Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #Shounen ai(227)

Opinion: Loved this so much, I read on Bilibili app to support the author Main couple: 10/10 MC: 10/10 - Prince. Well conceptualised character. Loved his growth, wit, and intelligence. ML: 10/10 - Abyss. I always love a dark hero and he was easy to empathise with and relatable. His ultimate persona was great, Story/Concept: Unique and a great mix of dark themes and light moments. Game designer x Ultimate killer game character. Both characters had to develop before any romance but they prioritised each other and had that “sacrifice self to save you” attachment from very early. Tropes: Isekai. Real world x game world. Possessive lover. Protective lover. Past trauma. Shared room. First times. Daddy role -> lover. Older uke. Younger seme. Ending: Loved it. Art: Pretty and full colour. Smut: Implied only. No lightsabers, good use of face expressions and words to build sexual chemistry and tension. TW's: Suicide, rape (not main characters), horror, murder, violence, depression, PTSD. ? Incest (not really, more a short term parent kind of role in one characters pov).

Some stories manage to go beyond what you hope for and deliver something truly special and memorable. I simply adored this manhua (available on WebComics). There were so many feelings evoked and such beautiful artwork, it had me unable to put it down. Dark moments, heartache, angst, joy, friendship, character chemistry, and ofc love that defies the odds. For me, this is definitely highly recommended. Su Yuan was from a poor family. To release the heavy burden for his family, he accidentally got permitted into the Ogus Academy. However, he found out that the school was established to protect demons. As a weak human who wanted to survive, he must find a demon to be his pal. Because of Su Yuan’s unique scent, he attracted many wooers who wanted to be his pal as well as all sorts of attacks. Until one day, he saved a fox covered in blood, and revealed a big secret...

Completed Story Opinion: Funny and full of sweet banter between the MCs. Very enjoyable.. Main couple: 9/10 MC: 9/10 - Gu Li Zhou. Early 30s. Famous author who hasn’t written for years. Son of divorced parents. Dealing with health issues resulting from being betrayed years ago. Supportive partner. ML: 9/10 - Zhong Weishi. 22/23yo. Orphan who dropped out of school early. Aspiring actor, plays mostly stunt roles and small parts. Talents include dance, singing, martial arts, acting. Cheerful and positive. Has a solid friend group. Story/Concept: An age gap comedy romance that had a healthy and supportive relationship that grew slowly and sweetly. From misunderstanding each other to being friends and lovers, this pair took their time and their friendship with budding romantic awareness was simply too cute. Add in their friends for fun and getting out your comfort zones, this was a lovely feel good bit of fun to read. Tropes: Shounen ai. Neighbours. The way to a man’s heart is with food. Generation gap. Slow burn. Ending: Happy. Smut: Implied. Minimal. Art: Pretty and colourful. TW's: None.

Opinion: A truly beautiful story that kept getting better with every chapter. Main couple: 10/10 MC: 10/10 - Wei Yu, General Commander of Wei. Killed by his most fearsome enemy yet revived and transformed under order of his King. Now Wei Yu has assumed the fake identity of Xie Quingyu and is to use his beauty to marry and assassinate the Night King. ML: 10/10 - Rong Yun, Prince Ye of Chen, the Night King. This God of War and demon of the battlefield is ruthless and cold. He lives under the wintery “curse” of his childhood affliction. As the story progresses we get to see what drives him and the man beneath the reputation, as well as the love he feels for Xie Quingyu. Story/Concept: What started as a story of a boy toy assassin and a ruthless demon of a war general became so much more as the author wove layers of connections between the two MCs. By the end their love was one to make your heart ache and the author made the most of moments spent together amidst the plots of the power hungry and the battles. Tropes: Shounen ai. Historical. Royalty. Enemies to lovers. Assassin falls for target. Self sacrifice. Smut: Discrete, infrequent. Ending: A cliffhanger, reader decide. But any way you decide, they are together. Art: Beautiful, colourful, kept improving. By the end the art had to have its own moments to be admired it was so lovely. TW's: Dub con. War. Extra: This is best read with official translation. Available and completed on WebComics app.

A spin off to the manhua, ‘Ruthless’. This story follows Starshine Company’s top model Yuan Cheng Zong (Clan) and his bodyguard, the coldly composed, Lu Zheng. Set to a backdrop of family expectations and corporate rivalries, this was a good story for the first 2/3 or so, but became heavily bogged down with secondary and tertiary characters and the family business towards the end. I found it to be a bit of a slog to remember characters from early who reappeared for the end run and the story didn’t sustain my interest towards the end. Still, the main couples story was consistently cute.

A sweet little moment in time between the 49yo manager and the 30yo colleague he is dating.

Han Junran was the popular idol known as Juno, lead singer of the group Luka before he left amidst a scandal of being gay. Now he is off to uni and about to share a dorm room with the 20yo Xian Xian who happens to be the idols Number 1 Anti-fan commentator! It’s chaos and confusion for Xiao Xiao as he adapts to the kind and charismatic Han Junran; the tidy man with the extensive skin care regime, sculpted abs, tendency to get lost, and teasing nature. It’s hard to hate someone when you start being drawn to them but Xian puts in his best effort. The story was cute and comedic. Sadly the ending was rushed though, which let things down. Even one more chapter to sort loose ends and be a couple would have been appreciated.