I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #Tenzen Momoko(9)

Sugiura Sakae returns as a teacher to the elementary school where, years before, Fukada Ryuuji, his own teacher, saved him from grave personal danger, but age and despair have taken their toll on Fukada-sensei, and Suguira has a difficult time reconciling the memory of the man who protected and inspired him, with the scruffy man whose laisser-faire attitude offends his sense of effort and accomplishment. Can anything be done to mend Fukada's crushed soul? This inspirational story is one of my favourites and cemented Tenzen Mamoko as one of the greatest yaoi mangakas ever! Just a beautiful realistic story.

It's strange to call a story realistic, when it's about a drop-dead gorgeous male model (Ray) who happens to be straight, and his best friend from school (Shingo), who's so smitten he blurts out that he's gay the minute they introduce themselves to each other. In every other respect, Shingo is completely discreet, keeping even his crush on Ray so quiet, Ray is unlikely to learn of his feelings. What does it take to change a stalemate? As usual, Tenzen Momoko outdoes herself for believable characters, an interesting story and some really funny moments. I enjoyed this thoroughly!

One afternoon at school, Mashita spies Matsushita sitting at his desk, resting his cheek against the top, and realizes that his friend is infatuated with him. After that, he compulsively toys with and teases him, deluding himself that it's to make Matsushita love him even more, but never realizing that his own heart was lost that day. One of Tenzen Momoko's great stories.

A simple story of how Kanda wins over Rihito who had repeatedly spurned his advances because he is bi, and to his way of thinking, may leave him in the future for a woman. What isn't so simple is how Kanda actually breaks through Rihito's resistance. Like most of Tenzen Momoko's stories, this one has a very pleasant, easy pace with many sparkly moments. Every time Rihito goes wide-eyed with surprise, a fairy is born.

Series of short stories. The first deals with a young man, Kou, who develops a crush on his gay neighbour, Hiroya, a salary man, and actively engages in helping him sort things out, just as he suspects Hiroya has fallen for his even more capable brother. The second two stories are interconnected school-life yaois, both involving idiot couples. But they are very endearing because Tenzen Momoko knows how to craft a good tale!

On his way home from school one day, Horikita Mei rescues a cat in a tree and falls on top of the extremely near-sighted Akihiko, breaking his glasses. To compensate, Mei works at Akihiko's secondhand/recycle shop and starts to fall for the easy-going flirt, but Akihiko has a secret which Mei wants to learn, and Akihiko won't share it with him. Can Mei become the sort of person Akihiko can depend on?

Kashii is an up-and-coming fashion designer surprised to be pursued by popular actor, Mika, who wants to be the exclusive model for Kashii's designs. The unequal stature of their professional relationship troubles Kashii, but Mika insists that he has always been following Kashii and Kashii can't remember under what circumstances he met Mika at all. Like all of Tenzen Mamoko's works, it is bright, engaging and fun. Enjoyable! As it's been years since the last update, however, I assume it has been dropped and will mark it incomplete.

Nagamine is a smart boss who knows exactly how to keep a suitor interested. Akae, demoted from the head office for an affair, seems impervious to his tricks. Both men keep misreading each other.

Too light-as-air stories about (1) a baker and an author who fall for each other and (2) former classmates who fall for each other. There is no conflict to speak of in either story, just a simple whiff of mystery about their pasts.