I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #salarymen(22)

Basically, a meet-cute between Yoshimatsu, the office ashtray, and Tsujimura, the gorgeous "rumoured-to-be-gay" guy in a completely different department. I like it because Yoshimatsu pretends to himself that he's a tough, cynical chauvinist, but he's actually very gallant and attractive.

A salaryman, who thinks he can only feel excited by virgins, runs into his match. Classic fetish story: a bit of bondage, some domination and humiliation with a twist.

A series of oneshots in which violence and control are sub-themes: (1) an abused boy finds love in the arms of a kind widower with a baby daughter; (2) a middle manager who cannot smile falls for a new office worker who can't stop smiling; (3) a pair of salarymen negotiate their way through a master/pet relationship; (4) a pair of schoolboys with deceptive appearances negotiate their way through a master/slave relationship.

"I need to make my rice balls more phallic ... I mean, TRIANGULAR!" And then, whoops! It suddenly nose-dives into psycho territory. What's with this sudden creepy chill? I thought we had a nice light comedy thing with possible threesome happening?

The trials and tribs of Tsuji, airhead, and Aizawa, the stoic, as they chart the course of gay relationship after lifelong friendship. Hilarious line: "I am sad that this makes me so happy." (Just read it and find out why.) Asou Kai is very perceptive at emotional content and behaviour. It makes for lively and interesting stories. Bonus, her artwork is attractive, too.

(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.