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MANGA: My Childhood Friend Was A God
My Childhood Friend Was A God – Ruru / Menten Watagashi
This is a story of a special boy who becomes a God once he turns 18 and his ordinary childhood friend.
In the story, there’s an event that may be seen as character death. Please be warned.
This is a sweet childhood friends to lovers story with a nice paranormal twist. In this world, gods are born among humans every 30-50 years or so until they turn 18 and return to nature.
Tomoya, a god, was born at the same time as Tarou. They were neighbors, classmates and best friends. Tarou is the only one who treats Tomoya as normal while the rest of humanity treats him with reverence and fear. Their wish was to go together to their school’s cultural festival. They have one last summer vacation together before they turned 18.
So the blurb warns that the ending has ninjas cutting onions but there’s a nice little extra at the end that kinda makes up for it. This one-shot was able cram the world-building, Tomoya’s lifetime as human and the progression of his relationship with Tarou in a single chapter without feeling rushed or missing an important element. Excellent execution all in all. Tomoya and Tarou will still have that dance.
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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!
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MANGA: Sugar-ism
Sugar-ism – Kuromame
Perpetually overworked salaryman Tetsudo gets a much-needed day off and goes to a pharmacy to buy sleeping pills. He meets his old college friend, Kamitezuna. The same friend who rejected him after he confessed 8 years ago…
This one-shot is about a depressed, overworked salaryman who wants to die. He buys sleeping pills from the pharmacy and meets his old college buddy who works there.
The two had a history together. Kamitezuna is described as a selfish guy who does what he wants. He’s the type who helps people even if they don’t want to be helped. He basically bulldozes Tetsudo to eat with him, takes him to his apartment and have sex with him despite all appearances pointing to him being straight.
Apparently there is a method to this madness as the mangaka gives a convoluted explanation about eros, thanatos and homosexuals that frankly sounded like homosexuals can’t be truly be happy because they can’t reproduce. There’s more blather. What I got in the end was something to the effect of Kamitezuna giving life to the Tetsudo.
Anyways, I just liked the art.
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MANGA: Sukiyanen Kedo Dou Yaro Ka
Sukiyanen Kedo Dou Yaro Ka – Chiba Ryouko
After his divorce and transferred to Osaka, the only thing Soga thinks about is getting through his day. One of the things that he takes great pleasure in is going to 26-year-old Sakae’s resturuant and eating the delicious food he creates. However, he doesn’t know that Sakae sees him more than just a frequent customer…
Two equally adorable gay-for-you stories revolving around food and Sakae’s restaurant.
Although I Love You, And You?: Divorced salaryman Soga loves Sakae’s food. He was surprised Sakae loves him! After a passionate confession that he doesn’t know what to do with came awkwardness and confused feelings. To which I say, if a man doesn’t mind kissing you after you throw up dead drunk, he must really like you.
You Can’t Say You Don’t Like It If You Haven’t Tried It: Super picky eater Nakatsu is constantly bugged by fellow customer Kaname to eat veggies after noticing he never orders vegetables. Proceeded to force feed him by having Sakae cook the veggies in creative ways.
Nakatsu is a demi making a rare appearance in manga. He found himself going through the motions of romance and sex. He never enjoys being touch until he discovered he doesn’t mind Kaname touching him at all.
I liked Nakatsu’s cool suit and tie vibe and his uptight personality. I enjoyed the contrast and his dynamic with loud and pushy Kaname. Although in real life, I’d punch a guy if he gets up in my face like that.
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MANGA: Amato Amaro
Amato Amaro – Basso
Economist Vittorio Conti wants to see what having sex with a man is like, and does what any reasonable person would do in his situation: ask his bodyguard if he wants to give it a try. Straightlaced Armando Pagani refuses at first, but for how much longer?
The third in an Italian-flavored manga trilogy about queer politicians and their lovers. This is a collection of interrelated stories, sometimes two chapters long, sometimes merely a sketch.
The plots could be deceptively simple and subtle but extremely nuanced. The character not the normal types found in BL manga. They are mostly men in their 40s, even one or two married to women and with children. The artwork is not the usual cutesy, pretty boy style but has its own appeal.
I highly recommend Basso’s work if you’re looking for a mature, sophisticated BL manga.
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MANGA: Hanaiki Kasoku
Hanaiki ~ Kasoku – Katsuaki Sassa
Symptom of Hanaiki: when your breath smells like flowers. Roughly 70% of youth have this. The symptoms occur when they fall in love for the first time.
This is a one-shot about a high schooler who couldn’t confess to his childhood friend for fear of losing him. So he tries to hide the flowers he disperses because of hanaiki.
I think this condition is pretty romantic if a little inconvenient. Specially if you have to keep your feelings a secret. This is my first time hearing about hanaiki but apparently it’s a thing in fanfic made famous by Korean girls. Gives a new meaning to the expression “coming up roses”.
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MANGA: Heart no Kagi Te ni Irero!
Heart no Kagi Te ni Irero! – Emi Mitsuki
Plain looks… average abilities… on top of that, my name’s “Suzuki Tarou”. I’ve always held a complex towards my overly ordinary self. One day, a super pretty, drunk boy appears on my doorstep! He tries to kiss me while crying about how I “look like his former lover”… Then some time later, that same pretty boy appears in my workplace! His name – Shiga Ryouta. Will meeting Shiga become my turning point?!
It’s a story about a drunken meet-cute with a guy clearly still hung up with his ex-girlfriend that led to an endearing friendship and conflicting feels. Generically-named average guy Suzuki Tarou proved he is The Suzuki Tarou as he doggedly pursue recognition from his father. His earnest determination won the heart of his angsty friend/co-worker Shiga.
Sweet and slow-burn.
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MANGA: Hate no Kouya de Vacances Wo
Hate no Kouya de Vacances Wo – Akagawa Sagan
Our Ever After: A cursed boy fell in love with a fiend
The Frog Prince: A high schooler too beautiful for his own good befriends a classmate who doesn’t care for his pretty face.
Vacationing at World’s End: An astronaut on a mission to colonize a faraway planet looks forward to the day he returns to earth. Meanwhile he is kept company by an AI designed by his boyfriend.
I knew when I saw the cover that this was going to be a good one! The artwork is lovely.
Our Ever After: The haunting one. Where a mysterious man named Magnolia tells a young boy the story of a monster and the boy who fell in love with him. For a minute there I thought it was going to be a tragic ending then it turned bittersweet.
The Frog Prince: The sweet and fluffy one. Where a high school student struggles with love when all people see is his pretty face. I love how he got to know his classmate who was obsessed with different animals.
Vacationing at World’s End: The heartbreaking one. Where an astronaut eagerly looks forward to returning home. Meanwhile he finds comfort in the AI who can take the form of the one he loves. All was going well until BAM! That twist had me crying!
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MANGA: Kuma to Interi
Kuma to Interi – Basso
Collection of interconnecting oneshots:
1) Con Te (With You)
A waiter, Neri, working in a high-end restaurant likes intellectual gentlemen and is currently involved in a “sexual relationship” with a third-class politician. Will the politican ever become the gentleman Neri prefers?2) Orso e Intellettuale (Bear and Intellectual)
A politican and a photographer meet during a holiday. But is the photographer really what he said he is?3) Manifesto
4) Discorso del Gelato (Discussion of Ice Cream)
5) Uomo che è stato Inseguito (Man Who was Chased)
6) La Camera del Primo Pomeriggio (The Room of Early Afternoon)
7) Sigaro (Cigar)
8) Ricco e Riparatore (Rich Man and Repairman)
9) Kuroyama-san no Nioi (Mr. Kuroyama’s Scent)
I’m so glad I discovered this mangaka. Their stories were quite refreshing. This collection, for example, featured politicians as the protagonists, something rarely seen in BL manga.
This josei manga is set in Italy and captures the vulnerability and internal conflicts of gay politicians. The art is clean and simple yet expressive. Highly recommend this for those looking into a more mature and sophisticated BL experience.
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MANGA: Naka-san no Nagare
Naka-san no Nagare – Basso
Naka Makoto owns a small ramen restaurant called Naka, where he serves a loyal clientèle, including his partner, Tomatsu Shimpei. Basso’s manga “Naka-san no Nagare” focuses on the lives of Naka-san and Shimpei, especially their mutual love of ramen.
Ramen is life!
An awesome, slice-of-life manga with super chill vibe and simple, wholesome plots mostly revolving around ramen. It could take getting used to but love the atypical art and lowkey feels.
