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MANGA: Saiaku Na Futari No Hajimari Wa
Saiaku Na Futari No Hajimari Wa – Yoshino Kaya
Hinami Takashi is always transferring schools because of his parents’ jobs and he has gotten pretty bored of the attention. He uses the rumors about him to achieve his goal, which is to maintain his mediocre daily life and to quietly go on to the next school, until the rumors about his classmate Sakura make him take a special interest in him. It seems like Takashi isn’t as ordinary as he pretends to be!
Cute but that Hinami, what a nosy bastard!
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MANGA: Kyou Kara Omega ni Narimashita
Kyou Kara Omega ni Narimashia – Maiki Sachi
Ordinary university student Kanade is a Beta. He secretly holds feelings for his neighbor and childhood friend Munechika. However, in this world, the typical trend is for an alpha and omega, and two betas to pair up. Because of that, Kanade thinks heโs not a match for Munechika whoโs an Alpha, and stays with him as a friend. However, one day, Kanade feels a weird discomfort in his bodyโฆ
I still don’t see the appeal of omegaverse.
Meh on Kanade and Munechika.
Rooting for sensei and sempai.
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MANGA: Servant & Lord
Servant & Lord – Lo & Lorinell Yu
Christian has always admired handsome, talented composer Daniel. Their shared appreciation for music marked the beginning of a friendship between a willful boy and a sophisticated young man…
But when tragedy strikes and circumstances twist around to put Daniel in the service of Christian’s wealthy family, their bond is tried in unexpected ways. Years ago, the universal language of music drew them toward one another.
Now, Christian has to hope it’s still enough to bridge the gap between their vastly different lives.
Servant & Lord is an age-gap story between the bratty rich kid Christian and his long suffering friend cum caretaker cum mentor and former composer Daniel.
Like all the good M&S tropes, the dynamics between Christian and Daniel is filled with USTs, and fervent longing. Christian is more open about his feelings and Daniel, being older and an employee of Christian’s father, kept his under tight reigns. The manga is mostly from Christian’s POV but I really liked it that there were some parts were presented from Daniel’s perspective.
The manga starts from the time Christian met Daniel as a child, to him as a high school student and finally as a university student. Through all these years, Daniel is in denial and maintains the illusion that Christian’s feelings were the affections of a child and therefore something he would outgrow. And so I threw big hurrah when Christian took matters in his own hands and made Daniel face his feelings.
Since I like slow burn stories, this is right up my alley. The artwork looks good and I had no problems following the story progression. Age-gap is not my jam but I have no issues with it here. The story is not the most unique but still interesting enough for me to enjoy. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
P.S.
I received a copy of Servant & Lord from Tokyo Pop via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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MANGA: Star Collector Vol. 1
Star Collector – Anna B. & Sophie Schonhammer
Fynn’s favorite activities are skipping class, smoking, and lying around. So when he’s told it’s time to shape up and try doing something else for a change, he has no idea where to even start.
Then, on a nighttime walk around his neighborhood, he sees a stranger with a telescope up on a hill: his name is Niko, and he loves to watch the stars. Intrigued, Flynn decides to find out more about this nerdy boy and what could be so interesting about the night sky that he loves so much.
I know I sound like an ass but I used to scoff at Western manga because the art seemed off. But when I saw the cover of Star Collector, I immediately requested it on Netgalley. So pretty!
This is a classic opposite attracts story made more magical by stars. Watching Fynn fall for Niko was cute but maybe it happened just a little bit too fast given that they hardly know anything about each other and Fynn just broke up with Zoe. I felt Zoe’s hurt but I liked her for being such a great friend. I would have liked some backstory but I’m guessing that will be for the succeeding volumes.
Star Collector Vol. 1 is a good start of a promising manga. Recommended for those who love gay for you stories about nerds and delinquents.
Can’t wait for volume two! Will Fynn and Niko finally see those shooting stars?
P.S.
I received a copy of Star Collector from Tokyo Pop via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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MANGA: Blue! Blue! Blue!
Blue! Blue! Blue! – Amamiya
When Takiya Kippei, the brother of two older sisters, realises that he desperately needs money to buy a birthday present for his lover, he decides to live and work onsite at a ryokan (a traditional japanese inn). There, he meets the well-educated Honjou Masumi, a man who is neither too strict nor too lenient, and who has a charm which embodies the word “mature”. “This is the first time I’ve met someone like Honjou-san” – as Takiya continues working at the ryokan, he starts to become interested in Honjou!
OMG! Beautiful art, beautiful story. So soft and subtle.
(source: http://www.mangago.me)
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MANGA: I Want To Know You
I Want To Know You – Momoiro Peko
Kujou Akito, rich-smart-scary guy who’s actually an otaku, caught by his friend, Takaya Jin, bought an anime figure and took his pictures. Takaya then asked to Akito to be with him for 5 days, and he said “I know about you more than you know about me”.
I Want To Know You: At first, Takaya’s relentless cheerfulness was off putting then the POV shifted and it was all so damn cute!
I finally caught you.
I Believe That Laughter Is The Key To Falling In Love: Oh, come on now, people. It’s not just about Jou’s good looks, Reo’s adorbs too!
(source: https://myreadingmanga.info)
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MANGA: Ezuke wa Yahan, Ano Heya De
Ezuke wa Yahan, Ano Heya de – Homerun Ken
A collection of interconnected stories ranging from cactus enthusiasts and compensated dating to vampires and zombies.
The Next Time We Meet, The Crimson Flowers Will Bloom: seemed more a friendship story than romance. I liked the seme’s blunt honesty.
Unable To Reach Neither Love Nor Friendship: they buy each other instead. That angsty search for connection and a place to belong to.
Midnight Feeding In That Room: A riff on the master-servant trope. Was going for dark but the interaction with the two couples gave it a much needed touch of levity
Zombie Cycle + Daybreak: a very poignant story of friendship and love that survived, sort of, the zombie apocalypse. Best story of the collection
(source: http://www.mangago.me)
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MANGA: Kuro Ookami to Gin Kitsune
Kuro Ookami to Gin Kitsune – Inose
Kuzunoha is a Fox, a member of the Vulpine Faction at his school for Beastlings, and while he gets along well with his kind and the Feline Faction, the Lupine Faction scares the mess out of him because they still practice the ancient rite of pelt reaping, where in traditional ceremonies they skin their fellow beasts. But when he wanders into the forest on an urgent errand and winds up stumbling into the middle of a hunt, he must rely on the help of a Wolf classmate of his to reach safety, because Kuzunoha isn’t all he appears to be at first blush!
This has so much potential! I hope the mangaka continues the story.
(source: https://mangapark.org)
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MANGA: Sunroom nite
Sunroom ni Te – Takemiya Keiko
“In December of 1970 Takemiya published a short story, “In the Sunroom” (in Bessatsu Shojo Komikku) which is possibly the first shonen-ai manga published and contains the earliest known male-male kiss in shลjo manga.
The manga volume consists of five shorter stories:
– Sunroom Nite (In the Sunroom, 1970)
– Hohoemu Shounen (The Laughing Boy, 1972)
– 20 no Hiru to Yoru (20 Days and Nights, 1973)
– Star! (1974)
– Mister no Kotori (The Mr.’s Baby Bird, 1975)”A story of happy childhood innocence and powerful, inescapable desires.
A highly emotional and dramatic historical milestone in manga.
(source: http://www.mangahome.com)
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MANGA: Escalate
Escalate – Nagabe
The school of beasts receives its first lizard student. The animals are curious…
Cat and lizard get their kink on and escalate it did.
Well, this is certainly different.
(source: https://mangadex.org)
