Punch Drunk Love
One of my favourite bl romcoms easily LMAO its so fucking wild and silly its genuinely an enjoyable read i had way too much fun reading this, shit had me laughing my ass off. Its has the most silliest misunderstanding plot, truly just a lighthearted hehe haha story plus the second hand embarrassment author cooked is INSANEBDHDHHE the amount of times i had to exit browser and scrolled through twitter to exit the humiliation was way too muchehdhejjejj oh my god its so fucjing funny But real talk, even as a romcom, the plot and characters are so good. I love the couple’s silly dynamic, taemoon being this rlly sensitive, overthinking ml while seonwoo just has cums for brains thats 100% chill with being an exclusive fuck buddy is such a recipe to dramatic disaster had this been some angsty story and bc this is a romcom the hilarity of it all is so fun to read LMAO. Taemoon wanting them to have a normal couple “pacing” not realising hes lowkey balls to the wall crazy for seonwoo is fucking hilarious like my boy seonwoo is just as confused as u are with the push and pull signaldhhdhdj ah theyre so stupid its so fucking funny. Author and artist is such a dream team duo, the comedy hits everytime and the characters are just so lovable. The magnum opus chapter is hands down when taemoon met seonwoo’s parents. The conversation they had after seonwoo left to grab icecream is so warm and heartfelt i kind of teared up, especially knowing how much it means to taemoon to hear them willing to try and love him just like they would their own son. Found family!!!!!!!!!!! And the parental love taemoon has long deserved!!! Its so sweet!!!!! One of the best parent meeting chapters in bl :’) seonwoo’s mom prepping side dishes for taemoon is the cherry on top seriously. God what a good story sensing the slight miscommunication drama in s3 and im looking forward to how the silly couple is gonna work thru that lol, taemoon just has to let go of cringe and be more verbal like babe i promise u communication works wonders matter of fact just embrace cringe and be a sap, bc deep down u ARE!!! my gawd; men! Seonwoo lowkey the buoyant in keeping the relationship afloat whew my boy just drops romantic reassurances and affirmations like its nothing making it all work with silly ass wikihow good for him! I hope moscareto and akdong work together for many many more projects in the future, just straight up bangers from these two. Lowkey rlly hope this gets a kdrama lol i can def see this translated into that media, the whole atmosphere and vibe is already there, god i hopeeee
Antidote (Harusari)
My new hyperfixation i can feel it seeping into my brain and taking hold of it like remy did in ratatouille oh m yogd……………. Established relationship + amnesiac plot line u are always my numero uno and this author takes it up a notch and gives us a rofan historical background with it OHHHHHHH author i will kiss u brain. I need the novel mtl so badly, thats how intrigued i am with the plot. Its so fucking solid!!!!!!!!!!!!! The unreliable narrative we have as our mc works so well bc of his lost memories especially with his dynamic with gjord. The established relationship tag isnt boring matter of fact it feels so refreshing bc like sylhan we’re falling for gjord all over again. Hes such a devoted lover like girl that man sat down and went straight to business with snipping sylhan’s toenails that man is in LOVE. Its so intimate and sweet im so obsessed with that scene. And because sylhan goes through the fucking wringer with lister’s fuckass attitude, everytime gjord shows up i feel so much relief like thank the heavens your pretty ass is here PLEASE sweep your hard working twink away and elope PLEASE PLEASEEEEEEEER never have i hated an antagonist this badly before… last time i was this much of a hater it was those fuckass evil characters in pearl boy WHEW. My blood pressure…….. im genuinely so damn curious on what went down in sylhan’s backstory and how him and gjord met im soooooooooo invested, seriously this is gonna be like crack to me. And i know the mc whump is gonna get worst and worst so whew im gonna ready myself and let it marinate bc fellow fujos,,,,, we’re about to see a masterpiece unfold rn. We have gorgeous beautiful art, wonderful colours, panels planned and written to high heavens and a plot so good im about to dive into the mtl!!!!!!!!!!!! Author and artist did their damn fucking thang here and give the girlies more and beyond!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nagahama to Be, or Not to Be
A perfect, succinct and Classic childhood friends to lovers trope with the most adorable dynamic ever. Like seriously theres no notes, author nailed it. Its so lighthearted and sweet, and what makes it so engaging and memorable despite the cliche trope is the whole atmosphere it has, its a very summery, fresh and quiet coming of age story, the fishing harbor/sea setting amplifies it more and issa’s genuine empty head personality paired with nagisa’s clumsy and bold personality makes it even better… issa just got the tism thats my bby…… love how nagisa knows issa needs clear explanation regarding things and how despite his embarrassment, nagisa tries to deliver it as best as he can and issa soaks it in so wholeheartedly, its all just so fucking earnest and clumsy and cute omg the communication is top tier as well, i love how fresh and new the love feels too, its so endearingly clumsy at how theyre both figuring things out. I think what makes it so nice is there isnt rlly a big declaration of love? Like the love has always been there since the beginning, quietly growing and they both knew that, are aware of that, and is so comfortable with all the ambiguous touching, its very befitting with the childhood friends dynamic!!!!!!! And when the first kiss happened, it all clicked like a perfect puzzle and they both just Knew. Its so fucking good??? Idk the tender and relaxed atmosphere rlly carried the story for me its just so damn good omg…… Also that panel in ch4 of issa’s head in nagisa’s lap and theyre both curled into each other was so stunning, so much natural intimacy and chemistry!!!!!!!!! their source of comfort entwined with one another!!! Took my breath away seriously it captured their dynamic so well…. AND DONT FORGET THE LITTLE PENGUIN WADDLE THEY BOTH DID TOGETHER WITH NAGISAS FEET ON ISSAS omg… One of the best intimate and natural anatomy interactions ive seen for sure..… the pacing, anatomy, dynamic and dialogue, everything, author rlly nailed it!!!!!!! Theyre so good in writing very muted, tender love stories with a mature, sort of ambiguous atmosphere to it, i love it so much… author my goat.. give them their deserved flowers and adaptations…
Full Moon Alchemist
OH I FAWKING LOVE THIS SO MUCH OH MY GOD?????????????? The silly slapstick comedy in the misunderstandings and the overarching plot is so fucking good??? I love how both the mc and ml have a very entwined plot with each other and the buildup in the romance is just chefs kiss!!!!!!!! Im obsessed with the pacing and panelling as wel everything is done so damn well!!!!!!!!!! Dont get me started in the way author handled ennid’s rising attraction to glunn especially with his conservative upbringing. Glunn’s understanding in ennids anxiety in sexuality is executed so considerately and sensitively i just fucking love it especially their conversation around it???? Plus The chemistry is off the roofs too AHHH i just love it so much!! The world building and its politics is really solid as well like im rlly curious to who casted that curse on glunn, varagus’ play in the overall plot and the relevance of the potion that reveals ones future spouse. Lots of the plot is moving and i just cant wait for everything to click together. MAN Everything is just A+ every chapter, i hope i hope i hope the ending is satisfying and wraps up all the loose ends nicely! I hve so much high hopes for it bc so far all the minor little plot points are addressed (even IM SHOCKED) so im hoping that ending SLAPS!!!!! Like i genuinely had such a great time reading this. What a damn gem. The couple dynamic is so fucking adorable too ennid and glunn are just in their own little world :’) glunn is just so head over heels for ennid and their sexual tension is at a boiling point… i cant WAIT when they start getting freaky……but yeah the increasing angst flags with glunns poison dragon blood/selected mate and other conflicts is brewing too so thats rlly exciting!? I hope it hurts lol. GOD Its just so damn good i rlly cant wait anymore i need to read the novel now!!!!!!!!!!!!
Osananajimi ja Gaman Dekinai
Seriously no notes this is a perfect childhood friends to lovers trope the little cliche conflict, the constant communication, the earnest love, everything was done so well, author cooked lol. The artstyle and panels are so beautiful too. Seriously, its such a nice, feel good, lighthearted and well written childhood to lovers love story. Their couple dynamic is adorable too, love how maturely they progressed in each stage of their relationship. The confession and revelation all are done so nicely. No unnecessary drama whatsover!!! Their coming out to their moms and ao’s lil sister was done quite sensitively too? Ao’s convo with ryouta’s mom was rlly rlly good too, i love that when ao apologised how he couldnt give her a grandchild, her reply was just “well seems like u gotta visit us more often then” and i find that such a nice reply??? Something in my asian lil heart healed at how Easy ryouta’s mom’s solution to it. Its so nice…. Idk Its just always refreshing to see authors Explicitly and considerstely approach asian queer experiences and topics in their stories rather than reducing the characters feelings to “i only feel this way to u and no other guy” kind of thing. The added nuance makes it rlly enjoyable and memorable to me personally lol And dont get me started on the proposal!!! Its so fucking sweet, nothing grand, just an impromptu lil thing by the bridge/street but it still packs enough of a romantic punch bc of how sweet and earnest their dialogue and narration was. Love how they immediately stopped bu the civil hall LOL good for them!!!! very soulmate behaviour!! i love how the atmosphere the author kept throughout the story. Very muted, natural and mature in all their interactions and dialogue. Their silhouettes and intimacy flows so naturally with each other. ryouta’s such an adorable ml with an even attractive moe gap when it comes to ao. Hes so earnest and devoted, i love him so much his personality bounces off so well with ao’s more upbeat and steadfast personality :’) usually with extrovert mc x introvert ml theres always some kind of comical loudness to the story and beat, but this is just so nice and quiet and muted? It doesnt do Too much. It just feels rlly nostalgic and carries a sweet coming of age tinge to it in their romance that ive come to rlly love!!! Author excelled in the atmosphere a lot!!!! Seriously, i have nothing else to say but praises. Its vanilla and the perfect kind of vanilla that isnt too bland. A very sweet and addicting vanilla!!!! Saw a comment that described this story/couple perfectly “dont you love it when the childhood friends to lovers are so intertwined with e/o its giving Anyone you meet will have to know me in order to understand You” AND THEYRE RIGHT!!! its that feeling exactly with ao and ryouta!!!! And author captured that feeling so fucking well!!! i know for sure im gonna reread this LMAO. So happy theres gonna be a 3rd volume :3c im rlly enjoying the slice of lifeness!!! Hope it gets an anime or drama adaptation soon!!
Rivalry
Private Call
I LOVEEEEEEE this story so much oh my god its pure adorable fluff, it feels so fresh despite being the usual abo setting, i think its because of the rarity of secondary genders so much so that even when jinhwan turned out to be an alpha, he doesnt make it a big deal and even clarified that he got a vasectomy LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME HOW MANY MLS DO THAT!! NONE NADA EXACTLY?!!? he rlly said we having creampies worry free babyyy RAHHH i love him…. And i love the author for just dropping that in casually as a way of contraception thats so rare to see in fiction, especially an abo ml to say that AHHHHH the way he jumped into top 10 best mls for me instantly lol thats so insanely attractive of him!!!!!!!!!! A Sexy confident flirt and a puppy golden retriever to boot??! Author!!! I SEE UR GAME LOUD AND CLEAR BC ME TOO!!!!! Love love love the romantic chemistry and progression doha and jinhwan had. Usually when couples get together early in the story it’d automatically be a snooze fest but this one took me by surprise!!!!!! I loveeeee how sweet and timid doha is in navigating a healthy relationship and how supportive and adoring jinhwan is in helping him along the way, its soooo adorably sweet and vanilla that doesnt feel too textbooky. Especially with the way the author handled their past traumas. Their dialogue and communication shines a lot in those scenes, its soooo endearing TTT their little flirty banters is the cherry on top i swear bc it just flows so naturallt between them. I LOVE when characters does a big loud smooch over the phone, its so rare that whenever it happens i cheer so loudly ITS SO CUTE AND REAL!!!! Dont get me started with the gorgeous anatomy holy fucking shit???? The way the artist depicted their bodies interacting with each other during the sex scene and other intimate moments was fucking amazing. Hands HANDS THE HAND PLACEMENTS!!!!!!!!!!! immediately shot this story up to magnum opus bc of how natural the body movement is in each scene. And with the dialogue??? Perfection. I dont fucking care if we get zero plot and just have slice of life stories of these two being adorably in love i will fucking eat it bc the visual treat im seeing rn is INSANE…. love how author draws expressions as well, sure jinhwans mug is intense in some scenes but idk i find it so fresh and fun!!!! The way the characters are placed and posed in certain panels are so fresh too!! Jinhwan backing his car into the parking space as doha talks and fiddles with the cake box, jinhwan massaging doha’s foot, the constant hand holding, jinhwan teasing and flirting with doha by not letting him hold the cake box, all these acts of intimacy are so naturally subtle and it hits so hard when u notice it AHHHHH artist you absolute madlad…… so much care and detail is being put into consideration in the storyboarding man how could u Not love it????? Its so sweet and doha’s character is just So fucking adorable and jinhwan is absolutely smitten!!!! The chapters with sex are a lot, sure but it doesnt feel mindless or redundant to me, mainly because of how good the anatomy and dialogue are, i cant get over it give me more of those scenes bc holy shit does the artist know how to draw them!!!! The art style is so so mature and refined!!!!! ITS FUCKING GOOD!!!! I LOVE THIS STORY WAY TOO MUCHHHHHHHHH instant magnum opus for me idc LMAO its vanilla done right!!!
Perle
I genuinely dont know where to start with this but i know its gonna be long bc good lord, this story. Peak doomed yaoi. A commenter summarised it perfectly; its a tragic, shakespearean cliche. Right from the beginning you can already expect where the story is headed but it still doesnt make the buildup and irony hurt any less. I was Anticipating the angst and it still felt like a punch to the gut at the end. First of all, the art, story boarding and panels are done so tastefully that it perfectly captures the prose-like narration and dialogue that flowed through the story. Its so so beautifully written and suits the historical setting so well. I love how this story is a masterclass in executing the “show dont tell” story telling with all the hints of dialogue and symbolism littered everywhere. The story unraveling through jean’s wary, unreliable narrator perspective is such a nice way to navigate the readers through the court drama, politics and pending heart break. The story telling and story boarding in that aspect was purely top tier, i have no notes on that. It was amazingly presented. One of bl’s magnum opuses, easily. My heart still aches very numbly at the thought of all the symbolism finally piecing together at the end. Maximillian is one of the best, well written, thought-provoking and sensual characters ive ever read. I fucking adore him from the very start of his act as a wayward prince until the end. He tarnished his own name for the sake of a successful rebellion and its just so heart breaking when you realise that he has planned this down to the minute detail and it all started from the very first time he landed his eyes on jean reading egalité. Maximin knew he was leading a dying country that is in need of a complete revival from all the mess his uncle has created and earnest eyed Jean was the perfect vehicle for that. It all became so bittersweet when you realise that maximin orchestrated this for 10 long years by being jean’s sponsor, planting cornell to both spy and aid Jean all while essentially preparing himself for his approaching death. From the very start, jean’s love was doomed to die despite his efforts in searching and protecting him and i fucking cry at the fact that they never had a chance to begin with. Maximin covered his tracks as jean’s sponsor so fucking well that it even made me doubt he was little pearl in the first place lmao. And i love how the story shifted jean’s search for little pearl into him realising that whether maximin was little pearl or not, he would still love him either way. Its such a nice conclusion and development to both the romance and jean’s character and in a way im happy that maximin knew of such sweetness before he died, that whoever he is, jean still loved him regardless. AHHHHHHHHHH the angst is just so perfectly executed. It makes reading this the second time feel so much more heart breaking, especially when maximin treated jean awfully in the beginning, now understanding that he must be doing this so that jean’s hatred for nobles and his resolve for the rebellion will be unwavering. Yet despite that, jean still fell for him bc deep down he Knew maximin was his person. He knew!!!!!!!!! And that love nearly became their undoing!!!!!!!!!!! AHHH god… Even the way maximin teased and “insulted” jean on how hes a catamite that couldnt “act” bc of his obvious displeased expression, it was all so that jean Knows on what to improve on himself for their plan. Even leading him to the secret escape route all for the sake of helping jean lead a successful revolution. Its all so elaborate and fucking sad. “I hope you find this freedom/light is a gift to your liking” fucking kill me at this point??? He rlly made sure jean’s resolve for the rebellion was unwavering even when it meant he had to be hated in return. Knowing his sacrifice, it makes Maximin’s “My Joachim.” so devastating and full of love. What a well written, heartbreakingly noble character. Just when jean thought he was steps ahead in saving him, maximin, for 10 long years, has always been leaps ahead of him. The only pov you can even get from him is from the excerpts that ariel said to jean as “little pearl”. Those adoring observations mustve all been maximin’s. I’m still reeling at their letters especially at the detail that maximin too, yearned and adored jean just as much, with how crumpled and worn the letters are from the repetitive holding and reading. Everytime jean seethed at maximin’s actions all while yearning for his little pearl makes the reveal at the end so much more painful bc not only did jean realise he technically lead his little pearl’s to death (and with his own gun that gave to protect him at that which is so tragically romantic), maximin was also turning blind from the poison the duke gave him. And it all clicks when you realise why maximin refused to give jean the already present tea in his room at the beginning bc its for “imperials” only. The poisoned tea is for him alone. FAWK. Its all these little details clicking into place that makes this story an even heart wrenching tragedy bc jean, god bless his heart, genuinely had no fucking clue TT-TT even the reveal at the end where maximin ordered him to tailor his extravagant outfit; all bc of the promise jean made for him in the letter and its the only way he could claim it without jean knowing who he is TT-TT even the constant “i’ve been waiting for you to find me.” while knowing hes little pearl and his losing eye sight; “I just wanted to see you” “im used to the dark” i wanna die like ? maximin loved jean so fucking much man its devastating. The painting reveal made me sob even harder when i realised that maybe the unidentifiable animal leg jean saw in the painting maximin gave the duke too, was a tiger all along. And now in hindsight i could just laugh and cry at how jean technically had his confirmation in his hands already. To think Jean’s long search for his little pearl was already in his arms all this time, all while unknowingly leading his beloved to his own orchestrated death. Oh maximin, “Ma petite perle, mon cher jean” His little pearl, his dear Jean. The evidence and admittance that jean has been searching for so long. A tiger and his pearls. What better way to end the story. Jean finally did found his little pearl ;-; and they were each other’s little pearl!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pure adoring sweetness and heart break. It ended perfectly. A classic shakespearean cliche done absolutely right. I genuinely hope and pray that we get physical eng tl copies of the novel and manhwa, and an anime movie or a drama adaptation by a really good studio please please. Cloverworks would be perfect for this. Please. I need this story to have a big international following bc i Need that fix it/au fic NEOW. Give this author and artist their fucking flowers man. Instantly top 5 of my most favourite bl of all time. Gorgeous execution, elegant prose, dialogue and narrarion as well as beautiful, stunning art and expressions. The angst is satisfying, will definitely reread if im in the mood to have my heart shatter again. Beyond 10/10, Im in constant awe. I will honest to god remember this story forever.
Kamisama Nanka Shinjinai Bokura no Eden
Oh i really fucking love this, such a fresh premise about abo and how it all started. Love the psychological/physical aspect to it too and how much it’d influence one’s feelings vs instincts and how off putting it’d be!! Cant wait to see how the story and characters develop!! I wonder how far the author will expand the world building in here :0 Have high hopes with this one, i hope a proper tl team picks it up TT-TT
Boy meets Girl