This is sooo frigging good, a definite contender for my top 1 manga, I'd put it on top 2 but it's so close with my first they can alternate no problem.
Where do I even start, ahhhh! The character dynamic, the pacing, the right amount of drama, angst, romance, comedy, is just *chef's kiss*. Nothing is dragged on, I was captivated by this work, really. Usually while I'm reading manga/manhuas I have this side comments for myself about the characters and the plot, but not here, I was just happily gliding along the story, and I was actually a bit sad when I reached the end.
The art style is reminiscent of ancient japanese art combined with the typical modern manga style, it's so stylized and fun, I like that it's different that way.
There's also a love triangle here (sort of), but like I said, nothing gets dragged on and the emotions are just right that even that aspect was handled really well, they even managed to be friends in their old age-- old age! Another reason why I abso-freaking-lutely love this, it's such a rare thing to see in BLs, and even in normal het manga, whenever the main couple is shown in their old age, it's either one of them is dead or on the verge of dying lol.
The extras on modern AU and the kitty-Yuki were also adorable, I just love this altogether.
If I have to nitpick a con to this, it's only this very, minor thing I noticed during the first chapter where the sensei was supposed to come off as a sensible/practical dude who's apathetic enough to ask for corpses so he can make it into medicine for profit, this profile was abandoned quickly in the later chapters in exchange for the wholesome, altruistic doctor profile, which was not out of the blue since it was implied also during the first chapters, however, even when they are faced with a dead body, they no longer seek out this option of corpse for profit, still it doesn't affect the story so all's good.
One of the leads has a condition like Will Graham in the The Red Dragon (Hannibal series) but his is so much more intense and hardcore, he literally embodies deaths and its physical effects, so it's kinda supernatural. It's episodic so the chapters have different cases except for 5 and 6 which are connected. Both the art style and plot are so gripping, my emotions were so invested everytime. I love this, absolutely love this. Even if it's just seinen and not BL, I don't care; there was absolutely no queer baiting anyway and the relationship could definitely work as strong friendship and nothing more. Nonetheless, the sequel apparently is BL, so off to read that one and see how sensei handles the transition of friendship to romance.
they're both fine af and the art style is really good, really right up my alley.
I don't really expect fluff since the leads are supposed to be middle aged gents, still you know, it came off as too angsty for me. You could've removed the smeggz scenes, twist it a little, and tag this as seinen, I wouldn't know any better.
I guess it's the plot pacing and the sprouting of minor conflicts with no definite resolution for me; the uke is a bum coz he quit his job due to burnout (?), at the end, he's still a bum but with a job that he tolerates for the meantime, there's still no passion there from him.
Then you have the seme who has daddy issues from his distant father, he took care of him when he (dad) got sick for years, and still he wasn't able to gain closure from him, as if his efforts were nothing; I mean it would've been better if the author went with that route where he did get depressed because he realized all his efforts were for nothing since his father forgot him in the end, but no, the seme was just cold faced all throughout the thing, then boom, depressed in present time.
Their seggz scenes were hot too but I really couldn't get why they even slept together in the first place? or why they are attracted to each other? the closest I can get is that the uke asked the seme if he's okay one time 8 years ago and that was all it took to sleep with him, the uke too kept on saying he hates the seme (not playfully, he says this even internally) but then he initiates the flirting and is touchy, then suddenly he adores him.
Maybe I overlooked some plot points, really this one is just not for me.
What a refreshing uke, so carefree and assertive but not an airhead and can actually stand his ground. The seme too is nice, he's borderline stalker (only stalks online) but at least he knows his flaws and is willing to communicate and be better. I like the pacing for this, it's so easy and fun to read, so many things happened in just those 2 days in the hotspring tho.
I get that the uke is supposed to be a bonafide twink and a sheltered one at that too, which is why he's so immature, but boy this one is just too immature, it legit feels like I'm reading shotacon; you can't say that it's because he's a puppy/dog beastman either coz his dad was one too but he turned out alright, plus the number of times "daddy" was mentioned here was just so off for me, and not just because it has perverse connotation while he's innocently using it as a term for his own father, but also because it once again, amplifies his childishness.
Shame coz he was really cute and I like that he's assertive, I just don't like it when ukes are too childish, so childish that they can pass off as a literal child and then have this overwhelming sexual vigor at the same time, it's icky.
I like the seme enough, he has his moments of weakness, but he can at least reason with himself.
The main tension and conflict was a letdown tho, like the butler just resolved everything as if he pulled magic out of his own butt.
High rate for the art style.
I like the dynamic and the pacing, the plot and drives make sense too. The uke wasn't immediately drawn to the seme and actually developed his affections, the seme too took his time with him and is a genuine gentleman, like legit gentle all throughout, and not just gentle on the streets but possessive freak on the sheets, he's truly considerate of the uke AND others which is probably why he never came off as suffocating but rather calming. I really like this, fluffy and easy read.
Not much action happens tho; yeah there's a zombie apocalypse, but it's more like it's just plot device to get the couple together. Really good though, it somehow works? for those easily triggered, there's a rape scene in this, but the uke wanted it- and not in a "he felt good midway" kinda thing, he literally orchestrated the seme to pounce on him, plus the seme was so guilt ridden he wanted the uke to kill him as compensation lol. Anyway, it's also so freaking short, only 8 chapters and the last one has "The End" on it so the completed tag is not a mistake, very sad. I like to know more, at the end, it just transitioned to comedy with the seme not knowing the uke's deception and the story taking this lightly. Basically, it started off action packed, then drama, then romance, then comedy. I dunno I still enjoyed it a lot coz like I said it did somehow work. The seme is an earnest sort of person who's quite aggressive but wears his heart on his sleeves, the uke is the chill, friendly sort that hides some level of manipulative and cynical streak.
Would read again, I really hope there's a sequel where this story gets expanded, but if the author intended for it to end humorously, I guess an extension would be hard to pull since the revelation for the uke deceiving the seme would definitely go back to the drama route.
I skipped this becoz of the rating and comments, but this is defo my cup of tea, everyone is just so messed up and demented but not messed up just to be edgy and different from other stories.
The narrative for this is just bliss, sometimes it seems the pacing is too fast, but all in all I am still satisfied.
This one is truly a psychological trip, a lot of possessiveness and obsession for careers, ambitions, other people. Yet another reason why I put sensei in such high regards, they're really able to pull off this kind of stories well, matter of fact I actually prefer it to their fluffy ones (tho I still enjoy those a lot too).
On a different note, in the earlier chapters, the seme and uke really reminded me of the older brother and the uke from sensei's other work "Gosan no Heart" and not just the character design, the behavior too coz the uke there is also possessive and clingy, and the older bro (tho he's also an uke) is also the obsessive sort that knows how to play it cool for appearance.
good prompt but the execution aint it for me, Uke is too naive and idealistic basing off his entire preferences on BL stuffs, no character development. Seme is straight but accepted uke's confession out of worry? pity? I forgot, then turned around and now he's suddenly whipped for him, didn't transition well for me. 3.5/5
It's a different approach from the prequel, it's not episodic and only focuses on 1 case throughout the story.
There's not much fluffiness here but the relationship between the couple was strong enough prior to the romance that even though their realization, specially the seme, was abrupt, it still seemed like a smooth transition. They also do be reminding me of Yuki and his ex from sensei's other work, "Yuki and Matsu", only the hairstyles are different.
I like this too though I do think there are certain loopholes that were swept under the rug for this; like the fact that the uke bleeds out/retains the physical manifestation of the victims he's exposed to so long as their case is not resolved, like how would it work though? when he was a kid, he was exposed to someone being murdered (?) how did that stop? and throughout the years, it can't be that every victim he encountered had their cases solved, and if not, wouldn't he already bled out to death long before he even reached adolescence?
Also I don't get it if the touching thing is really a good thing, like the manifestation stops when he's touched, right? it also prevents him from manifesting if he's already being touched prior to his contact with the victim, so that makes it good, but then, touching also halts the manifestation and gets him stuck in that state unless the case gets solved? it's kinda confusing.
Overall, thoroughly enjoyed it tho.