SpringHaze's manga / #Established Relationship(20)

I think it's a first that I read a manga that is so wholly centred around what it means to be gay and the pressure of hiding it, while living a blissful and wholesome life as a 10-year established couple. Very sweet and bittersweet at the same time.

Ok, the first story was cute and a little silly, but this is where things get real: they are in an established relationship and one of them realises he needs to work on his own career and become his own man instead of being his lover's subordonate, there's a lot of background story for the gay one about homophobia and the challenges he faces as an out gay man (there was a bit on his mother that was understated and absolutely heartbreaking - he has brown hair, like his mother, and he faces bullying from kids on the playground but his mom hugs him and tells him she loves him because he has her hair, but she is not as loving later on when he confesses to being gay) and there is a very unusual bit at the end about uke's low sex drive and talk if he is just not into sex, where he admits that cuddling is enough for him - an ace character (even if obliquely referenced) is so, so rare in yaoi especially in a scene where they sit down and talk about it calmly and the seme is understanding and apologetic for pushing him. Uke likes it slow and gentle and he likes being held, so this is what they do.

I love this series, it's so sweet and down to earth. This sequel explores further their life together, living together and having to do long distance because of work. Also some kid is trying to set up Tomoaki with his mom who is his trainee and I smell trouble brewing. Edit: Somehow I missed this getting completed and read it all again and fucking bawled my eyes out. They break up for a few months and Chikashi comes out to his parents and they wear rings and meet his parents again and everything hurts so much. It's such a gorgeous tender story and I love everything about it.

Anezaki, my beloved, why do you make me cry?!?!?!??! Beautiful!

This is a very melancholy story and it's both sad and hopeful. Highschool sweethearts had such an instant and powerful connection they were absolutely certain they were an alpha x omega fated pair - instead they turned out to be betas, which makes their life a little hard as a gay couple (much like the usual feat in yaoi, societal pressure to become outstanding, normal citizens). They have been together 10 years now and are hopelessly devoted and in love but the seme desires all the special perks of fated couples (being out and able to hold hands in public, having children) which is a very not subtle hint at the way queer couples want all the rights hets take for granted. No one turns out to be misgendered or secretly an omega, they carry on as they have but this was a trial they surpassed.

I have to agree with sensei: writing a story after the getting together part, with an established relationship, is the best. This starts with two guys dating for about 3 months with no progress made in the way of lovey dovey stuff and then throws us into the deep end of the pool with feelings and found families. It was so heartwarming and positively sweet. Also, coming out was welcomed and drama-free.

Cocomi is fantastic at doing complicated feelings and this hit all my twisted buttons: we have breakup right at the beginning and all the tangled emotions that come with this being so recent and raw such as fucking and then leaving for your new home, not reading texts, not talking about feelings but jerking off to your ex instead and a lot of reminiscing to put everything into perspective (Toui's face when Tsukushi gave him the key to their apartment after clinging to it for seemingly too long, God!). Toui is a writer who gets lost into his craft and occasionally forgets to do chores or whatever else his live-in lover, Tsukushi, asks him to do, but he still wears his ring and is so helplessly trying to get his bf back, in a way that resonated with me so deeply. He's a loud personality but he's quiet in his grief and suffers hopelessly alone in their apartment, while belatedly making all the efforts. Tsukushi in turn is ready to let go, not quite convinced by the reasoning that drove him to leave, but seeing ahead how the feelings will fade, and he is actually the one who has simply given up. They are still in love but the thread that connects them is frayed already and Toui is the only one still fighting. This made me sad and weepy and I couldn't wait for the moment when Toui asked him back during frantic last time sex and says he loves him. When Tsukushi put his ring back and showed up at the apartment, tears again. Out in French in September 2023, I fucking screamed!!! And Tokyopop (Jan 16th 2024)!!!!!! I mean!!!!!!!! Edit: When you're out and about in London Forbidden Planet and decide to pay full price for manga like a goon.

Boys don't communicate and boys are horny. Love the bitchslap seme gets when he tries to apply some much hated yaoi tropes - you got hard accidentally seeing other people fuck so rape is perfectly justified (also, you're together so it's not rape - man, this one strikes home every time). But everything is well, uke is treasured but still fucked silly. Both look similar in build, with seme slightly more delicate, which is love.