sadslime's manga / #Friends to lovers(22)

Shousuke always comforts his university friend Tomoki after his breakups, but this time Shousuke kissed him. Surprisingly, it went well and Tomoki wants to date him, but now Shousuke has cold feet. This one depicts the uncertainty and anxiety of starting a new relationship well, but the characters didn’t stand out to me. No trigger warnings.

Junichi was drowning his sorrows in a bar after a bad breakup when he happened to run into his childhood friend, Shizuru, seemingly getting forcefully propositioned. Junichi was once a delinquent after being ostracized for his sexuality in his hometown, and Shizuru and his policeman father had saved him, so Junichi wants to pay them back. But after dragging Shizuru home with him, he finds out that the innocent kid he once knew has changed and now has fun with whoever will have him. After some twists and turns that result in them living together, it finally comes out that Shizuru felt abandoned by Junichi, who left before he could become attracted to the still very young Shizuru. But with everything out in the open, where do they go from here, and how will they face the policeman father who saved Junichi and who Shizuru now resents? I know there's a lot in there, but that's because it's a good story! It has a lot of details and interesting characters with believable inner selves that make it really a great read. Trigger warnings: homophobia, bullying, false accusation.

Sagawa Taiichi is a good-natured but impetuous college student who falls (literally) into the life of Sugihara Kouhei, a law student with a bad reputation due to his hearing disability. They agree to trade note-taking for lunches, and soon they become closer and Taichi gets Kouhei to laugh again, gradually opening him back up. But as they continue through school, jobs, and relationships, it can feel like everything is pulling them apart. A longer but very well written story about a pure love between two boys who seem to complete each other. I think the author went to a lot of effort to develop strong characters and to depict hearing impairment and deafness from multiple perspectives, and it shows. Trigger warning: discrimination.

(Ch.1) To Capture a Giocatore - The manager makes a bet with the star soccer player so that he can have his way with him. Trigger warnings: coercion, rape. (Ch.2) Young guys, Get Going! - Best friends for years like to jerk off together, but one of them is secretly in love. Trigger warning: Threesome. (Ch.3) Brother Complex - Yukio has always looked up to older friend Toshihiro as his "nii-chan," but when he finds pictures on Toshihiro's computer of him working at an S&M club, it changes how he sees his nii-chan forever. I honestly hated this one, would not read again. Trigger warnings: coercion, rape, S&M. (Ch.4) Last Minute ☆ Count 2.9! - Kenji met a shy man, Shouki at a gay bar and they started going out, but Shouki refuses to tell him why he's always bruised up. Turns out, he's a wrestler, so get ready for some weird werstle-sex! Trigger warning: violence. (Ch.5) Lustful Music - When Kingo heard Ryouji sing for the first time, it was love at first sight, and he gave up everything to leave his band and live with Ryouji to make music together. But when he realizes that his presence may actually be holding Ryouji back from making it big, what will he do? This was the only one in this anthology I actually liked. No trigger warnings. (Ch.6) Yatsuromachi Cucumber Tenno Festival - Young man goes back to his hometown to play the flute for the local festival and reconnects with the man who taught him the flute, in the first place. But is it just a summer romance, or something more? No trigger warnings. (Ch.7) Weak Point Honey - A guy with a pain fetish gets a new friend. Trigger warnings: bondage, noncon.

Takatora is an office worker by day, an otaku by night, and Hiro is the pizza deliveryman who became his first friend. Then they start messing around. Then Takatora straight up rapes Hiro. But what Hiro really wants to know is what does Takatora want? Not something I'll be reading again. Trigger warning: rape.

Ch.1-3 - I am no Match for the First Love! - Shinokawa always adored his friend Kaede as children, but they've since drifted apart. As an adult, Shinokawa is delighted to find he's coincidentally moved in right next door to Kaede, though Kaede seems less thrilled. Still, Shinokawa keepds trying to get closer to Kaede until one drunken night, Kaede admits he likes anal play, and Shinokawa decides to shoot his shot. After that, Shinokawa insists they're dating, no matter what Kaede says. Shinokawa is a bit pushy, but I enjoy Kaede's manly shyness. Trigger warning: drunk intimacy. Ch.4-5 - Past our Complexes - Itsuki is a shy, quiet kid who seems totally opposite to the popular and handsome Yura, but secretly the two are friends who have bonded over their inability to handle talking to women. Now Yura wants to take their relationship one step further, but Itsuki still sees them as friends. When Itsuki asks Yura to help him speak to girls more, Yura invites a girl into their friend group, and the dynamic between them changes. Cute enough, I wish the girl got to have her own story more, but I get that it's not about her. No trigger warnings.

New & hesitant prostitute befriended by shop’s #1

Shino is a regular salaryman until his high school friend Mio asks to crash with him. Shino is a little surprised at how naturally the two of them fall back into their old friendship, but he hears rumors that Mio has changed and the reason he needs a place to crash is because he cheated on his fiance with a man. Shino doesn't let it get to him and gets Mio a job, but when he starts to see Mio getting a little too close to one of their superiors, Shino realizes he can't let Mio go. I felt like the emotions of their friendship were depicted well. Otherwise, the story didn't stand out to me but it was good enough for a read. Trigger warnings: coercion, voyuerism.

In high school, Igarashi happened to oversee the popular student Amarai having sex with another man. After that, he was interested in Amarai and did his best to get closer, until the two were best friends who do everything together, even in college. So Igarashi finally decides it's time to shoot his shot and get what he's been after all along by asking Amarai to make adult videos to post online with him. Amarai goes along with it, but as things escalate between them, Igarashi starts to wonder why Amarai would go this far. A cute and silly relationship where everything could have been resolved if they'd talked for like five minutes, but this way was more interesting. Trigger warnings: voyuerism, manipulation.