Heuristic's Manga

**NOTE: If you're going to read this, skip the chapters labelled Tankoubon. They are largely redundant and absolutely crater the pacing of the story - while they do contain some small bits of additional information and re-edits, they are like anime recaps. Do yourself a favor and skip them. Trust me.***

The story opens on two childhood friends living comfortably in Tokyo as next door neighbors. Sakyou works as a chef and is effervescent and sociable. Uyama, a florist, is gruffer but kind. Their equilibrium is shattered when a series of indiscretions makes it obvious that Uyama has sexual and romantic feelings for Sakyou.

This is an absolutely typical BL plot done right. The tags and the summary seem so dull, so rote that I almost skipped this one in spite of my appreciation for the author's other works. I am so glad I didn't.

The story structure is cleverly constructed, with the main drama occurring over a few tumultuous days as things come to a head. Since the rising tension and frustration is interspersed with lengthy flashbacks to their friendship over the years, the reader becomes invested in these two as characters and the stakes of the drama become increasingly urgent as they slowly, plausibly, fall apart.

The other element that makes this work so well is the characters: while both are recognizable types, there is enough detail to the writing and their history, the real sense that they have matured and changed as people over the years while remaining recognizably themselves, that lends what is, at least on the surface, the most cliched of BL plots feel psychologically plausible and well-earned. There is also some excellent POV writing on display, especially in the earlier volumes that focus more on Uyema.

The source of the conflict isn't misunderstandings (for the most part): it's a realization and the conflict that has to be worked through as a result. An excellent story all around, even if it does have some minor flaws. If you're going to check this out, though, please heed my advice in the beginning of this review. Take it from someone who read every posted chapter - it'll be much better if you skip those chapters.
****
CW:
Nothing that troubled me overmuch, but a very drunk Uyama pressures Sakyou to let him give him a blow job, and, after protesting, Sakyou gives in. So dub con on both ends, for sure, and that is repeated at a later junction in the manga. They also tend to drag and push one another around a lot in a manga-typical way, but nothing that was over the line for me, and it all felt pretty realistic for men who have been friends since they were kids. But, again, your mileage may vary.

It's a charming extra for a charming manga. Read It Can't be Mutual first.

This is a (mostly?) lighthearted, goofy riff on a classic Japanese folk tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle. In the original story, the turtle escorts his human savior to the sea kingdom, where he marries a dragon princess. He stays with her for a few days, before he asks to be brought to land so he can visit his elderly mother. The princess agrees, giving him a box that allows him to return to the human world, only he is not to open it. When he returns, centuries have passed. In his grief, he opens the box, whereupon he is transformed into an old man. In this modern retelling, we start with Hitachi Hayato, an overworked, miserable salaryman who drowns while visiting the seaside on one of his rare days off. He is saved by the sole human denizen of an underwater kingdom and erstwhile lover of the dragon princess, Urashima Tarou. Tarou has been kicking it in the underwater kingdom for hundreds of years. But his time - and Hayato's - is limited, since the dragon princess' impending marriage means she can't keep any human boy toys around and Hayato cannot live in the space between life and death forever.

This manga is really fun, and there are moments that are genuinely good, but ultimately the medley of comedy, offbeat fairytale update, BL romance, and meditation on the nature of life, pleasure, aging, and death don't quite cohere. All of the elements introduced are done well, mind you - the jokes land more often than not, there was clearly a lot of thought put into how the author wanted to retell the original folk tale, and the parallels between Hayato's frustration with his miserable, grinding modern life and the hedonistic suspension of life that the fisherman has embraced in the underwater kingdom are well-conceived and well-written. The problem is when you throw all these things together and add a lot of the obligatory formulaic BL sex scenes throughout, it loses its poignancy. The jumbling of fairy tale themes and explicit sex can work (Haji's Double Hound and Red Hood come to mind), but here it doesn't quite come together.

That being said, there is a lot to like here and I think most BL fans will enjoy this underseas romp with a more serious side that occasionally surfaces. It's a very readable and occasionally imaginative story with a lot to recommend it, even if the usual pacing of BL sex is jarring and it never quite finds its footing enough to be as poignant or interesting as it should be.
***CW***
Not much by genre standards. Pushy (if refreshingly flamboyant) semes, and sexual harassment from an inebriated octopus (really), but the tone is so light and out there that it's probably sufficiently inoffensive for 99% of BL readers.

Hozumi is returning to his island hometown after attending university in Tokyo. He is looking forward to reconnecting with Ishizaki, whom he dated then cruelly dumped in high school. He is surprised to learn, upon arriving, that Ishizaki has become reclusive, tending the lighthouse his grandfather left him.

This was a low-key manga, and, unlike many commentators, I didn't love or hate it. Hozumi's youthful cruelty isn't so extreme that it requires much to resolve as adults, and it isn't much different from a dozen other decently constructed reencounter BL manga out there. So why does it get four stars? I'll be honest. It's a nice story, and it features a lighthouse keeper. So even if it normally would be a high three stars, I have to give it four. Check this out if you want something relaxing and slow with a novel setting that is nicely paced but doesn't break the mold. No warnings for this one.

Kichiza is a reformed thief who gets targeted in lieu of Fujimori, the third son of a prominent family. Fujimori takes him back to his mansion where he lives in isolation, and decides to keep him there as a respite from his loneliness. I loved the dynamic art, the action, and historical detail in this story. But, at bottom, this is a pretty typical comedic BL narrative dressed in historical garb, with the retired thief in the role of the unwilling uke and the beautiful young man from an elite family as the cool seme. That being said, I can't say I did not enjoy this a great deal. It's not objectively good, per se, but if you're craving some typical genre fare with fantastic art and some nice historical details thrown in, I'd recommend it.
***CW***
Fujimori is handsy and pushy at first, but it definitely goes full on into rapey territory when its revealed that he's been having his housekeeper drug him so he can finger him while he sleeps so Kichiza gets used to anal sex. It's played off as a joke, and the tone of the story is light, but just be aware of it going into it.

Akira is a gay man who won't sleep with anyone twice. When be bends his rules for a straight guy he picks up at a bar in order to give him "sex lessons," things get a little out of hand. This is... nice enough, but definitely generic. There is no development for Seo, the virginal straight dude, who goes from not knowing anything about sex to being infatuated with Akira in no time at all. Akira gets a little more attention as a character, but it's only to repeat the tired cliche of the "slut" who is afraid of commitment because he was hurt once by someone in a very genre-typical way. All in all, it's readable, but forgettable.
***CW***
Moooostly nothing, except for one incident where Seo gets jealous and is about to force himself on Akira until Akira slaps him (whereupon he stops). To give the story credit, this incident is treated seriously and causes a rift between our main characters, so I am inclined to give it a pass. But be aware before going into it.

A love story featuring two very damaged people: one an abuse victim and the other someone who lost their family in a series of accidents. I love this author, but this isn't really their strong suit. It's an ok story, but a lot of the darker psychological things they incorporate into this manga don't quite feel weighty or well earned enough to make this truly compelling. It's not bad, per se, but a lot of the trauma feels a bit like set dressing, particularly the abuse backstory. The mangaka is better with lighter stories, so if you're new to their work I'd suggest checking out Mother's Spirit or Sayonara, Itoshi No My Friend, which are worlds better. This one was a miss for me.
***CW***
Nothing for the romantic pair (consent is emphasized), but warnings for references to physical and sexual abuse by his mom and her partner (nothing is shown, just referenced, so relatively tasteful in that regard).

I won't bother with a summary, since this is a straightforward ero comedy. It's very stupid, funny, and sexy, so, for what it is, it's good. Recommended if you want something goofy but porny.
***CW***
All sex is enthusiastically consensual, but at one point one character molests the other while he sleeps. Of course this is fine, since the other character likes it, but it's sort of taken as a sign of intensity of feeling and the guilt he feels is laughed off. Which doesn't bother me at all in the context of a porn manga with a lighthearted premise, but if that will bother you skip this one.

Nice enough oneshot, although it doesn't quite achieve the level of pathos and sadness one might hope from a story with this premise. Worth a read, if with a somewhat lackluster execution.