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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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MANGA: Ore no Itoshii Kaijin R
Ore no Itoshii Kaijin R – Katou Susu
Kureno Rei, the straight-laced, over-serious president of the student council, is the type of person that treats everybody equally. Day after day, he strives to carry out his duties. Suddenly one day, an evil monster called “Dark Genesis” came flying in from space. His aim is “to obliterate the hero who’s occupying the body of a student in the academy”. In order to protect the students, Rei let himself be possessed by the monster…! And then, showing up in front of Rei’s eyes is Fuwa Minori, a delinquent who had no idea that he’s the hero. Rei wanted to clean up the villain in the most amicable way possible, so he approached Minori and deepened their relationship. However, Minori got attracted by Rei and when Minori confessed to him, Rei’s body changed into a monster’s. The way for him to return to normal is through the hero’s kiss…?!!
My Dear Monster R is a story of an evil space monster about to wreak havoc on Earth when it met the student council president.
Kureno Rei is the high school’s beloved student council president, known to champion students’ interests first and foremost. He’s dedicated, serious, and caring so when an evil monster from beyond the galaxy invaded his body looking for the hero among the student body, Rei transformed into the gentlest villain to ever exist, seeking the hero .
Although he’s a delinquent, Fuwa Minori comes from a family of heroes. His dormant powers awakened when Rei approached him, though he was initially confused by Rei’s friendly approach.
The student council president politely asked if he had any concerns he wanted to share, as Rei was willing to lend an ear and assist. Soon, Minori found himself falling for the president.
Then, one day, Rei’s monster form appeared, and only Minori’s presence made it disappear.
The story takes the hero and villain archetypes and gives them a fun and spicy codependency twist. The monster boyfriend is virginal, straight-laced, and vulnerable, with a self-sacrificing streak, always putting others before his own needs. The hero is popular, laid-back, not-so-academically inclined, a former playboy who completely adores his dear monster.
The two had to watch out for those touch-and-go moments when the monster was about to rear its ugly/kawaii head, and they rushed to a secluded area to do something about it. The rest of the plot highlights the increasing difficulty of getting rid of the monster and the development of their physical and emotional connection.
Our boy Rei is willing to do what it takes to save the world, a.k.a., the students. Minori will do what it takes to save his boyfriend. All in all, the friendliest, most fun, and hella delicious way of vanquishing evil!!!
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MANGA: Ore ga Sukinara Hizamazuke
Ore ga Sukinara Hizamazuke – Sato Tsubame
At Toto First Bank’s head office, the competition is cutthroat for its elite employees. Matsuda and Kato are members of the sales department on the 21st floor. Having joined the team at the same time, Matsuda sees Kato as his ultimate rival. Whether it’s in regards to their conquests with women or their reputation at work, whenever Matsuda thinks he’s one-upped Kato, he ends up getting overshadowed by Kato’s accomplishments, much to his chagrin. One evening in the office, Matsuda finds out his girlfriend has cheated on him, severely wounding his pride. But when Kato sees his frustration, he says the unexpected. “You have bad taste, obsessing over these boring women. You should choose me”… And the very next moment, Matsuda finds Kato’s lips meeting his own!
If You Love Me, Kneel Down is a rivals-to-lovers story about two bankers who joined the company in the same year. Kato is Division A, and Matsuda is Division B, and their divisions compete to close the biggest deals with various companies.
Kato’s division is leading, and Matsuda can’t help but be bitter about it, although he tries to be as civil as possible to his nemesis. Matsuda is also known to be a playboy and currently has a girlfriend, who later cheated on him.
While working overtime one night, he butted heads with Kato about his taste in women. Then, to his shock, Kato kissed him and confessed he liked Matsuda. Matsuda didn’t know how to react, especially when Kato kept wooing him with poker-faced earnestness and occasional grabby hands.
My favorite part is the dynamics between Kato and Matsuda and how the cover is a play on that. We see Matsuda seated in a power pose with Kato in the submissive kneeling position. Note Kato’s smiling expression.
In the manga, Kato as the seme, takes the lead wwhile Matsuda appears to lose control whenever Kato touches him. However, Matsuda has yet to realize the power he has. Kato would bend over backward to give Matsuda whatever he needs, and in one instance, he bends his knees to save Matsuda.
The two MCs are bankers, with Matsuda being the more serious worker and Kato working only to be noticed by his crush. There was some heavy banking business going on. Even with the financial dialogues, it was far from boring with the many side characters humorously gossiping or creating conflict for our MCs.
The office interactions were fun, and I was even hoping the division heads, who also entered the same year and thus rivals, would have their own manga. They were gorgeous in that serious megane-type way.
This is one of those stories where the seme dub-conned his tsundere uke into gayness. Somehow, this negative aspect was offset by how good the manga is as a whole. Overall, an unexpectedly swoony take on the saying one only notices the person ahead of them in a race.
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MANGA: Gyaruge no Sekai de Shinyu
ga Ore wo Sukida to Iidashite!?
Gyaruge no Sekai de Shinyu
ga Ore wo Sukida to Iidashite!? – FujitobiWhy won’t you try for an ending with me? One tiny freakout brings best friends Aoi and Ritsuki smack dab into the middle of the world of a dating sim. All this time, Aoi has been trying to act like a cool guy who doesn’t care about love, but now that his cover is blown, is this his chance to complete a romance route just for him? And why is Ritsuki’s affection meter looking like that?
My Best Friend
Confessed to Me in a Dating Sim is a story of two best friends transported inside the world of a dating game. Aoi, who used to declare he was a bros before hoes guy, admitted he really wanted a girlfriend. His best friend Ristuki was a reluctant tag-along in the game who wanted to return to their world as soon as possible.And they can only do that if Aoi finds love. Guess who’s in love with him since they were kids..
The story’s charm captures that awkwardness when you realize your best friend is in love with you, and you don’t know how to react. My favorite scene is when Aoi activates the heartmeter where a heart pops out whenever a character feels affectionate towards him.
Ritsuki’s hearts were so many that Aoi had to run away because he was overwhelmed by the barrage. The thing with the heart meter is that Aoi is the only one who can see the heart. It left the poor friend-zoned Ritsuki confused why his best friend was running away.
By all appearances, Aoi is straight. The manga did a good job highlighting all the conflicting emotions, the slow realization, and finally, his acceptance of his romantic feelings towards Ritsuki. Aoi is a dork, and I love that Ritsuki might be pining, but like a true best friend, he calls Aoi on his shit.
The plot is similar to other galge isekai-style manga, even that heart meter scene, but the execution is effective. Nothing groundbreaking though still cute and funny.
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MANGA: Aku no Kanbu to Amaama na Hibi
Aku no Kanbu to Amaama na Hibi – Futatsubu
Every inch of my body within the sworn enemy’s tender grasp… How did this happen?! Gangly hero meets monstrous yet charmingly sweet demon in this guiltily sweet romance. — I’m Masakiyo Kato (21), also known as Skull Black. I may be somewhat scrawny, but I’m a protector of justice. Today, once again, I’m defending the town against Baphomet, a commander from an evil organization. At least that was the plan! He somehow ends up pinning me against the wall… again. As if that weren’t enough, he shows up at my place asking, “What do you want first? A bath? Dinner? Or do you want me?” What the hell does this giant beast want? And why is he trying to get me to marry him?!
Do not let that cover fool you, no one’s fucking a goat.
Lovingly Sweet Days With an Evil Commander is legit, one of the funniest manga out there! And as sweet as advertised.
This is a sentai world of jobbing heroes, underpaid and overworked, battling bad guys who stole all the recyclable plastic bags or Italian desserts or some such nonsense. Masakiyo is a hero known as Black Skull, with mediocre powers and popularity. Unknown to his company, the evil commander Baphomet has been living in his house, cooking him dinners or preparing his baths.
Masakiyo is convinced the evil commander is trying to sway him to the dark side by softening him up. Meanwhile, Baphomet leaves helpful hints to the oblivious human, such as leaving wedding magazines all over his apartment.
Despite his fearsome appearance, Baphomet is a sweet soul with a secret. Many scenes are domestic since Baphomet loves to dote on his beloved human. He even appeared during Black Skull’s battles to check if Masakiyo was okay, even though he’s technically also an enemy. Of course, we have our ridiculously contrived moments where Baphomet gets handsy, and our boy discovers he’s not averse.
This is a fantastic use of the miscommunication trope, made even more hilarious when Masakiyo’s boss urged him to go with the flow to sway Baphomet to their side and win against the bad guys. Adding to the mix is Masakiyo’s coworker, a fan and creator of BL manga, who encourages his relationship with Baphomet just so he can fanboy over them.
There’s even a secret conspiracy, a battle between old friends, a company CEO going full-on fudanshi mode, and more co-workers cheering on the unlikely couple. This is a monster romance with a twist, an incredibly funny and touching enemies-to-lovers story between the clueless and the naive.
Overall, it’s not the G.O.A.T., but it’s definitely comedy gold!
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MANGA: Nekoze ga Nobitara
Nekoze ga Nobitara – Oshima Kamome
After being asked to by his boss, office worker Arai heads to Nichome without knowing it’s gay town! There he meets personal trainer Yuu, who takes him to a bathroom?!
If The Hunchback Stretches is an opposites attract, slow-burn romance between salaryman Arai and his personal trainer Yuu.
Yuu is openly gay, though he keeps it discreet in his gym. He once flirted with Arai, who mistakenly entered a gay bar. After learning the man is straight, Yuu bemoans the fact and being straightforward, told Arai he liked him.
They met again in Yuu’s gym, and the two men began noticing each other’s cute personality quirks as they interacted with one another and other people. A drunken night together led to an attempt at dating. The rest of the story follows Arai and Yuu as they learn more about each other and navigate through the uncertainties in their relationship.
The story is mostly in Arai’s POV. The hunchback in the title referred to his slouched posture that Yuu is determined to correct. Arai is tall, has French and Japanese blood, attractive and well-liked. By all means, he should be a confident man. But Arai struggles to be himself around people.
As their relationship develops, Arai also grows as a character, confronting his past and begining to feel more like himself. Yuu takes things at Arai’s pace, taking things slow, knowing his boyfriend is new to most of it. I loved how his confidence balanced Arai’s personality.
The vibe is more mature and realistic. There are no grand gestures and the feels are low-key yet they made me smile.
But the gags, they made me LOL!
The best character is Xavier, the chubby middle-aged bar owner squee-ing at Yuu and Arai. He witness it all, from the meet disaster, to the blossoming romance, to the heartbreak and the reunion.
Xavier is hilarious! The man bodily threw himself between Arai and another man about to hit on the clueless Arai, because Xavier knew the salaryman was meant for Yuu. Sometimes, he’d get a derpy jealous face when his favorite couple were too lovey-dovey. But he’s always in their corner and their biggest cheerleader.
Overall, common plot but great execution!
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MANGA: Hysteric na Kurokami Megane-kun wa Igai to Kawaii
Hysteric na Kurokami Megane-kun wa Igai to Kawaii – Sakumoto Ayu
The recent concerns of our straight-laced university student Fujie lies with the man who is too buddy-buddy with his best friend Yoshida.
On top of appearing flashy and frivolous, said man, Ooshima Haruki, has rumors floating about him that he’s gay. And coupled with the fact that he’s so close with Yoshida, now there’s even rumors that they’re dating…
Even though that guy is not worthy of Yoshida!!
He informs the two of the rumors about them, and receives a hearty laugh as a response. The two deny the rumors, and Fujie learns that Yoshida had received love advice from Ooshima in the past. He’s shocked by the fact that Yoshida asked someone else, and not him. When he expresses his distaste for Ooshima and treats him coldly, for some reason Ooshima interacts with him more than necessary. What’s more, when Fujie is feeling low, he steals his first kiss…!!
A flirtatious guy who’s keen on physical intimacy x A straight-laced, serious bespectacled guy
The two from extreme opposites inch closer together: a dawdling, gradual love ?The Hysteric Conservative Boy Happens To Be Somewhat Cute is a somewhat cute story of two university students with opposite personalities who share a common friend.
A misunderstanding between Fujie and Ooshima’s relationship with their friend Yoshida led to a kiss and a proposal to date. Straight-laced Fujie found he was not opposed to men dating men, and Ooshima’s advances were not so bad.
The plot follows the development of Ooshima and Fujie’s relationship and how Fujie came to terms with his sexuality and being sexually intimate with Ooshima.
The storytelling is engaging, and the main characters’ opposite personalities have fantastic dynamics, showcasing how Fujie’s serious earnestness always hits Ooshima straight in the kokoro. Meanwhile, Fujie learns to appreciate Ooshima’s generous affections and becomes more open.
This is somewhat cute because while the story is interesting enough, and the feels are felt, I’ve read more squee-tastic BL manga. Still, give this one a try. You might like it more than me.
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MANGA: Toshishita Joushi wa Homeraretai
Toshishita Joushi wa Homeraretai – Minamoya Kazuki
[Pushy Younger Boss x Lone Wolf Older Subordinate]
A heartwarming office romance that begins with two adults ‘complimenting each other’!“This is a suggestion to help our work go more smoothly… Why don’t we compliment each other?”
Kashiwagi, in his 30s, has just moved into a new industry. His brilliant younger boss and mentor, Amamiya, seems a bit uncomfortable interacting with him, an older subordinate. Concerned about their relationship, Kashiwagi waits for an opportunity to have a relaxed conversation with him, but catching up with the very busy Amamiya proves difficult.
One day after work, Kashiwagi runs into Amamiya who is working overtime. He offers to help, hoping to improve their relationship even if just a little, but…?
What surprising suggestion comes from Amamiya, the capable younger boss…!?
Younger Boss Wants to be Praised is a sensible workplace romance that happily runs on the communication trope.
Kashiwagi is a new hire who will be working with a younger boss, Amamiya. After the awkward first few days, the ice between them broke when Kashiwagi complimented Amamiya.
The two then talked candidly about how they could work better together and Amamiya suggested they give each other compliments. The younger men is the type who is motivated by praises.
The more time they spent with each other, the more Amamiya wanted to see Kashiwagi’s true personality. He was puzzled by his subordinate’s rather apathetic reaction to the praises. Kashiwagi, on the other hand, found his boss intriguing but hesitated to be more open because of a scandal that ruined his reputation in his former company.
There were plenty of scenes where it was just Kashiwagi and Amamiya talking. These are two level-headed men and while there were moments of conflict and emotions were heightened, they always sought each other to clear the air, afterward.
Even the love confession and the response, plus the fact that Kashiwagi is bi while Amamiya had never been with a man, were handled through an open conversation. This isn’t to say there were no sparks or excitement – quite the opposite! There’s plenty of zing to go around, just in that subtle, low-key style that always hit the kokoro.
The scenes are either in the office or in public spaces, so the two men try to be discreet about their relationship. The artwork beautifully highlights their adorable blushy expressions, the barely restrained passions, and the kisses!
As much as I love dark romance, wholesome couples in healthy, supportive relationships will always be goals. Cheesy as it sounds, workwise and relationship-wise, Kashiwagi and Amamiya perfectly complement each other!
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MANGA: Aien Catharsis
Aien Catharsis – Ohshima Kamome
Ryuuji, the young master of the Inamiya apothecary, finds himself intrigued by the blunt honesty displayed by his driver, Kondou. One day, he discovers the burning passion that Kondou holds for him after he snuck a peek at Kondou’s journal. But even after Kondou discovers that Ryuuji read his journal, his behavior doesn’t change, which leads Ryuuji to be extra self-conscious of that fact…
Aien Catharsis is a gentle historical romance between a kind-hearted CEO and his too-honest-for-his-own-good chauffeur.
Ryuuji inherited the generations-old Inamiya apothecary. His succession is a bit controversial. The history between him and the other apprentice was later revealed. Kondou became his driver, and upon noticing the young man was practicing his writing skills in a journal, became very intrigued.
Kondou had a tendency to speak his mind plainly, which often got him into trouble, especially with the older employees. However, Ryuuji found this refreshing and soon became drawn to his chauffeur. When Ryuuji discovered Kondou’s feelings for him, he felt unsure about how to respond.
This is set in post-war Japan, where traditional family-owned companies struggled with modernization and adapting Western techniques. Ryuuji has to balance keeping traditions and keeping the company profitable. He is young and so more open to new things.
He also has to navigate being the boss, his growing feelings for his chauffeur, and some resistance from his older employees, who still remember the controversy. There is minimal angst, though there is the expected internal conflict with Ryuuji coming to terms with his feelings for Kondou soon enough. And when he is in, he is all in!
That cover perfectly captures the dynamics between Ryuuji and Kondou! Kondou is that devoted seme whose world revolves around his beloved boyfriend.
The artwork is just as evocative, and you should see Ryuuji in suits and Kondou in his chauffeur uniform! Since this is a post-war era, there’s suits moe to be had as men still wear more formal clothes.
This is a story that moves in a languid, graceful pace. At times, too slow but the slow-burn romantic development was always beautiful and passionate!
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MANGA: Ichioku no Otoko
Ichioku no Otoko – Akimitsu Hino
Although he is an assistant manager, Michiya Matsukaze lives in a rickety old apartment and makes do with holes in his socks. He generously treats his subordinates every week and dotes on his pet hamster, Hamuo, although Hamuo is clearly trying to escape at every chance he gets. After one such attempt, Matsukaze runs into Klaus Sakakibara, who falls in love with Matsukaze instantly. With the help of his butler Gramps (a secret magician that can turn animals into human form), Klaus schemes to make Matsukaze his forever. For a financially struggling single man like Matsukaze, what price will he write on his tag? Oh, and… should we go over that power that Gramps possesses…?
`(Source: Fantasista Inc.)`
100 Million Man must have been created when the mangaka and their editor were extremely drunk or high as a kite. I’m including the editor because somebody approved this for publication.
The main plot of a man, Michiya, who sold himself for 100 million yen to be, Klaus, a rich man’s boyfriend is mundane enough. The plot quickly descended into chaos and mayhem when an escapee hamster, Hamuo, parachuted out the window with a 10,000 yen bill. A chase ensued, Klaus’s butler stepped in, and Hamuo suddenly found himself naked and human.
The butler, Gramps, has magical powers and fulfills anything his master desires. The more sillier, the better. Add to this are more animals transformed into ridiculously horny men even Gramps, also suddenly transformed, couldn’t resist.
This wackadoodle manga is nothing but hijinks and shenanigans where disbelief and common sense are thrown out the window the moment you start reading. I wouldn’t consider this porn without a plot because there is actually a method to this madness, believe it or not.
If you like Gintama humor mixed with erotica, this one’s for you.
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