Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #yaoi(1525)

I found this to be a rather melancholy story, not a cute one (though Iyo was cute). Things just didn’t make much sense when it came to character motivations. Most especially with Fumichi. He is waiter at a bar where he got beaten up by a customer he offended. But he keeps working there, even when the customer returns, drugs and rapes him violently. And he still returns. Sure, there is an impression that the drug makes him forget a lot, but it makes no sense especially when you find out he doesn’t even get paid at the bar? The flashes of his childhood show him as a runaway with no attachment to his caregivers. But no reasoning why. Are they abusive, was he stolen, are they even his parents? When saviour type Sazawa and his daughter, Iyo step in, Fumichi seems to fall for them both. But he resists that safety. Feelings of low self worth? I found him hard to relate to. I still enjoyed the story but overall it feels like too many missed opportunities to flesh out both of the MCs properly. CW: Rape.

An ok short story about a shapeshifter tiger who raises the children his younger brother orphaned. When the boy and girl grow up, the older brother Yul, has developed romantic feelings for Beom but has to find the courage to confess. The plot was basic, there were moments that were very predictable, but the art was nice and the smut had some feelings attached. Translation was poor with respect to grammar but it was at least understandable.

Top tier story for me. -Montague Joel Letreux, Lord Judiciary Montague. Serious, hard working, advisor to the king and law maker. -Viscount Adam Canning. Hired by the queen mother from her birth country Xehana to be a bodyguard for Lord Judiciary Montague. A beautiful, hedonistic charmer who has always been more focused on living for pleasure until he meets Joel. This story is well written, with interesting characters and a great background of political intrigue that lets both characters shine. I loved the Georgian fashions, and the friendship between the king and Prince Luca was adorable. I could rave more, but suffice to say it’s a favourite.

Completed Story CW: Pedophilia, rape, child abuse, murder (not done by either MC to the other) Yuen was abandoned by his parents and taken to an orphanage. His only support was his roommate, 16yo Yan, who became like a kind and protective older brother. Yan nii-chan also cherished Yuen like his younger brother, but one night something happened that changed everything. 10 years later the Yakuza, Aoyagi turned up at the orphanage to take over handling of the remnants of the nearly derelict place known for human trafficking. There he met the last remaining teacher Yuen and his two charges. This story is their relationship and it was beautifully drawn and remarkably sweet, especially given the many dark underlying themes. Sexy, uncensored hot scenes mixed with caring and warm feelings; such a wonderful mix!

Story complete on WebComics -Xie Yanhuan: Sent in place of The Ninth Princess of Xie Huan to be wed to the Emperor of Ming Guo, Yan Gui. Under a curse and following the Ninth Princesses commands under duress, Xie Yanhuan’s sole hope for success is that the Emperor live up to the rumours that he isn’t interested in women and never visits the concubines of his harem. Because if the emperor were to visit, he would discover that Xie is a man. -Yan Gui, Emperor of Ming Guo: Known as the God of War, Yan stepped into the seat of Emperor following a thwarted attempted coup by Prince Anle. Now he wields politics in his harem and his country and deals with the machinations of those with their eyes on his throne. The story was enjoyable with its balance of harem political shenanigans, character romance, magical curses, and the shadow of a looming war. There were some unexpected moments, but on the whole the story followed a comfortably expected trajectory. Let down a bit by a rather rushed final chapter, but overall still enjoyable.