otakulys's manga / #unrequited love(76)

Interesting so far. I'm not completely opposed to the art, but it isn't my fave. I'm guessing this will go a pretty obvious direction, but I'm holding out for being surprised.

Wow, that was the twist I was hoping for, but I wasn't sure if I'd get it. I feel like the first shot of his face kind of makes you wonder, though, haha. Not sure if this is a oneshot or not, and it's screwed up either way, but it was a good read.

Hmmm.... I dunno. I'm always on the lookout for manga and comics with fat girls or girls who aren't considered conventionally attractive, or both, but I'm not sure how I feel about this one. So-so art, but hey, better than I could do. Since it's chopped into pieces, three chapters is like seven pages, but I do like the confused grandma at the end of every installment. We'll see how this pans out. 2.5 stars for now. ETA: Upgraded to four stars for being cute and interesting. I like how it's unfolding now that it's moving. I hate, hate, HATE the way whoever is uploading cut up the pages. That's a huge detractor and it makes it frustrating to read. But I'm glad it's being posted at all, so hey.

Hm. Kind of abrupt, though I do like that the he was deeply in love with his wife. I hate how yaoi just tosses aside female characters like they're placeholders. I really hate "it's okay if it's you" type stuff with a straight character, so I'm kinda glad it... went the direction that it did. Sad, but it didn't make me cry, which is unusual for me with emotional stuff. I guess I just couldn't really connect with the characters. But it was unusual, so three stars.

Meh. Cute concept, but I don't like that she had to get more feminine. I would have preferred her telling her he liked her just as she usually is. But I guess, even though she looked just like the other characters, she was supposed to be more plain, so... It's nice to see more female leads that aren't supposed to be as pretty.

This is a slightly more interesting take on the typical het shoujo thing. The girl isn't lusted after by other people, and she's rather weird. It's kind of creepy how the romance is being approached, but it's lighthearted enough that it's not so big of a deal. Plus, so much manga out there has flat out rape between the main couple, so a little pushy stalker behavior shouldn't be too shocking. Seems like it'll stay on a pretty predictable path, but who knows.

One thing I really appreciate about this mangaka is that many of her characters are actually gay, not just "gay for one dude." I swear, most guys in yaoi aren't even bisexual, they all just like women until one magical penis comes along. Anyway, I also love her art, which is why I keep coming back to these frustrating situations. This is Minase Masara all over again. Gorgeous, stunning art; creepy, rapey couplings. I hate how forced things tend to be. Why can't both people clearly want each other from the start? This story is an exception to that in that both characters are gay, but it's purely tastes that are preventing an immediate relationship and not, say, the fact that they're related. (Yeah, I put up with a lot for her art. x_x) The characters in this one aren't super likable right off the bat, but I'm hoping it'll turn into something interesting. Fingers crossed! Four stars for now, given with optimism.

This had potential, but it was too short to do what it wanted to do. I would have enjoyed there being more here, like an ongoing history between these two, and an actual relationship (like they knew one another and talked) between the main guy and the younger brother. But at least he doesn't end up with the rapey dude.

The entire time I was reading the five chapters that are currently translated, I was waiting for a moment when I'd stop hating the main character. He's selfish, pushy, manipulative, self-pitying, rapey, and cruel, and it didn't seem like that was going to change. I really, really WANTED to like this manga because the art is gorgeous, but I didn't see how it could possibly wrap up in a satisfying way. However, I somehow thought it was only six chapters long total, but it's ten. I looked through the raws, and though I can't read the dialogue, I think some of the things I was desperately hoping would be the case are actually what's happening here. So I feel fairly confident giving it five stars, rather than the two stars I'd have to go with if certain things were never fully addressed.

This is the only kind of incest I can read--the type that acknowledges how sick it is and approaching it with that twisted, psychological perspective. When it's treated as an everyday thing in a story, it weirds me out. (To each their own, of course! It's fiction. Just not my thing.) The story was interesting and well done, and I just love her art. But I'm not sure I buy the twist. The fact that people said there was a twist at all clued me into what it probably was, so I read the story with the assumption that... well, no spoilers if you can't guess. Anyway, I was right, and I feel like it was kind of reaching compared to the other complex stuff. I was a little disappointed that it tried to be extra twisted when it was one of the few stories where a rape victim flat out accuses their attacker of rape. It's like no one wants to use that word in stories, and half the time the victim ends up comforting the attacker. But that's yaoiland for you, I guess. Regardless, it was definitely a creepy, twisted, sad, and interesting read. I enjoyed it, even if the twist was kinda meh for me. It's a messed up story, and it *knows* it's messed up. The intention is never to paint any of this as normal or all right. (The violence, manipulation, and games, I mean.) So yeah, 4.5 stars.