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Ooh yay, I get to be the first to review!

I thought this was such a solid memoir-manga. I feel like if you enjoy the writing style of "My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness", you will definitely enjoy this. The art style was really simple and straightforward and cute. I felt as though everything portrayed in it was very realistic, and I really loved reading about the mangaka's relationship! I'm really happy that they found each other! I feel like reading stuff like this really gives you a perspective on how important marriage can be, especially when there's many hurdles to accessing the privileges that come from ... being married, as shown in this manga.

I feel like when it comes to romantic stories, there's not a lot of talk of things like what will happen when one of them dies, how they will tell their parents, what kind of money situation or chores situation their relationship will have, etc. All of these things are somewhat unglamorous or just straight-up unromantic to talk about, seemingly. But this manga is very candid about all the very real facets of their relationship. I just appreciate that level of honesty so much. If you're not accustomed to that kind of talk in stories or even in your own relationship, I think this book could be good to read!

It's a very short and relaxing read honestly and I enjoyed it. I read it in a coffee shop which made it feel even nicer, haha. It's one of those manga where I wish I could thank the mangaka (and in this case, also his husband) for sharing his/their experience bravely and candidly. I love queer stories! Give this one a shot!

I would describe myself as an "art manga aficionado". I'm an artist, art is 100% of my life. A lot of themes in this manga, I can really connect with on a personal level because of that-- curiosity, passion, excitement, confusion, coming of age, loneliness, using art as a means of exploration and expression, all that good stuff. And I do think that there's nuggets of good stuff in here.

However, I do mostly just find this manga to be disgusting on many different levels. Whenever I see mangaka put their FIFTEEN YEAR OLD characters in situations like these, I just wonder, how much would ... it hurt to make these characters be a more appropriate age? This whole manga is about children being put in sexual scenarios. I find it so disgusting and sometimes even fetishistic. I don't understand why any human being would want to buy this and have it on their shelf.

I tried to imagine an alternate version of this manga where Yumeko is a woman in college, in her 20s. Maybe she's never really felt passionate about anything and is going to school for something she doesn't care about, and she'd never struck an interest in men or their bodies before because she'd always been to busy with her studies & uninterested. But maybe she watches a movie that features people in the nude and that's how she strikes an interest in male bodies, leaving her down the same path as Yumeko in this manga, but with one of her awkward college classmates, instead of a random art club member that she blackmails (which is also disgusting). I think that the story would not only be about the same, but would also be leagues less disgusting to read, on top of having a message of, "Its never too late to switch paths once you discover something you're actually passionate about"-- in Yumeko's case, art.

In conclusion: read Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi instead if you want to learn about someone become impassioned about art as they come of age.
Or Nude Model by Tsubasa Yamaguchi if you want a story with slightly similar themes but completely different (and, in my opinion, a far more appropriate) execution.

Even though I really appreciate the way that this movie works to destigmatize the way homophobic people can view gay sex (or relationships between men in general) as something "gross" or "strange", and also the way it has a character who deals with internalized homophobia, this movie just does not do well in most of the themes it's going for. The main characters have no chemistry, and aren't well-written enough *to* have chemistry. It has some tender scenes, but overall, was a rushed waste of time.

And I'm sorry to sound offended but this aspect of the movie really struck a nerve with me. This movie ... is stupid for the way that it implies Shun is in the wrong for not immediately wanting to go back to the main island to make amends with his father. Gay people. Do not owe. ANYTHING. To their homophobic parents. NOTHING. If he never wanted to see his parents again, that would be HIS RIGHT. He's already struggling with internalized homophobia but you've got Mio and his ex-fiancee who pressure him into making amends. Both Mio AND the ex-fiancee also slap him in two different scenes. Why do they need to be violent towards him when it's clear THEY don't fully understand the life he's gone through and the discrimination he faced in school? These aspects are what pushed the movie from a 5 or 4 to a 2 for me.

I'm sure the manga for this is probably okay, or at least passable. In a manga format, you can afford to take your time a little more. But the timeskip in the beginning really does the movie a disservice because Shun and Mio feel completely different from how they were 3 years ago, when we last saw them. To me, it makes them feel like characters who are hard to figure out, and I really think that does the entire movie a huge disservice.

Overall... skip this one. There are better written LGBTQ+ stories out there. As a positive, I liked the setting and backgrounds, but besides that, it's so nondescript in so many ways I'll probably forget everything about it by tomorrow.

Unfortunately, there is nothing original or unique about this show whatsoever. It has a strong pilot episode that mirrors the well-known story of the Cinderella character, and shapes up strongly to be an underdog tale about a girl who rises far above anyone who has ever wronged her -- before immediately boring itself to death before episode 2, adding supernatural/fantasy elements without the worldbuilding or atmosphere to support it, and dumbing down any of the simple yet strong themes it had going for it. Even the most interesting aspect of the show, which to me would have been a very slow burn relationship between Kiyoka ... and Miyo, keeps getting interrupted, as the couple are frequently apart from one another.

Hell, I was trying so hard to give it a chance when all the supernatural stuff was introduced, even though it caught me way off guard. I can sympathize with a character who is born ability-less in a world full of (unexplainably) gifted people. But the show is just so damn obvious -- you KNOW Miyo is going to be revealed to have incredibly strong powers, because far be it from them to do the interesting thing and have her being a regular person something that she actually has to grapple with till the end. It's just so damn boring. It would have actually been a million times more interesting if they had actually gone the traditional route of befing a non-fantasy, arranged marriage, slow-burn marriage story, with perhaps some revenge elements sprinkled in as Kiyoka learns of how terribly his fiancee's family treated her in the past. It's so, so hard to get a Cinderella story wrong, yet here we are.

Instead, we get people with inexplicable supernatural powers, and a story that starts off sprinting before immediately tripping and falling flat on its face. It's very unfortunate because I do like the character designs and I do enjoy some of the character's relationships. But all I see when I look at this anime is a story that doesn't find itself particularly compelling, so it added all these other elements to shake in front of the audience's face like plastic keys with a baby. It's so lame.

It's not normal for a grown man to fall in love with a high schooler. In fact it's weird as hell. None of the adults in this manga have good boundaries with the child they're living with, at all. It makes me sad because the main protagonist of this, Miko, is a really nice and well-written character. Over the course of the story, though, all the characters besides Miko sort of flatten out into one entity. All of the things that distinguished Akane, Ken, Asako, Ryo, and Jun sort of gradually fade away. It's not a greatly-written story and I think that Ryo and Jun ... are both reprehensible characters for the lack of boundaries and respect they have for the fact that Miko is A CHILD.

This manga is so bored by its own characters and story that once the main characters get together, it all just devolves into plotless porn. Which, y'know, that's fine if that's what you wanna read, but why disguise it as a BL romance centered around cute sweets and stuff?
It just makes the first couple chapters feel like a useless precursor to when they inevitably have sex. (Which, yes, the sex happens when one gets the other purposefully drunk so that they can have sex. Which is so weird and ew on so many levels.)

Overall, this had promise, but is kind of a waste ... of time, in my opinion.

Ooh! I will be the first to review these!

Re: My Mixed Feelings recommendation: Personally, I liked these. But because of the dark and graphic and disturbing nature of some of these stories, I won't recommend it to most people.

Please note that each of these short stories are definitely RATED M FOR MATURE, even sometimes being pretty explicit. Each one has sexual content, sometimes in very graphic detail. There is a graphic rape scene in Onnanoko, and lots of sexual harassment and pedophilia in it too. Please be careful!

**Nude Model**
This is the story of a boy who is dared by a friend to have ... sex with an unpopular girl in this class as a punishment game. In trying to seduce her, he ends up taking a liking to her. I would say that this story is a pretty good precursor for Blue Period: about a boy who does not know how to express his true feelings, but ends up realizing that art can lay him bare and help him experience true human connections. I think it's a cute story. The first time I read this was actually a while ago, and I still think of it sometimes, just because I think it's a cute idea to have a nude model and artist get together, whether it be romantically or as friends.

**Onnanoko**
This is a story about several boys in high school who are basically obsessed with porn at the moment. A young boy at the school records himself making sexual sounds into a tape recorder, and that recording accidentally leaks to the rest of his school. Basically, because of this, this boy has to see what it's like to be objectified and sexualized by the boys, and men, around him. When he gets into serious trouble, the only person who stands by his side is a girl who he, himself, previously sexualized, objectified, and put down, for the size of her breasts.
This story was really intense and is something I'm going to be chewing on for a long time. It was extremely disturbing but also thought-provoking. I think it says a lot about why young boys should not be introduced to porn at their age. I don't think they realize the damage that they're doing to themselves and the people around them when they only see a woman's body when they look at her. The ending lines of this story were especially chilling -- that basically, he could admire this girl for the size of her breasts, but he, himself, would never wish to live in this world having breasts like hers. To me, it's kind of like, men will profit off of and enjoy the porn industry, but will do nothing to support or advocate for the women who are abused by that same industry.
Yamaguchi was really bold with this story. I really want to hear what other people think of it too.

**Kamiya**
This is a metaphorical story about the Japanese host/ess industry, wherein customers can pay to essentially "date" the hosts that work at clubs. It may seem as though the relationship you're having with the host is real and true, but in reality, once the money dries up, they will have no interest in spending time with you. It is basically like the ultimate parasocial relationship where you think you know someone, but you really don't know them at all. This is the predicament the main character of Kamiya falls into. The energy-and-funds-draining exercise in futility that is loving a host/ess is depicted by having the host club be full of vampires. The main character slowly falls in love with a blood-sucking vampire, to whom she devotes much of her blood, and her money. In the end, she thinks she is special, and thinks she will be rewarded by the good deeds she is paying him -- but in reality, she is nothing more than another blood bag of many to him.
I thought this was a really amazing and clever metaphor for this particular issue, that I really enjoyed. It depicted the situation in a very unique way, especially by having the vampire be gender fluid, meaning that this is an issue that can affect anyone of any gender or sexuality. Its important to not devote your life to someone you know nothing about, especially if there is a financial incentive for them to be hanging out with you.

Overall, Yamaguchi is an amazing artist and very interesting storyteller. This dark and intense way of storytelling is something I've only caught glimpses of in my many, many months of enjoying Blue Period. It is amazing to see her tackle real life issues so boldly.

Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this manga to anybody!

It's not like it was the WORST thing I've ever read, maybe someone could get a little enjoyment just from reading it to pass the time, but I wouldn't really say it's worth buying or keeping or anything like that.

This story needed a lot more chapters (or even volumes) in order to progress the characters to the extent that it wants to. With only a few chapters to its name, the character progression is LIGHTNING fast, and the drama hits you in an intense wave. A story like this, in my opinion, is better suited ... to be a slow, agonizing drama where the characters make a concentrated efforts to understand each other, with the payoff being when they finally get together. All of this just happens way, way too fast.

The same is with the little side stories in here. Once you start getting into it, they're already over. Instead of brief vignettes, I would have liked to see these characters developed more slowly. Instead, I feel like I barely know or can relate to the characters. They don't really act like real people because there is simply no time to develop them.

Inari Konkon shows how intimate the relationship between a god and a human can be without it being in the realm of romance at all. The mother-daughter relationship between Uka and Inari brought me to tears many times, especially in the last episode. You can truly see how much they care for each other and love each other, and how much they need each other. It was such a beautiful friendship -- and in fact, all of the friendships in this show, especially between Inari and her group of girl friends, feel so real and well developed. It really reminded me of middle school but ... in the best way, where emotions are overflowing and everyone is awkward but there's still just so much love and joy to go around.

If I had to compare Inari Konkon to two other animes, it would be Kamisama Kiss (in that it deals with Japanese religion and gods and the like, and what happens when a somewhat small-minded human mingles with gods), and Puella Magi Madoka Magica (in that a very young girl stumbles into power, and finds that it's not all cutesy magical girl funtimes, but rather is a huge responsibility).

I feel like Inari Konkon does in 10 episodes what it would take other animes to do in 24. It's extremely short and sweet, and packed with emotion. I love this series simple innocence, and pure heart. I would really recommend it if you'd like a cute little story to enjoy over a weekend!

This review is just for this 15-episode Bakemonogatari season, not for the entire series itself!!

While watching it, I fought internally with myself over what I thought about it, which is very typical of me. But I'm choosing to emphasize the things that I adored about Bakemonogatari, because the enjoyment that I got from it is something not quite like any other anime.

However, I feel it's important to mention that Bakemonogatari's ultimate downfall is its pandering to p*dophiles. Especially in the Nadeko Snake arc. The camera never misses an opportunity to ogle the underage women in this show, and it's frankly disgusting. Without the fanservice, ... Bakemonogatari would be nothing short of a masterpiece. Instead, the show chooses to insult its own intelligence by sexualizing extremely young girls, some in middle school, and mischaracterize its own main character by having him be both kind, considerate, and selfless, while also being a drooling "lolicon" who sexually assaults middle-school aged children. I'm disappointed in the show and the direction it went regarding the fervent sexualization and p*dophilia.

I criticize this aspect of it so harshly because I was truly disappointed in it, due to how much I *loved* watching this. It's truly unlike any other anime. Its art is beautiful and cinematic, the world the characters live in feel both vast and small, busy and empty at the same time. Each character feels fleshed out in such a real manner -- in a way that each one has a secret life you'll never know about, a personal life inside the screen. The way the characters talk to each other is sharp and funny, and keeps the viewer completely engaged, almost like reading a novel. It reminds me of sitting at a dinner table with friends and more enjoying just listening to them talk to each other than actually participating in the conversation.

Not to mention, the pacing of this is completely beautiful. The episodes dash past you at a breakneck speed, telling you to pick up everything you can about what the characters are talking about, or get lost. If you're not in for the ride, then Bakemonogatari is not for you. An anime like this grips the viewer's attention and requires their participation because nothing is spoken outright. It relies on the viewer's attention and trust and intelligence, like a true mystery story. It really is different from any anime I've ever watched because it never waits for you to catch up, it simply keeps going. I think that's truly magnificent.

I think that the first three arcs of this season, Hitagi Crab, Mayoi Mai Mai, and Suruga Monkey, are the most enjoyable, and could probably even stand on their own individually. As I said before, the Nadeko Snake arc focused far too heavily on the sexualization and fetishization of a child. Each arc contains wonderful, humorous, and charming conversations between the characters though, and my attention was held so tightly by this show that I watched the first 10 episodes, fell asleep thinking about it, woke up thinking about it, and swiftly finished watching -- now here I am writing this review!

I will definitely keep watching the Monogatari series because of the things that I *did* love about it. However, I doubt I would ever recommend it fully to another living soul due to the disgusting fanservice and sexualization of children that takes place in this show. An anime such as this deserves to be enjoyed, but also consumed completely critically.