Lex's manga / #Reencounter(74)

Maki is a gay man gay who was told told by his former bestfriend Katsumi, that he was “disgusting” after he confessed to him. Coincidentally, the two reunited 10 years after the incident. Maki soon after discovers that his once thought-to-be straight friend now has sex with the type of men to hold a bad reputations around the area all as a means of self-harm. ---------- I enjoyed the first story, it was a short story, but it still managed to be quite the emotional roller-coaster. I liked how the re-encounter & getting together was handled, felt pretty natural. Also, the Artstyle was really pretty. Didn't care about the second story though. Neither did I like it.

Heejae is the youngest executive director of the Jinhwa Group, nicknamed the "Chaebol Prince" by the public. But his life is turned upside down when documents linking him to an embezzlement scheme are found by an accounting student, Taekyung! To make sure the secret stays that way, Heejae pretends to have a crush on him, but... is there more to Taekyung than meets the eye? ---------- The Art's beautiful, the characters are all actually interesting, there was no unnecessary side-couple, only hints at a possible one in the future, the plot was consistent and intriguing, no one r@ped anyone to boot! What more could you ask for? Seriously a jem! I really loved how Taekyung and Heejae's relationship was handled from the beginning to the end, and Heejae's friendship with Haejoo was a really sincere and heartfelt one. I also enjoyed the hints to a possible future courtship between the latter and Joowoon. I am a little bitter that the truth about the accident being caused by Heejae's brother never got revealed. Hence Haejoo still blames himself or at least thinks that this was all his fault and the brother doesn't get what he deserves for that. But beautiful story overall. And really nice character growth.

Five years after high school graduation, Chiwoo and Kyujin are all grown up and still going steady. In fact, their bond is deeper than ever, both emotionally… and physically! But when Jihyun comes back on the scene, could there be trouble brewing in paradise? ----------- Kyujin and Chiwoo's happy ever after hehe~ loved it. They're adorable together! But Gosh... Jihyun's character breaks my heart even in this side-story... I just want him to find real happiness in the future and get over Chiwoo. His mistakes will never be forgotten nor can they be forgiven. But do I hope for him that Jihyun keeps on improving himself and eventually finds happiness. He hurt Chiwoo in ways he'll never fully understand, but I do hope he finds help and peace to some degree. He's just really pitiful. Part of me was kind of glad to see him miserable too though. Because I personally just can't excuse his actions no matter how much I understand the trauma and psychology behind them. Some things just can't be forgiven.

In showbiz, anything can make or break you -- top actor Eunseong knows this all too well. A video of him confronting a stalker fan has gone viral and it could derail his career! His managers insist he needs to boost his image somehow. Enter Woojoo, the main dancer for a struggling idol group called Noble. They're total opposites: Eunseong is cold and commanding, while Woojoo is sweet and naive. But they're perfect for a “show-window bromance,” a fake friendship to make Eunseong look more appealing as he pretends to take Woojoo under his wing. As the unlikely duo becomes more popular, the stalker's return could destroy not only their fame, but their very lives... But is their bromance really all an act and nothing more? ---------- So far, I do like it, the plot's predictable and average but it works in its own way it's pretty cute and funny. I also really like the chemistry Woojoo and Eunseong have with each other. But one thing irked me, and it was those side characters... this whole forcing someone to kiss you etc thing makes me so sick. I'm really tired of seeing it being used in BL. It's a form of sexual assault, it's completely different from a playful 'no don't wanna' in a couple. I really hate that kind of blackmail crap. If the author decides to get Jeong Hyunoh & Lee-Doah together I'll be so done with this ugh- When I feel like reading more edgy &/or potentially triggering stuff I go to tags meant for that. I really dislike how assault is always being downplayed in BL.

When almost college dropout Jensen attempts to drink away his problems, unemployed Nathaniel suddenly pukes on him and ruins his night. As an apology, Nathaniel offers to help Jensen with his studies. Despite Jensen's difficulties in getting along with people, the two become friends and something deeper begins to grow between them. ---------- I absolutely adore this one! Niel and Jensen both have such loveable personalities. Actually interesting characters! I loved how everything came together, how nothing felt unnecessarily added to the plot. The Art's beautiful to look at, the characters are all so expressive. This made it to the top of my most liked BLs list right off the bat! Jensen & Niel's relationship is such a sweet, healthy and realistic one. They fall for each other slowly but surely. It show that the Author's put a lot of thoughts into working on both characters' perspectives and struggles. Also, the fact that the author went to the extent of mentioning bisexuality and pansexuality, of showing Jensen's character trying to figure out a label which suits how he's been feeling... Bringing Eugene's character back into the story in order to resolve past issues and wounds, all without attempting some cliche and boring drama! I love it! I didn't mind Rissa's character use either, she actually felt like an entertaining one (a tad bit annoying at times though, I do admit it). In all aspects, it's an amazing read! Special points for the extra-checking for consent too. Always love that!

Conor, a Korean-American, lives in a city where same-sex marriage has been legalized, but where racist and homophobic hate crimes are still frequent. He joins a band with the blonde hair, blue-eyed Simon and the two go on to create their own “dark heaven” in an abandoned church. Feelings develop between the pair, but light cannot dwell with dark, and their time together will soon come to an end. ---------- This is such an emotional roller-coaster. I've lost count how many times I got sad, angry, anxious, ... the list goes on and on. The characters are all so tangible. I kept on getting triggered at all the racism & homophobia in this one. It made me want to throw fists so much. It's such a beautiful and realistic story, but dang, does it make me angry at the world. This is so well-written in its depiction of unfairness, xenophobia, racism, homophobia, abuse, white privileges, .... The list could go on and on. But as it is so well-written, that's what keeps you motivated to keep reading it. It brings up such harsh topics and doesn't hold back for a second. The characters are all extremely well thought-through and fascinating as well. Especially Connor & Simon. Their relationship is such a deep one that I couldn't help but get invested in. It just feels so real. You can truly feel their feelings for each other the entire time as you read through each and every chapter. They complete each other, their love is such a strong one, and the author does an amazing job at displaying it. The Art's also one-of-a-kind. I've never seen anything quite like it before.If you want to read this, be aware that it's extremely triggering. But it's also absolutely worth your time. It's been quite a while since I've seen a work that'd bring up real-life problems so well. And also one that'd depict love so bluntly and honestly. I was really taken aback by how much of a masterpiece this was.