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

Ten years after escaping AV, which he fell into paying off debt after being left by his Yakuza lover, 35 year old Kei is working part-time jobs to make ends meet. At a movie theater, he meets Junta, 12 years his junior and earnest in his love, but Kei's past is not something he's willing to share and he's afraid to fall in love again.

A smart but helpless professor hires the son of a local restaurant owner as his assistant and tries to escape the feelings that arise between them, especially once his assistant's ex-boyfriend comes into the picture.

Fun DJs for the one about the two guys who finally get together after 25 years. <3

Unemployed and unable to find a job, Misumi drowns his feelings in sake and a one-night-stand with a handsome stranger he knows he'll never see again--only to encounter him at a soba restaurant a few weeks later. Sei gives Misumi a job as sake master in his restaurant and allows him to live above the restaurant with him. Their physical relationship resumes but Misumi, who has been burned by straight men before, is reluctant to grow closer to him and pushes down his feelings until someone from his past surfaces. A+ for slow build, good pacing, FABULOUS work details. Sometimes you know an author has no real idea of the industry where a character works, but that is not the case here. I don't know anything about sake but appreciated the little bits of information in this manga. This is definitely a story I will re-read! My only complaint is I would've loved a bit more of them together in the final chapter. ETA: There was a short 12th chapter added later, where they get to be a bit lovey and intimate!

1) A 32-year-old man is dating someone 12 years younger. His lover assumes he's experienced, but even kissing is new. A multi-chapter look at the joys and frustrations of a large age gap. 2) A toxic and abusive friendship spanning an entire childhood. It's never redeemed. The constant mental abuse is excused as one man liking another, but this is abuse. This is not how you treat someone you love. Skip it. 3) Boy meets boy, boy falls in love with boy at first sight, boy tries to be his love interest's ideal - and suppresses his personality as a result. A story about the importance of being honest in a relationship. This final couple was almost team switch but bailed at the last moment; weak.

A story about two brothers. The first half is about the younger brother, who falls for a classmate fated to appear attractive to everyone who sees him unless he's wearing glasses. The second half is about his older brother's love story with a classmate he used to bully. I found myself much more drawn to their story, probably because of my age - the brother and I are both in our 30s. :-P

This one-shot is a single scene in an office. The interesting dynamic is between the two 50-year-old best friends. One confessed to the other when they were younger, but his friend was already married with a child. However, he says that life is longer than you think and that if he'd been single, he would've dated him, which makes me think they might end up together in their old-age, which is really sweet. The boyfriend is 20-years younger and feels temporary.

This is absolutely sweet and contains both the story of the two boys, and also Sumi's father and the second love of his life. No heartbreak! Just happy things.

A university student develops a conversation AI named "DD" and is introduced to a retired sensei who helps him develop it.

The gentle, sassy love story of an overworked government employee and his faithful subordinate.