MANGA: Gomidame no Garnet

Gomidame no Garnet – Inuno Mageyuishi

Kanae, a hitman, encounters a half vampire named Sara at a dump site and is attacked. With nothing to lose, Kanae is completely indifferent to having his blood sucked or his home invaded.

Sara, a bloodthirsty defective vampire abandoned by his parents, offers Kanae a deal: “In return for taking care of your decrepit lifestyle, become my food…”

What begins as a physical relationship fueled by the arousal of bloodsucking, brings a warmth they’ve never known, melting away the loneliness they’ve both carried — A love story where two lost souls find each other amidst a cruel and unforgiving world.

The Garnet That Sparkles in Junk is a story about an arranged codependency between a half-human vampire and an apathetic hitman who agrees to provide him with blood in exchange for keeping the hitman’s apartment tidy.

After a meet-disaster where the vampire, Sara, literally fell from the sky, hitman Kanae lets him stay in his house and drink his blood without so much as batting an eye. It was later revealed that Kanae’s extraordinary apathy stems from his tragic childhood. He was taken in by an old man he calls Gramps, who gave him “jobs”.

The plot follows the evolution of their relationship, Sara’s conflicting thoughts about his human and vampire nature, and the changes in Kanae due to his connection with Sara. There’s plenty of cozy domesticity, and the pace and vibe are slow and sweet.

As much as liked the dynamics between Kanae and Sara, the feels didn’t ping my squee-meter. Something felt missing, though I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Maybe the stakes weren’t that high, even during the part where Kanae was held hostage by a gang, or maybe Sara’s dilemma was really a non-issue.

All in all, great premise, and an enjoyable read, just needs more oomph.

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