tofu's manga / #Fave Author(95)

TW: non-con body use for supernatural purpose, innuendos (lots of it), child abuse (also lots of it), murder, ghost, curses, cult // AAAAAARGH Alright. I finally finished reading the 10th volume raws. I have so much to say i don't even know where to begin--i don't think i have enough vocab to describe how much feelings i have for this manga lmao. I just. Love it to pieces. [SPOILER ALERT] At first i was torn because the dynamic between Mikado and Hiyakawa is very much like the cliche "possessive controlling pushy man and his bf who's too blind to leave" trope but with ghosts and exorcisms to replace all the sexual and romantic scenes (seriously, the INNUENDOS in this manga had me rolling). But then, the further i was into the story, the more i understood the characters and their choices. It's not a simple case of "he had a bad childhood so he became toxic" or "he's a pushover who can't say no". It's way more complex than that, and because it IS complex, it makes sense why Mikado and Hiyakawa are the way they are. The same goes with Erika. Those three characters are so well written--it's Yamashita Tomoko afterall, and as always her dialogues are *chef kiss*. There are some conversations that made me wonder "where tf are they going with this" only to be recalled or concluded satisfyingly later on in the story. I love it. Everything is morally grey here, and i constantly asked myself, is this character a bad person? What would I do if i was in their position? The way author wrote Hiyakawa's speech and trains of thoughts is great and it slapped me hard when i found out why he was so peculiar (i wish the translation could showcase his lack of vocabulary better but oh well). The world building is also amazing, plot is out of this world (literally), the relationship between the three main characters is Everything and seriously, i could go on and on and on and how the frick am i not keeling over from all the love i have for this manga?? There is a couple of things i'm a bit disappointed with though--i feel like the gang barely had the time to be a team-slash-friends before the story ended. I would've LOVED if there was more space for their banter and development as a team. I also wish there was at least one romantic scene between Mikado and Hiyakawa, but then again, those two's dynamic is too unique and complicated for a romantic turn and i understand the author's choice to not take that route. TLDR, i feel very privileged to be able to read this manga. It's something i never dreamt i would find in the BL genre and i love it down to my core--I bought my own copies last month and it was my best purchase in years.

TW: murder, blood, infanticide, gore

TW: murder, blood, rape, age gap, size difference I died a little reading this. Like honestly i feel like crying because HOW TF IS THIS AUTHOR SO GOOD LIKE. How am i gonna read anything else after reading something this well written? I always feel this way when i find my favorite works, like i won but also lost at the same time. I don't even know what to say about this manga, it's literally one in a million. Original plot, GREAT writing, well thought of panels and good art direction, lovely characters. [SPOILER ALERT] I love the romantic progression between Asako and Kuroiwa, subtle yet very impactful. The scenes where Asako was heartbroken over Kuroiwa's ex-wife's case? Godsend. Kuroiwa realizing his feelings for Asako and him acknowledging that he might be bi or pan? Truly a cultural reset. Also--THE CONSENT depicted in this manga, holy crap. Asako is someone who's never had many choices regarding his body when it comes to death memories. It's been like that since he was really young and it got worse once he became an investigator. When he felt the shame and despair of being sexually assaulted in chapter 1, my heart broke for him. And that makes the scenes where we can see how respectful Kuroiwa is of Asako's boundaries all the more powerful. God those two. I finished this manga feeling a little bit in love with both of them, actually. And i just wish i could read this for the first time over and over again.

I like Kyuugou's writing. They're always able to turn a cliche and overused trope into something worth your time. This one's not special in terms of plot and characters, but the progression of the story feels natural and pleasant to read.

Aaah another adaptation of a great slice-of-life / coming-of-age novel by WuZhe! The pacing of the manhua can be a bit disorienting but overall the story is great. It's full of the mundane goodness that i love from WuZhe's works, and I want to keep reading it forever.

The start was mindblowingly strong, I was expecting an incredibly painful resolution that seeing the normal / underwhelming ending almost gave me a whiplash lmao. Still a good read tho.

GAAH just reread this and i didnt remember it being this painful?? Anyway, friends to lovers unrequited-but-actually-not-unrequited love is a tried and tested trope. Definitely one of if not the best -- and because this is from nagisa furuya, queen of shounen ai, it's even better.