muse ✨'s manga / #mature characters(69)

A series of stories. The best is probably the young heir facing an arranged marriage who decides to be honest with himself for one night and sleeps with a man he met in a bar. These all have lovely art, but the pacing is a little fast, so they're not really satisfying as love stories. They might be nice for a coffee break!

Twenty-two years after they fell in love in college, two 40-year-old chiefs are divorced by their wives and get a second chance.

Two in one: Hua Cheng is a spoiled high school student whose dad is the school director. He falls for Xie Lian, the infirmary nurse - the only person who's willing to stand up to him. Those weren't their names, but the silly boy was so overprotective, it had some Hualian vibes. There was even a necklace. The second story is the director nearly losing his secretary due to his homophobia. They end up dating. Had none of the emotional punch of the same story by this author with Reiji and Eiichiro. I would've loved the first story developed over a few volumes, and not coming to any romantic conclusion until the minor was of age. Ah well, this is a fantasy world.

Playboy Kou picks up poor Shinobu fresh off of a broken heart and brings their one-night-stand into the workplace when they realize they're president and subordinate. But when Shinobu falls in love, Kou cruelly dumps him and moves onto the next toy. Shinobu realizes their relationship was just a game, accepts a job transfer, and ends personal contact. Kou, who has never been in love, grows distracted and ill. Coming to terms with his feelings, he attempts to confess to a wiser Shinobu, who understandably takes it as part of the game and rejects him, leaving Kou to do what he can to regain Shibou's trust. REALLY GOOD CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! Kou is a real jackass, but he learns from his past behavior and becomes a much better version of himself. I was really surprised and pleased to see a story address this. Shinobu used the time to gain confidence in himself. I hope good things for him. And Shinobu's friend Kenji is the sweetest!

I work in publishing and relate to this series on many levels. Kisa & Yukina are my favorites to read about because they're at a stage where their relationship is steady and evolving, so they're dealing with fun roadbumps like not enough time to meet up, being super fucking tired from work, realizing you don't know odd specific details about your SO, family members, impending life changes, and more! Yokozawa and Kirishima have quickly become my second-favorite couple in this, although I mainly know them from their OVA and light novels. I'll probably die before Onodera falls in love. April 2020: Yokozawa and Kirishima had a proper chapter??? They got engaged??? I??????? Cried. March 2022: 16 days until Onodera falls in love, but we got a FAKEOUT DREAM SEQUENCE that made me scream a little.

Read for the first story: After revealing his sexuality in an attempt to become closer to his wife, a 40-something man is left to raise his young daughter alone. Lucky for him, his boss thinks he's pretty cute. The second story is an interesting concept. What would happen if a trans girl fell in love with someone who is only attracted to men? The author had her very quickly decide that she would live as a man so she could be with the person she loved. I found that troubling. You don't become someone else for the sake of a partner. However, in the next chapter (which is not on Mangago yet), he bought her a pair of earrings he knew she loved, and he agreed to top, which was something she'd been too afraid to ask for initially. So maybe they can come to a solution where she can be her authentic self, and they can still be together. The third story: A traveler from Japan meets a man named Bird about to jump off of a cliff.

At 39, Ei is a successful researcher and still being pursued by 32yo Gin, a boy he met when they were 15 and 8. They are occasional sex partners, but Ei, who is terrified that his reputation of being openly gay could harm Gin in any way, refuses to acknowledge Gin as his lover and repeatedly tries to push him out of his life. Ei has horribly internalized self-loathing and hurts Gin thinking he's doing him a favor. He'll frustrate some readers, but I really related to him and understood his decisions. He knew first-hand what could happen to someone once they bear a particular label, and it was his unceasing love for Gin that kept him from being selfish and agreeing to date Gin long ago. I'm sure he thought Gin would eventually tire of it, find a wife, and settle down. Ei hates himself so much that he can't fathom someone actually loving him, despite how many times Gin has repeated it. And to admit he loves Gin in return would be to spoil the one pure thing he has, so he chooses to keep it locked away so that it's never taken from him. Frustrating, yes, but very human.

A multi-generational story of a family cursed to use a power that causes them physical harm, and the paper dolls - kami - who take on their pain. In good yaoi fashion, that means having a lot of sex. Also the puppets are made from human remains (for future generations, the remains of their own family.) Isn't yaoi fun. Among the stories, there were three I liked best: Genma and Himi (beware dub and noncon in their early days), Waki and Magane (because of the emotional challenge of being in love with someone who is bound to someone else), and Shoui and Asari. Theirs was, hands down, the best of the stories. The twins are awful. I skipped them on re-read. ETA: Considering I can't get this out of my head, adding it to the top 100 list. 4/25/20 - Still think about this a lot. Added a star. Skipped the twins again. They serve zero purpose and ruin so many poignant moments.

College student Ryuuta returns to a restaurant summer job with the intent of finally saying goodbye to Nao, the owner he's loved one-sidedly for years. But he finds Nao newly single and heartbroken, having been suddenly left by Hana, his long-time girlfriend. Seeing his chance, Ryuuta confesses to him, but Nao isn't ready for a relationship and is stunned that someone he considers a brother is in love with him. They take things in stride, giving Nao time to heal and grow closer to Ryuuta, which he does in a gradual and believable way. The feelings for his ex linger, as feelings do, but this is mature and satisfying.