I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #treachery(78)

Mystery, intrigue and family drama surround Touru, when he inherits the family fortune out from under the noses of greedy relatives, one of whom he must choose as a guardian, as his grandfather and benefactor wills, in order to create a family for himself. While confiding his plight to Tsukitani, his caustic prep school teacher, Touru discovers he has one last relative upon whom he can depend, but Tsukitani can't stand the smell of the Agake house and business on him, not even on his clothing, so family entails a makeover on fundamental levels.

Hans Christian Anderson's allegory about female vanity "The Red Shoes" and the Archers' 1948 cinematic adaptation form the backdrop to Ogawa Chise's romp through the cut-throat business of haute couture in which pairs of bespoke stiletto heels become totems for sexual power and Yuriy Abalkin, the muse, high priestess and prostitute for Alex, whose designs and creations are sought by Yuriy's uncle. Client after client uses Yuriy until he starts to disintegrate into madness and makes a desperate ploy to win the heart of his beloved Alex. This story is a hardcore grand opera of soap and typical of Ogawa Chise, luxurious in bathos and hysterical melodrama. This bitter cup of cynicism is definitely mixed with a good dose of wry.

It's the rich and powerful against humanity and the planet in this story about gods sent to earth to heal, inspire and bring joy to everyone else. Unfortunately, these special "Spec" are targeted for experimentation and corruption, until a very special little boy who is later named "Cheese" meets a local fast-food outlet trash-handler named Shin aind wins love and powerful enemies. Here's a trick: if you ever want to feel like a first class idiot, give a pet or someone you love a name like cheese. That way, whenever you have to call out the name in public, nobody will think you're calling after something other than food. Cute story, so far. Some sinister bits.

Old school yaoi classic love story between genetically enhanced Blondie, Jason, and his pet, Ricki, on a planet where everything is regulated by the supercomputer, Jupiter. I believe the second printing of the series was dropped before completion.

Hitsuji has fulfilled his dream of becoming a school teacher when a student shows up late with a flashy looking father who he refuses to acknowledge as his father.

Homophobia and bullying set the backdrop for a story about the confusion and psychological turmoil of two high school boys learning to connect, one as a regretful former instigator of bullying, the other as a victim of homophobia. Strong characterizations, beautiful art, and an emotional story

A series of stories involving different obsessions and kinks: a fetish for hair,selfish demands over a lover's time, a photography fetish, the fear of being revealed as a homosexual, and emerging from a horrifying past through prison and cheating the yakuza.

In the past, Chihiro, heir to the Saotome Yakuza, was kidnapped as his father was ambushed and murdered. After he was repeatedly gangraped and enslaved as a prostitute by the Russian mob, Chihiro was rescued by two hot bodyguards, Shirotae and Kuroba, who now, in addition to protection and enforcement, help him relieve the persistent "arousal problem" that was the apparent side effect of his abuse (really?) Anyhooo, Chihiro is now making a play on the "quality" gun trade, finds himself prone to fits of murderous rage, only to be reined in by the young hot leader of the Gojou group. Now that the Russian mafia has returned, it's a wonder how hometown gangster boy plans to make good on honouring Daddy's memory. Yup, that's where it's going for realsies. Kitazawa Kyou likes to craft a slightly unhinged cupcake yakuza always on the edge of a psychotic meltdown. The question isn't whether a reader can suspend disbelief. Obviously not. It's whether the story is any fun to read. I don't know. If it goes too James Cagney, it might be a twitching facial nerve too far.