Gunjou no Subete
4 stars // I was so torn between four and five stars-- because i loved this, i loved it a lot. It's really good, how they're both in denial, even went so much as to try dating other people to confirm their feelings, how both of them are in this constant yearning for each other, i liked it. I have nothing bad to say about this manga but the reason for it being four stars is probably because of how it could be solved much sooner than you think? I thought that the part where they were at school at night where Kai found out that Ren knew about Kai's feelings for him, they were going to only progress forward from there, but i was wrong, but instead we got a really good perspective of Ren's feelings for Kai, and i loved it, it's just, it's weird i don't know maybe i wanted a little more out of them, because it's just buried feelings but then one day /boom/ suddenly realizing his feelings and go confess, idk idkd idjdkdks i loved it though i can't form a good review for why it's four stars, maybe it should be five but idk. I'm going to collect myself and write a more decent review hh.
Tight Rope
5 stars // I'm a sucker for gang family stories like this! Especially the ones that stick to their traditional gang cultures more rather than the more modernized/western ones, they just hit different, the culture you know? As expected with Natsume Isaku sensei's works, we're introduced with two interesting (that keep on being interesting) characters; one is the fifth heir to a very powerful yakuza family, and the other one is a childhood friend who's family has been friends and taking care of the yakuza family, even one of the family members is also a part of the gang and holds an important position. And let me just confess my love for Naoki for a moment here-- i love his character! He's the cool-headed type and genuinely cares for Ryuu, but his feelings towards Ryuu are cloudy because he doesn't know if he cares so much because Ryuu is a childhood friend or because he has grown to love being beside him. My heart was hurt when i read his inner monologue thinking that when Ryuu eventually takes over as the fifth leader, he might get into more and more dangerous situations, getting himself hurt, and one day, he might die for real. Oh that hurt ( ╥ω╥ ), and that was i guess, the trigger for Naoki realizing his true feelings, and i love how he decided to make sure he's always by his side by doing the traditional gang initiation ritual, he's so cool, /swoon/ (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄) For the story, quite frankly it's very simple-- didn't really dive into actual gang business and more into the outer aspects of it (?) familial aspects if you will, I like that there was at least a bit of build-up, but the peak act where Naoki got kidnapped feels very lax for such an important moment, it was saved by that bitchass motherfucker Nishi though, it's so weird for me to say this because i don't wish this upon anyone but if Ryuu didn't see Nishi trying to assault Nao the result of the build-up wouldn't probably be that good. I like it when both of them are strong fighters, so they protect each other and not only a one-sided protecting (which shoujo mangas are usually guilty of, i swear to god the heroine is always so meak and getting kidnapped all the time it's annoying), even though i have to say that again, the peak conflict of this manga where Naoki suddenly couldn't beat up one (1) person that literally has the same body weight as him, it was kind of a cop out, but eh, i could overlook it since i'm already grateful that Naoki isn't some shoujo manga heroine in a dude's body. There was never really a resolution to this since they were already pretty clear and straightforward from the very beginning, they just need a little push to get to the end of the story. This thought just hit me but i guess the reason why i love Natsume Isaku sensei's works is because i love the uke characters way, waaay more than i love the semes, they always have such interesting personalities that just makes me want to read them again and again, Naoki is probably in my top three favorite Natsume Isaku characters in general he's so, so cool σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡
My Childhood Friend Was a God
5 stars // I like the part about one shots where you just have to immediately be accustomed to "yes this guy is like this and this is the world they live in don't ask questions it's a oneshot", it may seem annoying at first but it's actually pretty fun because it's open to interpretation, you get to make headcanons of your own to either make it less sad or make it extra fucking deppressing, in my case i made it even more sad because i imagined it Tomoya had to physically kill himself to have his soul released and go back to the divine gods, so that's why he didn't want Tarou to see him off. Yeah i'm sad now. It was a fun read nonetheless, short but impactful in their own way, and the fact that it's set in high school hurts more too since to some people highschool years are the prime years of their life, from teenager to adult, where your feelings are developing yet he had to deal with losing his bestfriend, who is, a fucking god. Didn't expect to cry though so that was kind of surprising, it's not that sad but i cried.
Koisuru Taka wa Tsume o Kakusu
2 stars // MAYBE it's because i was audibly voicing my commentary while i read this that made me have such a one track mind about the whole story, or it's because i just, do not like, the blond guy. He's very weird, his words are always contradicting themselves, like there was this one panel where his inner monologues are LITERALLY contradicting themselves in the SAME page, it was so unbearable. I understand his concerns of wanting to keep the friendship thus hiding his feelings, but Takumi isn't your usual "tough dude delinquent beats up anyone" type of guy, he cries when reading shoujo mangas for gods sake! And the fact that you have been together for so long, you should've thought that he would still be your friend even if he doesn't see you romantically. And, i feel like the timing of some things happening in this story are very weird. For example blond guy could've literally just confessed everything to Takumi when they were alone in that park, not in front of two people who know them? That's fucking weird, especially if you put into consideration that the blond guy has been trying to hide his feelings for Takumi for years, all that effort and then the moment you let it go it's not an intimate moment between the two of you but when you're literally choking some other guy? This is what i mean when i say he contradicts himself a lot. Another thing that i really want to get off my chest because it's so weird, and tbh annoying. AFTER they started dating and doing the whole shared diary stuff, isn't he supposed to be like, ecstatic? the person you loved all these years is finally yours and is even making an effort to further the relationship? And the best way possible of you returning that effort is by dismissing his effort and hit him with the "i want to have sex already" attitude and THEN when Takumi refuses and asks if he only wanted to date Takumi for the sex he had the NERVE to get offended and said that "It's hard for me to believe that you really love me" TO HIS FACE?? AFTER HE TRIED TO FORCEFULLY INITIATE?? SEX?? Honestly it's so annoying, like, DUDE, YOU were the one who constantly said you wanted to bang him how are YOU also the one who has a hard time believing that Takumi really loves him when he literally made the effort of making a SHARED DIARY so that the two of you could get to know each other better??? If anything the one who should be questioning their sincerity is Takumi??? I was so fucking annoyed i had to stop and scream into the void because of how that sentence annoyed me, man if i was Takumi in that situation i would've been so turned off i would end the relationship in a heartbeat, BITCH i made this fucking shared diary for us and YOU question ME? YOU? The one that constantly only wants sex? Motherfucker seriously? /inhales/ okay, i am calm. I'm sorry, blond dude reminded me too much of a manipulative ex who likes to contradict his own words to try and make me feel bad about myself, I hope Takumi doesn't feel that way and does genuinely like this blond dude. I'm done. That's my opinion, and third guy needs an award for being so patient in dealing with his friend's shit, he's so helpful it's funny.
Tonaride Hanasaku Oto ga Shita