lamsar503's manga / #Romance(23)

My advice: Read at least 10 chapters (preferably the first 20 chapters), and then re-read the first 10 chapters, before deciding to continue it or not. I say this because the first 10 chapters or so can be confusing when you start reading this due to the fact that there is constant "time-reversal and retelling events through the same period of time" occurring in the first few chapters without any explanation; so while the story is still interesting, the first read through can be rather confusing. The confusion arises because time reversal is a main plot point for the story, such that in one chapter someone may already be dead, in the next chapter they're alive, in the next chapter they may be appearing just as a figment of someone's dream, etc. Additionally, there are many similarities across chapters, and nothing specifies that time reversal has occurred or gives specifics about "when" time reversed or why. So the information you get from the first few chapters is a bid hard to interpret until after you finally get into the chapters that are relaying (what appears to be) the "current" run-through of this period of time. --- I feel like just trying to explain it is a bit confusing too, haha. Otherwise, the art is full color and pretty decent. I'd give the art alone 3/5 stars; it's appealing enough to be called "good". (I've seen better/more detailed/more artistic works that I'd give 4 stars ['Beatrice', for example, is somewhere around a high 4 to me], and I'd save 5 stars for something that was clearly gorgeous or somehow just artistically "worked' aesthetically with the story.) Regarding story, it is a bit early to say one way or another whether it is 'good' or 'bad'. For now, I will say that there are no glaring cliches or trite plot developments that are like the flea infestation of comics, manga, manhwa, and manwha. The time reversal and re-living the same time period aspect is interesting. The origin story of a dragon that fell in love with a human, and then reversed time after her death to live again with her may not be a completely new idea, but it doesn't feel like a cheap plot device. The dynamics between the FL (who is "strong" regardless of timeline; Intelligent, capable, ambitious, noble, and courageous - determined to be a great Duchess or a Knight or whatever she must be to face an OP foe, depending on the timeline), her younger brother (who suffers PTSD courtesy of the ML, and must face the ML despite his trauma) and father (who kinda seems like 'Schrödinger's Cat' thanks to the time reversals), the OP ML (the second prince; probably a descendent, remnant, or reincarnation of the time-reversing Dragon), and the minor characters are interesting to see. I look forward to reading more, and to be honest I'm pretty sure I'll end up re-reading the first few chapters for a third time just because there's a lot to take in about how Lamia lived her lives, and how many times Lamia has died causing a time-reversal to trigger.

A loli FL, who looks like she's 7 years old (at best), is actually 18 years old. She has a commoner's background, raised in a poor village, is street-wise and educated in medicine; she goes on to study in a proper imperial school, as well, seeking a job working in the government. Headstrong and independent-type of character. Her grandpa, who adopted her when she was abandoned as an infant, attests that she is 18 years old, despite her very young appearance. She befriends and eventually falls in love with the ML, the newly enthroned emperor. Typical status-difference, age-confuzzled, shoujo manga sorts of developments ensue. Generally, it is cute and enjoyable enough to read, but I never stopped thinking that any scenes with implied or overtly romantic situations involving her was a bit icky since the ML looks like he's in his early 20's (though he is actually 17, and younger than the loli FL) and she looks like an elementary school student. For most of the story, I wrote it off in my head like "ok, I'll just say that she was born with some congenital hormone issue and doesn't grow properly. That's not her fault. She deserves love too!"-- Which would've worked, except that at the end of the story (which is wrapped up quite abruptly) after a time skip Kouran has grown to look like a typical young adult woman. (-_-) --- So now I can't help but feel my original suspicions of her circumstances was correct all along. That Kouran was just a generally clever kid who was told by her grandpa that she was 18 years old and she believed it. And she and the grandpa kept asserting it to others, and though they doubted it initially, they all ultimately accepted it as truth. -- So the romantic developments and story as a whole still leaves me feeling a bit odd about the whole thing. Especially since her lack of growth (if she was really 18 years old) and her sudden growth spurt are not explained at all. It doesn't help that the author only made her look childlike because she felt that the female costumes (which she really wanted to draw/include) looked better on a child's body as opposed to an adult's. Hence, the FL became an 18 y/o ultra-loli. Well, if you just accept it at face value that she is in fact 18 years old with an ultra-loli body that randomly develops into a full grown woman in the span of a 2 year time gap at the END of the story, then its not a bad read to pass the time.

Cute story and good art. [cool/distant, pro-gamer ML] x [perky/slightly older, newbie gamer FL]

Decent art. Very "meh" story. Lukewarm smut. 'Second ML syndrome' inducer, in my opinion.

My word, this is actually a good, moving story. A BL comic without any rape, no asshole MC, no completely unrealistic sex, and no totally contrived developments? ...I almost don't know how to process that. Heck, this story gets two thumbs up just for the crap it *doesn't* have in it. Basically, [Editor x Mangaka] that have both been heterosexual their whole lives start figuring out that they "might" be bisexual. Editor quickly recognizes his growing affections and physical urges and becomes comfortable with the idea of exploring them. The Mangaka doesn't understand "love" as a concept, because he has never felt it. He can't define it or put it into words; this frustrates him and makes him feel alienated, since it seems to be something that comes so easily to everyone else. Because of this, he is very cynical about the idea of love and also cynical about what people say. For example, somebody wishes him "Happy New Year" and his thought in reply is "Those are just empty, meaningless words" or something similar. Watching the development of these two characters (individually and as a couple), especially the mangaka's personal struggle with being "different" and his struggle to depict an emotion in his manga that he himself has never felt or understood is a real pleasure.

what the heck. there was a mass release of a bunch of chapters, now they're gone. (?_? )???

Solid story. Cute characters. Decent art. Simple and straightforward story that pretty much consists totally of the FL's insecurities due to being 5'10" tall, and the fact that she falls in love with a "short", attractive guy. No rape, no "non-consensual, but it's somehow consensual on some level, somewhere" sex, and no "rape to romance" nonsense. So kudos there (though I feel it is sad to feel the need to give kudos for that). As the slightly taller female partner in my relationship, I rather enjoyed this manga. :)

Surprisingly readable story about a former hikkikomori, NEET, otaku FL (27 years old) who becomes infatuated with (and falls in love with) a cute high school guy (17 years old) after she starts working together with him when her savings from her previous career as a programmer runs dry. I have one major qualm with the story: The idea that a super sexy woman (with a banging body who worked in IT) would still be a virgin at 27 years old is a pretty big overstretch for my 'suspension of disbelief'. That said, I can totally overlook it for the fact that the FL is depicted unabashedly in all her shameless sexual desires. There's no FL with repressed sexuality or an ignorant and shyly blushing FL here. What is even better is that there is no constant "Iya, Dame, Hazukashii!" ("No, stop, it's embarrassing!") from the FL in the perv moments. Both parties have their desires, both are self-aware of them, both want to act on them, and both want the other party to act on how they feel as well. Best of all, this manga actually covers sexual consent AND the guy actually respects her boundaries. --- Sad as it is, I'd be hard pressed to name another ecchi manga where that is the case. No smut, implied or otherwise, in case you wondered. (not yet anyway) But its a cute, ecchi, slice-of-life story depicting the typical insecurities that accompany a new relationship between an older woman and much younger man.

Instead of the very typical wise, gentle, beautiful, skilled, etc. female protagonist in an asian harem that wins over the emperor (or prince, or prime minister, or whatever) from the wicked Empress, this story is centered around the wicked Empress as the protagonist. The story shows her motivations, reasoning, and thoughts as she goes around being a servant-slapping, self-centered, sometimes misunderstood (more often than not, NOT misunderstood), "Wicked Queen". Meaning that, she is expected (for certain reasons) by everyone to become the Emperor's proper wife (the Empress), but (for other certain reasons) she is married to him as a Queen (Concubine) with the belief that she will one day force the situation to be as she wants, such that she will wind up Empress. It is interesting to watch the dynamics between this woman and the man she fell obsessively in love with, the Emperor. Additionally, it is interesting that they include PTSD/psychiatric disorders as a characteristic of this protagonist. Lovely full colored art, as well. The story definitely makes you want to slap the protagonist and her husband frequently though. lol.