romance manga

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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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Lenni Reviews: “Like a Butterfly” Vol. 12, by Suu Morishita

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

This volume is spinoffs, one-shots, and bonus chapters, changing some perspectives and some what-if stories.

While cute, these feel like they could have been divided up and put at the end of previous volumes, not sold on their own in a separate volume. I mean, if you’re desperate for more content with these characters, it may be worth it for you, but for me, I was skimming most of this. And I’d be annoyed if I’d paid for this. In this economy? No thanks. 2.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “My Special One” Vol. 10, by Momoko Koda

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

This volume features how Kouta and Kanata met as kids at an idol head start school, where Kouta was a completely different kid than he expected. It also shows a young Emika when she became obsessed with Kanato and a Cinderella themed side story.

The Cinderella story took up way too much time. It’s the type of filler volume where it feels like a waste instead of being entertaining enough to hold my interest until going back to the main story.  I guess since our main couples are established, everything is just fumbling about. I mean, it’s not bad, but I got the feeling of dangling keys trying to hold my attention. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Wolf Girl and Black Prince” Vol. 13, by Ayuko Hatta

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

Despite Kyoya’s warnings, Erika tries to play matchmaker. After the trip, Erika’s parents want Kyoya to come over to formally meet him, and he takes Erika out for her birthday. There is also a side story where Takeru tries to tell Kyoya he shouldn’t be so blunt.
Takeru is a decent guy, and it’s nice to see someone be a friend to Kyoya. Overall, the bungled birthday date was the most amusing part. Kyoya was really trying to put forth some effort with the date and meeting her parents was off the rails; it gave me emotional whiplash, which was NOT appreciated given I haven’t forgotten what happened last volume there, kiddo. You’re still an asshole. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Call of the Night” Vol. 20, by Kotoyama

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

Haruka tried to convince Ko not to bind himself to Nazuna and as neither her no Ko want to hurty each other, they decide to spend one last night together.

The ending is so bittersweet. I was hoping for more of what made Ko so different from other humans in the process of becoming a vampire, since it seemed everyone around them was so surprised by his abilities and wondering about Nazuna’s status as a born vampire had an influence on those abilities. However, this is more about how love can affect these relationships and the deep bond Ko and Nazuna share. I wouldn’t mind some stories with them but I’ll take what I’m given with our main two finding some sort of balance. 4 out of 5.

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