Our Walk Home
Review
Writer: furanc0
Artist: furanc0
Publisher: Webtoon
Format: Webtoon
This charming webtoon is a Romeo and Juliet-style romance story (minus all the death!) between two boys who are forcibly pitted against each other by their high schools’ petty rivalry. It delivers a simple and cute story that I would highly recommend to fans of BL and comedy.
Our Walk Home
ReviewWriter: furanc0
Artist: furanc0
Publisher: Webtoon
Format: Webtoon
This charming webtoon is a Romeo and Juliet-style romance story (minus all the death!) between two boys who are forcibly pitted against each other by their high schools’ petty rivalry. It delivers a simple and cute story that I would highly recommend to fans of BL and comedy.
Our Walk Home may have less than 20 episodes, but its charming story will hook you by the first. What appears to be a classic enemies-to-lovers story unfolds into a touching tale about two boys revealing their true selves to a less-than-accepting world. As the title suggests, it all starts with a serendipitous walk home when they learn they’re more alike than they thought. Yet, the rivalry between their schools looms over their heads like a ticking bomb. Only time will tell how long this friendship can last before they get discovered. Continue reading and join this journey of two boys seemingly against the world.
Image: Webtoon
Overview
After struggling to establish an identity for himself in middle school, Akihiko Shiraishi manages to become the star of his school. Blessed with good looks, high grades, and athleticism, he has everything one needs to be the most popular student at his school. However, Akihiko must still put on a mask and hide that he is an awkward and unconfident boy who is easily peer pressured. So, when he discovers his rival from the opposing school, Harumi Kurose, is just as perfect, if not more so, Akihiko is troubled. That is until he meets Harumi personally and learns they have more in common than they thought. A friendship then blossoms between them that may become something more.
Review
First off, I must admit that I don't usually read BL webtoons. In fact, Our Walk Home may be the first one I really sat down with. But as I caught up to all the available episodes for this review, I was enamored by its cute story and charming characters! I found the two main protagonists, Akihiko and Harumi, very relatable in their personalities. After all, who hasn’t felt the pressure of putting on a mask at some point in their life? That’s the situation the two boys face within their respective schools. In a unique twist, the webtoon delves into the origins of the school rivalry that pulls the two protagonists apart. It’s revealed that the rivalry stems from a legend about how the Guardian Angel of Suisha and Higasa’s King of Hell fall in love despite being sworn enemies. While I find the school rivalry aspects to be frivolous, it’s core to understanding the nature of the characters and the story. With Akihiko and Harumi being the star pupils of Suisha and Higasa, respectively, the parallelism between their story and the legend makes for a compelling plotline to follow throughout the webtoon.
Image: WebtoonPutting the story’s more convoluted elements aside, the chemistry between Akihiko and Harumi is the heart of this beautiful webtoon. The duo follows classic odd-couple pairing tropes, with Akihiko being the sunshiney and athletic type while Harumi is the ice-cold prince. Creator furanc0 does an excellent job of making their distinct personalities shine throughout the story, even with the narrative being told mostly from Akihiko’s perspective. But as much as the story uses plenty of tropes we’ve seen many times before, Our Walk Home ultimately delivers a heartwarming tale about two kindred souls who find each other amid adversity. Despite their clashing personalities, the cute dynamic they develop drives the story forward in ways that keep me wanting to read more.
Something that also stood out to me about Our Walk Home is how it handles themes of identity and how impactful society can be for better and for worse. One of the story’s most crucial moments is when Akihiko meets Harumi for the first time on their walk home, hence the webtoon’s title. The scene highlights how both boys have misconceptions about each other because of rumors. On one hand, Akihiko is terrified of Harumi because he sees him as a stuck-up, ice-cold prince. On the other hand, Harumi believes Akihiko has yakuza connections to help him get better grades. But despite the rumors exaggerating their personalities, Akihiko reveals his true self as a softie, while Harumi is more aloof with a surprising sense of humor. With all the jokes and sparks flying between the two leads, the scene is an encapsulation of how heartfelt and hilarious the series can be. Akihiko and Harumi’s banter and bonding moments together are always heart-warming and cute. And while the available episodes only show them as close friends, there are enough hints that there is something romantic brewing between them. Since the series recently returned from its hiatus, I look forward to seeing how their loveable relationship unfolds.
Image: Webtoon
Final Thoughts
If you like warm and soft BL stories, then I highly recommend checking out Our Walk Home. The webtoon is heart-warming, easily binge-able, and visually stunning. It blows me away how cute and pretty everyone looks in this series. It also handles themes of identity and societal pressure very well. Through the stories of its two charming lead characters, the webtoon bears an inspiring message of embracing one’s self despite what the rest of the world thinks. With the stakes in the story still being set up in the story, I look forward to seeing more of Akihiko and Harumi’s tale unfold and how they could be the key to breaking the schools’ bitter rivalry.
Why You Should Read Our Walk Home
- The two protagonists are both very cute and relatable to readers.
- The art has soft tones that give a nice and comfy vibe.
- Its story has a good mix of drama and fluffy moments.