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MANGA: Tonari no Metaller-san
Tonari no Metaller-san – Mamita
About to freeze to death on a day of heavy snow, Kento is saved by his neighbor Soushi. Dressed all in black, taciturn and scary-looking, Soushi seems hard to approach, but his eyes, almost hidden by his long hair, shine as if pleading for something. After that day, the two of them end up eating together every day for one year. Kento, while hiding the fact that he’s gay, doesn’t want the peaceful and happy time they share to come to an end. Can he keep a lid on his feelings…?!
As someone weaned on rock, I found this story of a metalhead and a non-music listener unspeakably adorable!
The Metalhead Next Door is a story of two neighbors, Kento, who was saved from being frozen to death on a snowy day, by Soushi, a metal-loving, all-black wearing, taciturn pastry chef. The two struck a friendship with Kento, frequently eating meals with Soushi, who enjoyed cooking for him.
Soon, Kento found himself falling for his quiet neighbor, but he hesitated because he did not want to ruin their friendship.
This is one of my favorite renditions of gap moe. Soushi looks so scary, Kento mistook him for a shinigami when he was waking up from his frozen state. The poor guy is actually a lonely, gentle soul who loves pastries and enjoys knitting.
Soushi has trouble speaking, and as a child was frequently bullied. He took to metal because the loud, frenetic sounds give him energy, and he doesn’t need to talk to people when he’s listening to music. His intimidating metalhead aura also scares bullies.
My favorite part is how Kento, who has zero interest in music, attends concerts and music festivals because he knows it’s important to Soushi. Our boy even endures crazy crowds, rain, and mud just so he could hold Soushi’s hands while they watch Metallica play. That right there goes straight to my kokoro!
I can’t begin to describe how perfect the cover is! That piggy bank hit me hard. It’s where Soushi saves his money for concerts. Kento realized Soushi used to go to concerts alone, but now they can go together. These two will be the death of me and I’ll die squeeing!
From the cozy domesticity of Kento and Soushi bonding over food and music, to Soushi’s heartbreaking yet endearingly brave attempts to overcome his speech anxieties, to Kento’s joyful celebration of everything Soushi, this poignant story beautifully resonates with the soul!
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MANGA: Ginmokusei no Shitateya
Ginmokusei no Shitateya – Mamita
Ubuki inherits Ginmokusei, his grandfather’s old tailor shop on the outskirts of Ginza, when his grandfather passes on. But unlike the days with his grandfather at the helm, Ginmokusei is now in a slump despite all of Ubuki’s (unrefined) efforts. As the days pass with no sign of customers coming in, Ubuki grows impatient. Then one day, a man named Theo suddenly walks in declaring, “I’ll turn this store of yours into a first rate one, so bet on me!”
Will Ubuki, with Theo’s help, be able to turn things around? This time from Mamita: a mature, adult love story between two men in suits!
Woe that there’s not enough BL manga about tailors and men in suits, but happily, I found this gem!
Ginmokusei: The Tailor Shop is about Ubuki, who inherited his grandfather’s tailor shop. He regrets not working with his grandfather sooner, and now with the old man gone, he’s struggling to keep the shop alive. In waltzes Theo, with a bold offer only the desperate, a.k.a. Ubuki, will accept. This audacious stranger declares he will transform the shop into a first rate, thriving business!
Theo smelled all kinds of fishy the moment he walked in. Ubuki was too shellshocked by his blitzkrieg attack, and so, was swayed into making these grandiose plans. But that is only the impression the manga wants you to think because as the story progress, Theo was indeed making changes that worked!
The plot has several very intriguing aspects to it. There’s the shop business, but then you’d have ask why is Theo doing this. The man even went so far as to transfer a loan he was supposed to use on his own business to the tailor shop. Who is he exactly to Ubuki?
Then there’s Ubuki, whose not even a proper tailor, hellbent on keeping a dying business alive. Throw in Ubuki’s cheating ex, also a client of the shop, out to provoke the easily jealous Theo.
I loved how everything was interwoven, especially when the connection between Theo and Ubuki was revealed. I love the childhood connection angle but it was also refreshing that the two MCs had their initial encounter as adults.
And the artwork is as gorgeous as the cover! Definitely a manga you can bet on!
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