dorkoblorko's manga / #I love ___(7)

While I've read a few chapters of Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler, I can say with certainty that Twin has given me a much more enjoyable reading experience. Twin follows Mary (or Meari, if you prefer) when she first starts attending Hyakkaou. Like Yumeko, she makes a strong entrance by beating the class bully. Unlike Yumeko, however, Mary feels like she's actually trying to strategize and win. In general, Mary was much more likable as a main character, and following her journey through Hyakkaou was beyond riveting. If you wanted Kakegurui but less horny, I believe Twin has got you covered. Also, Hoshizuka is for sure gay for Mary.

robin my love <3 Ahem. Sorry. Got something stuck in my throat there. On a more serious note, the best way I can describe 'Mairimashita! Iruma-kun' is 'Poor MC gets caught up in something bigger than him, but he improves and achieves friendship in doing so.' The manga follows a similar structure to the classic action trope of growing in levels, but it also has a focus on the rest of the cast. While it is less so than Iruma himself (he is the title character, after all) I can say with certainty that this manga has made me fall in love with each and every misfit in Iruma's class, as well as every other character Iruma encounters. It's just a feel-good manga for people looking to feel good.

Kumo-chan is a very good main character, at least in my opinion. Her ability to beat the odds and attempt to strategize during a fight makes her eventual escape into the overworld extremely satisfying to read. She has a personality, a lot of spunk and the ability to think quick on her feet, which makes every successful battle not only satisfying (due to her being born weak), but believable too. Not to mention the current chapters are popping the fuck off. If you have the time, please give Kumo a read.

I'm not usually the type of guy to enjoy harem comedies, but 100kanojo makes it so damn easy. The first thing that really smoothed the read for me is the main male character, Rentarou. He's the harem's protagonist, and I love him. Why? Because unlike most harem protagonists, he truly expresses joy when in the company of the harem, and not just because he's horny. Rentarou is a lovable idiot, whose earnest adoration for each of his girlfriends is so apparent you can feel it through the page. Of course, being a harem comedy that proclaims it's going to have 100 girls, it really wants to appeal to as many waifu tropes as possible. Which leads me to the, uh, lolis. So far, there's been 3 lolis, 5 if you count Kurumi and Momi. There are also 3 (technically 4) adults in the situation, one of whom is the director of the school (not to mention the mother of one of the girls), which is a, uh, skeevy sounding situation to those who aren't used to the usual anime tropes. But if you can look past those (or are already desensitized to the usual anime/manga skeeviness) I truly think you should give 100kanojo a try.

AHHHHHHH. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I'll be honest, when I first picked up Oshi no Ko from a video recommendation, I did not expect to be impressed. While I did follow Aka Akasaka's previous work, Kaguya-Sama, I did not think that Oshi no Ko was going to be as riveting as it is. Oh my fucking god, I love this manga so much. The comedy, the drama, the CHARACTERS!!!! I love Aquamarine with all of my fucking heart, and Akane is best girl [but Kana is pretty cool too <3]. I love all of the characters, save for Ruby, who really felt... underutilized. And creepy. And like she's just a plot device to trick one of the love interests into getting closer with Aqua. But honestly? Ruby's character is probably the only one I could call bad. All of the others have my full heart; I just wish Ruby felt like... she belonged in the all-star cast.

Two shut-off geniuses engage in an emotional battle of wits to get the other to confess to them. Features Chika, Iino and Ishigami as side-characters, all of whom are likeable and enjoyable to read in their own unique ways. I love these idiots.

If you haven't already, read Blue Flags. What began as but a simple man stumbling across a cute tiktok with the tag #blueflag underneath it quickly spiraled into a tale of love and heartbreak and a truly compelling story. Make no mistake: there are no big twists here. There are no sudden changes of heart, no world-ending calamity. This is a story of people. Call them good, call them bad, but at the end of the day, they're just people. Blue Flag is a good romance manga. In fact, I might even go so far as to say it is an EXCELLENT romance manga. It explores and writes its characters extremely well. There is no one I truly 'hate' in this manga, because it goes through the extra effort of making all of them feel real. Everyone, from the side-characters to the love interest to the 'perfect best friend,' are all explored and can all be understood (though sometimes not without some legwork. talkin' bout you, Kensuke and Shingo. Especially you, Kensuke). And that's interesting, isn't it? Because although I may disagree with them at times, a part of my brain acknowledges their opinions as something unique to them, and I somewhat respect it. The author made every character feel like they were alive and breathing, with opinions and thoughts and life experiences, with no two being the exact same. And I adore it. So read Blue Flag. Because it's not often I can say that a manga made me feel truly connected with its story and its characters.