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

Since Yuri and Yuko realize Reiji is in Tokyo, they work to get him to return into their clutches so he can stay in that small town forever. But Gen has other plans.

I don’t…. I just… Spoilers, fuck it.

Is this the dysfunctional Olympics here? What the fuck is going on? I don’t even have it in me to go into the themes of the cycle of abuse, despair, trauma, or how problematic Gen is for trans representation; I stand by what I said when I read the last volume: Reiji needs to run, change his name, forget everyone, and never look back. Other than that, my first impressions of this volume were the feeling of circling the drain, waiting for this to finally end. 2 out of 5.

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July 11, 2025August 18, 2025 atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 10, by Ryo Minenami

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

While in Tokyo with Chako and Gen, Reiji visits Esemori in the hospital, where he’s dying of cancer.

It seems the misery is cyclical, and I am so tired of this series trying to make me feel bad for horrible people. Yeah, your tragic back story is quite moving, Yuko, but that’s no excuse to, oh, I dunno… Encourage an adult woman’s obsession with your barely legal son? This poor kid has nobody in his corner, and as much as I’d like for this to end in triumph for Reiji, with him breaking the cycle, I don’t have high hopes for that. I get the feeling the sadness will just keep going, and as a reader, the payoff will likely be just the desperate need to go read something more positive. 3 out of 5.

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April 7, 2024June 1, 2024 atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 5, by Ryō Minenami

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

Ms. Shiba starts meddling with Reiji and Chako’s friendship as well as pulling some real conniving shit with Reiji’s mother.

This is absolutely miserable. That’s the best way to describe this series. The adults are all terrible, Reiji and Chako deserve better, and Ms. Shiba should go under the jail. I guess it’s a good thing I feel so viscerally disgruntled since the story and writing is doing it’s job but I’m starting to wonder if I want to stick with this series because it makes me so mad. I hope things turn around soon. 4 out of 5.

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