alienplantcentral's Manga

read this in one go, super nice story, it was nice to read something different. i didn't know i was gonna get so attached to the characters and story, but i was crying all over the place by the end. a really good story about aspects of life when you're queer, but also just broad subjects like acceptance, love and loss that were handled really lovely. really resonated with me as a lesbian and as someone that experienced loss quite recently. makes some really good reflections on societal norms and the homophobia finely embedded into it, while still balancing this cute story about a mismatched family. so yeah, cute, self contained, and poignant!

May 2017
Ch3: Yeeeaaah man, that's some good shit. I like this manga's style. Both the art, but the feeling too. It feels realistic, and it's got that unmistakable defeated look to it. Looking forward to seeing what happens! I like the premise, and seemed to get for real excited at the end of the last chapter there. Haven't felt that way about a manga in a long time. Let's hope it updates soon.

Ch5: fuck dude, this manga is so good!

edit dec 2020: i guess i thought this would go on but it didn't, so i never added it to 'read', but i recently reread it and it deserves its spot there! i love this author and this manga was very cute!

it was super super cute!!! felt a bit hmm abt the first couple but the second I fell in love with!!!! adorable art too :)

(Sep 2017) Ch52: So... I've been reading this for the past 2-3 days, getting caught up, and... I'm in love. It's so good. It sets the bar for all lgbtq+ media higher than ever. A touching, well-paced and well-established story filled with interesting and diverse characters, intriguing plot and wonderful art. To see a story (and a korean one none the less!) dealing with such serious and violent themes, that are definitely a real world problem right now... I have actually barely seen that. I've seen a lot of stories create a symbol for racism and homophobia etc., but this story.. it's raw, brutal, unforgiving and honest. It takes itself seriously. I have to commend the author so, so much.
And just let me talk about how this story is presented... pacing, layout, all that good stuff... it ain't easy. And this author does it extremely well, I was baffled right from the beginning. I remember reading the very first chapter, repeating in my head 'I love this' over and over, it was so well made. The parallels between the performance and the sex scene that probably took place afterwards was beautifully made, and I delighted in seeing similar parallels, that is two scenes being presented at the same time, throughout the story. It's such a hard thing to pull off, but if done right it can be downright magical. To introduce us to the story that way was very clever. It also brings me to my next point...
My only gripe, which is only really barely an issue, is that there's... a lot of sex. Now, I love pornography. I'm not ashamed to say so. It's natural, a big part of most people's lives, and it honestly helps me calm. So I enjoyed all the sex, but it becomes a bit superfluous after such a long time. However, I do understand that sexuality is a big part of the story. The sex in this story is not only between the main couple after all, there's a whole lot more than that. It takes a focus, and I have to wonder if that's because the author wants sexuality to be a main thing, or if she's just horny. I know if I'd be writing a story I'd include a whole lot of sex, too.
Another thing I'd like to bring up is the sheer brutality of this story. It is dark, and sad. There's racism and homophobia to the point where assault, kidnapping, rape, homicide and suicide is involved. This story doesn't hold back. Of course, you're not meant to enjoy any of it, and what we're shown is usually pretty brief. I, for one, am grateful this story doesn't shy away from the grime these topics carry.
All that being said though, this story is still beautiful. I have to talk about the main pair, Simon and Conor. I have not seen two characters this in love in a long time. They are so incredibly in love with each other, they are each others' everything, and they nearly lost it being apart. I liked how we got to know them and their current situation before we really got to learn about their past and how they got to where they were. We knew what was gonna happen, but it still hurt. It felt so good when they reconciled, it's like you could feel their contentedness radiate through the screen, making you feel happy too.
I've gone into a lot of detail here, and even that was only about a few things, but I'll stop here. All in all, this plot is very interesting and wonderfully executed; I'm really looking forward to see what's gonna happen next. There's a lot of storylines to wrap up, and it has been a delight so far to unravel the plot. I'll get back and talk more about it when more development has happened.

Ch61: so they're really in the eye of the public now. I like it. I like how this manhwa deals with this shit. It's such a refreshing take on this kind of story. By being out to this extent they'll help normalizing homosexuality, and that's so fucking wonderful, man. I hope things continue going up for them. Simon and Conor are still so lovely.

Ch74: oh... my god... i can't believe i didn't see that coming.

(finished dec 2017 and never wrote a proper review cause i was too emotional probably. phenomenal manhwa)

Ch1: oh my! I just clicked on this on a whim but it seems to have a heck of a lot of promise! the art is gorgeous, the timing seems nice, and it's gosh darn funny. not to mention it's a very unique concept. sign me up dude!

Ch2: i sure hope it doesn't actually end there! soo cute. even though there's like, no actual story hahah. i just think the characters are cute!! i hope this author makes lots more stuff, i love the art

Ch3: i'm tellin you, this better not be it!! i think it's over but hahahah i really liked it!! so cute. like i said before, i really hope this author does more stuff!

Last read: ch3

Soo, I binged this in like 3 days or smth. And yeah, by the end, (right now), I was ugly crying. Am, ugly crying. It's 2am, and I won't make this a very extensive review. There were lots of things I liked, lots of things I didn't like, but holy cow - that was one of the best redemption stories I have ever read. Talk about character development. Skyler did a huge 180 and when from the biggest jerk on earth to being a respectful, tolerant and caring guy. I didn't even know I was so invested in this story until I started bawling at the last chapter. It was good, okay? A very competently told story. It didn't really fall into any cliche's, and some predictable stuff I thought was gonna happen didn't happen. I was very surprised at how well it handled pretty much all of its themes, too! So yeah, bottom line, pleasantly surprised. And apparently very emotionally affected as well...

I love it!! It's sweet, atmospheric... feels very mediterranean? I've been in many places in europe so it feels both very homey but also exotic. Zariya is one of my favorite authors in the world, and the smut is, as always, grade A stuff. The story and characters were really adorable, but i think this time i like it mostly for the atmosphere. outstanding!

Sep 17, 2017, ch31: this story is really sweet! I want to see what happens next!

Ch79: Junoh... stop torturing him and just pamper your boyfriend goddamnit... and what's up with Chang Hyun falling for every boy possible that kid is like next level gay, man.

Ch84.5: woah, it just.. ended there? I felt like this story started off really great and sweet, but the author had no idea how to properly execute the conflict. so everything was vague and felt unresolved until all of a sudden, they stay together for 1.5 more years and then they graduate and the story's over? I feel like as a story, this manhwa is clearly lacking. There wasn't that much plot-wise, the relationships between the whole cast felt underdeveloped (what was the deal with Chang Hyun? And how did tinky winky actually fit into the story? Little sister, too, she was barely in it and when she was she was drooling over Gi Tae only to be turned down by him). The only real solid this manhwa had was the art, it was great.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this for the most part and the fast updates were fun, but in retrospect, it just wasn't very good. But can I just say, Junoh? He's the cutest boy I have ever seen. What a beauty. I'm happy he could finally make Minoh feel confident in their relationship.

I will still put it on read, because all in all I really was fond of the story and its characters.

I really liked this story! It was strange, a bit messed up, but all in all very refreshing. I wish I had more time to elaborate, but just know, it was really good!

Wow... let me try to convey all the things I'm feeling after this...

I've read many stories. My interests has made me stray from a lot of things I would've otherwise enjoyed, and the media I've consumed the last few years have mostly been manga, manhwa, fanfiction, with the stray tv show and movie here and there. This story however, is on a whole different level.

Such an interesting premise, top notch world building, three dimensional characters... you could tell this story was carefully crafted and well thought out. It managed to combine the homoerotica we all know and love, with a really great story. That's something I thought I would only find in the occasional fanfiction, so this story... it's a real gem. A diamond in the rough. No other manhwas I've ever read can compare to this. It did all the things a regular great fantasy story does, but also has the 'bl' themes, and it didn't feel forced or uneccessary. The relationship between Shell and Eric was beautiful, their love for one another was burning even hotter than their desire, and I'm so happy about that. This isn't just a regular fantasy story with gay sex thrown into the mix, it wasn't just for the smut... there was so much more to it. And it was lovely. It was absolutely lovely seeing Shell and Eric interact when their relationship had evolved more.

Reading this feels like fulfilling so many of my needs. A well executed story with great plot and characters, with a gay relationship, and all the sensuality that comes with it. Both the shallow, raw kind; but also the gentle, loving kind that shows they care about each other so much they feel like they're gonna burst.

Blood Bank. What a legend.