muse ✨'s manga / #feels like starlight(159)

This is the spinoff of "Doushitemo Furetakunei." It follows Onoda and his friend at TAG who'd known about Shima's situation. Deguchi and Onoda have been friends for three years, but Onoda doesn't know that Deguchi - a charasmatic, 31yo salesman - is gay, or that he's harbored feelings for Onoda since they met. When Onoda admits his feelings for Shima, Deguchi seizes the opportunity, only to be rejected - because Onoda thinks he's kidding. But when Onoda realizes Deguchi is serious, he asks for time to consider how he feels. This story is great because of the characters - Deguchi is interesting and layered, and Onoda is sweet and open-minded - but also because it touches on the fact that people don't always fall in love at the same rate, and that feelings are messy. Onoda juggles residual feelings for Shima while trying to sort through his feelings for Deguchi. The story is hopeful and always cheers me up. I tracked down and bought the licensed manga from June and have read it more times than I can count, though I prefer a few of the translations in this version. Also: The book contains two additional pages before the bathtub scene, which I read were included in the book release. Also also: Although Deguchi never appears in Doushitemo, if you watch the movie, he's in a few scenes, including at the bar with Onoda! Live action OTP!

This made me feel warm in my heart. Lots of soda metaphors

Two boys who fell in love in middle school reunite in college (and one's a lot taller). A college student who fell in love with the subject of a painting falls for the artist. A boy whose mother told him he'd never be happy is living his best life with his boyfriend.

A short sequel to Hana no Mizo Shiru. So happy!

Two AV actors audition for the same role and are later cast together in the TV adaptation of the film. Katou falls for his older co-star, Iwaki, immediately, and is delightfully persistent in his courtship. Which basically consisted of showing up at his house and eventually moving in. They're open about their relationship with the public and their families; they marry; they deal with the sort of ups and downs that come up in a long-term relationship. I didn't expect to like this story. The art style in the early chapters threw me, but it evolves as the story goes along. Katou is easily the prettiest man in any manga I've read. If he weren't married to Iwaki, I'd say he's one of my husbands, but I respect their relationship too much. A couple icky things happen to them, which are caused by outside people, but their relationship is solid and honest and loving. They love each other SO MUCH. That's what I like most about this. This story DOES have a sequel, which I've tagged with this story's name as well. It is ongoing. ETA 2020: It's probably best to avoid the sequel! Just read this and pretend this is all that exists!

Two people who meet by chance at a streetcorner one night fall into a casual relationship, but when one takes a job student teaching, he realizes his partner - who had claimed to be a 19 year-old college student - is actually a 16 year-old in his second year of high school. **Spoilers** This is an interesting story with a solid relationship, but I wish Kaga had better explained to Yuuya why, legally, continuing their relationship once he'd found out Yuuya's age was a bad idea. Say what you will about Yuuya's maturity level and ability to consent in this scenario - the school is right that legally, he's a minor. It wouldn't have been the same story without that drama built in, but if they were both willing to wait until after graduation, they could've done that from the start without the forced separation. Still a challenging situation to consider and a story I've happily re-read.

Okamura is asked to help an insecure, socially awkward client to become more approachable. They become close friends quickly, but when it starts to turn romantic, Okamura worries he'll have to give up a close friend when the relationship inevitably comes to an end, so he refuses to let their love evolve.

A lonely country boy bonds with a computer technician over moss balls.