Kikoenai Koe
Ero Yume Aquarium
list - smut fluff it was cute! with some hints of tentacle fantasies but really not smutty at all if not for that element lol. innocent high schoolers in love, had a good bit of heart that was more than i was expecting, and the characters were not all shallow. their love was really cute, lovely little friends to lovers story. love the idea of falling in love with someone because they are so passionate about something, also love the little bit about falling in love when you see their eyes twinkle. It was sweetly romantic.
Dare demo Iikara Daitekukre Uke ni bakari Moteru Bijin Fukukaichou-sama no Junan
seme is so respectful?! and fell in love first it seems like, while the uke is still figuring out what he wants. seme actually advocates for love first over sex how nice.
Hatsukoi (kazuki Rai)
list - masterlist, cinnamon, seme pov, This was really sweet! It was interesting if not completely unique, but it was written really well so it felt fresh and made an impact on me. Lots of attention to detail that made the characters feel real and made the writing really stand out to me, for example when Ichigo says all the things in his imaginary world and then the line "a strawberry can't become a peach....i can't become my sister" when their names are Ichigo (strawberry) and Momo (peach). Or when Hirono realizes that Hime is afraid of thunder because of the night when his sister died or afraid of that being ignored hurts him more bc of how his mother treated him. It was really beautiful. The characters were wonderfully mature in their own way, while still being kids and struggling to figure out themselves and their feelings and come to terms with their sexuality. They still tried to own up to their actions and communicated their feelings and apologized in a way that with much more emotional maturity than I see in many stories with adults. The characters were well fleshed out with reasons for their actions and beautiful character development. Even the mom had an understandable reason and had closure in the end. Along with the main story/plot, these are kids figuring themselves out, finding love, and growing up along the way and it was beautiful to read about. I only wish there was more. 10/10 5/5
Jackass! - Sawatte Ii tte Dare ga Itta yo?
list - masterlist pantyhose fetish - seme This was great, a fetish at the backdrop but great depth into the story with the family dynamics and each character's personal struggles. Just really enjoyed the way it was written. Great characterization and relationship dynamics that have a background and depth and complexity that was really refreshing. Really realistic friends to lovers relationship dynamic too and lots of subtle emotions.
Here and There and Us
20+ This was surprisingly good! A slow paced slice of life story that just focuses on the daily lives of two high school boys and them getting to know each other as we get to know them. And before you know it you are completely wrapped up and invested in them! Sweet and endearing, well paced and well written. It has a bit of that nostalgic feeling, and very immersive in the high school experience. The strangers to friends to lovers story was very realistically told, and it felt as if I was learning their story rather than reading a comic. The characters have kind of opposite personalities, a friendly and popular guy and the introverted socially awkward one. But they are so much more than that, their characters were really nicely fleshed out with depth and nuance that made them feel very real. Tiniest bit of romance at the very very end, but at least we get a confirmation that they are a couple. 4/5
Serious Joke
stalled ch 15: not official translations or scan team working on this but the translations have been fine so far. Just a fun slice of life type with some comedy so far, but it looks like there will be drama ahead so I'm going to wait for it to be completed before continuing to read. Tbh the Han Seok (black haired seme) is kind of annoying me in how aggressively he's coming on while ignoring the other party's uncomfortable feelings and not giving him a chance to develop any feelings. I know a guy who persisted even after I rejected him, so I don't like that even if I know it's supposed to be used for comedy. But their friendships and interactions are fun to read about, pretty chill so far.
Kiss de Egaku Ittousei
Aww this was really cute actually. Puppy seme with a more reserved uke. TW uke was raped in the past by a classmate and it is a central part of the plot, but I think they handle it well where it shows the consequences of that in terms of school and family, but without getting too heavy and focusing more on the healing and moving forward. It was great to see a supportive teacher, a family that cares, and a gentle and understanding lover. Chitose is really a puppy seme and so healing and straightfoward in his love and feelings. Hardly any shyness at all and no malice whatsoever, just a good bright person. Seno is more reserved but not really cold, kind of just quiet and solitary. He been assaulted in the past but is strong and able to stand on his own and heal from it. Still wary of getting close to others, but he's able to relax and let down his walls with Chitose. It was a very sweet story with a dose of realism amidst the fluff and some pretty solid characters and good supporting characters as well. A lovely read.
Mienai Hoshi