I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #multiple stories(42)

A series of varied yaoi oneshots about men who grapple with their real natures in the face of social approbation: (1) Tomo and Keita live separately as male friends, both with girlfriends, until a heatwave, one summer, leads to homosexual experimentation. Has this summer fling revealed their true selves, or was it just a side affair to their main relationships? (2) Even though Yoh is a responsible adult capable of making tough decisions, he has been inhibited by an unfortunate incident in his childhood where a daycare teacher insisted that it was wrong for 2 men to marry. Can he ever live as openly and courageously homosexual as Akira, the neighbour and old friend, for whom he nurtures a secret crush? (3) A flower spirit transforms into a human shape in order to express his love for the gardener who cares for his kingdom. (4) Ayasuji, a young salaryman is put out when he's ordered to spend a month hosting Ren, the wealthy heir to a family corporation who has taken a "Roman Holiday" in order to find out what it's like to live without the burden of executive level responsibilities and isolation. Ayasuji's injured feelings change as the full cost of Ren's upbringing is slowly revealed. Touko Kawaii portrays human emotions with such a keen sense of observation and awareness, her stories are powerful and sensitive. A lot of people take issue with the simple, childlike quality of the artwork, but Touko's stories more than make up for issues with the drawings. Each story, although relatively short as the oneshots they are, is as rich and developed as most manga.

A series of short stories based around the theme of various disparities in physical stature, income, prestige, age, experience, strength and ability, all of which provoke insecurity and must be overcome. There is a lot of physical aggression, abuse, defense and fighting, not with the shock that horror stories convey, but as an existential reality common to Bohra's characters. It seems as though the stories are meant to be comic, but because the problems are often realistic and pitiable (not laughable), it comes across more manic and zany, than hilarious. Commitment is demonstrated by the resolve and endeavour to overcome differences and to live autonomously within the partnerships — so that may be inspirational. And, typical of Bohra, there's lots of great sex! :-)

(1) A company secretary mistrusts the comfort and easiness of his relationship with the company president's friend, and in a moment of jealousy, goes drinking and does something he thinks he regrets. (2) An earnest young boy gives another boy, one who comes from a troubled situation, his vote of confidence and is rewarded with his heart. (3) A sparkly young employee isn't just enthusiastic and optimistic naturally. He explains why to his boss. (4) A gay librarian at an all-boys' school is determined not to have an affair with the passionate young man who is clearly infatuated with him. All the stories are powerful, emotionally true and vivid as Machiya Hatoko's stories usually are. The afterword is also hilarious.

A series of short stories which positively erupt with Mio Junta's sparkly yaoi magic. (1) A boy is scared of an over-enthusiastic suitor who might be a stalker, until his suitor backs off. (2) A college dorm roommate is afraid of invading his lover's space ... These stories explore the edge between eager confessions and coming on too strongly. The illustrations, as typical of Junta Mio, are gorgeous.

Light realistic stories about various themes. (1) A young man is pursued by his boss, upon whom he once had a crush, but who he wants to discourage as he is now married. A gay neighbour intervenes, but won't step into the gap to replace him, even though the young man is just his type and is more than willing. (2) A mysterious loner of a boss and the young man who has a crush on him and discovers his extreme domestic habits. (3) A company secretary and the president's son, forced to share an apartment under extreme circumstances. (4) The secret language of flowers and a young man's love for a man he once saw in his youth.

Aoyama Toomi took on some very trigger-laden subject matter, especially in the first story, but she treated her characters with such respect and kindness that it overcomes the power imbalances. The stories are generally light with realistic emotional responses. The main story is about a doting uncle and his relationship with his introverted teenaged nephew, based on an emotional connection built up slowly over time and games of chess. There are two secondary stories, one about mistaken identities and judging people on appearances, and the third about how cats respond to gentleness.

Astrophysicist fellow, Kawamoto Kuroki, has cast his wandering gay eyes on Koroki, another doctorate student in the Astronomy department, who he met during a particularly magical meteor shower viewing one night. Sadly for him Koroki is solely fixated on the professor, and there is no attachment to his desire. So what is a jaded maneater like Kawamoto to do? A richly developed and realistic story about mature love, the lack of expectations and personal sacrifice. A very satisfying read!

Handsome good-for-nothings who depend on their faces ... and it works.

A variety of different slice-of-life stories ranging from older virgins, violent rapists, roommates ... all somewhat melancholy and jaded.