-
MANGA: Subarashii Kiseki ni Yasashii Kimi to
Subarashii Kiseki ni Yasashii Kimi to – Yusen Atsuko
Enoki is practically the poster-boy for what a typical nerd looks like: short and slight, complete with big round glasses and social awkwardness. His main hobby is playing video games, and he’s used to not having many friends at school. Then, he meets Shirataki, a former member of the baseball club and his exact opposite; tall, muscular and sporty. Despite their many differences, the spark of friendship between the two boys begins to grow into something more…
This Wonderful Season With You is a jock-nerd romance that deploys the eyeglasses trick to fabulous results. You know, where there’s a super cute guy hiding behind thick glasses.
It started when Enoki was trying to recruit more members for his electrical engineering club that’s in danger of being disbanded. He bumps into a tall, intimidating guy, Shirataki, who turns out to be kind of nice. Each one left an impression on the other, and Shirataki joined the club, hoping it would expand his horizons. Little did he expect he would have that and more!
The scenes with the club members were a riot! There were two other members, the president and the robotics enthusiast. They were wary of Shirataki at first, but later on, they helped him face his feelings. I love that bit at the ending where they gave the robot enthusiast his moment in the sun.
This is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance with some drama thrown in. As Enoki grow closer to Shirataki, he learns many surprising sides to him. A huge chunk of the manga contains many soft, fluffy scenes that are adorable. The last couple of chapters I skimmed because they weren’t that interesting. There was the obligatory sex scene at the closing, which I think was unnecessary since the vibe of the story was fluff and humor. Still, this is as wonderful as promised.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much
-
MANGA: Nitta-kun Chuuihou
Nitta-kun Chuuihou – OtotoTwo short stories about an unexpected situation that turns into something more for both parties involved.
Nitta-kun Alert is a smutty story of a straight boy roped in to participate in his delinquent schoolmate’s secret kink. It made me wonder how a high schooler got into high-level adult stuff, but that’s how it rolls.
The manga creates tension and humor through the straight boy’s thoughts and wild expectations while the delinquent frequently throws him for a loop. There was a point where I thought the story would swerve to fluff, but it quickly course-correct to the usual smut.
Underneath the steam is a blossoming friendship and, possibly, deeper feels had the story been longer. It would have been cuter had it done so.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much
-
MANGA: Aisaseteyo Sensei
Aisaseteyo Sensei – Kameno
“I can’t just pretend like it’s nothing. I’ve fallen in love with you, Sensei.” University Professor, Hatano Hotaru made a mistake last night- He slept with a student, a straight one at that. “In the end he’ll get tired of me. I don’t want to fall in love with a straight guy.” Or so he thought, but this younger boy won’t let him go…?
A BL about sweet, cute, and passionate love!A pretty looking age-gap romance where the older guy angst about the age difference but looks like a teenager.
Sensei woke up one morning with the worst hangover and got zapped by the presence of his straight student lying naked next to him. Yep, they fucked, much to sensei’s horror. Then, student not only confessed but relentlessly pursued sensei from that point onwards until he caved in and confessed his own feelings.
Let Me Love You, Teacher follows the standard plot of persistent younger seme and in denial older uke. It adds the extra challenge of the teacher/student connection with the student being straight. There’s the usual worry of being left behind once the younger straight guy has supposedly satisfied his curiosity.
Like in many recent manga, the MC openly admits to being gay. It still feels novel to me every time that happens after decades of BL manga playing coy about LGBTQ existence. It’s a development I wholeheartedly support. Bonus when you get characters acknowledging the other letters in the acronym.
I don’t have much to say about this one-shot. It’s not exactly blah, but it doesn’t bring much to talk about to the table. Maybe just read this for the art.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: Kiss de Egaku Ittousei
Kiss de Egaku Ittousei – Wata Rainy
Chitose can’t take his eyes off the guy from the class next door, dozing off in class by the window. Each time Chitose leans out the window to sneak a look at him, he’s always there, dozing off as expected. His name – Seno. He’s a year older, but according to rumours, he was absent for a year because he was involved in a fight. Chitose is a friendly and sweet-hearted high-schooler and Seno is a mysterious guy. The two polar opposites gradually open their hearts to each other… A chaotic and heartwarming school-love between a cheery puppy and a questionable grade repeater.
The most adorable meet-cute I’ve seen for a while!!!!
A First-Magnitude Star Drawn by Kissing starts when Chitose glimpsed another boy sleeping by the window. One day, the boy caught him staring, and they started talking via notes. Completely entranced, Chitose set out to know more about the mysterious boy who seemed to be subject of some nasty rumors.
This is a dog energy/cat energy pairing. Chitose is a cheerful, genki individual who blurts out whatever he’s thinking. Seno has a cool, aloof manner and speaks only when needed. I love his eyes! The two became friends because Chitose is irresistibly friendly. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was in love with Seno.
This has mentions of rape and abuse that caused trauma to Seno and made him keep everyone at arm’s length. However, the story is generally fluffy and light-hearted, with some emotional moments. The characters are adorable, and I adore how they adore each other! Chitose’s boundless energy and unbridled joy just being with Seno is contagious! I loved how he drew Seno out of his shell and earned his trust. The scene where the title was based was ♡♡♡!
The best supporting character is their art teacher. Sensei made his students draw each other. His comments on Chitose’s and Seno’s graded artworks were gold!
My only complaint was how the characters proportions looked. I was surprised to learn how tall Chitose actually was. All the while, he looked smaller while Seno was drawn to look tall.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: Ore to Buka no Koi no Saki
Ore to Buka no Koi no Saki – Nanameguri
Takanashi and Tokunaga were spending their peaceful office lovers’ life until Takanashi suddenly got transferred to another department. Separated with his partner, Tokunaga gradually realized the true depth of his feeling. But that doesn’t mean their relationship was getting better. The more important Takanashi becomes in his eyes, the clearer Tokunaga can see the dead-end of their relationship. In a world that sometimes becomes unkind, can the two lovebirds walk to the future they wish for…? “Another Love Story Between My Trainee and I” is a sequel from the famous “Love Story” series by Nanameguri!
The sequel to Ore to Joushi no Koi no Hanashi, Me, My Trainee, And the Sequel to Our Love continues the workplace romance between the openly gay Chikashi and his boyfriend, the used-to-be-straight Tomoaki.
The two have become inseparable at home and work, but a sudden change in the sales department had Tomoaki transferring to that department.
This sequel is more dramatic and angstier. Chikashi is swarmed with insecurities. It didn’t help that Tomoaki was struggling with his sales quota and the self-sacrificing Chikashi decided to take extreme measures to save Tomoaki’s career. I loved Tomoaki for holding on as tightly as he could. I rooted hard for these dorks!
The plot dealt with real-world problems, such as how being openly gay can affect work. This is in contrast with the prequel, where the emphasis is on how their company was accepting of Chikashi’s sexuality. It also depicts how a relationship evolve and how it can change a person.
My heart went out to Chikashi during some of the emotional scenes. The humor balances out the heavier moments. I prefer the first story, but this is a moving sequel.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: Soujou Fly Again
Soujou Fly Again – Munaita
Yoshiyuki Kikusawa is a talented mechanic at JAW. He’s kind but stern when it comes to training his juniors, and he’s loved by his co-workers, who call him “Yoshi.” Because he’s open about his sexuality, people often assume he’s had many partners, but he’s strict in not letting his personal feelings affect his work and often says that airplanes are his boyfriends. But, while he’s dealing with the persistent rumors about him, he bumps into Gaku Maizuru, a young marshal. Even though Yoshi thinks Gaku is distant because he’s like him, he soon realizes that Gaku is friendly and they finally end up close-literally face-to-face…!
I love it when a story is about people with uncommon jobs.
Synergy Fly Again gives us a rare peek at the secret world of airline ground crew. These are the unsung heroes that keep the planes flying. Airplane nerds, most of them.
Yoshi is a middle-aged mechanic, strict, well-respected and well-liked by his colleagues. He’s a bit jaded and has sworn off dating after having poor luck. He had a bad break-up with a fellow mechanic who’s now married.
Yoshi meets Gaku on the airstrip, a popular, attractive young man man enthusiastically directing planes with so much zeal he positively sparkles. Gaku soon approached Yoshi making his interest known. The older man has issues and insecurities to deal with and doesn’t know what to do with such an honest confession.
Gaku has an open and direct attitude that I found refreshing. The age gap romance would have been cute, but it was, unfortunately, buried under piles of speech balloons and multiple secondary characters I couldn’t keep track of. The storytelling could have done better with more show than tell
I was more interested in the airport ongoings. The manga showcased the characteristic Japanese passion for work and attention to detail. The characters are the type of people who have poignant anecdotal reasons for choosing their careers. Very admirable. Me, I work because I need the money.
Even the little things have deeper meaning. They have a custom where the ground crew waves as the plane takes off. According to the story, this originated in Okinawa. They wanted to thank the people who visited the island and give them something to remember. Pretty awesome, right?
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: Shitsuke ga Nattenai
Shitsuke ga Nattenai – Ueda Niku
One night, Kazuho, a hotel worker who possesses a rare blood-sucking constitution, helps a drunk man he found lying on the side of the street by giving him a place to spend the night. The next day, instead of waking up to the man he brought back to his apartment, Kazuho unexpectedly finds a dog sleeping in his bed!
Roughly translates to Lack of Discipline, the manga’s fangy cover promised all kinds of fangy moeness.
I was very disappointed to learn, it wasn’t to be. There were hardly any fangs on displays. A missed opportunity especially since it paired a reluctant vampire with a fluffy dog shifter.
This is a forced proximity, forced-feeding romance set in a world where people either have vampire genes, animal shifter constitutions, and on rare occasions, spirits. The story quickly lost me when it dwelled too long on the two characters discussing vampire and shifter constitutions, and healthy diets. The manga had too much dialogue that was uninteresting. I skimmed, hoping it would get better once the romance sparked. No such luck. A complete blah, all in all.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: and310 ~ Hi-mote Hakase to Koisuru Android
and310 ~ Hi-mote Hakase to Koisuru Android – Saku Hiro
Dr. Nijo and his beloved android Mio’s love grows within this short period of time from the first day they met.
Roughly translating to An android in love with a non-Mote Dr. ~ this is a story of Dr. Nijo forever trying to fix a bug that somehow refused to be fixed, resulting in the cancelations of his rental android, Mio. During one of his tune-ups, Mio suddenly confessed that he likes the doctor.
It’s a heartwarming story tinged with melancholy at the thought that androids can live for eternity and humans have shorter lifespans. There was a notable portion of dialogue I skimmed, presumably discussing why relationships with androids are forbidden, procreation and homosexuality, and the doctor coming to terms with his relationship with Mio. After that, the manga picked up the pace.
Among android romance stories, this tackled practical concerns, such as the issues mentioned above, the AI getting used to new sensations via newly installed genitals, etc. However, it still highlighted the softer, more joyful side of things giving the good doctor and the android a happy ending, even if it’s just a happy-for-now.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: Kimi no Hitomi ni Ubawaretai
Kimi no Hitomi ni Ubawaretai – Haizaka Kiri
“I like guys.”
Jun, a photographer, meets Haruka while they were both working at a wedding hall. Haruka’s persona for work and his true personality are very different. Enchanted by Haruka’s natural smile, Jun blurts out, “Will you be mine?” He was so sure that he scared Haruka away, but he received an unexpected response back.
Roughly translating to I want to be robbed by your eyes, this is a calm, gentle story of a wedding photographer, Jun who was enamored by a hotel employee, Haruka’s photogenic looks. The more time he spent with him, the more he was drawn to the beautiful man.
One thing this manga got going for it is the beautiful delicate-looking characters, especially Haruka. Their meet-cute was super cute too!
However, the longer I read, the more bored I became to the point I skimmed. This had the makings of a super adorable floofy story, but the execution lacked the oomph to generate feels.
I don’t know if it’s the translation, but the dialogue was flat. The characters also came across as uninteresting. There was an attempt to give them dimension, but it wasn’t enough to hold my attention. This has rave reviews, though, so it could just be me.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
MANGA: Ore to Joushi no Koi no Hanashi
Ore to Joushi no Koi no Hanashi – Nanameguri
Tomoaki Takanashi has just started at his first proper job and soon learns that his manager, Chikashi Tokunaga, is gay. The other employees all know, too, but they also all know that Chikashi’s romantically interested in Mr. Furuya, the CEO. Although Tomoaki’s taken aback by such an open and welcoming company, he soon realizes that he can’t keep his eyes off Chikashi. Are these feelings… love!? This is a cute love story between a straight subordinate and his gay manager.
A Love Story Between My Boss and I is as cute as promised and a great opportunity to ogle people in suits. It’s a workplace romance between a trainee who goes for what he wants and the passionate gay manager hopelessly in love with their straight silver fox CEO.
There might be pining, but I’m happy to report there are no love geometries here. The CEO, Furuya, is happily married and is a staunch supporter of his two employees’ blossoming relationship.
Chikashi is a strict boss but a complete dork everywhere else. He agonizes over the risk of dating a straight guy who might one day wake up and realize he’s not interested in a boyfriend anymore. Meanwhile, the straight guy, Tomoaki, had no issues whatsoever that he was suddenly in love with his male boss.
The two idiots navigate the crisscrossing of their personal and work lives as their co-workers gossip good-naturedly and their CEO pushes them in the right direction. Their workplace is refreshingly progressive and accepting of Chikashi’s sexuality. It is so progressive that employees pass out on the floor overnight, and nobody bats an eye.
The plot might be cliché, but this is a really fun manga. I laughed at the stupid expressions on the characters’ faces, the nosy co-workers, and how much of a mess Chikashi is when he’s completely sloshed. Furuya, the true hero of the story, has his own chapter, a more subdued backstory that gave weight to the entire manga.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
