Rainy Day Serenade

Haruka Kawachi launched Rainy Day Serenade in Kodansha's Kiss magazine in 2014, crafting a story that defies the quiet adult drama often associated with the publication. The series follows Hina Katagiri, a high school student haunted by childhood dreams of a mysterious boy, until she physically travels back to Tokyo in 1907. There she meets Takaaki, a sorrowful young man from the Meiji era who exists 120 years before her. This romantic time-slip fantasy blends supernatural elements with historical romance as Hina navigates the constraints of the past while trying to understand the pain binding her to him.

The narrative explores how their connection transcends time, using rain and dreams as bridges between the modern day and the early 20th century. Kawachi balances the melancholy of lost moments with hope for a future connection, avoiding typical shonen tropes in favor of deep character study. The serialization ran for over a decade before concluding in November 2025, resulting in 14 collected tankōbon volumes. An English omnibus edition combining the first two volumes has already been released to introduce Western readers to this whimsical tale. [edit]