sadslime's manga / #animal characteristics(115)

Ch.1 - More than a Play Bite - When Takumi was a child, he was rescued when he fell in the river by a wolf beastman who lives nearby called Professor. Now in university, Takumi finds himself wanting more from their relationship, but Professor still treats him like a child. When Takumi finds out that beastmen play bite their lovers, he becomes determined to overcome the gentle care Professor shows for him and get him to mark him. But Professor is scared to hurt the little boy he watched grow up. This one isn't my favorite, but it's fine if you're into age gap stuff. No trigger warnings. Ch.2 - Catch the Goddess by the Tail - Shunsuke is a leopard beastman in the track club as his university who has a cocky underclassman, Aihachi, who always says the goddess of victory is on his side. Before a big race, Aihachi always calls Shunsuke over to cook for him and they end up sleeping together, and Shunsuke isn't sure why he goes along with it, except that he loves to see Aihachi run. But when Aihachi gets even bigger wins, Shunsuke starts to feel that Aihachi doesn't need him anymore, not realizing that Shunsuke has been his goddess of victory all along. The story is fine, but mostly I really like this one for Shunsuke, who does a great job of being nonchalant but also completely not in touch of his feelings. No trigger warnings. Ch.3-4 - The Sweetest Bite in the World - Mikuni is a snake beastman who was always made fun of until his recent molt, which has made him not only beautiful but unresistible due to his pheromones. With hordes chasing after him every day, the only one Mikuni really wants to notice him is Nachi, a half-lion beastman who protected him when they were children, but Nachi seems unaffected. Mikuni is desperate to get Nachi's attention, even going so far as to bite him with aphrodisiac venom, not knowing that Nachi has only been looking at him all along. Trigger warning: aphrodisiac, attempted rape. Ch.4.5 - More Than a Play Bite Extra - This extra is very cute, and includes all the previous couples going to consult with Dr. Mikami, a snake beastman, and his human assistant. It's fun to see the couples again and get a deeper look into how their relationships progressed, but honestly, Mikami and his assistant are my favorite couple in the entire volume. I love them and wish there was more. No trigger warnings.

Shin Juhyeok is a hardened gangster, but one day he picks up an orphaned wolf on a whim who turns out to be a beastman, Lee Haewon. Haewon grows up quickly and Juhyeok can't help but spoil him, but with Haewon reaching adulthood, he now needs someone to help him through his heat periods, and the only person he wants is Juhyeok. Juhyeok can't help but give in this time too, but on one condition--they're not a couple. This relationship is only until Haewon finds someone else, no matter what Haewon wants. Meanwhile, crime things going on are putting Haewon in danger. Not bad so far, as long as you're not squeamish about parental figures as love interests. Trigger warnings: incest themes (guardian x ward), dubcon(heat), somnophilia.

Fifth in the Kuroneko series. Werecat Shingo and his actor and wereleopard boyfriend Keiichi are a lovey dovey couple living together now with the trouble of Keiichi's brother behind them, but when Keiichi gets busy with work, Shingo tries to control his jealousy, only for him to feel they're drifting further apart. Finally, Shingo puts an end to things, and this time, Keiichi doesn't chase him. But is Shingo really ready to let things end? Trigger warning: dubcon. SO, I have things to say. I have two main problems with this one. 1) Less important, but the whole, "the problem lies with the one who can smell it." That's not how scent works?? It's just such an asinine line that makes zero sense in context or with biology when they could have explained it so many other ways, and I hate it. But 2) the bigger problem is that they frame it as though Shingo is the one in the wrong, and while he does let his anxiety get the better of him and ask for the breakup, it fails to acknowledge all the ways in which Keiichi fucked up to get them there. Shingo asked if he was having an affair, and he knows Shingo has anxiety about being abandoned in a relationship, yet his only response was to find his jealousy "cute." Then, we have him staying out late, not texting, not coming home at night, all of which is pretty bad behavior in a partner, even if Shingo did know it was for work, and all the while he was with an openly bi director who was flirting with him, which Keiichi seemed to do nothing to stop. But the worst of all is that he took a job oversees for multiple months without even talking to Shingo about it! Like, it's your choice, but when you're in a relationship, it's totally irresponsible to make such a major life decision without at least consulting your partner. No wonder Shingo thought he was losing interest! And instead of exploring any of these things at all, when Shingo asked for the breakup, Keiichi just demanded the "real" reason instead of taking any time to think about any of this, then left. He's always been a pretty abusive partner, but the way in which this volume frames him as the victim just drives me crazy. Still, I obviously feel some investment in this couple if I'm bothering to write all this. I would really love to see a version of this volume from Keiichi's point of view that actually addresses the ways in which he was failing Shingo and sees him realize he needs to do better as a partner if he wants Shingo to feel secure in their relationship.

Archar is a low level adventurer who finds the level 99 beastman Dirk starving one day and gives him some food. After that, Dirk becomes very attached to Archar and the two start doing quests together, but Dirk wants even more and tells Archar he's in heat, causing their relationship to become physical. Almost entirely smut, but the characters are cute. Trigger warnings: lying/manipulation, tentacle rape.

Sixth in the Kuroneko series. A series of shorts showing some more of Shingo the werecat and his boyfriend the actor wereleopard Keiichi's lovey-dovey life. Also includes a flashback showing Keiichi's memories of their first time together, when he tricked Shingo with silvervine. Trigger warning: drunk sex

Ookiku Furikabutte doujinshi in which Ren is a small cat who accidentally scratched Takaya and feels very bad about it. No trigger warnings

Haikyuu!! doujinshi in which Tobio is a cat and Hinata is a mouse who recently moved in and is causing some trouble, but really he just wants to be friends with everyone. Cute. No trigger warnings

Azuki is a rare species beastman who gets kidnapped from his island home and sold to a man in the north who plans to cook him up and serve him to his sick master, Kirito, under the belief that rare species meat can cure any disease. But Kirito is a kind man who has been releasing the beastmen his subordinate buys for years now, and he promises to do the same for Azuki, even if they have to pretend to have sex to keep his subordinate off their backs in the meantime. But even when their feelings for each other start to grow, can Kirito overcome his trauma and the parasite making him ill, both inherited from his evil father, to truly love Azuki? An interesting setup. I especially like the brief crossover in the afterstory. Trigger warnings: human trafficking, dubcon(heat), mention of cannibalism, mention of rape, child abuse.

Seventh and final episode in the Kuroneko series. After the proposal, Shingo the werecat and Keiichi the actor wereleopard are happy and in love. This book has some fun side stories, including little nephew Rio bringing home a stray calico who happens to be a werecat (who Shingo knows from separate series Nekoka Kareshi no Ayashikata) having a fight with his lover, a trip camping with friends, and Shingo freaking out after losing his engagement ring. Trigger warning: dubcon.

Ch.1-9.5 - Towa is a clownfish/rabbit chimera who has been warned that his species attracts everyone, but especially lions, and they need to stay away or risk their own downfall. But he's also a model, and when his company brings in a new group of carnivores, low and behold, two of them are lions, and one of them is Issei, a man who Towa met at a party many years ago who instantly seemed to awaken his desires. Though Towa tries to stay away, Issei is persistent, but even if Towa is willing to be with a lion, will his family allow it? Trigger warnings: dubcon, noncon. Ch.5-6 - Stuck in the middle of the above story, we have Ririsu(Lillith), a nurse who's getting stalked but finds it exciting and his student Adam, who is not about to let this nurse go. But once they're happily together, Ririsu's old fuck buddy, Satan, shows up to show Adam how to really pleasure Ririsu. More smut than story. Trigger warnings: stalking, noncon, NTR.