muse ✨'s manga / #top 5(15)

Occupation To Beloved

Complete | nakamura asumiko | 2012 released

Hikaru and Rihito are my favorite, favorite couple. Their love is so pure and gentle. I love them. You have to read "Sora to Hara" before this, or the other couples in the story will not make sense. They're introduced in that work. I'm confused about the timeframe, since it seems to be about two years into Sajou's college career, but the model has gone five years since school...and I think he was younger than Kusakube and Sajou. So...not really sure how that works, since Sajou talks about age/time and we know he's 18 in this story.

Soredemo, Yasashii Koi o Suru

Complete | Yoneda Kou | 2008 released

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!

Hidamari ga Kikoeru

Complete | FUMINO Yuki | 2014 released

Kohei is hearing impaired and isolated as a result. People mistake his silence as elitism, so he's left out of activities and feels like he's bothering people if he asks them to repeat what they've said. But one day, a loud, carefree boy named Taiichi falls onto the roof where he's eating his lunch and befriends him. This is a really gentle and lovely story about first love, but it's more about friendship and trying to understand and bridge differences between us. ETA: All volumes of this manga are licensed in English

Hana no Mizo Shiru

Complete | takarai rihito | 2009 released

Arikawa, a law student with poor eyesight, has a literal run-in with someone and is left with a delicate flower necklace. It belongs to a botany student, Misaki, who doesn't seem to have interests outside of the laboratory. Although he's busy, Arikawa volunteers to help in the lab, and over time, he and Misaki grow close. However, Misaki is dealing with the pain of an unrequited love that won't leave him alone. This is one of my favorite stories. I've read it multiple times and was able to find the licensed English version of the first volume. I don't think the other two have been licensed, but I found the original 3-volume set on CDJapan and have it on my shelf. :-D

Doukyuusei (NAKAMURA Asumiko)

Complete | nakamura asumiko | 2006 released

Kusakabe thinks Sajou considers music to be beneath him--the one subject where Kusakabe excels. But one day after school, he discovers Sajou alone in their classroom practicing for an upcoming concert and offers to help. After a series of regular meet-ups, Kusakabe develops feelings for Sajou and kisses him. What follows is a story of firsts. This is a sweet love story, a bit sad at points, but ultimately happy. Doukyuusei was made into an anime, which is absolutely lovely and follows the manga to a T. The voice actors did a fantastic job. It also has two sequels and a side story, which I tagged "Doukyuusei" so you can find them.

Sotsugyousei

Complete | nakamura asumiko | 2010 released
2017-06-20 00:39 marked

The sequel to Doukyuusei, in which Sajou and Kusakabe have to face their upcoming graduation.

Hana No Migoro Ni

Complete | takarai rihito | 2000 released

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

Haru O Daite Ita Alive

Ongoing | nitta youka | 2013 released

The continuation of Katou and Iwaki's story, at least a decade after the first. They're still acting, still in love, still hot as hell, still having spectacular sex! One day they'll call each other by their first names during sex and I'll die happy. Anyway. In this new arc, Iwaki learns he has a grown biological son, and we see some obstacles thrown at his relationship with Katou, but they make it over the hurdles together. I wish I'd had this sort of bond when I was married. We had nothing like this. This is the sort of bond and respect I'd want from a partner, if I ever have another one. The scanlation team switched because people were uploading to reader sites against their wishes. A new group has picked up the series, but it's a shame people were disrespectful. :-( ETA: On March 8, 2019 there was an update where Iwaki called him Youji while they were play-arguing and it led to sex, so I can die half happily. 5/25/20 - Read a spoiler (LOOK AWAY IF YOU DO NOT WANT SAD THINGS IN YOUR EYES) that says Katou dies in the final chapter. I'm not sure the teams will bother to translate that; I'm not sure I'd want to see it. I have loved this couple. What a tragic ending, but hearing about it out of context, I can't judge it properly.

Bokura ga Koi wo Ushinau Riyuu

Complete | itz | 2017 released

OH!!! This didn't go the way I worried it would, and I am so happy. This is a side story to Yukidoke no Koi. Several years after graduation, Oushirou still harbors feelings for his childhood friend Koba, who is moving to Tokyo for work and will live nearby. One afternoon Oushirou drops his wallet. It's picked up by a regular at the bar he frequents. After talking a while, the man - Inamura - offers his contact information and drops the fact that he's gay. He figures out that Oushirou is pining for Koba and offers to be a distraction. I worried this would be a situation where the childhood friend wises up and dates the main character, but it didn't play out that way. Koba and Oushirou remained dear friends, and Oushirou began a relationship with Inamura - moving in with him five years later. Content warning: There is a reference to one-sided love between brothers, but it is only spoken. We see nothing and nothing comes of it. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD! This is the FIRST! manga I've ever read where the characters have a frank, honest discussion about sex before they have sex. And then after sex, evaluate what happened, and one reassures the other that if bottoming isn't his thing, they'll work something out - that sex isn't everything. I've never seen that and it was totally refreshing and wonderful. Thank you to this author.