sadslime's manga / #Stories that made me cry(5)

A selection of ghost stories, the first three chapters about a cat ghost and the last two about a cherry tree spirit. They’re a little strange, but honestly, the cat ghost made me cry, so don’t knock it.

Yuki lives with his late sister's husband, Keiichirou, and he's secretly in love with him. He plans to live with this unrequited love his entire life, but when Keiichirou finally tries to bridge the gap between them, Yuki is torn apart by his guilt toward his older sister. A heart-rending story of moving on after loss. No trigger warnings.

Yuuki and Akira are students at different schools who met while playing the game of walking on the white line on the road. Akira fell in love first, and this manga covers their lives as they go from silly teens to lovey dovey college students to working men struggling with the realities of life who ultimately find each other again. A very sweet story that is almost guaranteed to make you cry a few tears, but is absolutely worth it. Trigger warning: possible cheating.

Ch.1, 4.5-4.7 - Mauri and Dragon - In a village devoid of women after they were all taken by a cruel lord, the young boy Mauri is offered to the wandering dragon god when he demands an offering. The dragon is at first displeased, but comes to like spending time with Mauri so much that when he sees the men of the village try to make Mauri "comfort" them like he did in the past, the dragon won't stand for it. Starts a little dark, but ends with a very cute and sweet family. Trigger warnings: mention of kidnapping, attempted rape. Ch.2 - The Rain God - Matsuri has always been able to see strange things, including the seemingly powerful being Shiromine who he's known and admired since he was a child. Matsuri has what he thinks is a one-sided crush on Shiromine, but when he lashes out at Shiromine for treating him like a child and Shiromine causes it to rain for days on end, he realizes that Shiromine cares for him more than he lets on. I like their relationship and how it's developed over time. Trigger warning: touching/kissing a minor. Ch.3a-3b - Hunter of Everlasting Spring - The god of spring (bird) has taken notice of the hunter Jiin who comes to the mountain every year and listens to his song, but this year the god of spring suddenly took human form because of his feelings for Jiin. When he was kidnapped and made to sing on command for greedy humans, Jiin was the one to save him, but now that they're together, the god still doesn't know how to express his feelings to Jiin. Trigger warning: kidnapping, slavery. Ch.4 - The Wandering One - After a young boy's family is killed, he's left alone and gets taken in by a man, Kitsune, and the very large horse he has with him, Orphée. The boy learns the two are lovers and the horse is a god, and when the group they're with is attacked again, including Kitsune, he and Orphée team up to take the men down. But the young boy isn't quite what he seems. Trigger warning: murder, attempted kidnapping. Vol.2 Ch.1-2 - Itsuka and Black Dragon - As war rages across the country, Itsuka leads a group of bandits who steal to get by while chasing after the black dragon who supposedly brings calamity, but who is also Itsuka's lover. But when he takes in a young boy named Jiri who's life was destroyed by the war, Jiri can't accept Itsuka's connection with the dragon. Trigger warning: war, beheading, death by starvation. Vol.2 Ch.3 - Lonely Tanta - Tanta is a feathered dog creature left alone after his mother's death. When he tries to pluck his feathers and catch a fish so he can enter a pack of dogs, a stranger helps him catch a fish, but his offering is rejected by the pack. However it turns out the stranger was a wondering god who took a liking to Tanta, so perhaps neither has to be alone anymore. This one has made me cry. I also like that it's the one story with love between a god and a nonhuman. Trigger warning: attempted murder (between animals).

Genji, a former criminal, picked up an injured leopard cub on a rainy day, only for the cub to turn into a human boy who he called Koushirou. Five years later, Koushirou has grown into an adult man, and now he wants to pursue a relationship with Genji, who worries about being together with a child he raised, even if he's grown now. But before Genji can fully work out his feelings, a being who calls himself Koushiro's "brother" appears and tells Koushiro it's time to go home. Very intense and emotional. A good read if you don't mind the parent/child aspect of it. Trigger warning: incest themes (guardian)