• manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Majo to Neko

    Majo to Neko – Kuroi Yodaka

    Outwardly, Sudo is a delivery man, but at night he is a “courier” for the underworld. By chance, he gets together with his neighbor Uno, whom he has been interested in, over a potluck. The next day, he sleeps with Uno, who is drunk, and the next day, Uno becomes very distant from him. While he is worried that he might be onto his ulterior motives, he sees Uno being tangled up with some unscrupulous men on the street, and he reflexively takes Uno by the hand and runs away. The dying Sudo, under attack from the enemy, is saved by a contract with Uno, a descendant of witches. Sudo learns that Uno has been living in hiding from the world because he is a witch. To escape his pursuers, Sudo returns to his home to retrieve money for his escape, only to find his pursuers waiting for him…?

    Witch and Cat is a gritty paranormal romance that is as violent as it is steamy as it is heart-wrenching as it is so freakin’ good!

    This is a world where witches are the most sought-after commodity, able to heal and give extra lives to people they contracted with, known as familiars. These witches are so valuable that even their body parts are sold for exorbitant prices.

    A witch can contract multiple familiars, but it would drain their life energy in the long run. The contract had to be done with mutual consent with both parties present and with exchange of mana through physical contact. A kiss can give a short burst of mana, but we all know there are more fun ways to exchange body fluids.

    The witch is Uno, a scowl-y guy who rarely smiles and keeps to himself. He frequently bumps into his neighbor Sudo, a smiley, friendly guy who always seem to sport an injury. Right off the bat, it’s obvious that he is that kind of character who smiles even as everything falls apart.

    Sudo is strongly attracted to Uno and was determined to see the guy smile. Their lives is such that they cross paths with a yakuza who turned out to be a witch hunter, hellbent on capturing Uno.

    As you might guess, Sudo becomes Uno’s familiar and protector. While on the run, they realized their feelings towards each other were more than just witch and familiar. As Uno’ familiar, Sudo has cat qualities since Uno is affliated with cats. Ironic that he has a doting dog personality as a seme.

    Sudo frequently suffers horrendous injuries while protecting Uno, even lost several lives (he has 9), that Uno helped heal later. One thing that was puzzling to me was why Sudo was already healing so fast even before he became Uno’s familiar.

    The main antagonists are Natsume, a dog familiar and his witch, Keigo, son of the yakuza boss. These two are as compelling as Sudo and Uno, and I want their story so bad!

    There are plenty of uber violent fight scenes and a lot of blood shed. I’d love to see this as an anime. Not just because of the fight scenes but because the story is poignant and angsty. Also, their world is ripe for more stories about the complicated relationships between witches and their familiars, and the rest of the humanity.

    One of my top manga of the year!


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: I Can’t Believe I’ve Been Reincarnated and Fallen in Love with My Favorite Character of a Shoujo Manga

    I Can’t Believe I’ve Been Reincarnated and Fallen in Love with My Favorite Character of a Shoujo Manga – Natsuwo

    “Why am I getting heartthrob!?”

    The main character is reincarnated as Satou, an extra character in the world of his favorite shoujo manga.
    He was able to witness with his own eyes the moment his favorite characters became a couple. However, he witnesses the scene where his favorite character, Shirakawa Fuuma, is rejected by the heroine.
    Sato is determined to return the story to the way it was and make his favorite character happy! But as they spend time together, he finds himself falling for him…

    This is a heart-warming love story between a young man who is reincarnated in his favorite girls’ manga and the main character of that manga!

    This one’s for all the Friend A, a.k.a. wingmen out there!

    As far as isekai premises go, I Can’t Believe I’ve Been Reincarnated and Fallen in Love with My Favorite Character of a Shoujo Manga has a pretty tame plot with the clunky title describing it as literally as possible. However, I totally loved the idea of the hero falling for overlooked side character instead of the usual hero loves heroine romance.

    This one-shot is cute and charming, and would be even more so had it been a full volume manga. 

    It’s part of Isekai Tensei BL Anthology.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Yamikin Shinshi no Kiken na Akuheki

    Yamikin Shinshi no Kiken na Akuheki – Satou Hachiko

    “Damn, you’re a whiny pup, aren’t you…? I haven’t cum yet.”

    June, the number one rentboy at his brothel, is requested by a client and goes to the hotel as usual. There, he meets a sexy yet suspicious man named Onda. Onda introduces himself as a “money lender”– a loan shark – and suddenly he pressures June to repay the debt his ex-boyfriend left behind!? And after all that, he asks June, “Now, then… Why don’t you comfort me for a little bit?” June is made to suck his hot, erect cock, and then he’s fucked hard and deep…!!

    Rent boy romance is a hard sell to me because I like my couples exclusive, unless the story specifically set out to be poly. I read this because I was curious if this is a romance I would buy.

    Dangerous Vices of a Gentleman Loan Shark reminded me a lot like Okane ga Nai, but with better drawn characters and better proportioned size difference between the MCs. Also, the uke has more spine than the weepy MC of Okane ga Nai.

    Rent boy June, a.k.a. Junya Kiryu, was forced to do dirty jobs for yakuza-looking-but-not-actual-yakuza loan shark Onda, after learning his ex forged his signature as the co-signer for a huge loan. Onda wasn’t above using Junya for pleasure while the younger man continue gathering intel about his clients.

    Seeing that Junya has more practical skills than just using his body, Onda hired him for a month to do whatever tasks he needed done. They promptly got into the routine of sex plus work plus sex plus feels. Until one day, Junya was abducted.

    This is super steamy, but with a solid plot and a passably developed romance. Onda’s and Junya’s personalities were typical of their character’s kind. Cool, cocky asshole in Onda the seme while boyish, passionate and blushy in Junya the uke, but neither were particularly memorable.

    The execution lacked intensity in delivering the external and internal conflicts, the romantic feelings, the sense of danger, and the stakes. Overall, okay but forgettable, which is sad because I had high expectations. You could read it for the smut, though.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Umi no Soko

    Umi no Soko – Jnnkleeche

    Living in a seaside village, Wakashio is secretly in love with Yakaze, a member of the forest tribe. As the youngest son of the chieftain, Wakashio is living a difficult life, and spending time with Yakaze is the only solace he can find. However, when his brother discovers their relationship, Yakaze is killed. Just when Wakashio sinks into despair, Yakaze returns in a different form. With pale skin and red eyes, he may look like a monster, but his heart remains unchanged. The two still love each other as they once did, and begin to search for a way to live together. Ghosts, xenomorphs, tentacles, switching… A tale of lovers whom death does not part that takes us from the chaotic depths of the sea where histories and cultures intertwine, to a brighter place.

    Bottom of the Sea is a monster-fucking fantasy romance set in a seaside village full of scantily dressed men.

    The opening panels set the tone with the MCs Wakashio and his sea creature lover, Yakaze, in the middle of strenuous activities. The storytelling was initially confusing because not only it was moving backward, it also interrupted by the two horny MCs going hard at it.

    The plot became clearer when it caught up with the present time. It is a forbidden romance between Wakashio, son of the chief of the seaside warriors, and Yakaze, a trader from one of the the mountain villages the seaside warriors, known as shark men, pillaged. Yakaze was killed, and he later returned as a sea monster.

    The story is surprisingly deep, dark, and twisted. It involves murders, old magic, curses, and the consequences of the shark men’s atrocities. There’s implied rape by someone who might be Wakashio’s brother, although I’m not sure because he never mentioned any relations. But the bastard also calls the chief “father” so he could be. He also throws homophobic slurs at Wakashio while grabbing the man’s ass.

    This is one of the most explicit manga I’ve read. No glow dicks here. They show all the parts, including Yakaze’s various appendages. Yet in the middle of heat, there a sweet story of childhood friends from different cultures who grew to love the man they each become. And it is a love that endured beyond death.

    Recommended if you love tattoos, muscles and extra appendages.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Tonari no Sugar Boy

    Tonari no Sugar Boy – Shinomiya Suzu

    Akiba is a programmer who works from home and Shima is a student who’s preparing for his university entrance exams that just moved in next door. After learning that Shima is applying for his alma mater, Akiba offered to help tutor him and in exchange he asked Shima to help look after his family dog part-time.

    With the frequent visits, Akiba finds himself getting attracted by Shima’s shining and clear eyes. He’s also absolutely mesmerised by the mature behaviour that Shima occasionally shows. Before they realised it, love has started to bloom in the time they spent together however…?

    Neighbor Sugar Boy is an age-gap romance between a computer programmer and his high schooler neighbor.

    The plot is the reverse of the sugar daddy trope, where the younger character takes care of the older one. Akiba is a work-from-home programmer stuck with his parent’s corgi that he’s unprepared to care for. One day, he meets his young neighbor, Shima, who promises to take care of the dog as a part-time job. Akiba volunteers to tutor Shima, who wants to enter Akiba’s alma mater.

    A born carer, Shima not only took care of the dog, but ended up cooking and cleaning for Akiba. Soon, feelings developed between the two, but both kept it secret from each other. Things came to a head when Shima’s kindergartner brother became close to Akiba, and the high schooler started feeling jealous.

    Some might be bothered with the age gap romance involving a minor. The manga handled that by having the couple wait until Shima graduated before becoming intimate. The age gap was the least of my concerns because the execution was so bland the entire thing was forgettable. The only reason I finished it was because it was easy to read. Don’t bother with this.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    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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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Kimi wo Someru Asayake ni

    Kimi wo Someru Asayake ni – Umi Tomoshibi

    Photographer Suguru comes to Enoshima to take photos when he suddenly spots a young man with hair the colour of the sunset falling into the water. Just as he’s worrying about whether he should jumped in, the young man, Kengo, carelessly says, ‘It seemed like it’d feel good’ and smiles like the sun. Although they part ways there, they meet again by chance at the shop Suguru stumbles across. Suguru, who hasn’t yet found a place to stay, even receives an invitation to stay at Kengo’s house…

    For The Sunrise That Dyes You is a story of kindness, overcoming grief, and new beginnings set in a laidback, seaside town. 

    Noted landscape photographer Suguru strikes a friendship with a young restaurant owner, Kengo, after an encounter at the beach. Kengo proceeds to house and feed Suguru just because he enjoys doing it. Not wanting to be a moocher, Suguru works at the restaurant in exchange for his board and lodging while chasing after that elusive picture of the sky.

    This is a manga of soft, very idyllic atmosphere and tender moments. The only conflict is Suguru’s guilt at falling in love with Kengo while still grieving his dead lover. And true to the manga’s vibe, it was resolved in the gentlest of manners.

    I would use the word “fluffy” to describe this kind of manga, but I feel peaceful is more apt. While there plenty of heartwarming scenes, they didn’t make me squee. Instead, they gave off comfort and calm that settle anxious thoughts and a quiet that heals. I guess, it’s exactly how Suguru and Kengo feels eating breakfast at the beach at sunrise.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Tsuki wa Michikake Kemono no Koi

    Tsuki wa Michikake Kemono no Koi – Nojiro Guri

    Unable to fit in with the city, Idzuki, a lonely young man, moves into the countryside. However, the land is rumored to be haunted by youkai. As he struggles to get used to life in the mountains, with the abundance of insects and the lack of reception, he is suddenly attacked by a youkai. Cornered, out of the blue, a handsome young man with dog ears rescues him. The man claims to be a komainu youkai, a guardian lion-dog protecting shrines, pressing Idzuki to become his master — !?

    A sensitive love story between a youkai and a human!

    Phases of the Moon, Love of a Beast is a gentle, transcendental love story between a youkai aching for his other half and a lonely young man who just moved to the mountains.

    The manga features a type of youkai called komainu, lion dogs who come in pairs to guard a shrine. Haku’s other half is long gone, and having been abandoned by their master, he is on the brink of turning into a demon.

    Idzuki just moved to an old house in the countryside. While wandering lost in the woods, a youkai attacked him. He was saved by Haku who quickly latched on to the young man, begging him to please, please, please be his master.

    The plot is a slice of life of the blossoming affection between the youkai and his master, plus a smartass cat who can talk (also a youkai). There are a lot of quiet, cozy scenes with subtle gestures, cuddling and hot cocoa. If this was an anime, I imagined dreamlike, soft focused cinematography and a sense of transiency. The artwork has that vibe to it, the characters drawn pretty and slender, especially the eyes and lashes to die for, but not too twee.

    I loved the mix of angst, humor, and that lovely hurt-comfort magic. I felt a pang knowing the fate of immortals with fragile human lovers, and this has a bittersweet ending. However, the mangaka wrapped it up nicely with the promise of the afterlife.

    This is one of my top manga of the year.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Contradict

    Contradict – Oshima Kamome

    A cocky and confident Yajima harbors dislike for Torikai, a cool and talented fellow trainee in the Rescue Team. The two constantly quarrel, but one day they cross the line while squabbling and end up sleeping together. Yajima regrets it, but at the same time he cannot get Torikai’s pleading expression out of his head. However, because they have been rivals until now, he just can’t bring himself to be honest with Torikai.

    Ooh, finally got a good one!

    Contradict is a bitter rivalry between two overachieving firefighters training to be in the elite squad. It reminded me a lot like the Top Gun homage MM romance, The Elite.

    Yajima is cocky and loud, has little tact and is super annoyed at how his rival gets under his skin all the time. Torikai plays his cards close to his chest but could be surprisingly careless about personal details. Both men are well-liked among their peers even though their uber competitiveness tends to land them and the rest of their team penalties whenever things get out of hand.

    However, one drunken night shook Yajima’s world, and now the rivalry might just end his dream.

    Things were set in motion through coincidences where the MCs often found themselves in the same training class or liking the same things. It happened so frequently as to be ridiculous, and every time it happened, Yajima gets a jolt and even pondered, “what has fate in store for us?” It was so funny!

    All in all, the plot is well-executed, the humor actually amusing, and the chemistry between characters has that extra zing that great enemies to lovers stories always have. Also, both MCs are likable, handsy but with consent. Because it turns out, someone has been secretly pining. The romance wasn’t the grand gesture type but the more swoony little things, big squees moments, which I always find more precious.


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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Junketsu Naito no Granz Reise

    Junketsu Naito no Granz Reise – Seika

    While other knights might pour their time into drinks and brothels, Gael Faris does not. He does not drink. He does not sleep around, all for the grand plan of becoming a paladin. Though Gael has failed the paladin examination, he continues to perform his knightly duties for the town Fastes. While on his rounds, Gael accidentally recuses Elcielas, an elf, from thieves. Elcielas recruits Gael to escort him on his mission to the capital to save the king. But, will Gael be able to stay pure on their journey?

    The Pure Knight’s Shining Journey is a fantasy romance about a pure knight who dreams of becoming a paladin and an elf on a mission to save the king.

    Gael is pure as in kind-hearted, naive, and virginal. He was roped in by a shining woodland elf, Elcielas, to escort him to the capital. This has the megane trick, where the elf looks ordinary when he wears eyeglasses, then reverts to his sparkling self when he takes them off.

    I loved the premise but didn’t find the humor funny. The gags, which were blah, hindered the pacing of the plot. It was mostly Las going on and on about how attractive he is because he’s an elf. The story could also use more action that could have showcased how strong Gael is in a fight, instead of the big to-do of the dub con-ish connecting of souls.

    This was a kind of elf magic to keep Gael safe in the woods. I say this is dub con-ish because Gael wasn’t fully informed of what’s happening. Las tends to obfuscate some facts especially knowing how clueless Gael is. The spell was done with them in the nude, which had Gael conflicted, having vowed to keep his virginity because of his paladin dreams.

    Mostly, Las is tiresome and not as attractive as he thinks he is.

    Very, very sad that this is another manga ruin by an unsuitable love interest. And Gael was a total sweetheart too, poor boy!


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