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MANGA: Boyfriend 17
Boyfriend 17 – Yoshida Yuuko
The man who piqued his interest is his junior.
Two men with different ages and different views on love get drawn to each other. A clumsy, roundabout, and earnest love. A young trendy model and a closeted fashion magazine editor.
Mihara Yōu got recently transferred from the literature to the fashion department. He attends the trendy model Usui Sakumi’s photoshoot.
“I’ve seen you before.”
After the photoshoot, Usui tells him how their first meeting took place, leaving Yōu embarrassed. During another meeting, Usui asks him about the reason for why he was crying at that time. After telling Usui he had been dumped, Usui gets swept up by his honesty and ends up kissing Yōu
Boyfriend 17 is an age-gap romance between a promiscuous young model and a naive magazine editor.
I only read two chapters, and it was enough to see that the model is one of the worst semes out there. This is a younger seme x older uke pairing. I don’t have issues with this trope, and I have also seen it done effectively. This here didn’t work for me.
For one, the seme did nothing but manipulate the naive older guy. He sweet talked him into losing his virginity. And while I applaud that the uke valiantly resisted further enticements, mostly due to the age difference and the boy being callous with people’s feelings, the seme continued to play around with the older man, knowing full well how easily he could get a reaction.
The only reason I kept reading is that this manga flows smoothly, and the characters are pretty. But definitely not boyfriend material.
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MANGA: Tonari no Lunch
Tonari no Lunch – Akahachi
Delicious food and a hint of love…??A heartwarming gourmet food×mystery×BL!?A remote worker learns that the guy he had a crush on at work is getting married! Heartbroken, but hungry, he ponders what to eat and smells the delicious cooking from the neighbor next door. While trying to place the familiar scent, he vows to recreate the dish himself. He then passes by a good looking guy at his apartment. What is this mysterious dish, and who could the handsome stranger be?
The Neighbor’s Lunch is a super adorable and wonderfully wholesome one-shot about mysterious neighbors, secrets crushes and delicious food.
Without giving too much away lest I spoil the fun, the story spins an intriguing little mystery, a lonely young man’s gastronomic adventure and the cutest meet-cute I’ve seen in while. That’s all I’m going to say here because you need to read this ASAP!!!
This little gem is comfort food for the soul! It deserves a full volume at the very least!
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MANGA: Uchi no Wanko Choukyou Sakusen
Uchi no Wanko Choukyou Sakusen – Miwa
Yuki is a salaryman who loves men to his core, and Shibasaki is his junior who adores his master like Hachiko. The two, having just started dating, tried to have sex, but it ended in failure…. The reason: Shibasaki’s lower half wouldn’t get hard. “You’re the one who confessed to me, aren’t you? If you like me, why can’t you get an erection!?” Shibasaki tries every trick in the book to get an erection, but….
Our Dog Training Operation! is a workplace senpai/kohai romance featuring an experienced older uke and an earnest younger seme.
Puppy dog seme is my jam, and while Shibasaki wasn’t exaggeratedly puppy-like, his eagerness to please and glowing adoration of his cranky senpai was endearing. Meanwhile, Yuki appeared to merely go along with the flow just because he reluctantly found his kohai cute. Tried as he might be turned off by the younger man, again and again, Shibasaki’s cuteness sneaks up on him and sweeps him away.
The titular training was really nothing but Yuki’s attempt to get his lover hard. It didn’t occur to the dorks that Shibasaki might be ace or demi. But they are entertaining as a couple, and I wanted to know more about their backstories and their HEA. It’s a one-shot that I wish was a full volume.
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MANGA: Karamawari Weekend
Karamawari Weekend – Izui Zui
A love you’ll root for spontaneously ? 38-page one-shot!! “Kawanami-san, please fall in love with me.” Under the influence of alcohol, Mifune blurts out the feelings he has kept secret from his sempai, Kawanami. And when Kawanami’s attitude doesn’t seem to have changed after the confession, what is Mifune to do? Heart-pounding, sparkly sempai x unsociable kouhai with a one-sided love. A fresh debut! From Izui Zui, a tantalizing workplace love that you can’t help wanting to cheer on
Karamawari Weekend has all the making of a cute workplace romance. It has the cool sempai in Kawanami and an aloof but pining kouhai in Mifune.
Alas, the execution fell short. The storytelling was confusing. After the drunken confession, it was like nothing happened. This nothingness was even more confusing when Mifune was approached by another co-worker who acted and looked like Kawanami. After a brief interaction that had no apparent purpose, it was back to work as usual.
Then out of the blue, Kawanami decided to lay claim to Mifune, and they started dating. The romantic development here was non-existent, apart from Mifune’s love-sick thoughts.
However, this is a one-shot that became a serial, so I guess the plot will be better developed given more chapters. I’m not sure I’ll be picking it up. The MCs don’t particularly stand out and are unconvincing as a couple. I say, skip this one.
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MANGA: Anata wa Korosu Tabi
Anata wa Korosu Tabi – Asai Sai
Yakuza members Odajima and Kataoka are sent away on a trip after Kataoka, the young wakagashira, screws up. However, this trip hides the true mission: Odajima has been ordered to kill Kataoka.
The Journey To Killing You‘s eye-catching cover and yakuza as main characters is an irresistible combination.
The mix of steam, angst, and grit hit hard right off the bat. I braced for devastation as the impending sense of doom loomed like dark clouds over the characters. This was tempered by a streak of humor, and the entertaining interplay of Odajimi’s serious, gloomy personality and Kataoka’s easy-going, people-pleasing charisma.
The plot is two people on the run, a.k.a road trip, where the underboss Kataoka and underling Odajimi alternate between having sex and chilling with various quirky folks. While Kataoka seems to be having the time of his life, Odajimi struggles with internal conflict, bittersweet memories, and his mission to kill the other man.
Yakuza politics demands the urgency of the kill, and Kataoka slays with a deceptively casual proposition. And just like that, the man brought the squee in what would have been a dismal affair. Totally reminded me of another yakuza BL manga I read a long time ago where they say the bond between members is deeper than marriage.
It’s best to go in knowing only what the blurb says. The author’s storytelling is superb! They really know how to deploy key panels to maximum heart-stopping effect. There are flashbacks to Odajimi’s memories ending in tragedy, heightening the suspense. Even with the flashbacks, jumps to other characters, and numerous sex scenes, the plot was smooth, well-executed and downright gripping!
This is a manga that is as intense as its cover!
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MANGA: Itoshi no My Doctor!
Itoshi no My Doctor! – Glycerine Takeru
The bright young actor Sunao Makita is starring in a hit medical TV drama. His director makes him interview a surgeon called Naoki Himematsu, but when Sunao shows up, he receives the opposite of a warm welcome and is outright rejected. Over time, Dr. Himematsu’s cold yet kind personality slowly warms up to Sunao’s tenacity and persistence. Will Sunao figure out how to get through to the surgeon’s heart!? He wants to see more of the doctor’s cute side! This is a medical romance featuring an attractive actor with the personality of an excited puppy, and the calm, collected doctor he loves!
My Sweet Doctor is an opposites attract romance between a brusque doctor and a genki actor.
Sunao is an actor portraying a doctor in a TV drama. To make his acting more convincing, his director tasked him to interview Dr. Himematsu. The two spectacularly got off on the wrong foot, but Sunao is nothing but persistent. The more time he spent with the doctor, the more he learned about the doctor’s cute side.
This is the perfect example of food as the way to a man’s heart because Sunao kept feeding his beloved doctor super cute bento. And the good doctor let him because the man is sucker for delicious food. It’s a joy seeing the grumpy doctor letting his walls down and letting Sunao in.
The story moved fast, yet the plot development was well-executed. My favorite part is that the couple had no silly grand gestures. Instead, the milestones come in small, deceptively trivial gestures, like the lone wolf doctor telling the concussed Sunao to go with him to his house so he could watch over him or casually handing his apartment’s keys to Sunao. It’s things like these that speak volumes.
It’s always the secretly sweet ones that are most lovable!
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MANGA: Kanshaku Dama no Love Song
Kanshaku Dama no Love Song – Suzumaru Minta
Wakou, a senior student, is in love with his childhood friend, Takeo. However, he’s given up on that love and just wants to be his best friend. But one day, Takeo suddenly says “I might be okay with guys”?!
At first blush, The Love Song of the Cracker Ball is your run-of-the-mill pining-after-your-childhood-friend story starring a virginal, pretty, and somewhat sickly uke, a popular, experienced, cool seme and the hella awkward, make-or-break-a-friendship confession.
HS seniors Wakou and Takeo are lifelong friends and neighbors. Takeo is uber-protective of his sickly friend, who was secretly in love with him for a very long time. He’s very popular with girls, and Wakou feels he can’t compete with them. But one day, Takeo casually mentions he might be open to dating guys, and Wakou decides to take a chance and confesses his feelings.
This part happened early on, and as the story progressed, I was pleasantly surprise that it was more about that fragile period where best friends had to deal with the shift in their relationship. It was especially precious, even if full of uncertainties and insecurities because this is Wakou’s first love. I loved that the two friends made the sensible move of talking things out and taking it slow.
The cover illustration is misleading because it makes you think Takeo’s gonna be one of those pushy assholes. He’s quite the gentleman, really. The boy explicitly stated he’ll go with his boyfriend’s pace, letting Wakuo get used to hand-holding and such. The artwork is really beautiful, sometimes with hilarious derpy expressions.
Overall, this is an entertaining take on the age-old trope. Light-hearted, and funny but with enough depth to make the feelings heartfelt.
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MANGA: Sore wa Haru no Owari ni
Sore wa Haru no Owari ni – Nojiri Guri
Haru Amakawa, after working for two years, met Seoji Nakahara, a senior employee, on his first day at a new company. Until then, Amakawa, who had never been particularly moved by anything, learned the meaning of love for the first time. “Just looking at him makes me feel like I’m in pain…” Nakahara asks a mazed Amakawa to kiss him and offers to play. Amakawa is chasing and Nakahara is treating. What is the outcome of the battle between the two?
It Is At The End of Spring tackles an interesting theme. It is about a young salaryman, Amakawa, who is mostly apathetic about things. He’s not angsting about it. He even feels peaceful.
That peace was shaken when he felt attraction towards an older coworker, Nakahara, who in turn, recognized a kindred apathetic soul. Nakahara doesn’t know what to do with it, but being a tease, decides to play with the younger man.
I really liked the artwork. The characters are drawn softly, almost like unfinished sketches, giving the manga a warm fluffy vibe. But only visually because the execution left me cold.
Maybe I don’t entirely understand what the mangaka is trying to convey, but I felt their issue was a non-issue. I don’t see why there should be a problem with the relationship since both are consenting adults. There is some angsting over the age gap by Nakahara, but their age difference is not that big. He’s in his mid-30s, and Amakawa is in his early 20s.
There’s hot/cold treatment from Nakahara, but the dork was also quick to jump in bed with Amakawa. All in all, the conflict was only added so there would be drama. Otherwise, this would have been a hell of a lot short and sweet
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MANGA: Aiseyo Bakemono
Aiseyo Bakemono – Tsukizuki Yoshi
Reiji Kuze is the son of doctors and the new transfer student in his last year of high school. As someone whose socioeconomic background and academic grades are in the top 98th percentile, Reiji immediately stands out like a sore thumb in his new school. And in high school, standing out means you will be targeted. Presumed to be a delicate prince swimming in cash, Reiji gets picked on by the third strongest person in the school… and beats him and his entire gang to a pulp without breaking a sweat. As if Reiji didn’t stand out enough already, he seems to have caught the interest of the king of the hill, Akira Ohara, the cat-like lone-wolf that nobody can seem to tame…
Just Love. The Monster is what the uber-violent, homoerotic movie Crows, would be if it had gone full-on gay. At least the first parts of this high school, friends to lovers story.
Reiji is an elite, straight A student from an education-obsessed family. The last person you’d expect to be quite strong in a fight, as the notorious delinquent and strongest fighter, Akira, was delighted to discover. He challenged Reiji to a fight and was quickly enamored with the other boy’s fighting skills and good looks.
Akira has no qualms admitting he likes hot guys, and he’d likely fight a guy and fuck them too. Reiji initially didn’t feel anything but friendship towards the intriguing Akira. Later, he thought they had something special going on, but Akira suddenly ghosted.
Going in, I thought this was going to be fluffy and cute, so I was surprised the second half was very emotional. The story focus on the very different lives of the two boys and how it drove a wedge between them. A wedge created by internal angsting over how different their paths are, particularly by the doofus Akira, even though Reiji was doubling efforts to get close to him again.
I have mixed feelings about this manga. There are a lot of background speech balloons in lighter ink. I liked that they give the scenes a dynamic atmosphere, almost as if you can hear the susurration of the crowd. This had the makings of a top manga but suffered from awkward storytelling. I’m not sure if it’s the translation, but I was a bit confused with the plot.
Many goings-on are known through dialogues that are sometimes unclear, so the flow is not that smooth. I felt the mangaka only skimmed the surface because there were also backstories that needed to be explored further. I’m not one for long manga, but I think this one needed at least one more volume.
Biggest complaint is the part where Akira was almost beaten to death. Reiji took him to a motel where the horny Akira and his med student boyfriend had sex instead of taking care of injuries. The boys certainly had their priorities straight. Magic dick for the win because right after that, our boy was good as new. Meh!
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MANGA: Call
Call – Asada Nemui
Haruhiko is down-and-out after losing his job. On his search for an easy-money job, Haruhiko runs into Akiyama in front of a rental date shop, he then pretends to be a staff. Haruhiko starts swindling Akiyama out of money without having to sleep with him. However, after witnessing Akiyama’s excessively naïve reaction, his feelings begin changing…!?
Had to brace myself for this story, because knowing the mangaka, it will be devastating!
Call is about a NEET, Haruhiko, deploying a hastily thought-up enjo kosai scheme on a naive middle-aged gay man, Akiyama, who was about to go to a dating service agency for gays. Akiyama found Haru standing near the entrance and thought he was an employee. The younger man was desperate for money, thought, what the heck, and decided to go along, even if he was straight.
The first part of the story was rather cute. Haru was surprised by how much he enjoyed their dates, though it didn’t stop him from fleecing the older man. Soon, he found himself thinking fondly of his customer and even started missing the guy. Later, the idiot was thinking clingy, needy thoughts, much like a neglected boyfriend, when Akiyama didn’t contact him for weeks.
Haru’s internal dialogues were funny, and he had stupid expressions while agonizing over texts and calls. Most of the story is from his POV. He thought Akiyama was naive, gentle, kind, and definitely, a virgin. The dork watched porn to see how he could do it with a man, so he’ll know how to pop Akiyama’s cherry.
Akiyama is a slouchy, 36-year-old, who spends a ton of money on Haru. His sad, downtrodden face gave the manga a melancholy feeling that I just knew would have a bittersweet ending! Hooboy, was I right! The moment the POV shifted to Akiyama’s, reality slammed! The titular call headed to the point of no return. But Asada Nemui had mercy on us because it swerved and gave us hope once more!!!
This was quite an emotional roller-coaster and an awesome manga to start the year!
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