TW: SA
The true tragedy of Wicked City is that, for the most part, I really like it. It’s not perfect, but it’s a slick action thriller dripping with gothic lighting and horrifying monsters. Sharp steel-like edges protrude out of bodies, tentacles writhe, and ambiguous white goo gets everywhere. Our leads are also perfectly competent. Taki, our protagonist, is an experienced man with a weakness for women (this thankfully comes through in mild flirting). Makie, his new partner, is stunning. Cool, icy but not heartless, with red nails that extended like needles from hell. She, like him, is a confident cynic, determined to complete her duty.
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Sep 30, 2024
Mukuchi na Koushaku Reijou to Reitetsu na Koutei: Zensei Hirotta Kodomo ga Koutei ni Natteimashita
(Manga)
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(Review as of the first volume
[Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review] Volume 1 of The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor by Ii Oshikawa is a very cute (if inherently silly) and short star crossed romance. Eleonora, a beautiful if verbally unusual (in the volume’s best running joke) noble lady, sets out to attend a ball hosted by Alexei, Emperor, brooding young man, infamous tyrant. As we watch their two paths converge, Alexei’s childhood rescue by an unusual but kind figure is also told. It takes very little to realize where the story is going, but Alexei and Eleonora are so ... 
Sep 5, 2024
Sono Otoko Fushidara ni Tsuki
(Manga)
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Rating: 3/5 [Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]
(Review through Volume 1) Volume 1 of <i>That Beauty is a Tramp!</i> is a pretty if slightly disappointing start for its romance story. Nagi, a “tomboyish” (?) woman who struggles with physical touch from men, desperately wants a boyfriend. Aran, androgynous model and playboy (our titular tramp), is down to play a couple with her. One volume in and besides that “fake” relationship becoming very real very quick, not much has happened. There haven’t been a lot of sticking plot points (what happened to the modeling gig that initially brought them together?) and it's clear ... 
Aug 19, 2024
Seihantai na Watashitachi
(Manga)
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Review as of Volume 1:
[Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review] Volume 1 of Pupposites Attract starts a sweet and silly story that charmed me. Our two dog owning leads live opposite lives (a shorter woman with a big dog and an athletic man with a tiny dog) but once they start crossing paths, a simple romance begins. Or at least starts to! We’re lighter on characters and plot in this volume then I think I’d like, but it’s a charming walk in the park nonetheless. A shout out to the translation. I really loved the accessibility of the translation notes throughout the ... 
Mar 9, 2024
Douse, Koishite Shimaunda.
(Manga)
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(Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for a review)
Volume 1 of <i>Anyway, I’m Falling in Love With You</i> reminded me in the best and worst ways of those early 90s and 2000s shoujo mangas’ whose high drama and pacing delighted me even as they made for uneven reading experiences. It’s a promising start. Mizuha’s a high school student, conveniently childhood friends with four attractive boys. She’s an aspiring manga artist and inexperienced in romance. When one of those four friends confesses his feelings for her and begins flirting in earnest, she’s out of her depth, overwhelmed by new feelings and the danger this presents to ... 
Jan 11, 2024
Review for Volume 1:
Rating: 8/10 (Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for a review) How sweet! Volume 1 of Pass the Monster Meat, Milday is half cozy fantasy cooking story, half romcom, all around good time. If you like reading about fantasy food and two characters who are perfect for one another realizing that they’re perfect for one another, this is for you. Also, some solid laughs, particularly at how oblivious they are. Melphiera Marchalrayd, a relatively low ranked noble, has gained a reputation for her interests in preparing, cooking and eating monsters. When she meets Aristide, warrior, high ranking duke, infamous lover of violence, she also ... 
Jun 3, 2022
Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru
(Manga)
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(Cross-posted on Goodreads for Volume 1)
“My Dress-Up Darling” offers a cute setup, but the blatant fanservice undercuts most of Volume 1. Wakana Gojou, an awkward but determined wannabe doll-artisan, begins to make cosplays for classmate, popular Marin Kitagawa. The two of them are adorable, with Marin, confident and with no filter, dragging Gojou out of his shell and Gojou’s earnestness finally being appreciated by Marin. Some of the lewder jokes hit, like the reveal Marin’s cosplay is from a highly explicit adult game and the manga balances Gojou’s attraction to Marin with their growing friendship. But so much of the fanservice is just Marin, in ... |
