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MANGA: Tsumasaki Ni Kourozu
Tsumasaki Ni Kourozu – Aoi Aki
1-3) Tsumasaki ni Kourozu
Iwai Arata was recommended by his professor to work part-time under a rather eccentric mycologist, Murota. The mycologist seemed hard to approach at first. But slowly as he got used to Iwai’s presence, he became friendlier in his own way, showing Iwai a whole new world and giving him guidance with life. Though every day was fun and exciting, a sense of unease began to creep into Iwai’s heart4) Lingering Light (Tsumasaki ni Kourozu – Extra)
5) A Fish’s Warmth
Hirotaka has a secret. When people fall asleep, he sees fishes swimming out of their bodies, wandering and playing, and going back when they awaken. But, the deeper one’s secret is, the more solitary he becomes.6) Excursion at Midnight (A Fish’s Warmth – Extra)
7) August, End of Summer
When Haruhiko’s grandfather dies, he stays behind in the old house for the memorial service. Left with regrets of lost time, a mysterious boy, and forty nine days in the countryside, Haruhiko finds himself accepting the oddities and discovering a beautiful place.8) The Coming of Summer (August, End of Summer – Extra)
Magical summer tales as soothing and peaceful as sunshowers.
Tsumasaki Ni Kourozu: Gently paced age-gap romance between a socially awkward professor and his research assistant amidst fascinating illustrations of flora. No magic at all but felt so nonetheless
A Fish’s Warmth: In a world full of secret fishes, melancholy high schooler opens his heart to friend. Their fishes dance together.
August, End of Summer: College boy, dead grandfather and a lonely fox spirit. Poignant and enchanting.
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MANGA: Nidaime Jiguko Brothers
Nidaime Jigoku Brothers – Tacocasi
Love stories of the 10 princes of hell.
Which are the cutest things ever!!! This is what Hoozuki no Reitetsu should have been if only Hoozuki hooked up with Hakutaku.
Look at these dorks!
This needs to be an anime and it’s going to be BIG! STANNING!!!
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MANGA: Oh My! Hotel!
Oh My! Hotel! – Jamong & Pagoi
Cool and sexy hotel concierge X Arrogant and fussy prince… How will things turn out?
Kinda cute, kinda rushed because the prince was a giant prick so how did it go from pain in the ass to kissing in the lobby?
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MANGA: Mie Hariatte Surechigai
Mie Hariatte Surechigai – Yukue Moegi
Salesman Minoru dislikes his co-worker Shinji, who likes to grope him and confess his love. Even though Minoru rejects his advances, the persistent Shinji refuses to give up.
Sparkling, self-assertive semes. Repressed, resisting ukes. A hit and a miss.
The Truth Framed Like A Joke: A case of sekuhara-but-ok-if-it’s-you made Minoru realized latent feelings for his business partner. I wanted to be annoyed but Shinji’s Lab-like enthusiasm and undying devotion won me just like he won his Minoru.
Putting On Airs, And Passing Each Other By: More feelings come out in the open as Sakurazaka made Yamamoto spell out his feelings with a clever/dumb wordplay. Not warming up to the too cool Sakurazaka.
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MANGA: Euterpe
Euterpe – Shishunnki
One gesture is worth more than a thousand words...
Silent psychological story of choir boys and their magical voices. Feels as poetic as it looks. That is, pretty but leaves you scratching your head.
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MANGA: The Wize Wize Beasts Of The Wizarding Wizdoms
The Wize Wize Beasts Of The Wizarding Wizdoms – Nagabe
Deep in the forest lies a mysterious school of magic: Wizdoms, an institution attended by beastmen of all kinds. These studious fantasy creatures have come to live, learn, and perhaps even fall in love in this enchanting space. In this collection of BL stories by master mangaka Nagabe, follow the beauty and surprising humor of magical beasts with human hearts.
A mixbag of humorous inter-specie love affairs featuring, IMHO, slightly disturbing anthropomorphic animals.
Alan & Eddington: The Gifted & The Average: Hare pining for Cat concocts a love potion but flubs the forgetting spell. So Cat remembered every dirty little secret Hare confessed. Hare wished the ground would swallow him up while I died of second hand embarrassment.
Florio & Nicol: The Hunter & The Hunted: Always sleepy Wolf uses Goat as pillow. Leaves bitemarks afterwards. Goat is nervous, annoyed but also a little…exhilarated? Hmm…
Fermat & Emil: The Teacher & The Pupil: Prof Dragon tutors young Dragon on the finer points of mathematics. Young Dragon gets adorably shy and squirmy, Prof Dragon feels unexplained feelings. Proceeds to do complicated calculations. Whatever it is, all I got was pedo vibes.
Marley & Collette: The Cold-Blooded & The Warm-Blooded: Serious winter co-dependence business between roommates Deer and Lizard. Took very good advantage of cuddle weather. Let’s hope Deer gets his spring.
Doug & Huey: Courtship & Friendship: Crow stakes claims on the oblivious and ever optimistic Peacock desperate to get a girlfriend by secretly telling everyone Peacock has a girlfriend. Funny with sinister undertones.
Allhoff & Carreras: Food & Games: Mischief loving Vampire Bats share blood through mouth-to-mouth transfer learn a new way of playing with their mouths. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the image of regurgitated food.
Cromwell & Benjamin: The Good Talker & The Good Listener: Quiet faculty staff Unicorn, shunned by his tribe for being gay, is the go to demi-human for those needing an ear for their problems. Prof Griffin is his regular visitor. One day, Griffin notices Unicorn is in a subdued mood and tells him it’s his turn to listen. But is Unicorn ready to talk? Soft and sweet. My favorite.
Mauchly & Charles: Beast & Man: Bear and Human form a friendship after Bear rescues lost Human. Human feeds Bear blueberry pie. Bear teaches Human the art of doing nothing. Had floofy heart-to-heart talks on freckles and markings. Another favorite.
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MANGA: Blue Gray Kutsuoto
Blue Gray Kutsooto – Takanashi Naoto
Do you know about the saying, “Beautiful shoes bring happiness to the person who wears them?”
Lovely historical setting but why does he have to leave?
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MANGA: Yume Yume Shinjuu
Yume Yume Shinjuu – Kojima Lalako
Yume Yume Shinjuu From Hoshi Kuzuu: For someone who has no recollection of their childhood, Yuzuru’s been having the same dream over and over again. One where he and another boy are playing in a small shrine. But he can never figure out who the other boy is. Then one day, his brother Ryosuke brings home a classmate of his, named Takumi. Within the memories that Yuzura can not remember, he realizes that Takumi was his childhood friend and first love. Takumi reveals that he is ecstatic that Yuzuru remembers. Happy to meet his first love again, Yuzuru once again becomes attracted to him, but…
Confusing and muddled. Dark and tragic.
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MANGA: Otoko Yamome Mo Hana Wa Saku
Otoko Yamome Mo Hana Wa Saku – Yukue Moegi
Middle-aged salaryman Uematsu (40s) was surprised to learn that the restaurant part time-worker Asahikawa knows about his food habits. When Uematsu got promoted to department head he thought his life will be smooth sailing from then on but very soon his wife left him and the people assigned to him are utterly useless…
After hitting his 40s he felt like his stamina, energy, everything has been depleted, so he tries to avoid anything troublesome. But strangely he feels a sense of ease whenever he is with Asahikawa and starts warming up to him, but it’s feels like Asahikawa wants to get closer to him more than he could have ever imagined…
Nothing like new love to make an old man feel rejuvenated.
A delightful age-gap, older uke/younger seme romance that’s soft and pure. Makes the heart feel 10 times lighter.
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MANGA: Hanabatake To Wakarebanashi
Hanabatake To Wakarebanashi – Kojima Lalako
1-3. Hanabatake to Wakarebanashi, From Summer then On, Our Love
Takuya, Yuiji, and Aki are childhood friends who have always been together. Takuya secretly likes Aki, but she suddenly gets a boyfriend. Takuya nurses his broken heart with Yuiji, who suddenly confesses that he’s always liked Takuya.4-6. Bye-bye Baby
Story of Didi, his older brother, Ryoutarou, and his brother’s boyfriend, Nonoyama.Borderline saccharine stories typical of the mangaka’s happier works. The cover art’s so pretty!
Hanabatake to Wakarebanashi + From Summer then On + Our Love: Childhood-friends-to-lovers story with the usual ‘but I’m a guy!’ hesitations. Unnecessarily angsty but cute because who could resist Yuiji?
Bye-bye Baby: Established couple seen from the POV of the younger brother, Didi, a style that is particularly effective and delightful as long as it’s not a love triangle. Here, no geometries were involved so yay!
