#anyway this was my first yuri manhwa and!!!

[inuyumi]

RECS: Crush Of The Decade

Genre: Shoujo Ai, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Slice of life

Summary (took this on anime planet): Yuna has kept a secret for ten whole years: she has a crush on her best friend, Da-hye. It’s a secret she intends to keep for the rest of her life, but the new year brings a lot of surprises: including a strange new woman named Zoey, who just might change everything. Caught between two women, Yuna’s one-sided crush just might die down…or turn into something else entirely. After a whole decade of pining, is it time for Yuna to finally find her happy ending? And if so, who will be the one to ultimately grant it to her?

[ghostgirlyuri]

had a productive night of reading yuri and read all of sora & haena start to finish and all the extras and ah-young & jae-in and really really liked it all

sora & haena is so sweet and genuine watching sora come out of her shell and come to terms with liking women and them helping eachother and just enjoying eachothers company <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 super heartwarming fluffy but theres still the realistic troubles that come with love

all the extras were nice and enjoyable but ah-young & jae-in hoo boy i saw it listed as just extras like the rest and also as a spin off and its definitely the latter truly the perfect brand of toxic yuri that you kind of dont want to deal with the characters being the way they are but you just cant look away

theyre both so messy and impossible i really dont think there was ever gonna be anyone else for either of them cause who could put up with all that jae-in is so totally correct about ah-young being prideful and narcissistic but if jae-in was like 20% less autistic she couldve at least handled her temper tantrums and unrealistic expectations but she just isnt instead shes so completely incapable of understanding anything to do with love or dating or relationships and most of all she cant understand how or why she feels the way she does and seeing her trying so hard to stay with ah-young despite all that is so sweet and also kind of heartwrenching like with the rings! ah-young is so sure jae-in isnt paying attention to her talking about wanting couple rings but then! jae-in not only finds out her size and gets the rings but gets the exact ones that ah-young was showing her even though she obviously didnt understand and hates changing things about her life like what she wears!!! theyre both mean and kinda spiteful and no one else could date them but goddamn if they arent kinda perfect for eachother

[crimson-lair]

Just thought of something unhealthy for me in the middle of the night.. Path to Nowhere with Moonlight Garden AU (yes, the GL manhwa). LOOK WE HAVE THE GARDEN TOO YOU CAN'T TELL ME OTHERWISE 🤺 COCOLICKY AS THE OWNER HOHOHO SOMEONE NEED TO WRITE THIS AHJHHH- (anyway, big brain moment, but let me catch some sleep first, else slippers would fly onto my face (asian household fr). Mom told me I look like panda with how heavy my dark circles are smh.)

My brain has been infected by smth unholy at this hour. If you read the manhwa, you'll understand 😌

(and dayum, I just remembered that the side couple is doomed yuri 💀)

[kohakus-tv]

rise my himejoshi babes for i wanna make you read a certain yuri manhwa in case you haven't done so already, due to my very own nostalgia of the series

so, it's basically divided in two parts. the first part called "white angels have no wings" and the second "white angels get no rest" with the latter being my favourite out of the two, but tbh i wouldn't get the enjoyment out of it if i hadn't read the first part

i was rereading the second part yesterday and today and oOF-- my mind is all over kohakiha with the two protagonists. they're so fucked up and interesting, kohakiha is literally them aaaAAAJSDJ-

so uuuum how do i convince you to read that manhwa outside of the fact that they give me huge kohakiha vibes? uuuum idk honestly but i will drop a small summary of both parts in case you get interested

so basically white angels have no wings, is set in a catholic highschool, starting off with a girl who gets bullied a lot by three other girls, till our protagonist gets involved to save her. she's an albino girl called yeonhwa, seems nice and all but well, she's not all that better than the bullies previously mentioned, except she doesn't show that to the girl she saved. the other protagonist is basically one of the girls in the group of bullies. she's a rich girl called dahye and although the first part of the story isn't so much about her (at least in the first bunch of chapters), she plays a huge role into how the story revolves around yeonhwa. while yeonhwa is the protagonist, she's pretty much the antagonist of the story, she's a sadistic sociopath that just loves to see others suffer by her for her own pleasure. not gonna spoil the in-between stuff, but all I'm gonna say is that at some point she gets what she deserves, pretty much same goes for dahye too.

but the story doesn't end there, in the sequel of the story, we get to see those two 10 years later. yeonhwa now living "innocently", no longer fucked up as she used to be, as if she got to learn by her mistakes. and on the other hand dahye with huge ptsd from highschool, living independently, being fucked up, still seeking for revenge from yeonhwa in more than one interesting ways, till their worlds collide and dahye fullfils her dreams of revenge and yeonhwa goes back to being the fucked up person she had forgotten she was

i kinda don't wanna say much more because it's much more interesting through reading it.

also in the kohakiha sense; akiha is dahye and kohaku is yeonhwa

also it's very very very nsfw, i will also add some potential trigger warnings but first i wanna show y'all the protagonists because i also love the artstyle (although the art peaked on the second part)

them in white angels have no wings

them in white angels get no rest

tw: sa, bullying, harassment, incest

i had read somewhere the description of this manhwa as "psychosexual" i don't know how accurate exactly it is, but i wanted to mention it anyways

[yuri-ray]

No-Spoilers Review #4: Sora & Haena!

Content Warnings: stalking (without intention to harm)

An amazing manhwa! Sora & Haena! by Jackbull is a romance webtoon. It's about two high school girls who make a deal: Sora will help Haena get into college and Haena will help Sora get a boyfriend. (Obviously that's not exactly what happens.) It's light and fun, but it has depth too!

Is it good? Yes! This is something I can pretty much recommend to anybody who likes a good romance.

Sora Yoon (brown hair, short girl) is the main protagonist and Haena Woo (taller girl) is the second lead. Sora has the highest grades in the school, but is completely friendless and out of her depth in social situations. Meanwhile Haena is popular and sociable, but her grades are very bad. So Sora tutors Haena in academics while Haena tries to teach Sora how to make friends.

The art is charming and fun, and the two leads are both super likeable -- you gotta root for them. I love that they're understanding and supportive of each other.

There's also a supporting cast that's pretty good! This is one of the first times I actually felt kind of bad for the male "love interest" character in a yuri because he's genuinely a good and nice guy, even though Sora is super gay so he doesn't even register as a blip to her romantically. LOL

The most divisive one is definitely Jae-in Park. Jae-in, who has the #2 highest grades in the school, has a super unhealthy one-sided admiration for Sora based solely on her grades. She slowly learns to get over it, but her overall mental state is as thin as a wet sheet of tissue paper and she freaks out super easily. Personally, she's my favorite character... I love her. What a little freak. Totally divisive for understandable reasons though.

What the hell is wrong with her. She's literally like 10x as insane as all the other characters combined. (I'm not the biggest fan of Ah-Young personally, but that's 100% just a matter of character taste.)

Final Thoughts:

Anyway, the point is, Sora & Haena is funny and just all-around wholesome as well as being pretty well-written. I really think this is something that virtually everybody could enjoy! It's light and fluffy but has depth to back it up, and things progress at a good pace.

You can read it officially translated on Tapas, Tappytoon, and Lezhin.

Fair warning, after the main series ends, there are side stories set with the characters (now college-aged) that are absolutely rated 18+. One of the pairs is a student who, after graduating (and is now an adult), dates their former teacher. Whether that's a total dealbreaker or something you'll let slide is up to you, given that there's absolutely no actual romance in the main series between those two.

[jasxsilva]

Top 10 Yuri Manga/Manhwa

The Yuri Genre has come a long way. From gimmicks such as the protagonist being a male and transforming into a girl, subsequently having a stupid romance, to the classic incest trope (though that's still a thing), and, of course, steamy-filled smut with the little plot (though if done right, smut is good ;) ).

Anyways, this list is my favorite Yuri Manga and Manhwa, in no particular order!

Hello Melancholic! - Yayoi Ohsawa

I'm so happy this finally got serialized and published through Seven seas. I originally read this manga on a sketchy site, but now everyone has the opportunity to read this beauty. The way this story depicts the main characters' slow romance is so sweet and tender. God, I love it.

Minato is a tall and awkward high school girl. She doesn't like to stand out, but she has a great talent for the Trombone. She is scouted by the charismatic upperclassman, Hibiki, to join their hodge-podge of a music club. Minato struggles to join a band again after her past, but the ever-persistent Hibiki is not taking no for an answer.

Hana & Hina After School - Milk Morinaga

This manga is another slow burn. You'll realize quickly that it's my weakness. I like what I like, what can I say? I enjoyed the series approach to introducing our leading ladies. They start out as strangers with nothing in common. Even their first impressions of each other aren't so great. But as each page turns, It doesn't take long to understand why they make a great couple.

Their school doesn't allow part-time work, but Hina and Hana secretly work at a cute shop. Hanna is a petite girl who loves fashion and Hina is tall and intense; with a love for cute things. They initially don't get along and misunderstand each other. But as they open up they learn they really enjoy their time together.

That Time I Was Blackmailed By the Class’s Green Tea Bitch -

Xian Jun

This is a Manhwa, and aside from the weird name title, it's an adorable read. I looked up the meaning of "Green Tea Bitch", and it's a stereotype. It refers to a woman that appears to be innocent but is actually calculating and deceiving.

The only thing deceiving here is the title. Rest assured, these characters are a goofy and loving pairing. The series is still ongoing, and I'm dying to know the ending!

The story is about Lin Luxi, a closeted gay, who yearns for romance. She spends most of her days studying and keeping to herself. But a misunderstanding forms an odd friendship with the misunderstood Tong Tong. The two become friends but quickly grow feelings for each other.

Bloom Into You - Nakatani Nio

Out of all the series on this list, this is my favorite. It's confident in its themes and the story it wants to tell. It doesn't stray from the plot, yet expands on each character's motivations and growth.

Media often disillusion young girls about romance, and because of that, it's difficult to understand what love is. I think it's an important topic for young girls.

Yuu has never fallen in love. She loves how romance is depicted in shojo manga and imagines that her first love will feel like that. But when an old classmate confesses to her, she feels nothing. On the other hand, class president Nanami falls in love with Yuu at first sight. Yuu wants to fall in love, so she tries to understand her.

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon - Shio Usui

I've talked about this manga before, so I won't say much. I'll summarize by saying I appreciate that this is a romance between two adults. Don't get me wrong, I take what I get when it comes to Yuri, but sometimes, I'd like to read about characters close to my age.

Hinako's and Asahi's slow realization of their feelings toward each other is natural and sweet.

Monologue Woven For You - Syu Yasaka

This Manga series is also still ongoing. It stands out with the fully colored pages, alone. However, the story is also intriguing with lovable characters. It's early in the plot but I'm already invested and curious about the little mysteries scattered around.

Haruka abandoned her dream of theatre, but she is brought back when she meets Nao in college. Nao is a passionate theatre major determined to perform on stage. Supporting her new friend, she can see how talented Nao is and reminds Haruka that she still loves theater. Will she return to being an actress?

The Summer You Were There - Yuama

Another ongoing series, sadly. But the great thing about this list is most of these are either already completed or serilized with plans to publish. I enjoy this manga in particular because I relate to Shizuku. She struggles with the image of her past self, shaping her as a timid and shameful person, filled with guilt. It's a heavy and complicated series of emotions I believe the author depicts well.

Shizuku likes to keep to herself. She spends her time writing her novel, which she intends never to show. But her bubbly classmate, Kaori, changes everything when she discovers Shizukus's manuscript and suggests they date as material for her next book!

VOLUMES

Blooming Sequence - Lee Eul

Another Manhwa, another gem. I love this series because it depicts a new relationship, so well. The awkwardness, learning about your partner's habits and understanding the importance of communication and honesty. Relationships can be fun, especially in the beginning, but sooner or later things get serious. You'll eventually open up, be vulnerable, and tackle problems together. I just think this series tells a "first serious" relationship in a genuine way.

Sewoo is a junior in college. She is the president of the film club. Hayoung is a freshman who has just joined the club. The two quickly become friends and feel comfortable with each other. But Sewoo finds herself falling in love for the first time.

Girlfriends - Milk Morinaga

This is a classic, in my opinion. It's not perfect, definitely a bit dated, but I still enjoy this series. It's a simple tale of friends to lovers that I think most will enjoy.

Mariko is an honest and studious high school student. Ako is a popular and fashionable classmate who wants to become friends with Mari. They become friends through make-up, and fashion, transforming Mari from plain to chic. Their time spent together brings deeper feelings toward each other, and they fear it may destroy their friendship.

There is much more Manga that I wanted to include, but then this post would be too long. I hope you enjoyed this read, I meant to post this yesterday. So, sorry about that. Take care, and let me know if you know of these mangas or some of your own favorites.

[my-thoughts-everywhere]

My first BL

I know, I know Yuri on Ice is not a bl but it was the first animation ever that I watched which had romantic thread (I'm not sure if this word is correct🤔) between two male character.

It was very interesting for me but at the same time wierd to see two man basically (falling) in love. The anime itself was very fascinating but the characters oh my god i loved them all Chris was one of my favourites. All of them was very different and loveable on their way. After that I sae that there will be a movie, which I am -and I think most of the people- still waiting(⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

After this I started searching more BLs, then I found out about manhwas and manhuas and couldn't stop reading, and here I am after three years 3 and a half years later still loving and enjoying those sweet stories🤗

Anyways long story short this is how I ended up watching and reading BLs ⊂⁠(⁠´⁠･⁠◡⁠･⁠⊂⁠ ⁠)

I hope it reaches people who will read this(⁠~⁠‾⁠▿⁠‾⁠)⁠~

Please leave your little story about how you started reading/watching BLs. I really want to read some of your stories⊂⁠(⁠◉⁠‿⁠◉⁠)⁠つ

[halmoney]

Mx. Swan, since you seem to have gotten quite versed on this, what are your recommendations on LGBT webcomics? I wish you a nice day and thanks I'm advance for the answer!

hi cactus!

okay i’m not as well-versed in it as you may think haha, i just get excited abt it and post when i find something that looks exciting or interesting! i’ll try my best to think of some here that i think may be worth mentioning, and do my best to remember triggers!!

1. My Princess Charming - I picked this one up recently and its SOOO CUTE. It’s still ongoing, but it’s about a popular girl who’s sick and tired of guys hitting on her all the time. She decides to find a fake boyfriend to fend them off, and sees someone who’s rlly hot and decides to ask them to be her fake boyfriend. Turns out that that person is actually a girl, and a lesbian at that. This manhwa is pretty light-hearted and hilarious (but not without drama ofc!)  I find the main character absolutely adorable. There is one scene with some minor transphobia, but it’s one line and I don’t think it was with malicious intent, but I wont make excuses for it, just a fair warning.

2. Unrequited Love Affair - This one’s actually by the same author as the first one! It’s also pretty cute. It’s about a girl who’s been in love with her straight best friend for over 10 years. She meets someone new and decides to try to finally move on from her unrequited love, but her best friend notices that she’s not paying as much attention to her and starts behaving strangely. I enjoyed this one, it was a cute and pretty quick read, but I’m a bit sour because I do think the main character and both love interests should’ve just made a polycule or somethin idk

3. Living Will - Okay, this one is for those who can handle tragedies in gay stories. Fair warning, it’s not a happy ending. It’s about two women -- a prostitute and an assassin -- how they meet, their lives entagle, and fall in love. It’s a quick read, there aren’t many chapters. TWs for violence, death, nudity, and blood.

4. Her Tale of Shim Cheong - I’ve recc’d this before but this is genuinely one of the best wlw manhwas i’ve ever read. The art and story is beautiful, and i think it goes hand in hand with RGU and the Handmaiden in terms of stories about girls overcoming and/or escaping the oppressive structure of patriarchy/gender roles through the relationships they have with each other...so. chef’s kiss<3 TWs for grooming, sexual assault and pedophilia. There were a few scenes that were uncomfortable for me to read because they felt fetishistic, but only a few (and there’s nothing explicit) for the most part I think the manhwa does a good job of being respectful (at least, compared to other yuri/GL works). There was someone who told me that either the artist or author (cant remember) reblogged some nsfw art of the characters but I never got a chance to confirm since I don’t use twitter. Just want to let you know that if you decide to read it before going in, since I didn’t. (I’m pretty sure you can find this online without having to pay for it, if you don’t want to support the artist/author)

5. Beware the Villianess! - I haven’t caught up with this one yet, but from what I read so far, I found it really funny and entertaining. It’s about a girl who dies and wakes up reincarnated as the villianess of a storybook, meaning she’s the antagonist who’s supposed to envy the protagonist and make things miserable for her (think typical jealous shoujo mean girl). But things in the story now start to change since she’s been reincarnated. I don’t even know if it really counts as a LGBT webtoon, but one of the love interests is the female protagonist and its fucking hilarious. 

6. Tamen de Gushi - I think most people are familiar with this one, but I’m including it anyway. Super cute comic about two girls in a relationship. It’s really funny and light-hearted. It’s been a while since I’ve read it/caught up, but I don’t recall a particular plot? I think it’s just a slice of life, and that it doesn’t necessarily follow a chronological order. Correct me if I’m wrong tho.

Anyways, that’s all I have for now, there’s a bunch I’ve been meaning to check out but haven’t gotten the chance to yet. Maybe I’ll add to this list once I get to them. Sorry most of these are mainly WLW, I don’t really have any recs for MLM (mainly bc I haven’t been able to find any good ones) but if anyone else does, feel free to add on!

[21tailsofwoe]

wait before you go what manga about women kissing women are you reading???

OH EXCELLENT QUESTION TO MAKE ME STAY FOR A WHILE i actually recently finished my rewatch of revolutionary girl utena anime (which has less kissing and more trauma, but hey. at least there’s some REALLY GOOD hand holding and drawing swords out of chests. peak wlw-ism.) i haven’t watched the movie though (which actually does have women kissing women) but i wanted a break from all the trauma. SO after my utena blues, yesterday i started reading the “i’m in love with the villainess” manga adaptation of the light novel. it’s a really stupid isekai but it’s a good stupid isekai because i had a lot of fun reading it! five chapters have been translated in english so far but lucky for me there’s the original-author-approved fan translation of the light novel which i’m probably going to check out if my attention span allows. if you haven’t heard of this novel, you can check the summary out! it’s very very interesting :3 other than that, i haven’t binge-read any yuri manga lately. there are a few manga that i keep up with every now and then though

first is “otherside picnic” which is ABOUT TO GET AN ANIME ADAPTATION THIS JANUARY. it’s a psychological thriller sci-fi WITH LESBIANS. really, it’s as good as it sounds and i’m so hyped for the anime knowing that it has the same director as steins;gate anime. (they haven’t kissed in the manga yet, and i’m not caught up with the light novel. the frustration is real ngl. but the yearning. OH the yearning.)

on a more light hearted note is, of course, “tamen de gushi” which is actually a manhwa but the characters are so stupid and cute and this is the best comic ever actually. i await every update very religiously.

i also keep up with “my cute little kitten” which is about two roommates who adopt a cat and then profess their love for each other and live together after that. it’s very nice even though it took a very questionable turn in the recent chapter ._. why do yuri manga end up like this. anyway, it is very cute and wholesome and i hope for some damage control in the next update. cw for sexual stuff.

a long time ago i read “goodbye, my rose garden” volume 1 and am thinking of picking it up again now that i’ve learned that the third and final volume has dropped. it’s about lesbians in early twentieth century england. dear god was it good. i can’t wait to see how it ends.

on the more spicy side, i’ve been reading “how do we relationship” which is a very dramatic and angsty fic about two college girls and how they deal with their issues as they get together. i usually do not like manga like this one, but i’ve been keeping up just to see how it ends LOL. cw for serious sexual stuff.

and then. my guilty pleasure. this one sucks. like it really sucks it’s so cheesy and stupid but i got addicted so fast. “handsome girl and sheltered girl” which is about college girls and i couldn’t resist. so basically this girl likes this very hot dude but turns out! the dude is actually a girl! but the girl doesn’t know that her crush is a girl! but they start dating! it’s a mess. but it’s so. hnngh. i hate that i love this so much. cw for sexual stuff.

these are the ones i can think off from the top of my head. i usually just read one shots and doujins because there’s less emotion and time involved, and i’m not one made for too much romance stories. but this year i have also discovered that yuri manga has become my #1 coping mechanism. and here i am, the #1 hypocrite in the world....

[inmythoughts247]

So, the 2nd episode of TOG will be coming out today and I'm so anxious!! So since none of my friends are as excited as me, I'll rant it all to the internet instead (I'm so lonely somebody pls talk to me (ಥ﹏ಥ))

1. The OP & ED: this is definitely a concern that is shared between the manhwa originals and anime-only fans. While Baam is my fav character and all, the fact that the OP only has him in it makes me go ಠ~ಠ . While he admittedly looks good and the animation is great but... After a few shots of him ..just walking all emo-like really gets old real fast. Where are the rest of the characters?? Aren't OPs supposed to be more dynamic?? (Especially for a series like TOG) And why must they cut the animations with those credit cutscenes?? The momentum is stilted everytime they interrupted the animation with them and in any other anime I would have said that it was lazy.

Okay, in any other series? Wdym?? Look, I'm pretty sure we all can see how hard the people behind this have worked. It seems so out of place if they just decided to work their asses of for everything else except the OP and EDs when they should know that it's an important aspect of the anime. I know some people have said this, but I'm pretty sure that they'd change the OP and ED. Maybe they made this decision to prevent any spoilers and will change the opening according to the characters that have shown up? I actually like to think they do this to troll us on April Fools, haha .

But in actuality tho, based on what I've seen on everything else, I think they know what they're doing. I really really hope they'd change the OP the next episode if only to quell our fears but it might also change several episodes later as well, I dunno. And if it doesn't change AT ALL after the whole season is finished, oh well the most important thing is the story itself anyway. Hahah

All that aside, there are some great things in this OP as well imo! So, SOME SPOILERS HERE HENCEFORTH OKAY ANIMEONLYS!!!

So, the song, is so lit, but everybody knows that. That jahad symbol in the OP I like, very much. That shot of Baam hanging in the air looks pretty cool and ominous (I wonder what that means? Does it have something to do with how fug forces him to be their puppet? Hence the position? And the blood red backdrop?) Oh and that shot of Baam at the end?

Good shit.

Hell yea, I'm living for these expressions of Baam ♥️

Btw, that scene with the ice flower? (Hmmm wonder what THAT is? Does it have something to do with Khun? And probably Maria? But considering how the theme of the OP revolves around Baam, it seems unlikely.)

And that scene of Baam's arms dissipating? Wait what??

So yeah, I love Baam and whump and Baam!whump, so that part of me is pretty pleased at some of these shots, but the other part of me that also loves all the other characters is just ಠ╭╮ಠ

And guys? That scene of Baam drowning?

Wonder what THAT means ¯\_(ツ)_/¯?

2. Going forward

Hell yea episode 2 is going to be so good, I can already feel it!!! Like ahhhhh khun bam and rak hell yea pls!

Though I really really hope that they'd keep all the hilarity of that first encounter. Baam and Khun trolling Rak, that whole situation of Shibisu, Anaak and Hatz, "Guys, I'm here. Guys." Lolololol poor shibisu

And I've seen a bit of the preview and Yuri is there?? So excited! But I wonder how'd they incorporate her in the next ep?

So excitedddd ahhhhh

I can't wait to watch it tonight! (It's 9:30 in my area!) Well, this got a bit too long, and I'm supposed to be listening to my teacher.. (the benefits of online class ><)

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 9/30/20

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 6 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Another series down to “once a year” release—I had to jog my memory at the start to recall what had been happening. Many things are going wrong for our heroine, who is trying to be strong and tough but is also starting to break down, and I felt that the scenes with her and Dean struck just the right balance of comforting and letting the heroine cry without making her seem weaker. This sets the stage for her comeback, which is extraordinary. (And also has a corrupt Church, a constant in Japanese light novels, though at least here there are also honest and good religious people in it.) That said, eventually Dean’s identity will come out, and I do wonder how this very good “villainess” isekai will handle it. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Jack Flash and the Faerie Case Files, Vol. 1 | By Yu Godai, Mako Oikawa, and Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – A faerie switched at birth for a human child, Jack never fit in in either world. Only in the mortal realm could she earn money for anime collectibles, however, so she decided to make herself into a tough, capable woman like her literary heroes and set up shop as a detective. Together with her fellow changeling, Larry the werewolf, Jack takes on supernatural cases in New York City. In this volume, Lindel tasks them with tracking down a missing dragon egg. I liked the resources Jack uses to obtain information, which include a dapper theatre ghost and a spell with components of rat whiskers and taxi tires because “Nobody out there knows this city better than them.” I still found this a bit hard to get into, though, especially the parts involving a perpetually tearful off-off-off-off-Broadway actress and her pickpocket boyfriend. Still, I will check out volume two! – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – At long last, this interminable arc comes to an end. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I cannot deny it should have been about two volumes shorter. Most of the book is taken up by shonen battles, with the villain being nigh unkillable, the heroes almost breaking themselves to stop him, etc. Fortunately, the day is saved, and even the Wizard King turns out to be… sort of alive again? Shota fans should be happy. Asta fans perhaps less so—the sheer amount of damage done to the kingdom in this arc means someone has to be blamed, and give Asta has the “dark evil magic” it’s gonna be him, especially when he takes the incredibly obvious bait they use to get him to fight. Oh well, if Asta were smart, this wouldn’t be Black Clover. – Sean Gaffney

Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Vol. 3 | By Nanashi | Vertical Comics – Part of the problem with titles like this and the other teasing works (Takagi-san less so as Nishikata doesn’t fall into the category) is that they are, at heart, the classic “extroverted girl acts overtly extroverted to bring introverted guy out of their shell,” and that’s not really a plot that feels comfortable in the Gen Z days, where you’re more likely to say “why doesn’t she just let him be in his quiet, safe space?” And by she I mean they, as Nagatoro’s two friends appear far more often here, which offers some good two-way teasing action, as they clearly see her crush on him, if not why. It’s still sort of hard to read, but if you pretend he’s more OK with it than he actually is, this is cute. – Sean Gaffney

Failed Princesses, Vol. 1 | By Ajiichi | Seven Seas – The concept of “popular girl meets unpopular girl” is a common one in yuri manga, and we do indeed hit several of its tropes in this first volume. The amusing thing is that Kanade, the shy outcast girl, is perfectly aware of how things are supposed to go, and keeps pulling back a bit to try to save Nanaki from, well, making herself an outcast by associating with the wrong people. The best part of the volume is that Nanaki really doesn’t give two shits about any of that, and seems set on making Kanade her best friend… and also making her over, which backfires a bit as Kanade cleans up nicely. I hear this gets a bit dramatic later, but for the moment it’s a cute and fluffy proto-yuri story. – Sean Gaffney

In/Spectre, Vol. 12 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – The first story in this volume is another “Rikka tries to make people understand Kotoko is an evil Machiavellian schemer,” this time with one of her ex-classmates, but again the response seems to be “we know she’s a manipulative bitch, but she’s a good person anyway.” The larger story, which will continue into the next book, seems to be a chance to write Kuro and Kotoko as an actual romance, as the man we meet here and his relationship with a yuki-onna… as well as his penchant for attracting misfortune… very much parallel them. That said, they’re very cute together, which is why I hope he avoids the murder charge he’s now being investigated for. Still a favorite. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 8 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – The author knows what people want to see, but also knows that the best way to get readers is to drive them crazy by not showing it. We finally get what we’ve been begging for here, as Tetsuo asks Sakie out on a date. (This is after rejecting Kyouko’s love confession, both because she’s his student and also, as he is forced to admit, as he likes Sakie.) The stage is set for the date… and the rest of the book is thus spent with the three main student girls going to Kyouko’s for a fireworks viewing and meeting her family. They’re good chapters, and I really liked showing how difficult Kyouko has it as a dullahan in terms of everyday life, but GOD, please get back to the teachers, I beg you! – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 16 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The series has gotten to the point where the more rewarding chapters are the ones as part of a larger arc. Not that the one-shot chapters are bad—though Maki’s journey to India may be the most pointless thing in this entire series to date, we do get Chika’s iconic “shut up or I’ll kill you” here. But the larger arcs, featuring Miyuki and Kaguya attempting to date without interruptions, and setting up Ishigami and Iino for a romance—though given the number of limbs broken in this book, and Iino’s own horrible lack of self-awareness, it may be a ways out—are better. This series is still hilarious, but we’ve come to read it more for the heartwarming moments. Heck, there’s even some serious drama here. Very good. – Sean Gaffney

Nineteen | By Ancco | Drawn & Quarterly – Although it was translated and released second in English, Nineteen is a precursor to Ancco’s internationally award-winning manhwa Bad Friends. The volume collects thirteen short comics originally published in Korea over a decade ago which absolutely remain relevant to today’s world. While understandably not as polished as some of Ancco’s later work—one can observe her style evolving and growing over the course of the collection (which is fascinating)—the comics still carry significant emotional weight and impact. Nineteen includes diary comics, which tend to be more lighthearted, as well as harder-hitting fictional stories, many of which also have autobiographical inspiration. As a whole, the collection explores themes of young adulthood, growing up, and complicated family relationships. In particular, there is a compelling focus on the relationships among daughters, mothers, and grandmothers. Some of the narratives can be rather bleak, but a resigned sense of humor threads through Nineteen, too. – Ash Brown

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 8 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Shoujo manga that has couples getting together BEFORE the end of the series is inevitably going to have an arc dealing with how far the lead couple should go now that they’re dating, and this is Ran’s turn, as she and Akira and their friends go to a beach house Ran’s family owns and have some beach fun. Unfortunately, the cast gets winnowed down one by one until it’s just the two of them… and her overprotective father, who arrives in time to provide the cliffhanger and no doubt ensure that nookie does not ensue. Not that I think it should—these two kids are even purer than the couple from Kimi ni Todoke, and I think they should mature a bit more before going further. Plus, watching them blush and kiss is wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – Having spent our first volume establishing that our found family can really come to love each other deep down, this volume shows off how they are also, at heart, fundamentally awkward and unable to socialize normally. This is unsurprising—hints of Loid’s life we’ve seen show him as a war orphan, Yor is a contract killer, and Anya basically grew up being experimented on by bad guys. As the school soon finds, this leads to issues. The second half of the book introduces Yor’s sister-obsessed little brother Yuri, who turns out to be a torture expert for Loid’s enemies. As always, half the fun is that everyone except Anya has no idea who their real selves are, and the cliffhanger tells us we’re in for some hilarious family fun. I love this. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | VIZ Media – After a brief spell atop the waiting list, Anya officially makes it into Eden Academy. Loid is anxious to progress to the next stage of his mission and, believing there’s not much chance in turning Anya into an elite scholar like his agency wants, focuses instead on having her befriend the younger son of his target. It does not go to plan, of course. Anya is very cute in this volume, and I also really appreciated how Loid genuinely listens to Yor and values her input. The arrival of Yor’s brother, a member of the secret police, is going to be a fun complication, and another cast member with a secret, but my favorite part of this series is probably always going to be how much love these three are already feeling for each other. So unique and good! – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 6 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The weakness of this manga is the same as always—it’s written to tie into the games, and features several characters I just don’t recognize, which can be a problem given this is the big final let’s-save-the-world ending. That said, this is still a decent SAO title. Kirito gets to be cool and badass, but because this isn’t written just by Kawahara others do as well, and it’s a nice balanced effort that focuses on heroine Premiere. I also really liked the point where all the NPCs are worried when everyone has to log out for several days for maintenance. While I’ll still remember this as the “SAO only everyone is alive” manga, I enjoyed reading it, when I wasn’t confused. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[it-sy-bit-sy]

Tower of God Anime: (Not) Brief Commentary

Hello all.

I'd like to discuss the few things I've gleaned about the Tower of God anime adaptation.

I was a bit afraid before it came out and disappointed with episode 1, but I'm not upset with the developments by any means. It’s a good series so new watchers will certainly enjoy themselves for Season 1. Let’s dive into the opinions.

1. Art style. Everyone looks beautiful to my eyes and the colors and shading is similar to the style it started out in. I'm pleased with how beautiful everyone looks, especially sister Yuri.

2. Opening/Ending: 

So the opening is “TOP” (Japanese ver.) Stray Kids” and the ending is “SLUMP” (Japanese ver.) from the same group.

The cinematic is not what I would expect for demonstrating what we can expect from the show. It's Baam like...falling down, getting rained on, distressed, tormented, glass falling... AMV material for sure, but I am not exactly pleased with it when thinking about a viewer's first impression of the show. It puts me in a strange mood. I don’t like it. A more stereotypical showing-main-character’s-faces-without-giving-away-too-much kind of intro would be better.

*coughs*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU_Z8RKo_Ow

Once I heard the music start, I sat through the opening and ending once to be respectful. But I don't like [this style of] pop, therefore I don't like [this style of] K-pop, and I will not be sitting through the songs again unless I'm watching the show with someone else who hasn't seen it before.

I didn’t really have expectations as for what the intro/outro music should have been at all, but *coughs again* have you ever heard Bokurano’s opening? It’s fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05p646nlYS0

3. Episode 1: Content

The part some people are upset with.

To be concise, the beginning was rushed. At length: 

In the webtoon, I liked Headon’s entire presentation of the situation with the eel as he talks up the task to be impossible for Bam to achieve. We hear Bam personally consider the consequences, we see him quiet his fear and THEN he rushes towards it regardless with nothing but his knife. Then the exclamation “marvelous” from our administrator. I think the simple exchanges between the two make for a stronger scene.

Asides from that, the banter that the webtoon includes between Bam, Headon, Yuri and Evan is gone... At least in the source material we see the princess coming so it's not like she falls out of from nowhere with the kick. We know why she was coming, because she knows someone opened the gate on their own, and is sating her own curiosity to find out just who it is. She questions Headon’s fairness with never giving Bam a pocket, so here she is seen sticking up for him from the very beginning despite her rowdy introduction. She also questions Headon about the test’s level and asks him to lower it to be fair to Bam’s abilities (to which her comical yet degrading skills assessment forces an appeasing laugh out of him).

Then she asks Bam’s name, jokes about him being a player, then suddenly we’re back to serious and Bam is told he may never find what he is looking for and die here. 

The narrative swishes back and forth between comedy and seriousness. Episode 2 of the anime reinforces this pattern with Shibisu’s introduction right after 300 or so people are slaughtered for the completion of the test. He and Yuri are examples of this style of comedy, very easy going people who quickly change face when they feel like it and help the narrative effect.

Aside from these differences, the beginning for both materials is sudden and leaves many questions. So no, the anime adaptation for the first episode did not ruin the show. It is equally as abrupt as the first time I read it, albeit with even less content. If new fans really want to get ahead, they will come to the webtoon and read the story anyway, and if they start on chapter 1 they’ll see the differences immediately and be enlightened, that is all. Same conclusion: new, happy fans, just the way we used to be.

--Aside--

Ah, that fated day...

I found Tower of God on a beloved manga pirating site. I had clicked it for the lone silhouette of a boy child:

That picture alone piqued my interest.

If that scantalation team or the website moderators--whoever it was--if it wasn’t for THIS picture up during that particular time in history, I probably would have never been drawn to try this title on my own. *shivers* Where would I be without knowing the 25th Baam...?

--End of Aside--

On my first chapter, I had no problem with the art direction. I must have been short on patience that day, however, because as soon as I saw Yuri’s brash introduction as she was questioning Baam up and down (like even before giving him Black March) I was ready to click off the manhwa. I harshly judged her trope before giving her a chance, and like I said I wasn’t familiar with the comedy flow yet so I thought her lines were cheap and uninteresting.

I ALMOST clicked off right then, but I hesitated and kept reading. Now I love her as big sister Yuri, and hints of this take on her character are present as I mentioned before. But hark? The anime sort of does her as a more haughty, “...unbelievable. You don’t even know who i am...I’m a miGHtY prINCeSs of JaHadDd uR iGnorance iS imMeAsUrable what even ArE yOu, how do you expect to survive in this worllld” 

....like she doesn’t treat him like that in the webtoon, she’s just here to have fun. I...I don’t understand that decision but, you know, it’s okay. Tower of God has an anime, y’all. We’re alive to see this happening.

4. Voice Acting: I honestly look forward to a dub if there will be one. It's not bad by any means. For me, Rachel's VA has the tastiest delivery. Bam... I wanted him to sound more distinctive and cute... It would be nice if he could sound like 9S (NieR: Automata) or Mob from Mob Psycho...I really like the take on those two.

-- - - - - - -END OF THE LINE: - - -- - - - - - -- - - - -

I think we will be fine, let’s all wait together...

I’m off to watch a pirated episode 3 now. Thank you for coming.

[smokedcapybara]

sometimes I get really curious how much my personal experience with and introduction to anime and manga(and manhua and manhwa) differs from the average experience and whenever that happens I kinda wish I could ask everyone who’s had any kind of experience with them what their story is

like, is it even normal to have a Story to it or do most people just stumble across it and that’s that? and for those who do have a Story, how similar is theirs to mine?

how many people stubbornly held out, believing they’d never get into it? how many people jumped in head first and totally immersed themselves immediately? how many people started with one and then through that got into the rest?

for how many people did it all happen all at once, slowly, over the course of several years?

there are two facts I need to share as context for the beginning of my Story:

fact 1: younger me was very much the kind of person who would read anything with words they could get their hands on

fact 2: my older sisters have both been into anime and manga for over a decade

I started reading Tokyo Mew Mew before I even knew what manga was - before I knew what comic books were either - it was literally the basis of my understanding of the whole concept of graphic novels

I started reading it because one of my sisters had a few of the books and they all had colorful covers and, of course, words

I was about ten I believe, give or take a year, and I loved it just as much as I loved any story - which is to say a lot

when I was eleven or twelve one of my sisters (likely the same as the one who owned the Tokyo Mew Mew books) left her copy of the manhwa Kill Me Kiss Me on the banister for at least a week(it felt like much longer to me but then I was tiny and young and being tortured by the temptation)

the entire time it was there I was at war with myself. on one hand: the cover and title had me worried about the contents, I didn’t want to scar myself again(never let a ten/eleven-year-old read Wicked or Return to the Secret Garden). on the other hand: words

eventually I gave in and it turned out to be a really adorable gangster romance and I loved it

around the same year as my kmkm dilemma, my two sisters decided to indoctrinate me and my brother to the wonders of anime

Jen went about it by sitting us in front of the tv and making us watch One Piece; Mike was instantly ensnared, I was not - in fact, quite the opposite

Ashley’s method was to invite me to watch her shows with her, turn it into a bonding experience. she introduced me to Ouran High School Host Club and Ah! My Goddess and, despite them being the exact opposite of everything I cared about at that point in my life, I loved them

unfortunately Ashley had a habit of also watching without me, resulting in me missing huge chunks of episodes, so neither show actually stuck

two-ish years later, around when my reading was starting to decline (I’d recently moved across the country and the school libraries worked on a different system that had me confused to the point where I outright avoided them) one of my friends convinced me to go with her to the school library so she could return her books and check out new ones - she also encouraged me to check some out myself, though I was pretty sure I wouldn’t

then I got a good look at the books she was checking in - the first few books in the +Anima manga - and fell in love. with the cover art, the summary. I had to read those books

so I checked them out and read them and then looked the rest up online and finished the series

that same year, I got really into Teen Titans and Young Justice (the cartoons, not the comics, I remain to this day not a huge fan of comic books - mostly cause dc and marvel are both so confusing I have no idea where to start and thus no desire to) and, like I did when I was super into Warriors, I started watching amvs on youtube (of course, these amvs are how I got from Teen Titans to Young Justice in the first place... but anyway)

and then I discovered that just watching amv after amv was a great way to have music in the background while doing other stuff and a good way to find new songs

and leaving autoplay on led me to anime amvs, usually filled with images from multiple different animes

and then there was one that was just one anime, filled with bright colors and pretty clothes and magical transformations and mermaids - everything I was too ashamed to admit I liked - and I looked it up

I started watching Mermaid Melody in secret, trying to only watch it when nobody else was in the room, and I loved it - but as soon as my family found out and started teasing me I dropped it like a sack of bricks

sometime around when all of this was going on - more before than during, actually - Jen introduced me and Mike to two things online; the webcomic Hannah is Not a Boy’s Name, and the manhua 1/2 Prince (which for years I thought was also a webcomic because I was a Foolish child) and while I dropped HiNaBN as soon as I realized it wasn’t going to updated any time soon(and it still hasn’t been kjdsfhk) I kept up with 1/2 Prince for a year or so until it kinda faded from my mind

and then freshman year of high school I watched an entire anime - Shugo Chara - over spring break, I started watching FMA because Mike complained about the Anime Club refusing to watch it, I started InuYasha - and dropped it within a couple months - because it showed up in an amv and I was curious, I started Katekyo Hitman Reborn - also because of an amv - and dropped it after the first episode (and then picked up again a few months later and dropped it after one or two more episodes and eventually got past the first twenty episodes during sophomore year and sped through the rest)

suddenly I was watching animes with Mike - things like Bleach, Soul Eater, Death Note, and later Fruits Basket, Baka and Test, etc - and building one of my closest friendships ever off of a shared love of anime (and drawing) with one of my classmates

and then, just as suddenly as it started, it all stopped around senior year

I went weeks, and then months without watching any anime or reading any manga

Yuri on Ice briefly broke the streak a bit after graduation, and there were a couple others that I tried to watch but never really got into in the year or so after that

and now I only watch anime when my mom wants to watch some with me and I only read manga(or manhwa or manhua) when I’m re-reading one of my first few

it all confuses me so much. how it happened, why it happened the way it did

idk

[marlikesthings]

I decided to make a character appreciation post for m21 (although it’s mainly me rambling and saying why I love him). I have done the same thing for my favorite characters in other fandoms (i.e. kkm and bsd). I felt it wasn't fair to not do the same for m21 (my favorite character in noblesse) so here we go.

When I first saw m21 he was a “bad boy”.  At that time I didn't expect to love m21 as much as I do now, much less did I think he would become my favorite. First of all, because I thought he would be an antagonist who as in many others mahwas/mangas end up being defeated and then you never see them again. If he was going to disappear eventually, then what was the point in liking him, right? Yet, m21 character keep growing and keep getting a lot of panels, and I realized there was much more to this boy than the eyes meet. 

The first time I felt he was going to become special was when he decided to contact rai and frankenstein in order to survive. M21 was just a modified human struggling to survive (and still is by the way). His bond with m24 was so strong and his reaction when m24 died made me feel things I wasn't expecting. Suddenly this 'bad boy' didn't look as bad in my eyes.

M21 is strong. He is very powerful (enough to confront yuri, Dr. Aris and mark and defeat them and later defeat urne, a werewolf warrior). He is able to use a technique not many werewolves warriors can. To quote lunark: “And that skill that human used a minute ago. He was lacking a bit in power but he used a technique only our warriors know...” (chapter 455). She said he was lacking in power and was surprised he managed to use that ability. What if he wasn’t lacking in power? How much damage would he have caused? Another interesting fact that I like about him is how his werewolf form is always evolving. It’s like it changes to show he is more powerful.

This is in chapter 406

This is in chapter 456

He tries so hard to become stronger in order to protect his family, his comrades. He is not only strong physically but also mentally. He survived all those years thanks to his stubbornness, and even now he doesn't give up. When Irene was experimenting on him he always insulted/mocked her because he couldn't stand being treated as a disposable tool once again and thus, he rebelled. Of course, he paid the price since Irene tortured him, but he never cried. This brings me to my next point.

I really like his cool attitude and his sarcasm. He is stubborn yes but he always says what he thinks (unless it comes to his feelings) and isn't afraid of speaking up. Irene is an example, but so is regis. Let's not forget that both are nobles. Strong nobles. He also confronted frankenstein when he first arrived in the household (although now he knows better XD) and was able to make frank regain his senses after almost losing control to dark spear once. The only one besides him who did this, was rai, frank's master.

Frankenstein says later it was thanks to rajak's blood he came back to his senses, but you can see it's only after m21 screams that he wake up. Then frankenstein says to the trio (while he was smiling): “and you... stop yelling, it's starting to piss me off” (chapter 192). Although the image shows the trio, I can't help but wonder if he said that to m21. 

Also, this same guy decided to protect rai, the noblesse, and the strongest guy in this manhwa’s world (he still had enough energy at that time). Rai himself said this was the first time someone else besides frank said he would protect him. Can we talk about this? How come m21 was the only person (besides rai or frank) to say he would protect rai and to help frankenstein regain control of himself? I think this is very interesting and I really like his interactions with them. Of course, I love his interactions with other characters too, especially with the trio and when he is bickering with regis. Their interactions are most of the times hilarious (unless the situation is serious) and I really like that. Moreover, I like seeing m21 enjoying himself and having fun.

Furthermore, although he can be very sarcastic and cool/cold, he is can also be humble and nice. Like when he asked frankenstein if tao and takeo could live in the house and then frankenstein reminded him this was also his home. He gave tao and takeo a place they could call home and new comrades. 

I like how complex his character is (for me). The previous example is there to illustrate how he can be nice, but at the same time this reflects a bigger problem. The fact that m21 felt the need to ask frank shows how m21 is struggling with his feelings. M21 lives in frankenstein’s household yet he used to feel like he didn’t belong there. It shows how traumatized he is for being used as an experiment for so many years. He never felt like he belonged anywhere. He never had a home. Even the other experiments treated him (and m24) badly.

There are many reasons that could explain why m21 didn’t consider himself part of the household. Maybe it is because as an experiment he is used to being thrown away and he was expecting rai and frank to do the same? Or because he doesn't feel worthy of being happy/having a place where he belongs? I have no idea. I personally think that m21 can't forgive himself for being alive, for being the only survivor. Maybe he thinks/used to think he doesn't deserve to be happy because of it. I love him because he keeps on trying to live with m24 even though he could have given up. Considering all they went through I think this is amazing. He is, in a way, mentally very strong. Nevertheless, he now has a home with people who love him and would go as far as to declare war to another race for his sake. He is in a very different place from before. M21 understand this now.

While I love how mentally strong he can be when it is necessary, I also love the him that is insecure. The him that tries his best in order to protect his loved ones. The him whose only dream is to find his and his comrades names. His dream is so simple, and yet the fact that he still doesn't know shows how sad/painful his life is. Also, he only wanted to be human, to be normal, but the researchers didn’t care. To quote m21: “I never wanted these powers... I wanted to be human!” (chapter 407). Please protect him! Why must he always suffer??

Also, he is a very mysterious character. This is mainly obvious at the beginning of the manhwa. When we didn't know what his real intentions were and he always hid his feelings behind his poker face (he still does it). One of the reason why I love m21 is ironically, the fact that we don't know much about him. Whose heart does he possess? What is the limit of his power? Will he ever be able to fully transform like maduke? Why is crombel hiding his past and why is he hiding the fact that m21 betrayed him? So many questions and still no answer. 

Nevertheless, although he always has a poker face and he might seem cold, M21 is definitely not emotionless. He has seen too much, he has suffered too much, but he still cried when he thought m24 (mark) was alive. He also cried when rai came to his rescue in recent chapters. But m21 is still struggling with his feelings. One example is when he was surprised RK5 (or RK4 in this case) came to his rescue during the werewolf arc. Or when he asked them to leave (to protect them) after he decided to save lunark thinking they would actually do it. M21 knows he is loved but at the same time it's like he is still trying to convince himself this isn't a dream. And why wouldn't he? He lost his friends, his comrades to crombel and the scientists. He doesn't even know his real name. For all I know m21 might be older than he looks and has been suffering for many years being treated as an experiment with no one (besides m24) caring about his feelings. He doesn’t love himself and he is not yet used to being loved. Frankenstein’s household is helping him though and I think that’s beautiful. 

Anyway I just love m21 and I wanted to talk about him XD

[kaisooology]

Hey! thank you for the flustered kd analysis, I loved it as usual and it was super interesting I was missing those body language posts !! Also, I started watching Skam thanks to you, I loved the relationship between Evak and their eskimo kisses ugh !! Guess who it reminds me of...! I'd like to know if you could recommend me some other series to watch ? I don't usually watch any series and Skam was pretty good and now i'm craving for more (the tension between Evak killed me)

Hello anon!

Yes, Skam has a very special place in my heart Evak’s relationship was absolutely perfect. Words can’t describe how realistic and amazing it is. I can’t wait to see who’s perspective the fourth season will take (hopefully even’s).

Like you though, i don’t really watch series, I just happened to stumble upon an evak gif and I knew I just had to watch the show. But, I have seen a couple of series that are in the lgbt genre that I think you might like!

Animes:

Yuri On Ice!!! - I’m pretty sure everyone’s heard of this by now haha. This is an anime and if you haven’t seen it, you are missing out!! Viktor and Yuuri’s relationship is so beautiful and the creator (Kubo) did such a wonderful job with this show. It’s mainly a figuring skating anime and the show does such a good job with the ice skating, graphics, song choices, and aesthetics. Not only is the main storyline amazing but the relationships between characters are outstanding!

No. 6 - This is like a very underrated version of yuri on ice but without the ice skating. Instead it’s a very action-y, informative, society based. This is also a story where it’s main plot is not the gay couple but what i mentioned previously. The gay relationship is just a bonus. I hope you watch this because it deserves so much attention!

TV Series:

Eyewitness - This is a tv show on usa network (which if you download the app you can watch the show there). This show isn’t necessarily the best scripted show out there but the plotline, and characters are great. It does a good job showing how some kids when first noting that they are gay freak out and how it takes them a while to get used to it. The show in itself is a crime show and so it’s very action based/informative. 

Skam - (I’m putting this here for those who don’t know the show). Skam is a norwegian tv show where each season focuses on a different character. Even though I recommend watching the two previous seasons because they are amazing as well, season three is definitely the best. Season three is in the perspective of Isak, a boy learning to deal with the fact that he might be gay. He meets Even whom he ends up falling in love with and starts to accept that he is gay. The show is amazing! I totally recommend for those who didn’t go watch it! (Season one, Season two, Season three)

Degrassi: First Class - this show is on netflix (i don’t know if there’s another way to watch it sorry). It talks about a lot of the problems and issues that the world is going through (for example, racism, homophobia, sexism etc.) Even though it might be a little cheesy and unrealistic at times, I think it does a pretty decent job. There are two major gay/lesbian couples, Miles and Tristan, and in this new season, Rasha, and Zoe (they are an interracial couple!) 

Movies:

The Way He Looks - (If you have netflix you can watch the full thing but I’ve linked the shortened youtube version.) It is about a blind boy who falls in love with the new student at his school. Everything about this is just so pure and beautiful. If you really enjoyed skam I think you will enjoy this about just as much!

Ahh, like I said I don’t watch too many shows/movies because I’m too busy and I don’t really get the appeal but these are some that I’ve seen and enjoy so sorry that the list is so short! Since i wasn’t sure if you wanted related books/manga/manhwa also included I didn’t add them but if you want them I can definitely tell you what I’m currently reading/have read that are good and heart aching (in a good way, for the most part anyway). 

If you know any good shows/animes/movies that you think I might enjoy, please send them in! I do enjoy watching them when I have to travel to faraway locations for school or my job. 

I hope you watch these and please tell me what you think about them! 

[my-placeinthe-stars]

Lately

Happy Chinese New Year! I haven’t really wrote anything on here in a while. 

I’m not even sure where to start exactly.

I’ve been officially single for...three weeks now? I finally decided to end things with Eric. It’s funny even seeing that typed out- when you first meet someone and you’re madly in love you think to yourself, wow this person is amazing, I’d do anything to be with them, I couldn’t imagine being the one to end things with them- and well, here I am. I guess it’s part my naiveté, part just relationships in general.  When you date someone for a while, you see more and more how the sausage gets made. And it either reassures your feelings of affection for them or it begins to chip away at the pedestal you put them on.

My experience undoubtedly was the later. When I met him, I was completely swept away by him. He was fun to talk to, he was sweet and cute, we had a lot of common interests. But after those “butterfly stages”, I would notice things that made me feel like “wait, wait?”. And to that you’re probably saying...red flags? Get the fuck out of there then!! I know it sounds simple, and hell it is simple. But everything feels different when you’re into someone, and I know that isn’t an excuse, and hell I feel stupid admitting it but I just wanted to get my thoughts out about it and be done with it.

So more and more time passed and there was always one reoccurring issue in our relationship his trust, and him not knowing what he wants. So basically two very key elements of any relationship were not in a good place. He let his own insecurities worry him so much I became anxious and paranoid, I know that isn’t fun to be around at all. And mostly, I just never felt wanted. I never felt like I could just take a deep breath and be like, ah okay, everything feels good. I feel secure. I just didn’t.

I knew my friends and family could see the stress wearing on me. And probably could tell that I wasn’t as happy as I could be. And they don’t even know the half of it. The more I see and feel how happy I am being alone the more I realize that I wasn’t in a good relationship. And that’s not to put all the blame on him, while I never did anything idk fucked up, there were definitely things I could have done very differently. Or times when I chose to stay when I should have walked away.

He called me the other day upset, saying, “Why do I always do this? Why do I always have a great girl in my life and then I push her away?” I didn’t really know what to say. Sometimes people are never happy with what they have. but I think more in his case he just needs to be single. He’s used to being with someone that takes good care of him. I hope he goes out and learns more about himself because I’m just not interested anymore.

I put a lot into a person that I’d cross an ocean for and he would step over a puddle. I’m just not interested in having that kind of relationship anymore.

I started a detox 2 weeks ago and I have lost 10 lbs so far. I’m getting healthier and losing weight and I feel better than ever. I talk to my anime trash friends all the time and I’m just doing whatever I want. I’ve been in full force fujoshi mode lately and omg god reading yaoi is better than a relationship sometimes (i.e. I’ve gone full otaku).

One of the manhwa’s I’m reading, Killing Stalking, (Sangwoo ugh such a daddy ;_;) besides me just being a total fan girl over it, it is defintely an interesting experience reading. Because you can read it from so many perspectives. When I read it, 99% it’s in total fangirl/fantasy mode. So it’s pure fantasy, it’s exciting, it’s whatever and the other 1% I think about it and damn, I wonder how anyone that’s ever been in an abusive/bad relationship has felt. Not that I’ve been in a relationship like Sangwoo-Yoobum’s at ALL but when you look at it through the lens of those who have suffered at the hands of the one they blindly care about. Damn it takes it to a crazy level. It makes me feel even worse for Yoobum and hate Sangwoo even more because you’ve been there one way or another.

Now take a 180, the other manhwa I’m reading, Blood Bank, could not be more fucking opposite. Talk about two people madly in love with each other that do so much for each other. Fantasy, neh? :’) God damn I want a love like theirs.

Anyways, I don’t have much else to say other than, my sister and I have labeled this year as ‘the year of personal enrichment” and by god as corny as that is I’m sticking to it. There is nothing like doing what is best for YOU.

And on that note, I am going to the gym for some cardio. And probably will watch Yuri on Ice shamelessly. I mean, that’s okay right? LOL