Never Hollowed By The Stare

Ushimitsu Dokidoki Koshotentan – Tacocasi

Komiya is a struggling grad student trying to make ends meet. He meets Youzou Nishi, owner of the Nishi Bookstore, while searching for an affordable room and board, which the latter had advertised in exchange for looking after the bookstore occasionally. After living a month with Youzou, Komiya is smitten. But Youzou is a great mystery. Apart from managing a bookstore, he also has another job that Komiya doesn’t know much about, except that Youzou’s clients all seem otherworldly. Komiya doesn’t think about it much until an earthquake and rejuvenation water turns Youzou into a child. As it turns out, Youzou also runs a pawn shop of holy miracles for gods. (Source: futekiya)

Since the release of Nidaime Jiguko Brothers, Tacocasi has become an instant favorite. Their stories are of a paranormal bent, featuring various gods and demons.

The Story of Ushimitsu Dokidokidoki Secondhand Bookshop or Midnight Bookstore is another delightful offering following the same theme. It combines magic, romance, and mystery.

Forty-something Youzou is a secondhand bookstore owner who moonlights as a trader of magical contracts, deals, and items. He offered board and lodging to a struggling grad student Komiya, who it turned out had been crushing on the spectacularly oblivious older man.

A magical accident caused Youzou to turn into his child-like form and needed Komiya’s help going about his business. He goes from child to adult and back at certain hours, which can be tricky and/or awkward. Also, they need to find certain deities to help Youzou return to his adult form permanently. Cue the quirky supernatural side characters.

The setting is a university town near the mountains. It has the slow living idyll, quaint houses, and old neglected shrines. It’s a place that makes it easy to believe in the supernatural. It reminded me of our overnight trip to the mountains to stay with an indigenous tribe. Boy had they a million stories to tell of their paranormal encounters!

The neglected shrines connect to how the gods and goddesses of certain shrines had to hustle to keep their homes going. It brought the gods more in touch with human business. For instance, the goddess of fire is in charge of a famous hot springs and makes ink that she sells. The deities then secretly put the money in the donation boxes.

The setting is just one of the charms. The manga also gives us a slow burn, understated, cozy romance. While it seemed mostly one-sided as seen from Komiya’s POV, and Youzou has one heck of a poker face, it is not angsty but focuses on Komiya’s joy of being able to take care of Youzou, both in his child and adult form.

It also has a rather practical approach, with Youzou explaining his inconvenient position that would make dating him impossible. Then, the disarming poker-faced man declared he was not discouraging Komiya from kissing or hugging him. What is our boy to do, but not waste any chances and jump headfirst into the fire…

Despite the stakes involved and the external conflicts, I loved how the story has Youzou’s chill vibe all over it. It’s wholesome and adorable but not overly cutesy or fluffy or anything extreme. It’s amusing without going over the top. Overall, a gently compelling story where the heart goes doki doki.

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