from cuteness overload about 10 pages into the story!

For a plot as commonplace as this one the mangaka managed to elevate the hell out of it with her execution and every little things she added to bring more depth to the story and substance to the characters. It definitely exceeded my expectations in every way, including the art as well. Makes the characters even cuter and more endearing than how they already are; Noboru is such a precious big boi uwu. This manga is a hidden gem.

this is basically your general run of the mill sex friends to lovers trope manga, but the extra details and, like chocolatecrossiant mentioned, the side focus on questioning of sexuality and what a homosexual relationship looks like. It was really well done and really sweet, in my opinion.

I absolutely loved Noboru's friends and how open minded they were; they're possibly the most open-minded friends I've witnessed in a BL manga without it being straight up a joke or a side plot for a romantic triangle. Their friendship and closeness is something I want to be normal in all male friendships, especially here in the west where close male friendships are still stigmatized for possibly being "gay". I was delighted by the playfulness and warmth in this friendship and hope to see it in other titles.

Another part of the manga I really enjoyed was Noboru's conflicting feelings for Yagi and what he feels consists of a normal romantic relationship between men. There is a whole slew of miscommunication as Yagi wants to jump into a physical relationship and Noboru simply wants a peer to talk with to see if he is indeed gay. Noboru never settles into the sex friends relationship, however, and always feels that something is wrong. More than the conflict of perceived promiscuity in homosexual relationships, Noboru seems to only know how to be in romantic relationships and very quickly wants to be in this relationship with Yagi, even if he doesn't immediately realize that he likes him. His trepidation regarding Yagi's feelings and intentions is palpable as he flails about in his unrequited love while trying to gauge Yagi's reactions to him and not trying to offend him by imposing romantic feelings. The river scene is my favorite and unbelievable bittersweet!

This series surprised me with its (possibly) unintended insight into sexuality. I also really like the artist's style. I find it entrancing and at times unique. The series is unexpectedly analytical. It draws attention to how (male) homosexual relationships are categorized as promiscuous, even in the context of university hookup culture, and also draws a distinction from heterosexual dating, with its overtures into romance with masculinity. This may seem common and frequently discussed in BL, but not to the extent which it is here. By delving into the 'sex friends' relationship it paints picture of how sex is understood by both characters and then questions just how much Noburu and Yagi know about love and dating from someone questioning and someone not. The societal attitudes within this title are more reflective of current shifts surrounding sexuality. (Despite Japan being as harsh as other Asian countries, save for Taiwan.)

Right off the bat, Noburu assumes the usual stereotypes for gay men when he asks to "try out" the experience. He immediately corrects himself and the reaction shows that he knows he came off as treating a gay man as less than a human being and that he would never ask that of a girl. (Later, though, Noboru gets a taste of being on the receiving end of this in ch2 p14; "This is a painful way to feel needed." I bet.) He then struggles to tell the other party that they were attractive to him. For heterosexual relationships, a whole script for courting and marrying exists, but the only thing that is discussed about homosexual relationships is hooking up secretly. Noburu knows what it is like to be straight and didn't like that, so he wants to know what it means to be gay. His questioning process is handled fairly, I think, as he isn't constantly comparing his experiences with women. (An exception in Ch2 starting with Yagi counting how long Noburu can last during sex and placing it alongside hetero sex.)

Studies and general anecdotes will show how much more difficult prospects of love and sex are for gay youth due to the lack of aides and involvement existing for them. And, because of this, Noburu assumes he knows nothing about 'being gay', but begins to realize how superficial he is going about it in Ch2 p17: "This flow of things. Not a good sign." He is settled in this sexual relationship, but knows there is something off with his feelings, the other party's, and the overall stability of this relationship. The possibility that they're both being incredibly dishonest and he has some fault for not trying to work it out between them. Despite being in college, there is still hesitance in proceeding down this path. Noburu didn't feel the need to court Nagi the way he would have a woman and while I'm not saying one party should be treated as a woman, Noburu is doing little to rectify the fact he bypassed the flirting and getting-to-know stage since Nagi is a man. To not be romantic even when the partners are masculine is a problem he is beginning to notice.

Nagi is in hurt and despair, and hopefully Noburu can make up for how he has been adding to it. If the following chapters continue down this path, it would be delightful, but with the track record of the author and of BL in general, I'm fine with what has been given.

... Last updated on July 5th, 2017, 11:05pm