romance comics

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Lenni Reviews: “Marriage Toxin” Vol. 7, by Joumyaku & Mizuki Yoda

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

Teruaki is determined to get Hikaru to give up on the matchmaking and just be the head of the Poison Masters.

It’s a bit odd to show how dramatic the effects of the poison master can be, only to walk it back later. Last volume, Teruaki poisoned an entire crowd of people then drop in they were just knocked out in this volume. It gives me “Look! I can see their parachutes! They’re okay.” vibes. I was legitimately frightened at the implications last time. Then we move on to Gero’s next date, a bodyguard named Chinatsu whose client is a girl named Erina. The Wind Clan is introduced, and they are oddly wholesome. Considering the head of the Beast Clan is still fiddling around, we might be building towards a war between the clans, and that’s gonna throw a wrench in any marriage plans. I don’t like that Mei is acting all cryptic. He’s a lot of fun and I don’t wanna lose his presence. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Marriage Toxin” Vol. 6, by Joumyaku & Mizuki Yoda

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

The battle between Toshiro and Gero comes to an end, giving Gero the chance to once again pursue his romantic mission.

I had to look up Mei’s character profile to get the right pronouns. Yes, he/him is correct and I’ll be using those from now on. In this volume, we learn he has a brother, Okuto. Other than that, this is more about Toshiro working on himself and now Teruaki is coming to interfere. Again, the fighting techniques and talents are kinda scary in their implications, making it a relief when Toshiro is just his silly self. I was wondering when the rest of the clan would weigh in on what Toshiro is doing. They don’t seem the type to sit back and wait after forcing him into this situation. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “I Wanna Do Bad Things with You” Vol. 7, by Yutaka

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

After confessing his feelings to her, Mamori ends up sick, not getting the chance to say how she feels. Once the air is clear, Fuji doesn’t want to move forward. Fuji is also drafted to be a part of the school play.

We also get the back story for the Fuji brothers, and Koichi’s “evil” turn is just… WAT? His turn on Soshi isn’t quite right to me. Maybe it needed more because Koichi didn’t have such manipulative tendencies from the start. It was such a quick flip of a switch, and I really think this needed one more volume to have a smoother transition to our well-deserved happy ending. I feel bad ragging on something because I wanted more of it, but here we are. This kinda fumbled the ending. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “I Wanna Do Bad Things with You” Vol. 6, by Yutaka

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

Fuji and Mamori enjoy their time at the festival and once the new semester starts, other students are raving about her festival look, angering Miyu Goda; who prides herself on being the cutest girl in class.

I love the trope of an attempt at bullying not only going over the target’s head, but completely backfiring and making the target look cool. Does that count as a trope? Eh, it does now. Mamori is such a likable person that it’s easy to root for her and great to see her being herself. I love characters who are just earnest and a bit silly, so I’m having a great time with this volume. I do wonder what the deal is with Fuji’s family. This is a perfect lighthearted YA romance, and I hope it stays that way. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Sakura, Saku” Vol. 8, by Io Sakisaka

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

Haruki has confessed his feelings to Saku but she thinks Hazuki would be a better match for him because she’s certain he still has feelings for Hazuki and not herself. This gives Iryu a chance to make his move.

 

For some reason, Saku is really ticking me off. She’s not being honest with herself and her own feelings, making decisions about the feelings of others FOR them but also taking advantage (in a way) of Iryu’s attempts to cheer her up. Girl, just don’t deal with either of them if you’re this unsure. Maybe it’s my own bias seeping in, but don’t fucking decide other people’s feelings for them. Saku is inadvertently becoming a toxic “nice girl,” and I really hope she gets called out.

Also, this is how to make a guy kind of an asshole but still likable. Iryu says mean shit, but Wolf Girl and Black Prince should take notes.

3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Let’s Do It Already!” Vol. 6, by Aki Kusaka

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

Yuri and Keiichiro go on their school trip where Yuri gets brave and give Keiichiro a kiss on the forehead. This prompts his family to send his older brother, Shotaro.

At first, it seems Shotaro is going to be a kind of punishment for our couple as well as a rival for Keiichiro, but this volume keeps the comedic tone, and he’s more of a goofball. That seems to be a running theme whenever a new character is introduced. They’re forcing Keiichiro and Yuri to follow these strict rules like they’re going to be evily overbearing, but they’re never as awful as one would expect. I like that. We can play with expectations, but on the other hand, the lack of conflict and lasting consequences can make this a little tedious, as it keeps happening without making any progress. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Star Brighter than the Sun” Vol. 3, by Kazune Kawahara

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

Koki gets in a fight while defending Sae, who thinks Koki’s secret crush is a girl named Subaru. Rumors also fly saying Sae is dating Ayukawa, paving the way for emotional misunderstandings.

Koki and Iwata also go see a movie together, but it seems like Iwata still thinks they’re just friends and Koki can’t possibly like her. While I did enjoy this volume because these two are sweet together, it didn’t feel like they moved forward. They have adorable chemistry, but this back and forth is going to get old. It doesn’t feel like heightened drama, it’s just circling. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Wolf Girl and Black Prince” Vol. 15, by Ayuko Hatta

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

Wanting to pursue glass blowing, Erika is trapped between her mother’s insistence on studying it in Kyoto and Kyoya’s ultimatum to stay in Tokyo or break up with him.

Yeah, I’d expect Kyoya to be a dick about this. There are plenty of characters who can balance cool, aloof jerk with a soft spot but Kyoya comes off as overly cruel then has to walk it back so the story can keep the couple together. The best part of this was someone giving him a good smack and putting him in his place because he keeps acting like a walking red flag to a girl who clearly cares for him and doesn’t deserve his abuse. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Fated NOT to Meet” Volume 1, by Ei Eijou

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Izumi is the top salesman at his company who is doing a favor for his friend by acting as a plant for a gay dating app on the side. He ends up matching with Sendo, a rival salesman at his company who just so happens to have a lot in common with.

With this set up, I thought it’d have a lot of back and forth but it gets right to the point. Their initial rivalry isn’t too toxic that you don’t believe they could ever learn to get along, much less have a romantic relationship. It’s all about sales and the app gave them a chance to connect beyond that. While they are both stern on the job, Izumi is a bit of a goof and provides most of the humor. The smut is graphic and detailed, so this is adults only! 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Firefly Wedding” Vol. 3, by Oreco Tachibana

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

Satoko and Shinpei have plans to escape in secret in a small boat, despite Satoko telling him she must marry a man her father approves of. Shinpei is resolute and refuses to leave his love to another man.

I love how easily the art shows Shinpei’s dual nature so well. He can be such a doof but also really fucking dangerous. It’s one of the race cases where his red flag behavior doesn’t trigger me like Kyoya does because it’s clear what’s dangerous about Shinpei isn’t aimed at Satoko. He wants to be with her and make her happy, not tear her down. It makes me want a future for them where he won’t have to kill anymore, and she can be loved without being a commodity. I’m able to root for them. And Satoko is a badass. I love her character. 4 out of 5.

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