Honestly, I feel like this would much better as shounen instead of shounen ai, too many characters that they weren't given proper focus, vital characters like villains were also shown passively so their impact was kinda meh, plot was driven by infodumping, and the characters go into so much mood swings it's no longer cute, feels clinical -- like they're bipolar or smthn, character development was subpar too; I just finished it because I was already in too deep but really they were just going around in circles for at least 50 chapters then some action towards the end, and that's it. On the upside, I really like the humor and the sense of adventure it evokes, though it's prone to infodumping, the foreign concepts were explained well enough, art style is great too. Some downside might also be due to translation or adaptation (maybe the novel is better?)
and the rating is pretty good (backed up with positive reviews) but then, I dunno, it didn't cut it for me, it started off promising then the ending just felt scattered all over, like the author wanted to establish too many subplots and lore that it couldn't support it all.
Some backstories and character motivations seemed lacking too like the mother not coming back to get her lover eventho she allegedly killed off the main threat in her younger years already, or how the second couple fell in love with each other despite the uke loving his former seme and the same seme caring for him too, or even the way how the MC and his ex fell apart is also kinda silly becoz the ex was intended to be someone who doesn't support the uke's career but then he just comes off as someone who likes to spend time with him and then gets hated for his cunning looks (which he can't do anything about), it's pretty shallow of a reason.
Even the ending felt rushed what with the lead couple suddenly becoming famous and just idling their life away after running away from the mother, also what's with the 2nd couple just hiding and pretending they're dead without eliminating the main mafia boss for sure (as if they're not doing that already at the start of the story).
Absolutely no character development for lead couple too and the second couple is far more interesting than them tbh, I felt more engaged reading their subplot than the main one. On the upside, the humor works well and the action scenes are great, plus the art style is just fashionably fantastic too.
I'll give benefit of the doubt that some might be due to translation issues, but overall it could be better if it was just more coherent and centered with what it was trying to tell story-wise.
It feels so warm and pleasing I almost thought it would go the tragic route during the early chaps, coz it had that vibe. Set somewhere hispanic, probs South America or Iberian. No unexpected drama, complex uke who really gave good insights as someone who's previously straight and discovering their bisexuality, the friends are supportive as is and not everyone is paired up, the straight one is just straight, and the gay one just gay, like a normal circle of friends. The seme is so pretty and patient too. Really, really nice plot progression and segz scenes, plus the art style overall is just so sensual it makes me wanna drool. Kyaaah!!
This is such a bittersweet read and wonderfully weaved. Doesn't really focus on romance but more on friendship and finding out one's sexuality. I absolutely adore the way the author set the pace as if as readers, we are privy to someone's actual real life experiences (wc to some might actually be). It explored various outcomes to people who struggled with their sexuality and put it in a more realistic way, even the attempted rape scene was indefinitely toned in a very unromantic way, it was scary and suffocating despite the fact that the rapist is someone who's regarded as good looking, his actions was nonetheless portrayed as it is -- horrifying, and what's more, it also was wasn't just shoved off, it was vital to the plot and was used for the main characters to reflect on, wc is kinda rare in BLs. I also absolutely adore the shift between artstyle and even the whiplash between the moods, it can be funny and then heartbreaking the next. It defi has drama elements but never pushed to the level of forceful angst, it was mellow and made sense.
I don't get why it's rated so highly, the couple just sucks imho.
You have a seme who's basically just obsessed with the uke in an unhealthy way and a uke who doubts everything that the seme does.
You'd think clingy seme x possessive uke would be great coz others have pulled it off so well and it's very much welcomed especially when the uke is the more dominating one, but hohoho not this one, their flaws are just dragged on throughout the story and there's no vital character development at all; it's just the seme running after the uke all the time and the uke being all like "do what you want" every time he's confronted.
I get that that as readers we get to see their povs so it's easier to process their actions but without those monologues is it still as appealing? coz I honestly think not, the narrative was written beautifully, I feel it's one of the factors why some might feel heavily for this work, but on hindsight, it just showed how awful the communication skills between the couple are.
Even in some happy scenes it's often transitioned to feelings of doubt and anxiety, then they argue AGAIN, and even when the other party explain their side, the other one also does not believe him LMAO. It's just so frustrating to read.
The ML and MC, for me, will be better off with someone else or even none? Such a shame coz I really dig the art style, the smut scenes were smoking, and even the prompt's actually interesting, just that how it was delivered was overall was meh. 3/5
Yo, this couple is a strong contender for the most unlikeable uke and seme award.
At some point halfway in volume 2, I felt myself lose any sort of affection for them as characters, they're just all too frustrating to read, especially the uke and all his constant assumptions, even when the seme asks him to speak up, he refuses, then gets angry at his partner for not going the way he wants lol.
I get that the author is trying to portray the relationship as realistic, but this is just one toxicity after another, what's worse is that they're even aware but refuses to do anything on it.
I hoped Brad was secretly in love with the seme and end up with him instead, I say that instead of the uke coz Brad himself seems to have a savior complex so being with the uke would just worsen that and considering how stubborn the uke is, a similar fate that he has with the seme will play out for him where he (uke) would just expect his partner to read his mind all the time.
TBH, I was giddy at the prospect of the uke finally making a conviction and killing the seme for real so that he'll end up in jail, at least then it would justify why he kept on wanting to do it throughout the story; there's even a scene where the seme was just cuddling him in one panel before literally just standing there doing his thing and all the uke could think about is punching him?! The heck was that? again, I get it, long term couples get sick of each other, but hurting them for no reason at all?
The seme's a low-key narcissist too, I think he's better than the uke but there are times when he too is just as stubborn and oblivious.
At the very least, they shouldn't have ended up with each other, or any one for that matter. What I got from this is that this isn't BL at all, it's a cautionary tale for how one should NOT act in a relationship. 2.5/5
it's a bit wishy washy with some drama out of the blue, plus that brother dynamic, wth?! don't care how close you are or how open or if you're all the same gender, being too enthusiastic about your brother's sex life is too iffy, even if it's the other way around with sisters teaching their youngest how to give oral, still fricking iffy. Just give some reference books or direct them to a video or course, don't be a creep it's not cute at all. Plus the undertone between those two older bros is borderline incestuous too, I'll delude myself that it's some translation issue and that the two are actually lovers in a very open relationship that's why the other calls the uke brother too, it still makes the remaining brother a creep but at least it makes more sense.
I reserve incest and shizz like that for psychological or drama tags, it doesn't work on fluffy romance like this one.
Has the same feel as "How my daddies became mates" which is also an omegaverse with both strong characters ending as a couple. Coincidentally, that one is also advertised by the translators of this work lol. Soooo good! I absolutely like this pairing with the lowkey possessive alpha who's determined to control his own impulse and the no-nonsense omega who can still get worked up to fight even against his own freaking heat,
really fantastic lore that justified the plot route and character backstories well; with just the right balance of action and romance it keeps you wanting to get to the next chapter. The couple are actively loving towards each other but not overtly cutesy, cringey lovey dovey type. Uke is sensible in his motives to isolate himself and was not angsty at all, rather appeciative of his life but not in a suffocating happy-go-lucky sort of way either; seme is kinda dimwitted wc could explain his lack of control towards violent tendencies, but despite that, he's eager to change and do better, to choose the moral option, and though he's technically a cat (familiar) and does exhibit traits that affectionate cats have, he's still very much a candidate for puppy-like seme. The second couple is also really interesting and that one has an actual dog familiar as the seme; but unlike the typical puppy seme sort, he also exhibits dog like traits like being rough, hyperactive, persistent (in hunting the cat seme and his witch), and of course loyal wc is a given. Really nice work, absolutely adore this one too.
at the start it seemed gay x straight but then the supposed uke has a gay twin bro who is actually the MC, hence it's gay x gay; plus genuine love triangle between the straight dude, the ML, and their HS friend who's a girl.