Aiko's manga / #Childhood Friends(26)

3.5, I’ll be honest. I will NOT lie. The smut scenes are very well drawn, the style is a sparkly work of art, and I think the main couple can be cute at times. But I feel pure irritation when Akira continued to mislead, bully, and technically grape Hotaru. Hotaru felt pain when Akira felt jealousy and took it out on him, not cool. I don’t care of Hotaru is okay with it, it doesn’t make it okay, and that makes me sad because I know that Akira has a real love for him and genuinely wants to make him happy. I just wish the plots of these BLs could assent past the weak, helpless, basically rug of a person trope that allows these Ukes to get so easily pushed around. There’s flaws in both characters that I feel like could be developed better and more drawn out. Hotaru matures to stand for himself, Akira lives with guilt for his actions and makes up for it somehow with them both learning to communicate and express better. The typical issues that would upgrade a manga but never is present. But the uploader is a gem <3 best meme annotations ever.

2.0, I’m sorry this is pretty unbearable lmao. Their dynamic could’ve been cute but there’s grape, there’s SA, manipulation, avoidant communication, and in the end the whole plot falls on the Uke that got graped and SAed to mend somehow when it’s the Seme who said NOTHING the entire time because the plot made it a mess. This has potential but it ain’t it, it’s pretty bad. Their final chapter all about communication is just salt in the wound, why does it always have to END with this miraculous show of positive open communication as if it’s a band aid on a gash, like it’s supposed to be a sweet heart warming thing to end a story off. Yeah no sorry, won’t reread :(

3.5

I like this for a few reasons. It’s a more wholesome story than most other BL mangas, the art is cute to me and well drawn in it’s own special way (it’s nice art too, not like 1980s manga with small heads, huge bodies, and pokey chins) so idk why ppl are critical of the art, and though the plot is out there it’s a comical and genuine stretch. Yes it’s crazy he became prime minister to marry his childhood friend but that’s literally every LGBT activist in American history- they stand up to discriminatory laws so they can marry their love. I like that about it. Also there’s nothing too psychological, it’s pretty well rounded though I agree it could use more chapters but hey it’s good.

5/5, this one I could reread lots of times, I like the whole guise dynamic they had and the good pain that came from a true good intention. so unique too to make a superpower of sorts using a voice technique (similar to inumaki from JJK). I will say though, there’s little details that could’ve been cut altogether or replaced with something else that I feel would’ve made me adore this manhwa more. Such as— Kazu dated plenty of women, the other one dated like one yet the flow of the story made it seem like Kazu was the one in more pain after his bsf dated ONE singular woman. Like I get it, one or 10, it hurts but that’s a… interesting portrait lol.

0.8, there’s not even a plot and if there were to be a said plot it’s probably the dumbest plot ever. Dubious consent/r@pe written all over it because you cannot possibly definitively say that consent was granted ahead of time. And the Seme had feelings for the Uke for years, so his senseless “innocent” teary-eyed excuses listed to influence the Uke into allowing sexual favors to be done in his benefit are manipulative. Further, he turns around and plays victim at the end. What adult behaves this childlike/puppy like AND blames the Uke for not picking up on clues when nothing was explicit discussed (never explicitly confessed). If you’re just into kinks and smut scenes, this is for you, but the non consensual relationship they form is just unappealing. Won’t read again.

4.99, this is a really cute trope actually. Best friends to lovers but it’s from an age where they’re both trying to do some discovery separately then come together. It’s really so cute that it covers that individual growth, united growth, into adulthood, where they’re more confident and established in their relationship. My only irk is just that the Seme seems so obtuse about feelings of affection in their initial confession days yet the next chapter when the Uke assumes his feelings as obtuse (as it has been so far), the Seme gets all uppity. Now again I get it, it’s part of the development, but I wish they had some time where he outright displaying more feelings for the Uke (aka He feel first but Heee fell harder type of dynamic). But I could def reread.

5.0, great basically the prototype to a boys love story from the 2000s. A youthful love that blossoms into something more, discovery of one’s self and their love along the way. I’d love to have a few more chapters on each couple because I think there’s more that can be explored and dynamics that can be tested in order to add a little spice to the plot. By this I mean showing how they face life together as adults, how they support one another through hardships as a partner, and etc. But no r*pe or SA or dubious consent which is unfortunately not common in this genre so perfect score for that !