*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
In this volume, the tropes of paranormal, sports festival, cats, and punk characters are explored.
Our main character is kinda interested in Ayato’s budding romance, but other than that, I think my issue isn’t that he’s a straight guy dodging BL tropes; it’s that, in general, he’s detached from everything going on around him. I get this overall “blah” feeling. If he doesn’t care, why should I? 2 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
As Akira struggles to be seen at school as a girl, Hime has a heart-to-heart with Yukka, who shares her backstory about her time in the track club.
This volume is very insightful. It not only addresses how Hime can be a better ally, but also how Akira perceives being a girl. Akira also talks to her father about presenting a girl, and Hime tells her parents why she’d started wearing a boy’s uniform to school. Spoilers, but I think it’s important for potential readers to know that the parents we’ve seen so far are pretty supportive. Akira’s dad is iffy, though. Overall, I like the growth we’re getting. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
Mayu is a v-tuber who goes by “Mihiru” and while his online persona is outgoing, in real life, he is shy. His manager, Mr. Ogino, is under strict rules not to get involved with his client, and the company sets up same sex managers in order to maintain that, but that doesn’t work when Ogino develops feelings.
Okay, even the Goodreads entry references dubcon, kink, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and alcohol use. I even felt blindsided by the first sex scene, which I thought was Mayu’s fantasy. He’s clearly depressed and anxious, isolated due to the nature of his job and past traumas. His relationship with Ogino is a bit toxic, but at least the manager is legit helping with some of Mayu’s depression behaviors, like taking care of himself and his living space. This is absolutely graphic smut with a plot that’s not your fluffy romance. It’s messy in multiple ways. Not for the faint of heart, but not super dark. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
With their first fight resolved, Nanoha and Chidori enjoy the last of their class trip and return home. Mai not only still has a crush on Nanoha but also knows she is dating Chidori.
This series continues to be very light-hearted and sweet, focusing on people being true to themselves with no huge dramatic blowups. Even the tiff from the last volume wasn’t that bad, and it all worked out in the end. There are no real threats here, which makes me wonder if this will stay very slice of life or take an angsty turn. Since Nanoha and Chidori are enjoyable, either one could work for me. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
Feijin is half demon, half human, and lives in a heavenly realm with his master, Sage Gaochun, who had taken Feijin in after his family died. Fejin is obsessed with his master, but if they were to do anything, it is Sage Gaochun who would suffer grave consequences.
Spoiler: I don’t care if this all turns out okay; Feijin drugs Sage Gaochun in order to finally sleep with him. That’s irrideemable in my book.
The man tiddies in this book are fucking insane:
If I didn’t know better, I’d think that was just a tall buff woman with a boob window.
There is plenty of plot with this smut, and while rushed, it can be intriguing. It’s hard for me to get past how the plot was touched off (see spoiler above). That makes me want to put Feijin in jail, not root for him to get with his crush. I’ve read other series where the main relationship starts with these shady circumstances (like Don’t Be Cruel), and that’s always in the back of my mind. No amount of man boob or tender glances is gonna fix that. All I remember is that complete violation of boundaries, and this book also has some shades of incest and power imbalances. 2 out of 5 because the art is pretty.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character still side steps typical boys love tropes.
This reads like a sampler volume of a bunch of different romance comics that you’d get as promotional material. Then you decide which series you wanna read to learn more. A concept like this could really be something silly and fun, hopefully while not being exploitative, but for now, this is just dull. 2 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
Shinobu and Hikaru have moved from one night stand to a more exclusive relationship. When Hikaru’s mentor – Osuke Ikurumi –Â shows up, Shinobu is scared that Hikaru’s new interest in men will lead him to fall for the mentor Hikaru still idolises.
Okay, I’m spoiling it! This volume keeps up with the light tone, and Osuke is genuinely looking out for Hikaru and cares about him as a mentor. He wants Hikaru to be happy like a father figure coming in to make sure Shinobu is a guy good enough for his son. This gives Shinobu the push to make things more official. I hope there’s more of this series so we get more of them as an official couple. There is a tiny bit of angst, some cute and funny bits, and of course, plenty of smut. 4 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Red is a talented hunter tasked with protecting her Grandmother and helping to exorcize the Nawa in the dying forest around them. On a hunt, she meets Sil, a wolf girl who got caught in a trap. They become friends, but the threat of the rot spreading through the land still looms, and Red is plunged into a more serious threat than she could have imagined.
Far be it from me to turn town a witch fantasy comic. This one is beautiful and fun with some exciting moments, but as an avid reader, the twist wasn’t as shocking to me as it would be to someone less experienced in the genre. The lore and characters are so well done, and I am SO happy this was towards 400 pages. The story had plenty of time to breathe and is so well paced. The art style handles action, sprawling fantasy settings, and quiet moments with ease, and I highly recommend it. 4.8 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Koton Tsubaki is ostracized at school due to his violent past but there’s one being that doesn’t care: Yuuki Kabuto, a ghost that decides to follow him around.
I guess that’s as good a reason as any to refuse to move on.Â
The pace of this feels off somehow, but for a boys’ love comic, it’s SO sad. It gets dark and violent. Tsubaki is just chronically misunderstood and since Kabuto is dead, he can see beyond the tough exterior and eases Tsubaki’s loneliness. The art is fantastic and there’s no smut. The story does suck you in so I do want to read volume 2. 3.7 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Nanoha and Chidori’s relationship is discovered by Mai, who has a crush on Nanoha. As they go on a school trip, tension forms between them as Nanoha is jealous of how close Chidori gets to Mai, which puts pressure on the entire friend group.
Yeah, the stakes are still pretty low considering Mai has no real ill intentions towards the couple and it’s mostly the friend group just wanting to enjoy the trip without drama. Fair, considering what a breakup can do to a friend group, even if they’re not all aware of the couple. They just need to communicate properly if they want this relationship to work. It’s a nice story beat, even if their fight went on a bit long for me. I was probably just as annoyed as their friends were. 3.7 out of 5.
