dark drama

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 12, by Ryo Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Reiji and Esemori end their visit, but after, Reiji runs into Nago. Ms. Shiba finally realizes Yuko is unstable and is using Reiji’s older brother to interfere in the family even further.

The more we learn about Reiji’s family, the more I think he should change his name and vanish from all these people’s lives. Start over fresh somewhere else where nobody knows him. Every adult around this kid is sus, and even his friends suck. This poor kid man… He deserves so much better. I still wonder if this will turn around in some way because while I am curious enough to read this and it’s not BAD, it’s just circling around all this depression. 3.8 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 11, by Ryo Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers.

Akira recounts his time with Reiji’s mom, Yuko, and Yuri plots to get Reiji to come back to town.

Yuko is so twisted. I should have known she had some dark plan for keeping Yuri around because that’s just the horrid, manipulative person she is. I do have to admire this story for making me feel like the guy dying of cancer is the lucky one because he’s the most likely to be quit of all this toxic drama soon. I hope whatever Yuko has planned fails, and Reiji can be free too, only without having to die. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui” Vol. 1, by Masasumi Kakizaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is for mature readers. Trigger warnings for SA and suicide.

Former police officer Nawa Kanetsugu is determined to avenge the deaths of his wife and daughter; a quest that’s landed him in prison. Upon release, he’s still on his mission and encounters a strange girl named Ren, a death god, who feeds him the fruit of the Yomotsuhegui. This turns him into an immortal and Ren tasks him with helping her hunt down other dangerous immortals.

This is a strong series opener; the sides/conflicts are established, the threat is made known, and we get a disgusting antagonist Sakase. It’s very adult with violence and gore aplenty, but it doesn’t feel gratuitous. It suits the dark story. There is little levity, and we aren’t sure Nawa is even on the “right” side of all the tragedy surrounding the fruit. The art here is perfect for this story with some fantastic body horror; viscerally detailed when the bloodier and monstrous elements are shown. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 9, by Ryo Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is for mature readers only. Trigger warning for sexual assault.

Still obsessed with Reiji, Ms. Shiba hatches a plan to get back into his life but it doesn’t go as she’d hoped.

I think this counts as a spoiler, so be aware: Reiji, Chako, and Gen all go to Tokyo together and of course this trip is miserable for the lot of them. I just… Where is this all going? I’m getting this feeling that the plot is just spinning its wheels. I understand the characters are wallowing and trapped in their misery but they have been for some time and it’s starting to feel like a bumbling way to have more fucked up shit happen like (trigger warning) attempted rape. That I don’t care about spoiling. Fuck that shit. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 8, by Ryo Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Time has passed and Reiji is still living with his mom and now works for that warehouse he was so desperately trying to avoid. Somehow, even Chako couldn’t escape the curse of their small town.

Well fuck me sideways, Ms. Shiba is still allowed near children and is still fucking with Reiji’s life. This woman needs to be in jail, I hate her so much. This series overall is kinda making me tired. I totally understand the difficulties and complications around Reiji leaving but I’d still like to see some conclusion either way. I feel like we’re stuck in a misery holding pattern just poking our main characters to watch them in agony. They’re still dealing with so many dark secrets and we’re just not gonna charge Ms. Shiba for running down someone with car? Really? That and having sex with her student who is a minor!? Yeah, not letting that go. If that was my son, she’d be begging for the mercy of jail. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 7, by Ryo Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After Ms. Shiba hits Reiji’s mother with her car, their elicit relationship becomes the talk of the town. Gen visits Reiji often but he his hiding a shocking secret.

If this doesn’t end with Ms. Shiba facing some actual consequences for everything that she’s done, I’ll lose my mind.

I am sincerely praying for one decent character in this series. Even Chako has lost her sparkle in this black hole for joy. This series is miserable. Not done poorly but, it is misery. Abusers, groomers, manipulators and – spoilers – murderers. The whole damn series should come with a trigger warning and a puppy/kitten to cuddle to bring your mind back from the abyss. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 1, by Ryō Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is for mature readers.

Reiji lives with his mother, older brother, and ailing grandmother in a small town. His mother is overworked, his brother doesn’t help, and his grandmother’s dementia is getting worse. He feels trapped with no where to go in life when he meets Nagi, a woman working in the local convenience store but hiding her identity as a famous popstar.

This is shaping up to be a rather bleak telling of life in a small town. The mom is exhausted and ground down, Reiji see no future he can call his own, and Nagi is not a good influence on him. Reiji’s friend, Chako, is the only likable person so far and who knows what the next volumes will be like. I mean, we start off with (trigger warning) a suicide pact so I can’t imagine where it will go. 3.5 out of 5.

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