Heuristic's (Completed and Reviewed!!) 4 and 5 Star BL Manga PART I

If you're in the mood for emotionally/psychologically complex stories with somewhat strange premises and characters that are atypical for the genre, definitely give this one a go. Feels mature in its handling of its subjects and characters, and as a bonus features men who are well into their 30s (!).

Perfectly paced, beautifully drawn & heartfelt manga that avoids a lot of school life BL cliches. The characters struggle with self-acceptance, internalized homophobia, social pressure, & teenage sexual ineptness in a way that feels appropriate to their particular life stage & distinctive personalities. Highly recommended if you're in the mood for for a school life story that is not set in a BL fantasy world w/a slow burn & interesting characters.

A manga that illuminates its exceedingly dark world with a ray of genuine tenderness that keeps the reader invested in what happens to our unhappy pair. Ending feels appropriate and satisfying for the arc and tone of the story; not over the top tragic. I personally would describe it as a happy/hopeful ending. So if you're in the mood for a darker manga that isn't bogged down in despair that sets its mood perfectly and follows through with a satisfying ending, give this one a shot.

The initial plot of the high school student undergoing both a sexual awakening and a harsh introduction into the complicated and messy world of adult sexual relationships is handled with sensitivity & nuance. It's tagged as "angst," but its angst comes from scenarios that feel plausible given the ages & personalities of the characters involved. Recommended if you want a coming of age story that feels realistic has a degree of complexity, in spite of the overly tidy conclusion.

Fundamentally, this is a mood piece: introspective, melancholic at times, and very affecting. While the personality of each character isn't always well-defined, the dynamics of each relationship is distinctive and takes center stage. Beautifully written and nicely drawn.
Recommended if you're in the mood for a story driven by intense emotions rather than plot and don't mind some disjointed storytelling; something a little sad but extremely romantic.

Imaginative, action-filled, and incredibly beautiful, it is a truly unique entry in the BL genre. I highly recommend this to readers who want a nice drawn-out love story (with a happy ending and plenty of variety and action) and who would find the deep historical and mythological threads that run throughout as engaging as I did.

A sober meditation on the nature of grief, particularly when one is grieving as a lover who could never be acknowledged. The love story between the son and his father's former lover is sensitively handled and develops plausibly, and is that much more satisfying for it. I highly recommend this manga if you're looking for something different from your run of the mill BL, what is ultimately a feel-good story that earns its happy ending and deals with death and grief maturely.

All in all, this is a collection of stories that have happy endings but deep undercurrents of pain running through them. Fundamentally, they are about healing. What makes this manga really stand out, however, is the beautiful art, which does most of the heavy lifting in terms of conveying the feelings of the characters. An excellent showcase for how the temporality of manga can be used to tell beautifully moving stories.

While there isn't a lot that steps radically outside the typical BL story, what makes this one great is the fact that all the characters featured in it are kind people with real feelings that are taken seriously in the narrative. This is a manga that doesn't have a mean bone in its body. Highly recommended if you want a story featuring gay adults and drama that is rooted in character rather than silly circumstances. No rape/dubcon

This story is damn near perfect: dark, sweet, tragic, and hopeful. The buildup of their relationship is slow and doesn't follow the usual pattern for the genre. The characters are well-rounded and believable, and while I am sure it isn't a starkly realistic picture of life in a yakuza clan, it isn't the typically idealized picture of criminal life one tends to see in yakuza BL stories. Recommend if you want a slower story that pays attention to character & has moral and psychological complexity