Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #Beta x omega(9)

Omegaverse stories with omega ML so often show the cruelest of people, and in this story the tiny (but tough like a weed) Sakurano lives in a town full of the intolerant. Abandoned by his mom, rejected from every part time job, this sweet little guy sells himself for money to leave town. When tall beta, Takagi moves to this town from Tokyo, the two strike up an unlikely friendship. Watching Sakurano revel in the joy of his first friend was bittersweet because he is such a gentle, vulnerable boy who had been through so much abuse but he was still able to be sweet and fun and treasure a friend. Watching their relationship grow was wonderful as the beta proved to be a strong protector and more then happy to choose the omega.

I read this knowing it would be a story of human trafficking. I was interested in seeing if there was a way that the author could create something believably romantic from something so hateful. Sadly, it didn’t achieve redemption for me. While the vile father selling off his son was a loathsome thing to do and upsetting to read about, I accepted that as a plot contrivance that had the protagonist omega undergoing an extreme situation where we could be rightfully supportive as readers. That was achieved to a degree. But when it became clear that Shion (beta), his trainer who prepared omegas for being sold like a commodity, was to be the romantic interest... my hopes were dashed for this story. I realise that we were meant to feel some empathy for Shion for his losses that led him to be a human trafficker, but no. He took such joy in getting to sexually train omegas to be sold, and it stuck in my mind how many times he was part of the system that ruined the lives and dreams of omega who sought love and their own lives. Just to be felt up at private showings by alpha and either sold off or sent to the brothel downstairs. A character like that is beyond redemption, or at least the mangaka failed to make him likeable in my eyes. It would have been better to have the childhood friend come to the rescue and not be a selfish dîck who, by his deliberate inaction, let his childhood friend and desired bride, be sold off to be sexually trained and touched by random strangers. He was a creep too. Just..disappointing all around. From the pushover omega who just accepted his fate and passively let anyone do anything to him (there were a couple of times Shion scared him by making him feel good and he pushed away, but he was really either passive or being sexy or sending shining smiles like wtf!?), to the seme beta who loved profiting off treating vulnerable omega like Bitcoin. Bleh. So much could have been done in a story like this, and sure it’s a happy ending, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Trigger warning: rape (not the lover). This was a different story set in the Omegaverse. One where the omega (Kei) is bitten and marked by a self absorbed and self important alpha (Ekihito) but he chooses to not stay with the alpha, but rather his childhood best friend Tsugitsugu (beta). It’s sad because Kei was a naive romantic who wanted to be swept off his feet by a kind, gentle, rich and handsome alpha. Ekihito was rich and handsome, but he also had a colossal ego and he only wanted to mark and bind enough omegas as mates that could breed him over 100 offspring. When he forced himself on Kei during a heat, the poor omega was already at his lowest point, having driven his friend from his side. The rape was heartbreaking and the bite life changing because now his body would reject all others. The silver lining on the stormy cloud of this story was the determination of Kei and Tsugitsugu to be together as a loving couple despite everything. It was really sweet that they got a HEA.

Utsumi and Sasabi’s story was a bit of a grind. Whilst I can enjoy reading stories with angst and obstacles to overcome, too much of this one resulted from the stupid decisions of Sasabi. He lowered himself to be sexually used for work despite having many other options. He rushed to bond with someone he barely knew knowing he loved someone else. Irritating and weak. Another thing that made the story a grind was the constant inclusion of Karasuba and Takaga and their continued romance. Firstly, because all the long haired guys looked so damn similar that I would be comparing suits and ties to try differentiate between them in a conversation. The mangaka needs to practice different looks for her MCs... Secondly, because their lovemaking and romance totally overshadowed the MCs story. I usually love seeing familiar faces from previous stories, but so much was interwoven here that the story lost its pace and the characters were diminished. Save extra chapters that are that intrusive and long for their own manga’s extras. 3 volumes of grind. I am happy with the ending, but a few pages of “I love you” don’t go far for making up the mind numbing, endless grind of dullness that preceded it.

Trigger warning; Rape, abuse (verbal & physical), domestic violence Two Omegaverse stories, loosely tied together by Nagaoka (omega) of the 1st story and his vile cheating ex Shichiku (beta), seme of the second story and all round low life scum bag. When Nagaoka finds out his ex is engaged and a cheat, he dumps him in a raging fury. Storming home his heat starts and he is saved by a kind beta stranger, Bandai. For Bandai its love at first sight, and he asks the bitter omega to move in with him. Hurt and resentful still, the surprised Nagaoka accepts, fully prepared to use the naive beta and pay his way with sex. And while he starts out like a selfish and entitled bum, Nagaoka can’t help but be wooed by the caring support of Bandai. The turn around when Nagaoka starts to realise how special Banda is was sweet, and these two just became more lovey dovey after Nagaoka opened up honestly. Now for the second story... Shichiku found himself a new omega after being dumped by Nagaoka. The young and tiny Nagisa was used for sex, hidden away in an apartment by Shichiku so that he could keep his fiancée and lover separated. When Nagisa found out about the fiancé he did not leave because he loved Shichiku too much. Hardly believing his luck, Shichiku strutted his way through his days until his fiancé left him for an alpha, then his subordinate at work (alpha) received a promotion over him and he had a public meltdown at work. Going home, he vented his anger on his tiny omega; hitting him, smacking him to the wall, raping him, verbally demeaning him.. In every way an abusive man who takes out his frustrations in life on a weaker partner. The only “good” thing that came out of it was he dumped Nagisa (the omega would have stayed, still loving the beta P.O.S). After this situation, the author had the beta hit rock bottom in life. Which, to me would be the perfect ending (other than arrest for DV and rape). But no.. he and Nagisa get back together, and the loyal support of Nagisa finally warms his shrivelled heart. Yada yada, happy ending, BS wtf.. Nagisa deserves better. Heck, pond scum would deserve better. This story was a TOTAL fail for me. All I could see was selfish prick rapist domestic abuser x victim. Where is the romance in that? Abusive partners are not ok.

What a story! It broke my heart more than a little to see how shattered trust resulted in so much devastation between the MCs. There was something so sad in witnessing the insecurity and desperation felt by Jihan (beta) as he tried to hold on to Jaeun (omega) after he snuck out to treat Siwan’s (alpha) dog and came back in heat and with a bite. We are all shaped to some degree by our past, and the fathers of both MCs left some deep scars on their psyche. Their closeness in large part arose from being each other’s best ally and defender in their mixed family. Jihan had the added emotional trauma of being abandoned by his father who chose his fated mate over his family. As his mother mentioned, he had a darkness within, and everything happened in such a way that his need to protect became tarnished with the need to control. How devastating to realise that you have only hurt the one you love. That he left immediately was the hope for redemption. If he had stayed, knowing fully what he was doing and how it affected Jaeun, would have been too selfish. Both MCs needed the time apart to be sure of what they wanted, and that they could be a positive person in the others life in the manner they had always been before Siwan. This story was angsty yet sweet. There were a lot of things that made me angry for the characters and some that made me frustrated at the MCs. I even cried for them. Thanks to the author for the satisfying and heartwarming ending though. It was a roller coaster of emotions with a great finish. Signs of a really good story for me.

Omega Oliver William is living in a isolated cottage on his family’s land. The oldest son of a family of alphas, Oliver is an omega whose bond had been forcibly severed. Liam Dawkins (beta) was hired by Noah, Oliver’s younger brother, to care for the lonely omega. This is their story and it was really a good one. Full consent between the MCs (a rarity in Omegaverse), a protective and loving seme, an omega who blossomed under his care, and a baby.

Completed story. Son of a Yakuza boss, Kouichi was born to a family with alpha lineage and is pressured every day by his father to mate with a capable alpha to produce an heir. Kouichi's rock is his childhood friend, a beta named Hiromu. The two teens have been each other’s everything since they were young and now their feelings have deepened. But things aren’t straightforward for an omega and beta pairing at the best of times, let alone when family alliances demand an alpha claim Kou. Are they strong enough to stay with each other as omega and beta?

CW: Attempted rape Yoji Tsuchiya: Omega, in love with his best friend. Jin Arumi: Beta. The best friend loved by Yoji. Cheerful, and a little clueless about second genders. I thought that this was a sweet story of best friends who become so much more. In their circle of friends, Jin was already seen as Yoji’s “husband” for the ways he cared for his friend. Naturally, Yoji couldn’t resist falling for his friend and when he went into heat he decided to see if he could use that to break the friendship barrier. There were a few hurdles to overcome, as one expects in an Omegaverse. When an alpha sexually assaulted Yoji, that attempted violation was the omegas rude awakening to the power of his second gender over his reasoning. But Jin loved Yoji for who he was, not his gender and this pair supported each other so well that their relationship had the best foundations to be long lasting.