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MY TOP BL MANGA OF 2021
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MANGA: Oh My Hero!
Oh My Hero! – Cocomi
This Boys Love story is about Inui, a guy who works part-time dressing up as a tokusatsu hero (think Power Ranger) in shows for children. He meets the Mugita family, a father and his son who have a lot of love for one particular ranger. As the Mugita family is always watching his shows with great passion, he got interested in them and is happy when they invite him to their house. But while he enjoys spending time in their warm company, Inui is troubled because some desires in him awake when he thinks about Daddy-Mugita. Another story included is Aogeba Koishi, where a senpai and kohai from the middle school basketball club meet again as adults.
Adorbs!
Oh My Hero! is a wonderfully wholesome romance between a divorced single dad and a younger man who works as a tokusatsu hero.
Inui, the man behind the mask, frequently sees the Mugita father and son very enthusiastically cheering him on in the audience during his performances. He has a long-standing, long distance crush with the father until the son brought them together. From then on, Inui spends his time playing with the young child while secretly longing for Mugita.
One day, the boy accidentally spilt his drink over Inui’s clothes. This led to Mugita taking him to the bathroom to change, and that led to some unexpected release of pent up tension…
I loved the the vibe of this manga! The artwork is as mellow and calming as the story. The romance is soft and gentle and oh so wholesome, even with the couple of handjob scenes. I had a bit of apprehension that the younger Mugita might have a crush on Inui as is sometimes the case with single dad stories. Happily, the plot avoided that dreaded love triangle.
There was a single chapter story about a kohai and his admired senpai who suddenly kissed him when they were high schoolers. They accidentally met again and went on to relive youthful regrets and…that kiss? Ooh, this has so much potential! I wished there were more chapters.
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MANGA: Restart wa Onaka wo Sukasete
Restart wa Onaka wo Sukesete – Cocomi
Coming back home to restart his life after a disastrous time in Tokyo, 25-year-old Kozuka Mitsuomi is unemployed. He was born and raised in the countryside but returned. He meets Kumai Yamato and his life begins to subtly change.
“Restart Can Be Hungry” is the sequel to Restart wa Tadaima no Ato de. It’s sweet story about building a family with the person you are happiest with. It picks up on Mitsuomi and Yamato as an established couple tentatively trying to move their relationship to the next level.
Mitsuomi is a lovable dork. I think he had winter personality.
Yamato’s cheerful personality made my day. I loved his character design and how the mangaka drew his various expression. He had a great smile. It’s a smile made of sunshine and summer.
Their opposite personalities played off each other well.
The manga is paced even slower than before that it was borderline boring at first. It gradually won me over with its gentle vibe. It had the same heartwarming moments that made the prequel a joy to read.
Restart no Tadaima no Ato de has a live-action movie. Check out trailer below. Sorry, I couldn’t find any English subtitles.
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MANGA: Restart Wa Tadaima No Ato De
Restart Wa Tadaima No Ato De – Cocomi
Mitsuomi Kozuka quits his job due to his boss. He then decides to return to his hometown located in the countryside for the first time in 10 years. There Mitsuomi Kozuka meets Yamato Kumai, the stepson of old man Kumai, who runs a farm near the home of Mitsuomi Kozuka’s parents. Mitsuomi Kozuka and Yamato Kumai soon become good friends, but one night Mitsuomi Kozuka kisses Yamato Kumai while he is sleeping…
A slow burn, opposites attract, friends-to-lovers story of hot-tempered Mitsuomi who’s too honest for his own good and the cheerful Yamato who low-key keeps his distance from everyone.
The manga is set in a small town with the typical small town culture of gossiping and everybody knowing everybody else. Yamato is considered an outsider despite living there for 10 years. He constantly smiles to hide his true feelings. The only person he showed his weakness to was Mitsuomi.
I wasn’t immediately drawn to the story but as it progressed the feels start to become more evident. The story has a warm, soft atmosphere with slightly bittersweet vibe to it coming from the Yamato being adopted by an elderly couple and the pang that there’s not much time left together.
The ending was adorable. I didn’t like that people still gossip about them but they were out and they had friends. It was realistic but happy.
I heard that this is going to have a live-action adaptation!
