Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #realistic(4)

I totally loved this story with the tsundere seme Shusaku and his optimistic lover Haruna ️ I have never read a story with such a serious man as a love interest. There was something rather culturally authentic about Shu which I really appreciated and which sparked so nicely against Haruna’s western influence. I also loved how Haruna never held onto anger and how he was so good at getting along with the grandfather and sister. Beautiful art too, and plenty of time developing the characters so that their love resonated as true. Those little smiles from Shu as he watched Haruna were particularly heart warming.

A really well written storyline following the lives of these men over years of their lives studying and moving into their respective careers. With complex characters this story was more realistic than many yaoi, and definitely fit the ‘slice of life’ genre amazingly. I loved the creativity and care taken with many of the sexy scenes too, they really added to the whole story. Only one critique from me was the ‘same face syndrome’ which was a little disconcerting at times. But it’s easy enough to ignore as the rest keeps you invested.

The first story was ok, but it felt unresolved even at the end.

Such a relatable and likeable pair, these 2 take that bold step of approaching someone you find yourself looking for each day and taking that risk to chase romance. Koiwai Ayumu (32yo) office worker, uke. Gay but never been in a relationship. Yamashita Ryoma (28yo) vending machine handler, seme. Totally gone for the cute older Ayumu-san.