Ai no Kotodama
Words of Devotion

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I had to re-read this manga to fully understand the characters background but I'm glad that I did. I can so relate to Ootani's personality, it really gets you thinking about yourself when you can relate to the characters

The main couple of this story (and perhaps the main attraction) is Tachibana and Ootani, who are weirdly possessive of each other, don't seem to trust each other much, and have trouble communicating about their feelings, which may not be the most pleasant for anyone hoping to read a sweet story about two boys learning to understand their emotions and iron out the rough parts of their relationship. Volume 1 will not deliver and, even if that wasn't a deterrent, they only star in the first four chapters before fading into the background so three completely different couples can take turns in the limelight.

Two of ... the three couples are highly unhealthy. One relationship features a sexual assault and another hinges itself on a kidnapping plot, so your mileage may vary. These couples are clearly representations of darker sexual fantasies and, for a BL manga labeled "erotica", that's pretty par for the course.

Thankfully, Alfred and Shou are a considerably more wholesome breath of fresh air after all that and their story doesn't require any knowledge of the other stories in the series, so theirs can be enjoyed separately or in conjunction with Tachibana and Ootani if that's more your speed. They're cute and supportive of each other, very gentle, and very sweet in their debut chapter.

Overall, volume 1 feels like an anthology about four totally separate couples while volume 2 attempts to provide more background to Tachibana/Ootani and tie them in with Shou/Alfred to create a more blended story. The time skip from the prequel origin story to what seems like present day was initially confusing, but overall the second volume is a much more enjoyable experience than the first one. Alfred gets some rather deep character development and the story ends on a sweet note.