I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #Sakuragi Yaya(4)

"I want all your firsts." Jun steps forward when Toshiyuki finally gives up his unrequited gay love for his heterosexual childhood friend, Yasoshira. The rest of the story explores how they overcome their reticence and have a real relationship. Sakuragi Yaya understands and depicts emotions clearly. This is one of her best, a yaoi classic.

Tanihara owns and runs a shabby corner smoke shop and confectionary and takes care of Chisuzu, the very cute daughter of his ex-wife. Older, careworn and hemmed in by responsibilities and circumstances, Tanihara has no hopes for the future, no dreams left, no thoughts that there may be someone out there who could love him. That is, until he meets Dr. Takafumi Saji, the physician who has taken over the local pediatric clinic, who happens to be gay and who is attracted to Tanihara's 'type'. A mature and easy-going story about real adult men. I liked it better than its prequel, Yume Musubi, Koi Musubi.

You have to hand it to Ao, once he decided he was in love with his old friend and neighbourhood Buddhist priest, Ryoumei, nothing but nothing will get in his way. It's Ryoumei who needs to be coaxed into releasing the iron-clad armoring over his heart, and he won't hear of it as long as Ao is not a legal adult. Plus, the biggest obstacle of all is that he isn't gay. Also, there are unresolved family issues. This story takes its time developing the lives and circumstances of these characters and letting them ease into love. The sequel, Himegoto Asobi, is even more interesting to me (because both characters are adults with difficult pasts to overcome.)

Two lonely high school classmates bond over nail polish because one is exceptionally good at hand work.