Master x Secretary
short pwp about a young master and his lingerie-wearing secretary for what it is, i liked it a lot. the lingerie was really nice and the art was as well, one of the best pwp manhwas ive read.
Himekoi (MITSUYA Bond)
childhood best friends kanata and kuro perform a marriage ceremony, as per the tradition of their ancestors for the prosperity of their village. i loved nearly everything about it. i thought it would be similar to muri marriage given the premise, but it was completely different. i enjoyed the main story, and also enjoyed the fathers' story (though it did leave me with heartburn). i do like how they addressed kanatas consent to such a tradition and overall, this was such a nice read. only qualm that bumped this from a 5 to 4 star was the dubcon and numerous questions surrounding the mothers' fates.
Apron Yankee!
yankee taiga seeks out his partner in crime ryuusei 3 years after the latter abandons him at the hospital. love the concept to bits (former delinquent turned teddy bear) and while i think this story is decent, i feel like delivery was a bit jumpy at points-- did taiga like ryuusei as an elder figure or was really in love with him, when did that transition happen, etc. chara designs were really nice though and the kid at the daycare were adorable.
A Trace Of Margins
despite being reincarnated, satae still has the traumatizing memories of his past life and after encountering kwon chaheon, who looks just like his past life abuser emperor narye, satae decides to avoid him at all costs to prevent a repeat of the past. honestly as of right now it looks pretty run of the mill reincarnation with a scum love interest and abuse plotline, reminiscent of erha. rather than the past life, im more interested in seeing how the mc attempts to avoid chaheon.
Scratch Blue
ryou, who tends to get bullied, has been best friends with protective akito since childhood. despite appearing fine on the outside, akito seems to be struggling with an incident from the past that manifests itself in masochistic dreams. first of all: i liked the bottom/top role reversals to something unconventional, twas a nice surprise. i think character portrayals were interesting regarding akitos guilt and ryous amnesia, and think the pair are really nice together. the chibis were also cute asf, really made me feel sad for them.
You lied to me
childhood friends yuma and ken are a comic artist and editor duo, with both trying to keep the other to themselves. the top comments on this one are misleading. yes, yuma is obsessive, but its not onesided. think: the twist the idol tried to do, but done better. ngl this is problematic, as the relationship is really toxic from both sides and there isnt a healthy resolution, but personally i was pleasantly surprised with the end of the story, as i thought this was just gonna be another typical stockholm syndrome manga.
Akai Ito No Shikkou Yuuyo
keiji was born with the ability to see the red string of fate, and when he realized his own red string is attached to a man named hiro, keiji does everything he can to prevent himself from falling. all in all this was pretty cliche, w the red string and the denial, but i enjoyed this a lot. hiro is the loml he was simultaneously the most respectful, pitiful, stubborn character in the story. i wish we got to see more of keiji moping after he cut the string, and more time into their actual relationship, but this story had great pacing compared to others of the same length.
Neon Sign Amber
stoic club bouncer ogata's eye catches on a regular partygoer, saya. and to think this is the same author of ybc... i loved this story to bits, character designs were great and the characters themselves were sweethearts, we got a good look into ogatas dilemma and sayas lack of self worth in depth. it had great pacing and i genuinely believed the characters LOVED each other, felt longer than it actually was
Tsuki wa Michikake Kemono no Koi
izuki moves away from the city and into the mountains, and meets a lonely guardian spirit that refuses to be lonely any longer. was drawn in by the absolutely stunning cover but wow, did not expect to finish this on the verge of tears. art style is gorgeous, and minus the obligatory dub/noncon (not appreciated at all btw), this story progressed in a very melodramatic and heartfelt way. bittersweet ending but i choose to think theyre happy.
Under My Skin