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y0-ake · 3 years ago

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“Age Gap” anime & manga... part 2

It’s been a while since I wrote the first part to this particular topic (see here if you haven’t read it before) and that being the case I’ve had plenty of time to watch many animes and find more than a few shows/mangas that also fall into this same category - the age gap genre. In the original post, I spoke a bit about what draws me/us to the shows/stories that highlight interactions between older and younger pair-ups and used a number of examples to highlight my case, including Angel Heart, Brothers Conflict, Genji Monogatari, Junjou Romantic, Speed Grapher, Okane ga Nai, Viewfinder and the one that started it all: Glass Mask.

In this post, I want to share with you some of the other match-ups I’ve found and why I fell in love with those combinations. So of course, for those who haven’t watched these shows or don’t like too much a spoiler:

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

In the interest of full disclosure and protection of the eyes of those who have not watched the shows I’m about to talk about, please note that there are some spoilers ahead about Ace wo Nerae, Aoharu x Kikanjuu, Blade of the Immortal, Brother Dear Brother, Gallery Fake, Gravitation, Gun X Sword, Hellsing, Loveless, Mirage of Blaze, Monochrome Factor, My Daddy Long Legs, Subete ga F ni Naru, Super Lovers, Trinity Blood, Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru, Kusatta Kyoushi, Kirepapa, Papa to Kiss, Yebisu Celebrities, Blade of the Phantom Master, The Garden of Words, Gungrave and maybe a couple of others here and there… So let’s hop to so I can fangirl about these shows!

I can’t quite remember what order I watched these shows in so let’s go in alphabetical order to be fair… The first one on the list is Ace wo Nerae and this is actually a sports anime from the 1970s and is about the professional relationship that develops between a newbie player named Oka Hiromi and her coach, Munakata Jin. Hiromi, a high schooler, initially joins the tennis club because of a senpai she idolises named Reika - as was par for the course in animes/mangas back then, the yuri vibe was hella strong (think “Rose of Versailles” and “Brother Dear Brother” - the art style is sort of similar to this as well) but when the new coach comes on board, things start to change. He sees raw talent in Hiromi and is interested in nurturing this so he singles her out at times and gets her to train like crazy in order to bring her up to the level of none other than her idol, Reika. Hiromi struggles a lot with her self-confidence but Jin has enough for both of them and even puts his health at risk in order to train her and make her into the best female tennis player that Japan has to offer. Even going so far as to advise her that she shouldn’t engage in any relationships while she’s focussed on her goal… Haha! I saw what you did there Jin… While Jin and Hiromi never officially cross any lines, their bond gets deeper as the show goes and she finds her strength in his faith in her. I love this sort of thing because they start of rather antagonistic toward each other because Hiromi resents that Jin singles her out and makes her train like a crazy person and even thinks about quitting at one point but eventually she starts to find her own competitive spirit and realises that all the torture and hell Jin has put her through has actually all been for her benefit and because he really believes in her and her talent. Love, love, love it…

Aoharu X Kikanjuu is a relatively recent anime and is about a high school girl named Tachibana Hotaru (often mistaken for a boy) who is invited by a host named Matsuoka Masamune to join him and his mangaka friend on their survival game team, Toy Gun Gun. Tachibana and Matsuoka initially get off on the wrong foot and get involved in a gun fight at Matsuoka’s work place. Tachibana is not your average girl though and true to her appearance, she can easily play with the boys. Displaying her amazing athleticism, Matsuoka is immediately drawn to Tachibana - even if it’s just because he wants her on his team. Tachibana, upon first meeting Matsuoka, actually thinks he’s rather hot - score! And best bit - they live next door to each other. The age difference here probably isn’t that great but a 16 year old high school girl hanging out with a over-20 year old guy does have it’s fair share of “illicit romance” undertones to it. And the best thing about this is that Matsuoka begins to like Tachibana, not knowing that she’s a girl - meaning he thinks he’s falling for a guy! Perfect! Nothing like some gender-bender feels in there to switch things up! And the nice thing about Tachibana is that she isn’t like a typical girl and doesn’t do the whole tsundere thing. She’s rather straightforward and pure and has a strong sense of justice. It’s these sorts of qualities that make her different to the girls that Matsuoka usually encounters at his workplace and is probably why his feelings for her (thinking it’s a him) catch him off guard… Adorable and I love it!

Blade of the Immortal is more of a traditional samurai story but with a slight twist - the samurai in this case is immortal (hence the title of the show). So the premise here is that we have this immortal samurai named Manji who has always been an excellent fighter, killing over a hundred men, including his own sister’s husband. After that, his sister goes a bit off the rails and even though he does his best to look after her, she also meets an untimely demise. Prompted by the death of his sister, Manji decides that he will make amends and undo this “curse” of immortality by killing 1000 evil men before he dies. Not long after this, he runs into a girl named Asano Rin. Her parents were killed by members of an opposing, new-style dojo so she asks Manji to help her on her quest for vengence. Since these guys would fall under the “evil” category, Manji accepts and so begins the adventures for Manji and Rin. This was sort of a sweet partnership but Manji is definitely not the hearts and flowers type but more of the rough around the edges and will make fun of you type. That said, he does his best to help Rin fulfill her promise for vengeance and even helps her try to train a bit. She uses small knives as her weapon of choice - daughter of a dojo owner here - but she isn’t exactly professional level yet. I enjoyed their chemistry and while Rin was definitely the more self-conscious of the two with respect to their “relationship”, you can see that Manji is a man of the sword and knows that only unpleasant experiences follow him wherever he goes. To that end he keep his distance - romantically speaking - but they do have a cute partnership going on.

Brother Dear Brother is another manga from the 70s that got an adaptation into anime format in the 90s… Yep.. like 20 years later for some reason. Anyway, the story starts off with Nanako Misonoo - a girl entering an all girls high school (insert those heavy yuri vibes here again). However, before this happens, she meets a guy named Takehiko Henmi at the cram school she attends, where he is her teacher (whilst also being a university student). Feeling a strong connection to Henmi, on the last day of cram school Nanako goes to Henmi and asks if she can keep in contact with him - even if it’s just via letter. Henmi sees no problem with this (ahem…) and gives her his postal address. From then on, the story is told in the narrative fashion of Nanako writing about her high school experiences to Henmi. You would think that this would be all there is to their interaction but 70s manga being VERY drama heavy, all the characters’ lives are heavily interconnected and Henmi flits in and out of the picture at a later stage when he bumps in Nanako. It seems like they have mutual acquaintances (surprise!) and so they end up seeing more of each other as time goes by. It all remains on the up and up, of course because unknown to Nanako, Henmi is actually…….. her step-brother! Dun dun duuuuuun… Nanako’s step-father is actually Henmi’s biological father but he sort of lost contact with his son after he remarried Nanako’s mom. Anyway, this eventually all comes to light and they’re both actually cool with it. Now, in the story itself, Henmi is actually in love with a girl named Kaoru and Nanako eventually starts dating some other unknown guy (after all that yuri love). But for me, in my mind, Henmi and Nanako are actually really well suited for each other. Yes, they’re step-siblings but not related by blood and it’s not like the thought of being with Henmi never crosses Nanako’s mind. They’re both patient and kind and people with big hearts and lots of love to give to others. They’re understanding and helpful and when they’re together they always have fun and they’re comfortable with each other - after all, Nananko pretty much bares her soul to him in those letters from time to time. I know some will like the actual story of Henmi and Kaoru, but right at the end of it all, I’d like to think that Henmi ends up with Nanako… even if it is all in my head.. Lol!

This next one is probably the show that inspired me to do another post on age gaps just because the love for this one was strong. Gallery Fake is the story of a shady art dealer who runs a gallery that specialises in selling - you guessed it - fakes. It’s not illegal to sell fakes of course but the reason why our main character, Fujita, is considered shady is because he also does black market deals with the real deal. Since he’s usually away on business and such, he has an assistant that helps him run things and her name is Sara. And it’s the chemistry between these two that makes me melt. They actually met through the art business because Sara is actually the daughter of very wealthy parents from the middle east, but becomes orphaned when she loses her parents to civil war in the area. She sets off on a journey to recover one of the art pieces that was stolen from her home and this is when she runs into Fujita, who helps her retrieve this missing piece. Thereafter, the two of them remain together - she moves to Japan and becomes Fujita’s assistant/ally. She knows full well that he does these shady deals and never judges him for it but, rather, supports him wherever she can and even bails him out should he need it. The best bit is that Sara is actually rather straightforward about how much she likes Fujita and is willing to tell anyone who asks that she does indeed like him. That said, she isn’t pushy with him but sort of hopes that one day he’ll come around to seeing her as more than just the kid he helped. The age gap becomes most noticeable when it comes to physical activities, which also makes for some pretty comical moments. Sara is young and fit and trains at the gym etc. whereas Fujita is pretty much out of shape and always huffs and puffs when there are expeditions involving hiking. It’s adorable the way he complains about how she’s young and fit and then Sara has to pretty much look after him. And while there is another semi-potential suitor for Fujita, for me, Sara is the only choice. She understands him and accepts him and supports him, no matter the cost. And although he’s a bit more reserved about it, he too comes to recognises that Sara is an important part of his life, and those moments are so worth watching (many times over)…

Gravitation is one of my favourite BL animes/mangas and here we have a bit of an age gap between our main characters because when Shuichi Shindou meets Yuki Eiri, he’s actually still in high school (in the manga anyway) and Yuki is already a well-established novelist. I love that these two have the strangest meeting and it’s a case of fascination becoming infatuation which ends in gravitation of the two guys toward each other. Yuki gives Shuichi a hard time most of the time, but it’s only because despite his harsh outer appearances, he’s actually rather delicate on the inside and carries a lot of emotional baggage with him. It’s this baggage from his past that has made him jaded and someone that pushes people away from him. It’s a protection mechanism of course but luckily Shuichi isn’t one to give up easily and no matter how difficult it is, he holds on yo Yuki and is there for him through thick and thin, eventually being rewarded for his efforts. The relationship sometimes comes across as unhealthy because of the ups and downs that they go through, with Shuichi suffering the brunt of it. But despite that, they manage to stay together and Yuki even shows his weak/sensitive side to Shuichi and is eventually able to be honest with himself and with Shuichi about how he really feels… So worth the wait!

This next one was actually recommended to me and is about an unlikely pairing up of a mecha pilot named Van and a girl named Wendy Garret in the anime Gun X Sword. Wendy and Van meet when he comes to her town looking for food - he has a thing about eating food with every condiment known to mankind on it. While he’s there, the town runs into some trouble and he’s sort of forced to help out since his own life would be at risk. It comes to light that Van is actually on a quest of sorts to find the man that killed the woman he loves and exact his revenge. The man, a.k.a The Claw, also took Wendy’s brother and since they’re both looking for the same person, Wendy decides to join Van on his quest - even offering to be his bride. He declines of course because at that time, she’s still a kid in his eyes. As they travel together, they get to know a bit more about each other and Wendy is actually the first person whose name he remembers consistently. Wendy comes to develop an attachment to Van and begins to like him and eventually wants to be seen as more than just a kid in his eyes. She tries to become a bit more mature around him and while it might not always work, there are moments between them where you can see that they are closer to each other than anyone else. I love watching as their bond grows and how they sort of look out for each other. And while there are other people around too, the one that’s always thinking about Van is Wendy. Van is a bit of a slow-on-the-uptake sort in the romance department at this stage because the only thing he’s really focussed on is getting his revenge. And while he does eventually leave at the end of the show, there is a somewhat happy ending at the very very end so you’ll have that to look forward to!

Pairing up another older man with a younger girl… or perhaps it would be more accurate to say an older immortal being and a younger girl, we have Hellsing! This is the story of Alucard (yes - Dracula spelled backwards) and his young charge, Seras Victoria (or “police girl” as he calls her). Their meeting seems almost like a twist of fate because the problem that Seras is called to investigate is the same that Alucard is assigned to eradicate. This is where their paths cross for the first time when Seras is taken hostage by the man that Alucard has to kill. Alucard then gives Seras a choice - to die or to have eternal life as a vampire. Seras chooses vampirism and after getting shot through the chest by Alucard - the bullet passing through her to kill her captor - Alucard stays true to his word and gives Seras eternal life. Seras takes a while to get used to her new life and since she was turned by Alucard, she’s tied to him and recognises him as her master and can even hear his voice in her head at times. Alucard actually gives Seras an opportunity at one point to drink his blood and become like him - a powerful vampire that’s more on his level. However, this would also mean removing her attachment to him and she declines his offer. While their relationship is more professional than personal most of the time (since he’s off doing his own thing/handling his own cases), their bond is something that can’t really be severed until she decides to drink his blood and break away. It’s this bond though that had me doing mental cartwheels because him creating a new vampire means that he’s made himself a partner for eternity. While some people might prefer the relationship between Alucard and Integra Hellsing, Integra remains human and won’t live forever. Alucard and Seras are the only ones of their kind in the Hellsing organisation and while Alucard might not come across as a caring type, he does admire Seras and there are times where he gives her advice on how to proceed with her new life. And while Seras may do her own thing, she is indebted to the man that saved her… and I love every minute of their time together.

Loveless is another BL manga/anime and the age gap here is about 8 years between the 12-year old Ritsuka Aoyagi and the 20-year old Soubi Agatsuma. Theirs is a very complicated relationship mainly because each of the characters comes with a ton of baggage. Ritsuka used to get beaten by his mom, underwent a personality change and has trouble remembering things - which is why he’s always trying to make memories and capture them using a camera. Soubi was Ritsuka’s older brother’s fighter and after his death, he is “given” to Ritsuka to be his fighter. Ritsuka knows nothing about this world and is introduced to it through Soubi. Soubi also provides Ritsuka with information regarding his older brother (Seimei) and eventually a bond between them begins to form. While Ritsuka is not one for love and affection, Soubi is relentless in declaring his love for him, which leaves Ritsuka flitting between trusting Soubi’s word and running away from them. This is one of those more dramatic relationships because you can immediately tell that there is a lot of stuff going on with both characters, who are brought together to be a fighter unit through forced means. I still found myself wanting them to resolve their misunderstandings and mistrust because the idea of the two of them as a team versus others appeals to me in an “us vs them” sort of way.

Another one in the BL genre is Mirage of Blaze and even though it’s been a while since I watched this one, I do remember that the main characters had an age gap between them - as it turns out, it’s a gap of 11 years between the high schooler Takaya Ougi (17) and the man that comes into his life, Yoshiaki Tachibana. I remember this story being a bit of a complex one because it deals with the reincarnation of Kagetora Uesugi (Takaya) and his vassal, Nobutsuna Naoe (Yoshiaki). Initially Takaya doesn’t believe it, but eventually starts to accept that it might be true when memories of his past life start coming back to him. The person that helps him with this transition is his trusted vassal Naoe and to this end, Takaya begins to develop an attachment to him however, it’s not as simple as that because the two of them have a bit of a complex relationship. In addition to this attachment they have, they both want to “win” against each other - sort of like being in competition with each other to be the more dominant figure in their interactions, which led him to doing some pretty crazy things in their past lives. Even so, Naoe can’t contain his feelings for Uesugi/Takaya and it’s almost like an obsessive sort of love, tinged with a sense of danger. So while they start of as caretaker and charge, it devolves/evolves into a blending of past history with current feelings. It becomes a sort of intense story and while I wish there was a clear cut happy ending, the idea of having a love/obsession that stretches across time is sort of nice in its own way - a bond no one can understand or touch.

While this next one probably wasn’t intended to be strict BL, the vibes where definitely there between the main characters Akira Nikaido (16) and his somewhat older guardian of sorts, Shirogane. If you’re not familiar with it, the anime I’m talking about it Monochrome Factor. In a nutshell, Akira is a special guy - effortlessly cool, clever and talented and the guy who is going to restore the balance between the human world and the shadow world. However, he doesn’t realise that last bit until he comes into contact with a strange man named Shirogane, who explains the situation to him - that they are meant to fight together to bring the balance between the human and shadow world back to rights. There are a few other characters involved too, but it’s the interaction between Akira and Shirogane that takes centre stage here - especially since Shirogane always appears to have an almost romantic interest in Akira. I like the times that they spend together away from the others and how they slowly become closer and forge a bond over time. Although it’s not a full blown romance, there are enough moments to be seen which is why it’s been included on my list.. They’re actually pretty adorable together and even though they argue/fight from time to time, the person that Akira comes to trust most is Shirogane.. It’s the stuff ships are made of! ‘Nuff said!

My Daddy Long Legs is a classic anime at this point - mainly because it’s older but also because it’s a show that’s used as a pop culture reference in other shows/comics. The story is set in 1920s (?) United States and revolves around the high school life of Judy Abbott - a girl from an orphanage who is given an opportunity to go to a prestigious high school by an unknown benefactor - known to her as her “Daddy Long Legs” because she once saw his shadow as he was leaving the orphanage, but never got to know his name. As luck would have it, he also never wants to reveal his identity either but one of his conditions that Judy must adhere to is that she write him letters, telling him about her life. While at high school, Judy meets a whole host of new people, including on of her classmates’ uncles - Jervis Pendleton. He’s a bit of a free-spirited type and obviously much older than her (since she’s like 15 when they met and he’s already running a business) but they get along well. The time period is obviously a huge factor in this age gap because back then it wasn’t unusual for girls to get married straight out of high school and become wives. So while Jervis and Judy’s interaction and eventual romance isn’t taboo, it isn’t what we’re used to these days so it’s kind of sweet to see it all unfold. There are lots of dramatic moments and misunderstandings due to the differences in their social status - something that Judy is always painfully aware of - but these things are set aside when they both realise their feelings for each other.. And of course, the major non-surprise at the end is that Jervis is… you guessed it… yeah, I’m not even gonna say it… Sweet coupling where friendship eventually becomes love and is readily accepted by their peers too!

Subete ga F ni Naru was a more unexpected one since it’s a more serious anime that deals with a murder mystery of sorts. There are 3 main characters and 2 of these have a working relationship as professor and student. Even so, this doesn’t stop the student from liking the professor, even he plays dumb to her “advances”. It’s up to these two to unravel the mystery of a murder in an enclosed room and it’s through this story that we get to know a bit more about these two as well as the other main character, that serves as the driver for the storyline. Saikawa is the professor and Nishinosono is the student and she’s sort of been in love with him for ages - ever since he came to her house because he was actually her father’s student at the time. She tries to be his go-to person and the one that understands him best but it’s a bit of an uphill struggle with him since he’s an emotionally detached person and thus doesn’t approach love and relationships in a conventional way. This only makes Nishinosono try harder but it’s also a cause for jealousy whenever the professor shows his admiration for the 3rd character in the show - the genius Dr Magata. In any case, I liked that Nishinosono doesn’t give up and that even though he might not reciprocate her feelings, Saikawa does care for her in his own way and the two of them make a cute yet unusual team.

Super Lovers is pretty popular these days so I doubt I would have to say a lot about it, but in case you didn’t know about it, this is a BL involving an ex-host named Haru who now runs a cafe and lives with his 3 younger brothers - 2 half brothers (twins) and 1 non-related brother (the object of his undying affection). The age gap is maybe around 10 years or so between the two brothers and their relationship starts off in the vein of caretaker and his young charge and eventually evolves into something encompassing a new definition of “brotherly love”. Some people might complain about the show because it seems like Haru is “grooming” Ren to become his lover, but personally I don’t really see it that way. Each of the brothers is damaged by their pasts in their own way and it’s through their bond and mutual love that they try to move forward - although sometimes it’s a case of 1 step forward, 2 steps back.. I’d say take it with a pinch of salt because maybe it isn’t your thing but me being a lover of BL, I’m alright with it and sort of can’t wait to see Ren fully grown - like a proper adult!

Trinity Blood revolves around the main characters Abel Nightroad and Esther Blanchett. Without getting too involved in the details of the actual plot and storyline (because believe me - it’s too much to try and explain here), Abel meets Esther and she follows him back to the Vatican. While they don’t necessarily spend all their time together, they do develop a bond as a result of being sent on missions together from time to time and something landing up in dangerous situations. It eventually becomes obvious at the end of the series that Abel’s real object of his obsession is actually his “brother” Cain but while they do spend time together, Abel and Esther have an almost little sister/big brother vibe going on. I say almost because this being an age gap post, some might see it as more than that.. and that’s no problem at all!

The next one is a complete mouthful of a title, but it’s Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru. Another one in the BL-sort-of-but-not-completely vein, the main characters here are Luka (so hot) and Yuki. Yuki is around 15 years old when he and Luka start to interact more in depth - Luka had been looking out for him pretty much his entire life - and they form a bond between them. However, this bond is also based on the fact that Yuki has actually been reincarnated many times before and was previously a girl (yes.. a girl) that fell in love with Luka. This is where the complication sets in because before reincarnating herself, “Yuki” sealed off her memories of her past life before coming back as a boy. So while Luka can remember everything - including their love for each other - as clear as day, Yuki doesn’t have this recollection and so Luka has to be attentive/sensitive to the fact that this Yuki doesn’t remember all those details. So, in a way, it’s like starting the relationship anew. Yuki is a soft-hearted kid and Luka still loves - despite him being a boy. He’s gentle with Yuki and the two of them share a bond that Luka won’t let anyone interfere with. While it’s more shounen-ai, I still loved their bond together.. (Not to mention the tons of eye candy here)!

Sticking with BL stuff, there are a whole host of OVAs that involve younger guys with older guys - which also means you can read this in manga format (like a lot of the titles I’ve already mentioned). So to highlight these, I’m gonna give the cliff notes version:

Kusatta Kyoushi no Houteikishi: A manga that was given an OVA adaptation about a young, sweet boy that decides to go to a high school full of delinquents in the hopes that he will find the guy that he fell in love with as a child since he heard that he was working as the nurse at that school. Unfortunately it’s a case of mixed identity because the one he comes into contact with isn’t the sweet, gentle man of his youth, but rather, that guy’s brother! Hijinks ensue because the brothers are rather similar-looking and it’s been a long time since he’s seen the object of his affection. He can’t believe what an ass his “love” has turned into but ends up interacting with him. Eventually the misunderstanding is cleared but now our MC is unsure about which brother he really loves… Awww… Age gap alert here since the kid is in high school and the brothers are well beyond that.. Love this story - just funny and cute!

Kirepapa: More school kids getting into illicit love affairs with older men.. This is about a super overprotective father named Chisato Takatsukasa (36) who eventually ends up falling for his son’s first year high school friend and best believe he didn’t see it coming! He usually tries to keep other men away from his own baby boy but this friend is rather relentless… but the reason for it is because he was only after Chisato in the first place. Needless to say that with a title like Kirepapa, Chisato is rather good looking (like all the men in his family). And things get a bit complicated when Chisato finds out that the writer he idolises, is actually none other than his son’s friend - Shunsuke Sakaki (15)! Both a manga and an OVA so you can enjoy in both formats!

Papa to Kiss in the Dark: Somewhat more risque here with this one because it’s about a first year high schooler (surprise!) who is in love with….. his father??? SURPRISE!! Lol! Not actually though so not to worry… it’s actually…… his uncle??? SURPRISE!! No, really - it’s his uncle.. His mom’s brother.. Anyway, in manga/anime/OVA anything goes so I was alright with watching this one. Mira is our freshman who is in love with Kyosuke - his “dad” - and the two of them are actually involved in a romantic/sexual relationship which sort of confuses the hell out of Mira… And the confusion only gets amplified when Mira finds out that Kyosuke might not be his father after all! Yep - it’s a bit of an odd one buuuuuut I still watched it and after everything I’ve read/seen as a fujoshi, I had no issues with it. But personal preferences might come into play here for you.

Yebisu Celebrities: A young college guy named Haruka is looking for a part-time job since tertiary education isn’t cheap and lucky for him, he gets hired by one of the leading graphic design firms called Yebisu Graphics. It’s here that he meets the men of Yebisu and, most notably, his boss - Takashi Daijou. Daijou is high spec and Haruka sometimes feels super intimidated by this, but at the same time he’s also super intrigued/fascinated with him. Daijou also has his eye on Haruka, but in a different sort of way.. and so begins the love affair between a boss and his young, naive but caring and supportive subordinate. Love the manga, enjoyed the OVA so give it a go if you’re after that sort of salary-man thing but on a high class level.

Hybrid Child: Not precisely an age gap throughout because the hybrid children(?) grow up faster than their masters but, the one that most definitely stands out from the few storylines is between Ichi Seya and his hybrid child Yuzu. By the time Seya gets his hybrid child, he’s pretty much a fully grown adult and Yuzu, that cute little thing, wants to grow up quickly to be of use to him and be on his level so he can share in Seya’s worries and be someone Seya can rely on. Of course, it’s adorable because there’s a point at which Yuzu believes that sleeping with Seya will help him grow faster, but of course he has no idea what that even really means.. Just too cute! So yeah, it’s sort of age-gap for a while there as Yuzu tries his best to turn into a man that Seya can rely on - love it!

And lastly in the BL category would be Ai no Kusabi, which is a story about a young guy from the slums named Riki (15) who hooks up with an immortal elite being known as Iason Mink (age unknown). One of my all time favourite yaoi OVAs (and one I’ve done extensive posts on already) but the contrast between their social status and the way they go against the grain is something special. Iason will do anything to have Riki, and while Riki may protest, his body is always honest. It’s a complex and tragic love story but one of the best, in my opinion. I can rewatch this gem any time and still love it!

Going back to the regular stuff, we have Blade of the Phantom Master. Munsu and Sando have an odd sort of start because Munsu initially starts off on a journey, meets Sando’s lover (who is trying to rescue her) and when the lover passes away, Munsu ends up being the one to rescue Sando. Since Sando is a gifted sort, she offers to become Munsu’s bodyguard and so begins their relationship of sorts, with Sando as Munsu’s protector and Munsu sort of providing her with a purpose I guess. They’re an unlikely combo but I sort of like it - especially since she’s a girl that can hold her own for the most part, while Munsu gets on with his job of kicking ass and taking names.

Then there’s The Garden of Words. I doubt I need to even say much on this one because this is one of those movies that was like a benchmark in terms of the beauty of animation. For those that aren’t acquainted with this movie, the story revolves around a high school kid that has a thing about going to the park when it’s raining so he can sit and draw shoe designs, since this is what he wants to do with his life - become a cobbler. It’s there that he runs into a strange woman, who comes to the park as well to drink beer and eat chocolate. They two of them sort of get to chatting and things start to develop from there, where they both look forward to the rain so that they can meet again. Of course, things take a twist somewhere along the line (I’m not telling) but the bottom line is - younger guy and older lady… A rare combo, but a very lovely, visually stimulating story..

Gungrave is a story I really enjoyed because of it’s mafia vibes. Another hero and young girl combo here, however it’s sort of limited since the story revolves predominantly around the life of the hero when he was younger and his bromance with his friend. However, fast forwarding to the present day, our hero has changed somewhat but has decided to protect the life of a young girl (Mika) that has been targeted by the mafia. Our hero, Brandon Heat (who later becomes known as Beyond the Grave), has his own scores to settle, but it’s sort of sweet how he looks out for this girl and, of course, she starts to catch some feelings, being around him all the time. Sweet…

And for a couple of manga-only titles (so far) I would highly recommend reading Hana wa Saku ka - about a college kid that ends up with a salary man (excellent story with plenty of feels) and one of my all time favourites, Punch Up - about a iron worker (19) that ends up with a 31-year old pervert of an architect.. Best for some comedy and beautiful scenes! Maki is one of my favourite semes. But to be honest, there are SO MANY yaoi age gap manga that you can go wild reading it all…

Shew… that was a pretty long list actually (which sort of goes to show how much of a life I have - not much, to be sure) and there are so many yaoi mangas with age gaps that I would never be able to list it here. However, I’m always open to suggestions so if you know of something I should be watching or reading, send it my way! Hopefully I can make a part 3 at some point! Anyway, until then, this should give you some more ideas about what to watch if you’re in the mood for some age gap relationships. And judging from the likes I’ve gotten over the years with the first post, I know I’m not alone so throw away the rule book and enjoy!

Part 1 is out here! Part 3 is out here!

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