muse ✨'s manga / #top 100(51)

Chiaki, an arrogant young businessman raised by his grandfather is sent to the country in Hokkaido to learn humility and hard work. The man he's staying with, Soichiro, had been told his bride was coming, and he has to ward off nosy townspeople who warn Chiaki that Soichiro is gay and had to flee his former life because of it. Having been bullied himself, Chiaki becomes protective of Soichiro and lies that they're actually together. Through his time on the farm, he matures into a good worker and calmer person, but as he's beginning to realize his growing feelings for Soichiro, a friend plays a cruel joke.

THIS IS SO CUTE I'm going to be late for work (like that has ever stopped me). Handy temp workers take on a range of jobs, from chauffeuring porn stars to guarding haunted buildings. When a request comes in from someone called Aki asking for a friend, Takashi assumes the sender is a child - and is surprised to meet the 26 year old director of a company, who is desperate for someone to confide in. Their story comprises the first two and the final chapters. It's! So fluffy! The second story is about the youngest member of the company, 20yo Miya, who is propositioned by a strange new client. After defending the merits of his work, he doesn't expect to see the man again, but he receives a new request and agrees to take it. The man's manner changes, becoming gentler, so when Miya is hard up for cash, he comes onto him and has sex for the first time. But he's dismayed to be given money and told to leave, and the next morning, ordered home by the man who was actually a private investigator hired by his wealthy family to find out if he was living dangerously... can their relationship survive??? LOL, of course it can, and Miya learns to strike a balance between his two lives.

This was refreshing. People genuinely liked each other and developed real emotions. The first story is about a makeup artist and hair stylist. A man with an awful personality is befriended by a co-worker and eventually warms into someone tolerable. Also they fall in love. The second story is about his brother, who grew up in his shadow, and as a result has pushed everyone away from him. He also falls in love.

Two sets of childhood friends reunite five years later.

A failed salaryman with a tendency to run from his problems hooks up with a serial playboy, and they change each other's lives. Giving this a fifth star on re-read for the character development and how damned hard they fall in love.

Two men set out to make the world's best ramen and fall into delightful love with each other, have passionate sex, good communication, and a happy future. A+ ETA: It's being continued! Yay!

Chapters 1-3: High schooler Haato feels a bond with his abusive mother's former lover Shibusawa, a member of the yakuza and the only person to have shown him kindness. Years later, Haato is working as a host and is openly in love with Shibusawa, who toes the line of a relationship but never crosses it until Haato loses someone close to him. The last story is about two coworkers: a man confesses to a coworker he sees feeding stray cats outside their building. ETA June 2020: After rereading the first story for the billionth time, I bought the manga. Hisashi does marry, but his husband dies post-story. We pick him back up here when he is 39 (chapter 5): https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/akanai_tobira/ July 2021: this might be the story I’ve read the most. Even more than the one about the hot dad who gets back together with his boyfriend after 20 years. Something about this makes me feel so sad and so moved. I wish there were more than just three chapters. I would love to know more about their daily life after they lived together.

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.

When he knocks on the door to introduce himself, the socially awkward Tsubaki quickly learns that his new neighbors are a gay couple. Not sure how to react, he confides in his coworker Azuma, who assures him that gay couples are just like everyone else. Tsubaki befriends them and spends more time with Azuma, who makes him realize how lonely he is and begins to fill that gap, holding his hand when they walk drunkely through the streets, and inviting him over when Tsubaki is feeling down. But when Azuma kisses him, Tsubaki has to evaluate his feelings.

A chemistry teacher, Jinno, moves into the apartment next to a former student who had often talked to him after school and once said he liked him. Jinno asks him to have dinner so they can catch up, and since they both live alone and Morimoto enjoys cooking, he suggests they eat together sometimes. Their relationship grows sweetly domestic: they have dinner and sometimes lunch together, help each other with household tasks, and go clothes shopping. Jinno likens their relationship to dating and has no fear of that, slowly becoming aware of his own feelings and attraction, which he suspects are mutual. There is no relationship drama in this. Jinno works up the courage to ask Morimoto out and realizes that Morimoto had actually confessed to him in high school. They start dating and get a happy ending. A nice read on a sad day.