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MANGA: Romance ni wa Hodo Tooi
Romance ni wa Hodo Tooi – Amamiya
In high school, Arata fell for a British girl. A salaryman now, he’s reunited with that person, but they’re actually a man?!
There was a time when I was dying to pack my bags, hightail it to Japan, find work, make pilgrimages to anime sites, and have cosplay photoshoots. Alas, lack of resources and poor mental health wouldn’t let it be so.
Far From Romance is a tale of a British guy doing just that. Luis, an elite systems engineer, surprised everyone when he transferred to a small fishing village to work for a small IT company. Secretly, his mission is to win the man who helped him years before when he first visited the town that was the setting of a popular anime.
Luis is an otaku and now fluent in Japanese. It was amusing how the story poked good-naturedly at Japanese quirks through the eyes of a gaijin. He doesn’t cosplay but loves photographing places he’s seen from the anime. He even volunteers to photograph their cosplayer co-worker, thrilled to see cosplay from a Japanese.
In contrast, Arata doesn’t watch anime but soon did after their work involved promoting the town to anime otaku. He’s portrayed as the typical workaholic salaryman and a well-liked boss. The story is mostly from his POV, where he remembers his anonymous blonde, blue-eyed first love from years ago and how they tried to communicate with the language barrier.
And now, seeing Luis, he couldn’t help but be drawn despite being straight.
OMG, THE ROMANCE IS THE CUTEST, SWOONIEST THING EVER!!!!
The gorgeously drawn characters of Luis and Arata and their endearing connection, the gentle but determined way Luis wooed Arata, so pure yet so passionate, just thinking about it, I got happy goosebumps! SQUEE~
Kommatsu is their female co-worker and a cosplayer. She keeps an eye on the romantic development of the two and dies swooning when she realized Luis and Arata are now officially a couple. Kommatsu is all of us.
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MANGA: Shishi no Odoriko
Shishi no Odoriko – Yanase Seno
Yoru works as a male prostitute after being betrayed by the owner of the circus.One day, a man appears who wants to buy Yoru for one night.That was Amran, a high race “hybrid” who is said to have two forms of human and beast. That night, Yoru is hugged violently without even having time to make up for him…
The Lion Dances With a Loved One has stunning artwork, massive dubcon issues, beast sex, captivating dancing, and beautiful long-haired men. Quite a brew!
The plot is Yoru, the sex slave, purchased for some mysterious reason by rich company owner and lion shifter, Amran. He’s forced to have sex but is also treated kindly by his new owner, which left poor Yoru conflicted.
The setting is vaguely historical Arabia, where full-bred shifters, a.k.a. hybrids, are considered superior, and half-breeds are considered weak. Yoru was a circus dancer advertised as a hybrid against his will. He’s actually human, so when he was discovered, he was forced to work as a sex worker.
The story also has some omegaverse elements where the shifters are in heat for certain periods of time. This is where content warnings come in place because there are scenes where Amran fucks Yoru in lion form. This I could ignore because, heck, I read monster romance, and those come with even weirder appendages.
What bothered me are a couple of things. First, Amran is the kind of petty bastard who repeatedly forced his crush because Yoru didn’t recognized him after all these years. Second, Yoru digging a hole for himself later on when he declared he liked it rough and not to stop even if he said no. Clearly, these two needed a safe word. Yoru has no sense of self-preservation whatsoever, so this on Amran, who is a sadistic motherfucker.
There were attempts at heartwarming moments, childhood connection trope, and cutesy side characters, but I didn’t like the MCs, so it was wasted on me. Still, this might charm other people, and the drawings are really pretty.
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MANGA: S.O.S.? Salt or Sugar?
S.O.S.? Salt or Sugar? – Michiru Sonoo
Oshio’s job requires him to wine & dine potential clients—but Satou from the rival company is always a step ahead!
OMG!!! This is sooo freakin’ adorable!!!!!
S.O.S.? Salt or Sugar? is a salarymen romance between two elite med reps from rival companies. Oshio, popular, cheerful, considerate, is from a traditional Japanese pharmaceutical company and Satou, cool, suave, know-it-all, is from a foreign-owned pharmaceutical company.
The two met in a snowstorm and quickly bonded over food.
If there’s any BL couple I’d love to be friends with, it’s Oshio and Satou. These two are hardcore foodies! They know all the best restaurants, from high end steak shops to nameless hole-in-the-wall izakaya. I want them to be my food guide if I visit Japan!!!!! The way these two go on and on about food, I’m drooling!
Oshio sparing no expense on his meals and cheerfully declaring he’s broke, “I spend half my money on food…sometimes I’m on the red.” I feel you, man!
Satou is the enigmatic one. How he knows everything from career advice to hospital feng shui is a mystery. We know little about him, but you should see the way he’s smitten with Oshio.
Alongside workplace woes, the rivalry between the companies, and the endless food trips, an understated romance developed. It was gentle and sweet, an oasis of calm for the constantly on the go couple. Oshio and Satou quietly support each other, unknown to their fiercely competitive co-workers.
The humor is quirky, the effect enhanced by people in the background drawn as mere silhouettes or caricature reactions. The MCs are drawn as slim and slender men who look fabulous in suits. How they manage to maintain that, with all the meals they ate, I don’t know. All I know is they ate their way to each other’s hearts.
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MANGA: Fuhen no Hikari
Fuhen no Hikari – Washio Kyo
A story about childhood friends brought together by work, reminiscing their past while reflecting on why they want to be together and facing their feelings.
Unchanging Light or You’ll Always Be My Twinkling Star is about two childhood friends, Touri and Ritsu, now working as astronomers/researchers. Touri came to Japan to fetch Ritsu, whom he invited to work in the US. Ritsu’s nephew, Riichi, is helping his uncle pack, and he couldn’t help but notice a special closeness between the two older men.
First, I loved that this is about two mature men of opposite personalities and the special bond they shared since middle school. The story is not exactly a typical romance. Touri and Ritsu is not so much as stuck but more like settled comfortably in that nebulous zone of more-than-friends-but-not-lovers.
It’s a relationship of companionship, admiration and mutual support that has lasted decades. My asexual heart approves.
This one-shot is laid-back and humorous with a poignant undertone that hits hard at the kokoro with that ending! One of my top manga this year.
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MANGA: Kimi no Pink to Boku no Blue
Kimi no Pink to Boku no Blue – Ohmura Amo
Yuuki is an aspiring musician currently working as a housekeeper. One day, he is put in charge of cleaning the house of Kikuchi Koudai, a popular fashion designer whose designs are centered around the color black. What happens when Yuuki finds Koudai’s secret plushie collection room and discovers his long-held secret love for cute things?
This manga has many things I love, not just the romance.
Your Pink and My Blue is about a genius fashion designer, Koudai, in the closet, so to speak, not for being gay, but for secretly liking all things cute and pink. His secret hoard of kawaii was discovered by his new housekeeper, Yuuki.
Expecting the usual disgust, Koudai was surprised that Yuuki was accepting, even appreciative of his love for pink. He even encouraged him to be open about it. It’s no wonder Koudai fell in love with him. But is Yuuki ready for a relationship with a man?
Koudai’s black aesthetic is totally my aesthetic! I’d kill to wear his designs! Like him, I also love anything kawaii. I hang small plushie keychains on my bag as pops of color in my all black ensemble. And I am so happy to read about a fashion designer MC because there was a time I studied to be one. It didn’t pan out, but I’ll always love fashion.
And, of course, music! Yuuki is an aspiring singer-songwriter. Heck, I’d probably be in a band if I knew how to sing or play an instrument. So this adorkable manga was practically created for me.
In truth, the execution here wasn’t anything outstanding or different from the typical enjoyable manga I’ve come across. The best thing about this is that it has one of the healthiest relationships between MCs.
The two are such supportive boyfriends in the best way possible! They never push too hard, but they instinctively know when to give the other that extra boost. It’s sweet and inspiring! Koudai and Yuuki are goals!
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MANGA: Ningyou Yuugiroku
Ningyou Yuugiroku – Hatoba Kogarashi
As a high-ranking general captured after the end of a war, the Holy Knight Gilbert braces for execution… when at the last moment, his life is saved by Chris, the enemy nation’s master artificer and puppeteer. An arrogant, wickedly playful man who surrounds himself only with dolls of his own making, Chris claims to admire the beauty of Gilbert’s soul and intends to use him to create his newest masterpiece.
When Gilbert refuses to go along with Chris’s plan, he is forced to choose between certain death and forsaking his faith to become an immortal doll. Hoping to buy enough time to make his escape, Gilbert instead offers himself up to Chris as a slave. But if that’s the game this knight wishes to play, then Chris fully intends on toying with him until Gilbert breaks to his will…
We could all agree that the cover is GORGEOUS! And that this manga is smutty AF.
The Genius Puppeteer Loves the Holy Knight Fiercely is about high-ranking knight Gilbert, held captive by the genius puppeteer Chris, who saved the man from execution by offering to turn him into a doll. Not wanting to lose hope that someday he might escape, Gilbert offered his body for Chris’s sexual pleasure in exchange for not turning him into a doll.
Personally, the cover gave me Captive Prince vibes. Tall, blond Chris with mismatched magical eyes can see souls. Shunned as a child, he took solace in dolls. He’s arrogant and aloof, but has a surprisingly childish side. He saw Gilbert’s soul and thought it would be perfect for his creation.
Gilbert is dark-haired, muscular, and fiercely loyal to his country. He’s compelled to submit or else be executed. Spare you the details, but he learned to like it. Later events opened his eyes to some bitter truths, and he has no where else to go.
The plot might be something I’ve read many times already, but the additions of paranormal elements and dollmaking technology amidst war give it an edge. The story is somewhat gritty and dark, with lots of non-con moments.
I am pleasantly surprised that it fit everything within a single volume because this is the type of story that could go on and on, and I’ll never see the end of it. Even with just five and a half chapters, it was able to portray the evolution of Chris and Gilbert’s relationship convincingly.
With the English title like that, you’d think this would be a swoony affair. This isn’t your usual cute, squee-tastic romance. This is a romance built on dominance and forced submission.
The softer feelings and, most importantly, trust came later. It was compelling and nuanced with a deep connection that can only be acquired through trial by fire. All in all, swoony in its own way, definitely fucked up and surprisingly poignant.
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MANGA: Motokare x Security
Motokare x Security – Rihara
Since dating Miharu in high school, Rikuya Nishiki has been dependent on certain… pleasures. Deeply ashamed, he swears to become a strong, manly man, and gets a job as a bodyguard at a security company. But, part of him can’t forget all the dirty things his younger ex-boyfriend taught his body to enjoy. One day, who should turn up but Miharu himself, now a successful novelist, demanding that Rikuya be his bodyguard…! All those suppressed longings and obsessions come rushing back as Miharu casually puts the moves on him, just like old times!
My Ex-Boyfriend is My Bodyguard is a second-chance romance you might want to pick-up if you’re looking for steam. It’s also a prime example of why some exes are best left in the past.
Rikuya is an in-demand bodyguard who went viral because of his attractive looks. Before that, he was a skinny high-schooler and a geeky bookworm seduced by fellow club member Miharu. Realizing his alarming dependency on the other boy, Rikuya broke up with him and, upon entering the university, worked hard to improve his body and fighting skills.
Miharu, now a best-selling mystery author, hired Rikuya as his bodyguard, claiming he has a stalker. The idiot then spiked his bodyguard’s coffee and had his non-consensual way with Rikuya. This while there was a stalker about.
It’s clear early on Miharu is a manipulative bastard. It is unfortunate that Rikuya has a Pavlovian response to him. The poor bodyguard just couldn’t resist, tried as he might, whenever Miharu turns on the charm. Which was every chance the bastard gets.
Having the ex-boyfriend as a bodyguard is actually a cute idea, but it’s so unconvincingly done and with such a poor specimen of a seme. What a waste! Then again, you could read it for the smut.
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MANGA: Tameiki no Haru ni Koi no Natsu
Tameiki no Haru ni Koi no Natsu – Nobana Saori
Kuniharu Nishio had been in love with his friend ever since high school. He followed his dream of being a stylist, never letting go of these feelings, and while the nature of his work was very accepting when it came to same-sex relationships, he spent his days feeling somewhat gloomy and depressed. That is, until one day, when a new camera assistant named Ruka Nakamine showed up and suddenly confessed his love for Kuniharu. Ruka was very aggressive and annoying to the point that Kuniharu felt that kissing him was the only way to shut him up…
A Sigh In Spring, A Love In Summer is a workplace romance about moving on and letting in.
Kuniharu and Ruka are assistants to a stylist and a photographer, respectively. Upon their accidental first meeting, Ruka loudly declared he was in love with Kuniharu, then pursued him with dogged determination and an abundance of good cheer.
Thing is, Kuniharu is secretly in love with a friend already in a relationship. Ruka’s situation hits too close to home, and knowing how painful one-sided love feels, Kuniharu did everything he could to dissuade the other man. But Ruka will not be deterred and only wants to see Kuniharu smile.
Bless Ruka for his earnestness and relentlessness while keeping his hands to himself. The man’s capacity for optimism and unconditional love is admirable. When he says he only wants to see Kuniharu smile, he really meant it. He’s shorter, more childlike, and the uke, so it was surprising that he’s the older of the two.
Kuniharu took me a while to warm up to. He’s a grumpy ass, but whenever his friend calls or meets him, you can’t help but feel sorry for the guy for his unrequited feelings. The palpable misery and despair can be felt through his subtle shift of expressions or clench fists.
The most important part for me, where Kuniharu’s feelings towards Ruka changed, was done convincingly well, leaving no doubts to the pairing. Quite a feat for Ruka, given how badly Kuniharu was pining for his friend. I was lukewarm with the manga at first, but this part completely won me over!
One-sided love’s a heart-breaking bitch, but the cracks is where sunshine comes in.
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MANGA: Bakashite Damashite
Bakashite Damashite – Akabeko
Honda, a gym trainer with a dry love life, can’t help but be attracted to Konno, a man whose face is his ideal type. When he finds out that Konno is gay, he gets turned on by him, and finally realizes that he is in love. However, Konno has been in an unrequited love with someone for quite some time…… A pure and lewd love story of two clumsy men.
Seduce and Deceive is an endearing love story of misunderstandings, bisexual awakening, and two lovable doofuses thinking themselves unlovable, you just had to root hard for them.
Also, the cute nicknames!!!
Gym trainer Honda, affectionately called Ponta, a.k.a. racoon, is attracted to the new member Konno, a.k.a. Konosuke or fox. Upon learning he’s gay, Ponta, had these complicated, confused feelings for Konno, so he befriended him.
All these seemed innocuous, but then Ponta learned about Konno’s seven-year-old unrequited love that lead to heartbreak, and he couldn’t help offer a shoulder to cry on. One thing led to another, and they soon found themselves sleeping together. But is it going to be just sex?
This might be kawaii, humorous, and fluffy, but there is realism here, too. It portrays relationships as they are in real life, that many are mostly physical and never really progressed beyond that. It is often hard to find a true connection, and sometimes even if you take a chance, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll find it.
But this is not a sad story. Even with Konno’s tears and Ponta’s struggles, this manga is funny, uplifting and heartwarming. I hate the misunderstanding trope, but here it was resolved in such a satisfying way that I actually liked the way it heightened the drama. It made Ponta and Konno more open to each other.
All in all, an adorkable story of finding the right man, right words, and right connection.
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MANGA: Kimi no Yoru ni Fureru
Kimi no Yoru ni Fureru – Mori Moyori
An assassin who cannot kill x a blind young man
“If you knew the real me… you’d be disappointed.”
Born into a family of assassins and living in a world of darkness, Chinatsu has been unable to kill anyone due to his past trauma.
When Chinatsu’s brother died before his very eyes, a boy reached out a hand to him.
That scene is still burned into his mind…
While having the same nightmare yet again, Chinatsu happens to see the boy from that day, Kasumi, again.
Unable to leave the blind boy alone, Chinatsu unexpectedly becomes his “friend”, but… Chinatsu, who suffers his family’s curse, and Kasumi, who despite his blindness is spirited and pure.
This is a story of salvation that melts the loneliness of two people living in darkness.Touch Within the Abyss is quite possibly one of the most beautiful manga I’ve ever read. The story and the artwork have fragile beauty that takes the breath away.
This is a story of a very reluctant assassin, Chinatsu, and his friendship with a blind young man, Kasumi. Unknown to Kasumi, Chinatsu was the young boy he helped five years ago when Chinatsu was forced to watch his brother die when Chinatsu failed to kill his target.
There’s an air of melancholy hanging over most chapters, echoing the loneliness of Kasumi, who was confined in the far corner of their estate because of his blindness. He longs to explore the world and could only do so through books.
Chinatsu is one of the best seme I’ve ever encountered, and Kasumi is the most precious uke ever! They are polar opposites. One deals with death, the other is pure and innocent. Yet, they complete each other.
With the melancholy vibe, I kept expecting tragedy. Had it been tragic, my heart wouldn’t survive it. It is a deeply poignant love story, and so very achingly tender. This manga has gripped me hard and swept me away with FEELS!
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