romance comics

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Lenni Reviews: “I Ship My Rival x Me” Vol. 1 by PEPA & Qualia

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

Wei Yanzi and Gu Yiliang are both young up-and-coming actors currently working on the same show but Wei Yanzi feels as if he’s overshadowed by Gu Yiliang’s natural talent and good looks. Since he’s getting some hate from Gu Yiliang’s fans, Wei Yanzi leans into those online shipping him and his costar so he sees more positive things about himself.

This is so goofy. Wei Yanzi doesn’t realize how flirty he sounds when he talks to Gu Yiliang and it’s funny to see him encouraging fanfiction of himself and his costar. I say costar because (spoiler?) they’re not really rivals; they get along pretty well the entire time. Gu Yiliang is clearly developing some feels while Wei Yanzi is clueless. It feels a little scattered but it’s still cute. And a clean read so far at a 13+ rating.3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “My Special One” Vol. 9, by Momoko Koda

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

Sahoko and Kata go on a trip with Emiko tagging along, wishing Kanato could be there with her.

It starts off with the trip but the standout here is Emiko freaking out about being intimate with Kanato but she’s a virgin. These two are gonna rot my teeth they’re so sweet. They still have a few misunderstandings but it’s nowhere near as bad as when they first were trying to get together. It’s an entire volume about how lovey-dovey they are and while sweet, it’s very slice of life. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “I Wanna Do Bad Things with You” Vol. 4, by Yutaka

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

When Soshi falls ill during their study session, Kei goads Mamori into taking care of him. Unsure of herself, Mamori asks Ichika – Soshi’s intended fiancee – to assist her and they all end up staying over to study for the upcoming exams.

In addition to the study session and sleep-over shenanigans, we get some back story on Mamori’s mother and more of Soshi and Koichi’s father; who both suck. The dad just needs a mustache to twirl and the mom is a dismissive, unsupportive, absentee parent. This makes Mamori and Soushi’s friendship a breath of fresh air. They’re just the right amount of clueless and innocent to keep me entertained and empathize with them. I’m attached enough to them to be so glad they have each other since their parents are so terrible. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Rainbow Days” Vol. 14, by Minami Mizuno

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

Not that the second term has started, the boys are thinking about college. Keiichi has no motivation to grow up and Tsuyoshi’s plans may not be in line with his girlfriends’s.

This volume really gives you the feeling of going from the small world of your high school to realizing how big the world is outside of it. It’s all the bittersweetness of growing up. Other volumes in this series have been hit or miss; some are dryer than others but this one is great at handling all the different emotions. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Sakura, Saku” Vol. 6, by Io Sakisaka

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

Saku remembers when she met Iryu as a child and he is starting to have feelings for her. At the school festival, Saku plans to spend time with Haruki but Iryu also wants to see her.

Oh, we’re fully in love triangle mode now. Iyru and Haruki are wasting no time pursuing Saku, who is mildly annoying with her passivity and milk toast reactions. She’s just going along with whatever each guy is doing at the moment. I like her but I’m hoping she’ll be a little more active in all this in the future. The boys clearly have no issue with this. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Someday I’ll Fall for You” Vol. 2, by Tomo Kurahashi

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

Now that all the feelings have been revealed, Chiaki and Kazuma are dating in secret and Kazuma wonders if it’s time to take things further in their relationship, navigates how to be a couple when they’re still pretending to be friends, and what their future will be after high school.

While there’s plenty of smut in this volume, the rest is just delightful and sweet. Chiaki is a little bean who’s just so damn in love and Kazuma earnestly wants to be happy. They’re adorable and despite how I kinda wish the characters were older, I can acknowledge the differing consent ages and how it’s not really made for me. It’s for older teens to relate to. I’d like to see their story continue into adulthood to see how their relationship is in the future but this will probably just stick with the high school stuff. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Firefly Wedding” Vol. 1, by Oreco Tachibana

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

Satoko is a Meiji Era noblewoman with a heart condition who has a duty to her family to get married; as she feels it will prove her worth. She knows her time is limited so when she is kidnapped, she offers the man hired to kill her – Shinpei – her hand in marriage in exchange for her life.

This manga manages the seriousness of the situation and the doofyness of our main pair very well. One second they’re fleeing Satoko’s captors in a bloody massacre and the next Shinpei is gushing about what married life will be like with the biggest puppy dog eyes. So, be aware there’s a ton of violence. I actually hope they work this out and get together as he’s really interesting and Satoko is stronger than most characters give her credit for. She’s like a less annoying Akemi. I am so excited to see what happens next. 4.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Rainbows After Storms” Vol. 1, by Luka Kobachi

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

High school students Nanoha and Chidori are dating but they keep their relationship secret; only known to their classmates as best friends.

This is very slice of life, especially when compared to the same setting for yaoi manga. It’s just so cute and sweet. Not a bit of smut to be found. It gets repetitive because each little story starts out with “we’re dating and keeping it a secret” and there are no obvious stakes to them keeping their relationship a secret. It doesn’t seem like their friends are homophobic or anything. Everything is very lighthearted and calm; a lot of blushing and meaningful glances. It’s decent but maybe a little more depth to it would make me like it more. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Insomniacs After School” Vol. 8, by Makoto Ojiro

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

After the festival, Magari picks up her late-night radio streams again, confessing about the health issues she’s been dealing with most of her life. The previous astronomy club member, Shiromaru, gets more involved in helping Magari and Nakami start nighttime observations for the new club.

Kurashiki Sensei is so deadpan, I love it. Most of this is Magari and Nakami spending a supervised overnight at school for some stargazing but a storm blocks the skies. It’s very sweet and good to see them happy together doing what they love. It’s just a pure moment. We still don’t know what seems to be the deeper issue with Shiomaru, who clearly had more going on with the previous astronomy club that she’s still hiding. I doubt it will be very heavy or dark since that would be a major departure from the tone of this series so far. I honestly hope Magari having a heart condition is as dark as this series gets. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Let’s Do It Already!” Vol. 3, by Aki Kusaka

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

Keiichiro has a packed summer schedule and Yuri manages to get a summer job just so she could see him more often. But when they attend an overnight study camp, through a series of misadventures, they end up in the same bed.

I’m glad the feelings between these two are genuine. There’s wacky moments and to me it’s a little much for Yuri to keep going so far for just a scrap of Keiichiro’s attention in his absurdly packed schedule but he clearly cares about her and is trying to do what he feels he can within the confines of his family’s demands. It’s sweet and nice to see with the other series I’m reading where one partner has deeper issues or ulterior motives. 3 out of 5.

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