Doukyuusei
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I tend to stay away from BL manga, primarily because of that completely ridiculous notion that I should apparently find guy-on-guy rape titillating. So when I stumbled upon a manga that contained yaoi but, to my knowledge, none of that garbage, I naturally became quite excited and couldn't help but jump straight into it. Doukyuusei is a shounen-ai manga (or yaoi, if you prefer to call it that way, as I do; there isn't any sexual content, for your information, although there are some kiss scenes) by Nakamura Asumiko. The story follows Kusakabe Hikaru and his meeting with Sajou Rihito at the all boys' school ... they attend together, and the development of their relationship.

The main issue with Doukyuusei's first chapter is that we are thrust right into the story. This leaves us feeling disoriented with the setting and the characters. We aren't even sure who the main characters are at first and who is narrating the story, nor are we given an introduction to tell us what our primary protagonist's name is. What makes things even more confusing is the odd way the dialogue is organized. It is quite difficult to discern who is talking and following conversations is nearly impossible the first time around. The panels are quite haphazard and it definitely isn't a manga for the type of reader who doesn't think, not because of its deep subject matter (it's quite simple, really) but because of the abstract way it is constructed. Time leaps are pretty poorly written, and, overall, piecing out how events take place is more a matter of figuring it out from characters' conversations than actually seeing them happen.

Well, that all sounds pretty negative so far. And I even gave Doukyuusei a pretty good score. Is there anything positive to say about a manga that is more abstract (and not in a good way) than anything in its method of storytelling? The good news is that the majority of the issues I've outlined are mainly in the first chapter. The subsequent instalments are far more comprehensive and pleasing to read. Perhaps the author was trying out a new style, or perhaps I got used to the way the manga was written. Either way, I very much liked reading Doukyuusei, flaws and all.

It doesn't really have an over-arching plot, aside from the unfolding of Sajou and Kusakabe's love affair. It is a slice of life told mainly from either of their viewpoints, with a one time dip into the mental processes of Hara, their music teacher. That doesn't change the fact that Doukyuusei is absolutely, incorrigibly, completely adorable. It's a very light manga, and while there is the occasional teasing of deeper psychological issues, it's mainly fluff and the perils of growing up and figuring out what you want to do that the manga focuses on. Despite not being particularly jaw-dropping or amazing, it's definitely a stellar manga for a genre rife with cliches and general unpleasantness.

The characters are very much human, both likeable and irritating at various moments. We may not learn a lot about them and there may not be a lot as far as development goes, but they feel realistic. Reading the manga, we discover their quirks and thoughts and personalities, even if their backgrounds are only revealed little by little. Neither Sajou nor Kusakabe feel typical to me, so I don't think they're all too cliched. They may seem like your standard yaoi leads to those who are more seasoned with the genre, however. Kusakabe is a fairly happy-go-lucky student who is a part of a band. Sajou is a serious, studious young man who consistently has quite good grades. The only problem is that he's pretty bad at singing. This is the aspect that draws our two main characters together, just by chance.

Since Doukyuusei is a romance, it is important to know that their relationship rolls along at a pretty even pace. It doesn't seem forced, nor does it play out as simple pandering. It's a quiet sort of relationship shoved forward by raging hormones. The characters are pretty comfortable with the relationship as is, even if Sajou is quite endearingly awkward about it. It makes sense given his natural inclination toward introversion, after all, and it's not as if he's completely against his relationship with his classmate. He might be an awkward turtle, but the romance is consensual, a nice change for the subject matter.

This brings us to the art. Nakamura Asumiko's drawing style is highly stylized and original, and almost immediately recognizable. It is pretty, but somewhat difficult to get used to at first. While not necessarily detailed, there is a certain artistry to the wispy, pencil-like strokes that make up the drawings of her characters. The backgrounds, however, are rather lacklustre in comparison. Sparse and only vaguely detailed, if even that, the cream of the crop is definitely Nakamura's character designs, which are fluid and original.

Doukyuusei is a short yaoi manga well worth your time, even if you're not usually into the genre. As I mentioned before, it doesn't have any themes of molestation or abuse between Sajou and Kusakabe, and it is definitely a fresh, welcome addition to the genre.

A song that has connected us using this tender red string of fate. With your eyes that reflects the beautiful budding leaves, I want to see you again.

Nakamura Asumiko, known as an author of many stories with cognitive storylines, once again breathes new life into the shounen ai genre with her replenishing and distinctive art.

Doukyuusei

The story follows the life of Kusakabe, a student who is whimsical and has an easy going attitude. One day, he notices his classmate, Sajou Rihito not participating during a choir practice. He seems surprised but ignores it. That afternoon, during dismissal, he forgets his lunchbox, returns to the room and ... hears someone who was singing the practice song. He discovered that it was Rihito behind that voice and voluntarily tells him that he can be his practice partner. The days where the two of them bond with the lyrics and notes has given Kusakabe a chance to know Rihito better. What more awaits at the end of the road the two are taking?

Comparing with the other works of Nakamura like Double Mints and Coponicus no Kokyuu, Doukyuusei is more compassionate in nature. It strokes the slice of life genre and platonic romance.

Nakamura’s art style has a grotesque attitude on it. It’s somewhat strange, deformed and surreal but is absolutely beautiful. The character contours and backgrounds are made most of copious emotions. It lacks shadowing but keeps up with the lining. The art is near to extravagant and far from average.

The boy meets boy plot is simply mediocre with the usual developments. Repeating to what I have said earlier, the plethora of emotions makes up the most of the mainstream story. Flowing naturally with the current of the sequence of events.

As for the characters, the myriad of discourse and feelings makes it complicated. The lines of the poem from the classic class and the Budding Leaves song not only matched the atmosphere but it denotes the main events as well. The delivery of the innocence of their uncommon relationship without chasing skirts is also impressive, pointing out a vast of flaws in a relationship, jealousy, rivalry, love and the like. Hana-sensei’s personality is also note worthy. Suffering from an unrequited love with Sajou and with the discovery of the relationship of the main cast. It tells us that love isn’t always of happy moments. It is imperfect, unjust, and prejudiced.

As far as I can tell, Doukyuusei is one of the best works of Nakamura and is indeed another promising title. The superiority of art and the balanced stream is something worth reading for.

So, this is my very first review. Whether it is enjoyment or disappointment that I experience, I feel that I do not need to review what I have read or watched with others. Contemplating the work itself and how I felt about it to myself is good enough for me. However, this manga in particular made me feel something I haven't felt in a long time, and when one feels so passionate about something, whatever that something may be, they feel the need to share it. They feel that it is absolutely necessary for everyone to know about it. That is how I feel ... about Doukyuusei. Only finishing this manga about 10 minutes ago, it has left me in a daze. I feel bubbly and happy, as if I were in the 3rd grade, playing in the back yard with my brother on a hot summer day.

Now, I have read a lot of BL manga before. I am not going to deny the fact that I enjoy this genre. However, very rarely, at least for me personally, do I stumble upon a BL that makes me cry and feel so attached to it's story and characters.

Firstly, I must address the art in this manga. At times while reading, I would simply stare at the art for minutes. The art is so unique and interesting. I have never seen a style like it ever before. Just viewing the art made me feel some sort of way. At times, there was no need for words to be spoken. The character's expression and body language would express whatever they needed to say clearly.

Story wise, I wouldn't say that I haven't seen some parts of this manga in other BL manga before. I think that at one point in the manga the author mentioned that they meant to include some cliches. So yes, the plot is not something that complex and the story is not something that I haven't seen before. However, for some reason, it was amazing to me. The two main character's developing relationship and love for one another was steady and gentle. The story although not extremely deep for some reason gave me a feeling of joy and warmness. I think the way it flowed and the author's portrayal of an imperfect, high school love is what made it worth reading.

Regarding the characters, I think they were elegant, quirky, but also realistic. I really enjoyed the contrast between the lovers. One being an outgoing musician while the other being a introverted scholar. The way their relationship clashed at times and also flourished was extremely fascinating to witness.

My enjoyment for this manga exceeds the bounds of just simply enjoying something. This manga made me feel like a kid, witnessing two lovers just being in love and searching for a way to reach one another. I myself felt love for the characters being together, rooting them on whenever they talked. Overall, I highly recommend this manga to anyone wishing for a sweet story about two high school students slowly falling in love. I hope that more people will see how truly outstanding this manga is.

I read the manga and it was pretty bad. The story moved on way too quickly. The main characters and their relationship didn't get the time to properly develop or even be properly introduced. As soon as something started to "calm down", something new and bigger would happen right away. I really missed more of the peaceful and cute scenes that would allow us to really get to know the characters, story and setting better. Some of the scenes were very unique and interesting. But the moments could always somehow be easily ruined. Not all of them were though, luckily.
Overall it was an adorable story ... with an adorable little pairing, all I wanted was to get time to understand what was currently going on before the plot just moved on. This manga made me smile, laugh and groan in frustration.

I liked the artstyle. Sometimes it could be viewed as a little sloppy, but I still thought that it was very artistic.

If you're only planning to read this manga so you can watch the movie afterwards, I recommend skipping the manga and dive right into the movie. They don't really change anything about the story, if anything they improved it. They stretched all of the short moments out all the way and spent their time well, which is great. I did really like the idea of this story, but the way it was told in this manga bugged me a lot. It surprised me how the movie creators changed everything that nagged me and made it better. The movie is probably my personal favorite now.

"I don't know about you at all. We don't know about each other at all!"
- The finale of Doukyuusei. Also, a perfect way to describe the relationship between the characters.

I quite liked some works by Nakamura Asumiko. This isn’t one of them. It’s just another of many examples of BL genre setting the expectations so low, any not completely awful story seems like a masterpiece in comparison.

What are the personalities of the characters? Why do they like each other? What is the point of the story? Such questions are left unanswered. It’s just two completely unrelated boys that both meet and kiss within the ... first 20 pages of the manga and some attempt at romance triangle is introduced as a cheap device for the characters to realize they like the otter character - double cheap because this is actually used for both of the main characters. They become a couple, I guess. The end. It's not a realistic romance - it's a harlequin novel-tier romance, just non-hetero.

Now you don’t even need to read this, as that’s all there is to it. You’re welcome. The art is okay I guess, but the author can do better. Check out Copernicus' Breath or Utsubora instead.

Doukyuusei is a short, shounen ai manga about two high school boys in their last year. It follows a romance between the two of them as they grow up, and sort out their feeling about their relationship and what it means to like another man.

The manga has a good story, as it focuses on the struggles of going into adulthood and “growing up.” There isn’t an overarching plot, as the story unfolds, with each chapter presenting a new situation for the characters to have to come to terms with. This isn’t done as well as you think it’d be, as the pacing is too fast. ... It throws you into the story and it and the situations are “resolved” in the same chapter. In addition, time passes a little too fast in the manga, as the next chapter features a much later date. It could’ve worked better if there were more chapters, covering the same amount of time.

The characters are extremely well done. As they deal with each situation, you feel them grow and develop as both individuals and as a couple. They learn to understand each other more and more each chapter and learn what they want to do with themselves/who they are. The chapters slowly give out more information about them, while allowing them to grow. The pacing for their character/relationship development paced well compared to the story.

The art style in Doukyuusei is unique compared to most other manga. It has an abstract style and it varies from what you would expect from most manga. It did look good, as it was slightly abstract and a little rough. Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of it, but it did grow on me as I kept reading.

Overall Doukyuusei is a nice and short read that is both “emotional,” and “wholesome.” It has a rushed, but nice story, well-written characters, and a unique art style.

It's that classic story about a love that comes naturally. They started to talk by chance and started to develop mutual feelings for each other.
Kusakabe is a band boy, who knows music, and Saijou is a model student, who don't know how to sing.
For a music class and a upcoming performance at school, Kusakabe noticed that Saijou wasn't singing, then, latter, he caught Saijou practicing alone and decided to help. By the moment of the performance they got even more interested in each other and kissed.

Super sweet, super non original, although Nakamura-sensei have a very unique art style, making the story super interesting.

I credit this ... series success to peoples necessity to read simple and hardship free romances. The classic BL struggle of being male isn't well worked here, they brush it off very lightly. Well, that's very common for School Life yaoi.

Want a light, sweet, visually interesting series? Start with this one.

P.S.: Why every good smut author only get to be famous with the most vanilla series they produce?

Tender.


What does that word evoke for you? Maybe a certain feeling, maybe a specific memory from your childhood or a sensation that you like in your current day to day life. Maybe something else entirely.

Tender. (Adjective) "showing gentleness and concern or sympathy" A simple word, and a very very very dumbed down review for an entire series, but it is the only word I can think of to describe my adoration for this series.

Despite not usually gravitating towards romance, I had seen the art for this story floating around my circles. I fell in love with the effortless linework that Asumiko Nakamura is ... able to let flow in her works. While the plot of Doukyuusei is not groundbreaking, somehow the exact feeling of a fleeting childhood crush is perfectly captured by Nakamura. I found myself entangled in the beautiful romance of Kusakube and Sajo. Their overly cautious and soft romantic advances accompanied by dramatic words of devotion won even myself over, who typically enjoys psychological dramas.

A must read for anyone who wants to feel refreshed and enjoy a pleasant story.

I genuinely love how pure and poetic this manga is, as well as how well it captures young love and its everyday, unforgettable moments. However, this manga is full of cliches, yet it's drawn in such a way that it's captivating; it's pure and innocent, which I simply love about it. The plot is beautifully crafted as well. Sajou and Kusakabe are endearing and well-made characters. When I read it, I got butterflies in my tummy because of how simple the story was. I instantly fell in love with Sajou and Kusakabe. They also give me this heartwarming feeling of tenderness.

I loved how real this story felt and how cute it was. Just two boys trying to figure out how love works and what its is like to try to be truly with someone. I know that when I was reading it, I felt like the feeling where a bit rushed (this being a one series manga [yes I know that there is the sequel after though :)] it is to be expected though) but then I started thinking about me past how it felt when I was young and in love and how sometimes it was just like BAM love has arrived to mess ... your heart. there is no villains, no sexual assault, and no weird love tringles that make a story have all this drama added into the story. It is truly is just about the pair. Also i love the art work looks and is simple but at the same time, so expressive.

All around.... Lovely!

doukyusei made me feel like i was in love the whole time i was reading it. it was so cute and tender and made love feel so easy, as it should be. albeit short and felt rushed at times, it was very sweet. the pair were really just trying to figure out how love works and it's so easy to root for them. their conflict was childish and easy to resolve, as how high school love should be. the only problem i have with the manga is with harasen, he really had no business being that close to his students. overall, i really liked it.

Story:8/10
Doukyuusei is a great BL manga that doesn't fetishize gay men whatsoever. It shows how love can and sometimes happens between two people. It's a very down to earth story about two boys falling in love. The only part of the story that I didn't like was the teacher loving Rihito, which rubbed me the wrong way.

Art:9/10
The art is quite unique and shows things in a more saturated way which gives the manga an easing feeling on the eyes, which makes it a breeze to read all the way till the end.

Character:7/10
The two main characters Rihito and Hikaru are great protagonists, ... two high schoolers who slowly fall in love over course of their school years. They are well fleshed out and feel like actual people who you can easily relate to.

Enjoyment:10/10

I loved every second and minute of my time of when I was reading this manga. It made me feel happy slowly seeing two guys fall in love for completely valid reasons. It made me feel warm and happy.

Overall:9/10
As a bisexual male, I give this manga a solid 9/10. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to read a good LGBT manga.

Doukyuusei is a cute story about a budding first love... as long as you focus solely on Kusakabe and Sajou. These teen boys are endearingly awkward as they figure out what they feel for each other and how to approach this relationship. They aren't perfect, but they're trying and it's extremely sweet. However, this manga is not without its flaws. I found myself craving more backstory for the developing feelings between them because, as it is, that seems to happen "off screen" and I was left wondering how long this curiosity about each other had been brewing and what made them decide to take the ... opportunity to spend more time together. To add insult to injury, the relationship that is deemed most worthy of that kind of background is the one where Sajou has been preyed upon by a child predator.

Hara is by far the worst part of this story, but he is most easy to ignore in this first volume. I would have enjoyed the story more if these high school kids didn't have to deal with a child predator butting into their relationship. Being a teenager is already rough enough without being taken advantage of by an authority figure you are forced to spend time with every day, especially when that behavior is excused by practically everyone around you.

I would highly recommend this volume to someone who is interested in sweet BL with a slice of life flavor and a high school backdrop, but please brace yourself for the aforementioned sexual harassment of a minor. There is one satisfying moment where he gets a small amount of comeuppance, but it unfortunately doesn't last.

Started reading this because every female friend is drooling about this manga.

To be honest it wasn't something from another world, it was very short and just your usual copy paste feminine male that can't talk and act like a proper person, pedo teacher that doesn't has any consequence and harass stuff just like many manga written by a girl. It's time to wake up in real life gay romance it's not like this. I'm going to read more of her manga but I don't think it's gonna change my mind.

The art style was fine although some drawings were from a 90's yaoi manga maybe ... they were a reference? lol.

Some spoilers ahead, nothing that'll ruin the plot just my personal issues about some characters.
All I can really say about this manga is that I personally really didn't like it, BUT I can definitely see how other people like it

The art is really nice to look at (well not including some panels that resemble them 90's yaoi manga's haha), pacing is ok but it could be a little better but it doesn't feel too forced, characters feel realistic, and the story concept is alright, not too good but not too bad.

I think my biggest issue about doukyuusei is the teacher x student thing, ... although I'm glad that the teacher acknowledges how it's bad to have a crush on a HIGHSCHOOL student, and he doesn't actually do anything serious to him it still really creeps me out. Also the fact that the other characters have no problem with it really irks me (especially that one scene where some of the other teachers were ASKING him which student he has a crush on 💀💀), and when I found out he was THIRTY FIVE FUCKING YEARS OLD reaallyy made me not like him. Tbh I would have had absolutely no issue if it were some other character (like another student or smth) that liked him but nah it had to be the fucking teacher 😭

Anyways that's all I'm gonna say for now-- I've only read till ch 20 so it might get better the more I read, and I may change my review. So I'll consider reading the rest of it once I have some free time