I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #older man/younger man(27)

Miyashiro Miyagi, whose job at the traditional Japanese restaurant, Tachibana, and entire fortunes exist solely because of Kazuki-Taichou's recognition of his ability and hard work, is threatened in his position by the heir to Tachibana, and must endure both scrutiny and suspicion due to his unknown family connections. Meanwhile, he is being sexually harassed by Haruhi, the assistant chef from Tachibana's affiliate restaurant. Miyagi's heart is filled with gratitude to Kazuki for all his support, but are his affections returned? Or are Kazuki and Haruhi hiding something from him?—Something crucial to his livelihood? This story is rich with well-developed characters and driven by a strong, interesting plot filled with intrigue. The sex scenes are ample, well-balanced in terms of power distribution and very, very satisfying. It is one of my old-time favourites!

Sugiura Sakae returns as a teacher to the elementary school where, years before, Fukada Ryuuji, his own teacher, saved him from grave personal danger, but age and despair have taken their toll on Fukada-sensei, and Suguira has a difficult time reconciling the memory of the man who protected and inspired him, with the scruffy man whose laisser-faire attitude offends his sense of effort and accomplishment. Can anything be done to mend Fukada's crushed soul? This inspirational story is one of my favourites and cemented Tenzen Mamoko as one of the greatest yaoi mangakas ever! Just a beautiful realistic story.

Yorokobi wa Ude no Naka is the sequel to Yorokobi wa Hiza no Ue [http://www.mangago.com/read-manga/yorokobi_wa_hiza_no_ue/] and develops the story of Orito Aoi, whose inappropriate love for his younger brother, Kouki, led him to leave his home and move in with Sagara, an older man who loves him. Their relationship is constricted by Aoi's past, however, and by the imbalance of power as Aoi uses Sagara. Sagara sets up some boundaries which force Aoi to change, just as Aoi receives a few hard knocks from Kouki and his mother and comes to new self-realizations. Better than its predecessor, this story is a very satisfying and rich exploration of character.

Yorokobi wa Hiza no Ue follows the love story of Orito Kouki, a waiter who works in his mother's bar, and Mitsuru, the older brother of Kouki's friend, Yuzuru. The boundaries of brotherly love and duty are explored as Mitsuru tries to be dutiful to Yuzuru in a way that Kouki's own brother, Aoi, cannot be, as Aoi's love for Kouki is transgressive. Aoi's story is continued in the sequel, Yorokobi wa Ude no Naka [http://www.mangago.com/read-manga/yorokobi_wa_ude_no_naka/]. Katou Setsuko's storytelling is realistic and subtle, and this story is a very satisfying read.

On his way home from school one day, Horikita Mei rescues a cat in a tree and falls on top of the extremely near-sighted Akihiko, breaking his glasses. To compensate, Mei works at Akihiko's secondhand/recycle shop and starts to fall for the easy-going flirt, but Akihiko has a secret which Mei wants to learn, and Akihiko won't share it with him. Can Mei become the sort of person Akihiko can depend on?

Sumitaka wants to have anal sex with Shino, but since Shino suffers from "shy ass" syndrome, Sumitaka has to get creative with his deflowering techniques.

Hot butler and sweet kid fend their way through the vultures of culture in Maruya Kae's gorgeous art style.

Tsuge Kazuma is severely beaten and left to bleed out on a public street where nobody stops to help him except Tsuge, who brings him home and cleans him up. He is smitten by Tsuge and wants to make a meaningful contribution to his life, especially when their boss absconds with the company's bankroll, but he has no specialized training or job skills which allow him to be more upstanding in that regard. Suzuki Tsuuta deals with this fraught subject with a very light approach.

A beautifully drawn fairytale about creatures that must be controlled by a loved one or they become the ultimate destructive force. One of the last remaining manbeasts, Mao, meets Syon, a bounty hunter, while hunting for his brother, but will treachery keep them apart? This is a yaoi classic.

Shinoda, broken from divorce and loneliness, stumbles into the antique shop of Askura, who treasures broken things, and Shinoda slowly comes to life under the gentle sweetness of Askura's interest and attention, even though he has never identified as being a gay man. This manga has a beautiful use of realism with hesitant and circling conversations, lots of details about how they live and the slow way in which these two people come to love each other. It's an incredibly satisfying read.