muse ✨'s manga / #romance(83)

This was the slow-burn love story of my dreams. After being cruelly dumped on Christmas Eve, Ei finds a man and a kitten asleep outside of his apartment in the snow. He takes them in out of pity, and Junpei becomes a fixture in his life, helping him to emerge from his stoic shell and to learn to love someone good for once. This was one of the most realistic stories I've ever read. A few years ago, I probably would've been frustrated with Ei's behavior, especially taking back his ex. But I did the same thing because I was so desperate to save my relationship, which I clung to because it was familiar, not because it was happy or healthy. People do make mistakes. They do seek out other humans just for comfort, even if they love someone else. They do withhold their love for fear of being hurt. This was touching, exquisitely drawn, and the pacing was just right. I cannot recommend it enough.

A patissier who returns home to run his late father's bakery falls for a novelist who frequently buys his sweet breads. This is fluffy romance with no heartache.

Two fantastic stories: A young man who dreamed of being an artist but whose father forbid it. He falls in love with his coworker, who is to marry his sister in a week. This has an unexpected and wonderful ending. I was so happy, I cried. (I think about it a lot, so it's in my top 50). An FBI agent is assigned to watch a criminal on death row (and former agent) during the last week of his life.

An instant favorite. Ayumu has been in love with a sempai at his company for a long time. They're so close and Toujou is so affectionate with him that coworkers joke they're married, but Ayumu has no intention of confessing his feelings and only wishes for Toujou's happiness. I dislike labeling people by the way they have sex, but this author flipped a lot of traits I see in other stories. Toujou, who plays the role of the seme, is bubbly, affectionate, straightforward, cheerful, laughs, and rolls around thinking about buying a dog. When Ayamo apologized for being unable to bear children, Toujou turned around and apologized too - to everyone's shock, including mine. So often, the gay character is the one who harbors regret for leading the straight or bi character down a "wrong path." This author went the other way. Toujou stressed that they're both unable to have kids, they're equals, and they're choosing to be together because the love each other. The end. I'd read a hundred pages about their silly domestic mishaps.

A demanding young man in his early 20s struggling with his confidence falls in love with his tailor. This story broke a lot of genre stereotypes and it was incredibly touching and even erotic at times, but it always remained tasteful. I wish it were ten times longer. At Fujocon 2021, Scarlet said in her livestream that of all of her characters, Tetsuya is the one she would date. She also said he was the quietest during sex. Now we know!