criminally underrated BL

4.5/5

[18+, romance, slice of life, found family]

TW: age gap, internal homophobia

+ strangers to lovers
+ slowburn
+ family feels
+ LGBT parents
+ tender consensual sex

I liked the natural progression of the MCs' relationship. It's neither rushed nor dragged on, and I think it complements the development of both characters well.

4.5/5

[PG, anthology, slice of life]

+ great writing and dialogues
+ simple, mundane, but gold

Yamashita Tomoko has the most beautiful and underrated works istg. I love all the stories in this one, they feel like something you can witness in every day life. Nothing complicated or convoluted, but the way the author presented them is what made them special.

4.5/5 so far

[18+, slice of life]

TW: child neglect

Because of a street fortune teller's (100% fake) premonition, MC is hellbent on finding his "destined person" despite already having one beside him. This manga isn't perfect by any means and i wish the plot was handled better, but i still really like it. The atmosphere of this story is good, the art is pretty, and the MC is somehow likeable even with all his weirdness.

[18+, romance, slice of life]

+ pretty art
+ endearing

Weird, but in a good way. The setting, the characters, the art, they made me feel nostalgic, and the whole manga has a good coming-of-age vibe. Both of the MCs (mostly tomoyuki) are dramatic, but it's a degree that kinda makes sense for 16 year olds. They live and love so recklessly and endearingly. I wish the characters were fleshed out better tho, it would be really good to see them explored both as individuals and a couple.

[18+, supernatural]

TW: blood

An interesting plot with beautiful art. I love the surreality conveyed by this manga, and i really wish it was longer / better explored. I'd like to know more about the characters! It would've benefit from another volume or denser chapters, but well, still a good read.

☆ 4.5/5

[PG, slice of life]

TW: mention of pedophilia, age gap (14 years)

+ established relationship
+ GREAT writing

You just can't expect less than stellar works from Basso. She writes the most mundane things--like a ramen shop owner who suffers from bad blood circulation or an art supplies employee who worries about hair dyes--so well that i didn't feel an ounce of boredom reading this. This is a masterful work that's so criminally underrated.

4/5

[18+, slice of life, rom-com]

TW: dubcon because of alcohol

+ co-workers
+ manly couple
+ good dialogues and writing

I love the casualness of this manga. Everything flows naturally in a laid back manner and the two MCs' personality complement each other well. No idea why i didn't include this manga in this list before, but it's a pretty good read (go check out the djs too!).

4.5/5

[18+, rom-com, school life]

+ this couple is on crack
+ surprisingly sweet and thoughtful
+ consent and communication

I like it! Sure it has some questionable stuffs but at the end of the day it's a pretty uplifting highschool romance. I didn't expect the relationship to be so tender and caring. I also Love how laid back everyone is about two men dating, so refreshing to see.

4.5/5

[18+, rom-com, slice of life]

What's up with the title?? Seriously, it's very misleading and has nothing to do with the plot. I almost dismissed it as one those unrealistic smut mangas, but I'm glad i gave it a chance because it was far from that. The MC is endearing (and Relatable), the story is wholesome, the relationship is healthy, the characters' dynamic is great, and more importantly: Haze is smoking HOT. Definitely worth a reread.

4/5

[18+, rom-com]

TW: boss-subordinate, daddy kink, age play

The dynamic of this couple was truly the star of the manga. There are a lot of iffy tropes (eg power imbalance, sexual harrassment, age roleplay, etc) that would have turned me away if not because of how self-aware and into it both of the MCs were. They both fully consented and had so much fun with each other that i couldn't help but support their relationship.