both stories were a little clunky in the storytelling department. I was excited for the first story because it was middle-aged men, but it's basically your average "meet-after-a-time-lapse" romance story, which was a little disappointing. I needed either more on their student lives or more of their story after they got together 20 years later for it to feel more satisfactory and complete, but got neither.

Second story actually did pretty well with the mystery set up. The ending was a bit of a mess, but I forgive it since the tension set up did really well in driving the sense that the main character is pretty messed up. I actually wish this could have been a psychological full fledged series so it didn't have to end so abruptly and discard all of the set-up that came before it. I wanted to know more about this unscrupulous cop and how he would form this relationship with the main character (if it would form at all). I can see how some people would be put off by this story since it has both non-con and dub-con, and complete with the victim desiring his attacker (which he acknowledges is nonsensical and indicative that something is wrong with him).

I am shocked by this work because the sheer amount of love and care, healing and joy, that Mita-sensei is able to embody in her work seems to say to me that she deeply cares for her characters and lives. I do not, nor will I, begrudge anyone writing ero-hon, no matter how kinky, to make a living, or even as a hobby. There are quite a few examples of well-known mangaka doing this. However, while it may or may not be true, it is difficult for me to believe that the same person is capable of such a feat. But, then again, I am also extremely glad that Mita sensei did not take the route set out within this manga for her future works. Otherwise, we would never have been able to reach a master piece such as Koi Saku Potager.
Furthermore, that whole rape setting in the second story was absolutely ridiculous. I am sure we all know what “unorthodox” stands in for, but I will use the spoiler tag anyway . Wow. Just wow. I haven’t read anything so messed-up in a while, and I especially did not expect something like this from Mita-sensei.

If the stories were longer then maybe they would have been better. 1st story about 7.5 rating and the 2nd story about 7 rating from me. Both had potencial. Were interesting.

... Last updated on November 1st, 2018, 5:49am

Both stories had potential to be good but ultimately it's the mangaka's execution again that made them fall just a bit short. Her works for me always feel like it's almost there, but not quite. Also the online scanlation is pretty bad and takes so much joy out of reading the manga which unfortunately has been turned rather incoherent. I only like the smut in the second story and the last extra, but again that one is short too.