TachibanaChiharu's manga / #Webtoon(4)

Adults who were friends since elem. Mc's best friend tells him one day that he's getting a divorce, and suddenly all the mc's old feelings for his best friend start resurfacing. It doesn't help that the best friend has always been very clingy with mc, and was very touchy feely since years ago. Best friend moves in with mc temporarily and begins the journey of understanding his own feelings while the mc starts a new relationship with someone who reminds him of his best friend. This actually ended up being pretty good by the end. I do think all the characters' various neuroses are explained and threaded into the story and their actions well. I do feel like Seth's character was kind of a waste (give him a better chara design please). This sort of story feels like a character like Seth is owed something by the end, although I will admit their closing statements do kind of wrap it up, even if Seth isn't happy. Some other characters were squandered, such as Will, plus the ex-wife is forgotten after the moment she talks to the mc. I do feel like Henry/Sam's relationship was built up very well (although Henry is way more stubborn than he needs to be), and that things feel properly earned by the end. This is definitely worth reading. I don't know if it needed to be 70 chapters, but it was pretty good storytelling.

College student x adult, age gap 15yrs. Mc is working with a group of misfits at his college to create a game to submit to a big company. When the day comes to present, mc gets hit with a windows update and can't present, and so the investors walk out. He hurriedly compiles a paper submission and sneaks it onto the director's desk, and then runs into the director later that night at a bar right after the director's been dumped. Director suggests mc use his body to convince him to look at the paper submission instead of throwing it out, and mc accepts. director is a total asshole to mc, and leaves saying he won't look at it. later director feels guilty and looks, and realizes their submission is awesome. they receive the acceptance the next day after mc thought he blew it completely, and then they have to navigate being in the same building with the director who was a total dick. director seems atypically interested in their group and keeps insinuating himself into their business. This is a fun romance story with great art, lots of variety in character designs, well-drawn smut, and very interesting characters/side characters. the plot is complex, interesting, and woven together really well, although some of the romance b-plot stuff is a little forced or cliche. it has a few flaws, but not enough to ding it a star. the biggest issue is that director kang is a huge asshole to mc and never really has to make up for it. mc continues drooling over him after being horribly mistreated. this feels as though it is forced upon mc in order to have imaginary smut scenes when the characters aren't yet hooked up, but it feels shitty because mc should be pissed at kang, not jerking off over how rough and rude he was. the upside is that director kang recognizes he was an asshole and tries to atone for it, but having mc not realize and/or not care is "problematic". this story really needed a rival to director kang for mc's affections after mc's group moves offices in the new company. kang really needs to work to get mc back after mistreating him so much. secretary cha was so awesome, but her interesting character doesn't really get a story of any kind... it would've been interesting to hook her up with mina. seems like the two would've worked well together. i wanted to see more with the secretary. the america arc feels a little tacked-on at the end, given it's so short, and really needed to be expanded to about 30 ch or dropped entirely (or relegated to side stories). the story in general lacks a little of the usual wrap-up, so it does feel like side stories might be coming -- normally the main couple moves in together, gets rings, introduces each other to their families, or gets married.... something. here kang just quits his job and stays in korea to date mc. feels a little incomplete. i will be shocked if there aren't a few side stories to wrap some of this up. overall this was a fun read that i've been waiting for for ages. you don't often see a mc/uke of this calibur/quality. i will take as much extra as the author is willing to chuck at me. bring on the side stories!

Adults. Mc is an author, and his sister sends her drunk bf, a famous actor, over to stay at mc's place. The run-in with actor was creepy, but mc finds him cutesy for some reason. Anyway, this leads to a series of run-ins since he's dating mc's sister, and the bf misunderstands, thinking that mc is her ex-bf, not her brother, and tries to get to the bottom of it. eventually the two spend a lot of time together for various reasons, and then the sister breaks the relationship off with actor to allow actor to pursue his feelings for mc even though mc neither pushes him away or acknowledges him. Eventually the two discover they knew each other ages ago, but didn't realize it until now. So, this series does have nice art, although the mc's design is decidedly dull for some reason. RSR's character design is always a treat to look at. This story definitely has very distinct, well-realized characters. it's too bad they weren't in a story with a more cohesive plot. I could get the general gist of what was going on by the end: RSR (actor) used his sis's phone as a kid and started a conversation with someone who knew his sis who he thought was mc's sis but was actually mc. anyway, mc helped RSR pull through a really rough time in his life back then messaging him, and so when mc's sis got the phone back, she initiated a relationship with RSR who was happy to do so, since he had come to like her so much thru their phone conversations (although it was actually mc). in present day, RSR meets mc, who is the real one who helped him through tough times. mc's sis eventually breaks it off with actor, and then pushes them together in the end so they can be happy. anyway, this plot just wasn't conveyed in the most coherent way, which really negatively impacted the story. there wasn't much in the way of tropes here, but it is really almost impossible to connect with any of the characters or plot points because there is almost zero context to how any of these people relate to each other, how they met each other, how they feel about each other, etc. i have to wonder if the official txlation would be better and allow the plot to make more sense to where it could warrant a 4-star rating instead of a 3. but i don't find what i see here compelling enough as it is to really bother with paying for the chapters. anyway, you could take or leave this one. if you're gonna bother reading it, make an effort to pay close attention to everything and the context of the scenes and stuff because it's hella confusing even with some modicum of understanding.