concept. Iku can see ghosts and after encountering one on a bridge, it follows him home. Mimori, the ghost, basically moves into Iku's apartment and they grow closer. Iku, hoping to stop Mimori from reliving his death every night, decides to figure out what exactly happened to Mimori in the hopes of helping him move on. But surprise, he falls in love with Mimori. There is a twist about Mimori that I didn't see coming and I honestly cried a little towards the end, I won't give away why but there was definitely a part that made me feel really sad for Iku. I don't think anything about this was particularly ground breaking but I enjoyed it enough to look forward to the sequel.