Orange: Future is a continuation of the Orange series by Ichigo Takano. In this shorter volume (meaning about the size of your average manga volume in this case) the story comes to us from Suwa's perspective. We get to see more of what happened after high school for Suwa and Naho on the original timeline of the story. We see why Suwa made the choice to write what he did to his past self and how deeply he cares for all of his friends. Suwa is such a great character I am so happy that we got to see his story. He is someone that always puts his friends first and yet still worries over whether he is being too selfish.

Since this is a continuation and alternate perspective of the Orange series, I thought I would also recap that series below:

Orange is the story of a group of friends in high school who gain a new addition to their group when a boy named Kakeru joins the class. Kakeru is very quiet but seems very caring. It isn’t until it’s too late though that the group realizes their new friend has deep seated grief he hasn’t known how to deal with. Now, many years later, while the group has grown and gone their own ways in life, they still share the sorrow and regret that comes from their time with Kakeru. But they also share all the good memories and long to be able to do something for their friend even though everything seems to say it’s too late.

Naho and her friends find that sometimes even when it seems like it’s too late, there is still hope. And while their methods may not be entirely realistic, the ideal still holds true. They also learn that sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that can make the greatest changes. Sometimes if you make too big of a move, people get scared or question your sincerity. Showing you care about someone doesn’t take a grand gesture, it takes lots of small ones. And sometimes all it takes to make a difference is a single moment. These lessons they learn, along with others, are so heartbreakingly real and important it brings goosebumps. This series really has ALL the emotions, making me want to cry and then laugh and then cry again— and everything in between.

As adorable as the romance is in Orange, the friendships may be even more special. Each character is so unique and is fleshed out so well even in such a short series. This will always be one of my very favorite stories. Even with how short Orange: Future is compared with the rest of the Orange series, it packs just as much of a punch and leaves you with all the feels and loving these characters even more. This is what I want from a manga, and in fact from a story in general. ( )

This is a side-quel, set in the same universe(s) as the main books, but showing events from Suwa's perspective. it's considered the 6th volume although it is not part of the main series.

Not entirely necessary, but here it is: an enjoyable enough extension of the love triangle at the heart of the previously completed series. There are time jumps and alternate timelines, but its just a sappy little romance at heart. It almost makes me want to re-read the earlier volumes though. ( )