The story follows Hayeon, she is a young woman who is dating her boyfriend Jayeol. It's valentine day but she won't be seeing her boyfriend because he doesn't like this type of things, he thinks these as a time waste. Hayeon is deeply in love with him so he never forced him to do any kind of activities.

They don't even meet often because Jayeol stays busy with his work. They are dating for a year and half but still from his side there's no effort. Jayeol told he is in Busan so Hayeon has to spend the valentine day alone, she decided to visit the art hall alone there she found Jinhan who is the bestfriend of her brother.

Jinhan and Hayeon were sitting together and after a while she noticed a guy who looked like her boyfriend Jayeol, at first she thought she's mistaken but then with the help of Jinhan she found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her with one of her friend Siho.

Hayeon was heart-broken she could not confront them but Jinhan wanted her to do something about her cheating boyfriend otherwise Jinhan would tell her brother about her condition. Hayeon could do nothing but play along with Jinhan. However, through their shared moments together started to make their bond to shift to next level.

Honestly, this romance genre webtoon has been steadily gaining popularity. I am not surprised because the moment when I saw beautifully illustrated art I could tell how heartfelt storytelling can be and the realistic characters are just amazing in one word.

This manhwa is Updated weekly on Saturdays, I believe it's a emotional read for romance enthusiasts. There's no rushing through the plot, it takes enough time to build a believable emotional landscape. Showing the natural complexity in the relationships.

It's a slow burn romance story and shows a slow and steady process of healing. This thing made the story relatable for many readers and you can also count me in, because I have experienced heartbreak and complicated relationships.

My favourite character is Jinhan, he always has been a protective figure in Hayeon’s life. He always treated her nice as she was the sister of his bestfriend. Their relationship begins to develop after the incident with Hayeon's boyfriend. As time passed things between them feels different. There are awkward moments for them but the destiny was bringing them closer together.

The story setup does sound like a typical romance trope such as “brother’s best friend” dynamic but to me it's different I feel "Endless Summer" handles it in a way which makes it refreshing. The story doesn’t rely on any kind of forced love triangles. The story mainly focuses on character expansion, vulnerability, and emotional maturity.

One of the most relatable character is Hayeon, her heartbreak is not just a plot this is a starting chapter of her journey. She was facing insecurity after her breakup, she thought something must be less in her and for that reason she got cheated.

So, the story takes it's organic time to show the process of healing how a person should deal with it which does not happen over night and rebuilding her confidence. Hayeon’s growth feels authentic, because her character evolves through small meaningful moments. We can count it as depending on a friend or taking a stand for herself, or slowly opening her heart again. She does not stay stuck in the same place.

The slow burn chemistry between Hayeon and Jinhan makes their relationship feel natural and not forced. Most of their interactions are filled with raw moments which is mirroring how real-life relationships often develop.

The characters are beautifully designed, the artwork of HEYU is a complementary to the story’s tone. Specially the expressive facial features captured the subtle emotions very well. The color palette brings warmth to the gentle pacing of the narrative, which also creates a soothing atmosphere. Background is also done nicely, which adds depth to the world and it does not distract the attention from the characters.

The best part of the art is that they always pay attention to emotional scenes. Such as the situation when the female protagonist is heartbroken the panels also starts to feel heavier and more muted. On the other hand the romantic scenarios feels soft and glowing. This visuals definitely enhances the storytelling.

In my opinion "Endless Summer" stands out the most because of its realism, emotional authenticity and nothing feels exaggerated. The focus on small moments builds the intimacy between the characters. Which helps to feel the love story genuine and relatable.

I feel the pacing is slow but still it's perfect the way it is, because the slow burn is exactly what makes the story very interesting. I could genuinely feel my connection with Hayeon and Jinhan.

This beautifully written manhwa offers the exploration of growth, trust, and love. If you have ever experienced heartbreak yourself then you can enjoy this type of character-driven romance. This is not only a story but it's also a thought provoking journey.

I will 100% recommend people to read this manhwa, because it actually good and it will refresh your mind and give you the feelings of relaxation. I have learned many lessons of the story.

Details

Authors: Solbangul, Dal-ro Artist: Heyu Genre: romance, growth, shoujo, drama Chapters: 52 Status: on-going Year of release: 2024

Credits: _{Pictures are the screenshots of the chapters 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 from the manhwa, you can read it on webtoon for free. Pictures are edited with Canva}

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