Favourites!

Yuki to Matsu is a masterpiece. This was the first of Takahashi's works that I read and it converted me into a diehard fan. The art of Yuki to Matsu flows, its elegant think outlines that give her work such a unique flair and the may she draws the most intimate moments between her two characters is tasteful and modest but she can depict so much passion in so few panels.

The titular Yuki is such a painfully human and relatable character to me, a person feeling like they're stuck in a limbo between man and woman trying to find a place in this world. I wonder if I was born in the past I would find the strength to be like Yuki. Yuki is jealous, vain, cold, but they still find a life for themself so fufilling it sets my heart aflutter with happiness just thinking of them.

The characters of the story are flawed but in some way they all seek happiness. Reading the epilogue I teared up as silly as it may seem knowing that Yuki and Matsu were happy made me happy and made me think that I could be happy like them someday too. The world can be cold, and cruel, and violent, but there is beauty to be found in every aspect of it nonetheless. Yuki and Matsu is a 10/10 from start to finish. Please go read it for my peace of mind and yours.

This review will probably be a bit shorter than the rest. At one point in my life I was an incredibly toxic and messy person. Day in day out I felt less than human and treated people around me badly because of it. Thankfully due to my community and a few friends who just wouldnt give up on me I ended up as the person I am today older and wiser and kinder. For the most part I moved on having learnt my lesson. While being sent off by campanella reached into my soul and ripped out that part of me, baring it all to me once again. I have never been so deeply seen by a piece of art before in this lifetime and it was a powerful experience.

Kyouyama's style is unique and incredibly charming. It captures the raw and human feelign tone of the manga about adults with grounded lives adn strips a lot of the fantasy feel a lot of manga often have about them. This story is a burning core of emotion for me. I dont know how to express my thoughts on the story and characters other than saying theyre unique for sure. If you read this either for better or worse you will know me deeper and I like that. - 10/10

Someday I'll fall for you is perhaps the most suprising to end up on this list. It doesnt have especially new concepts, its quite small popularity wise and it's also rather new. So why is it here? Something in this work just clicked with me the first time I read it. It was like looking at the ceiling of the sistine chapel for the first time and just understanding yknow??? SIFFY is the perfect high school romance I think I have ever read and maybe will read it just has that sauce. Perhaps its because the author already established their relationship in the future and can build it backwards instead of tacking on the sluggish will they wont they that often motivates the genre.

The two main characters are sweet and beautiful, they have a lot of mutual respect for each other and well established chemistry which I appreciate deeply. The way the author draws sweat, blush, and especially her faces makes me drool there are these soft curves which make them oh so cute and gives her work its unique flair. The books can be a little lewd at times some would argue excessively due to the plot being at least in some part centered around their budding sexual relationship but its always done tastefully irregardless of too much or not.

In the other reviews in this section I've shared a personal story, an anecdote of some kind relating to my life but the highest praise I can give this one is that I read it and loved it so much it stays in the bottom shelf with my other treasured bl. Sometimes nothing more is needed than a good story. 10/10

Madk was the first work I ever purchased, one of the first bl I ever read, and is incredibly special. Suzuris work is absolutely beautiful, the lines melt and flow its all so smooth and stylish and awe inspiring at times. Her characters change shape proportions, entire faces but it all feels consistent in her vision of the character. I had a massive fat crush on J while reading it his design is just enrapturing. While we're on the topic of her art I think its best to bring up the things depicted in Madk. This is an intensely violent and sexual work and its ok if you're not chill with that I'd avoid it. The main character Makoto often does horrendous things and has them happen to him and it is not a story with a happy ending. If you can look past that however I truly believe it'll be one of the best youve read.

Madk is an intensely beautiful story about repression, love, and the traumatic cycles of abuse that we often inflict on others but it understands its audience and still seeks some perverted delight in the acts it depicts. I cried when reading Madks ending for the first time and it still means an incredible amount to me. It was the first work I ever put on my shelf! Madk got me into and let me see how good the groteque could be and I hope that you can derive all the same meaning from this genius manga that I did. Maybe I'm just a pervert looking for justification XD - 10/10

Loveless is a work older than me, not strictly a boys love either but still means an incredible deal to me. Loveless was written years before I was born and will probably not be finished by the time I am done and is probably the work of fiction I feel most persecuted in my enjoyment of. Its about a 13 year old boy and a 20 year old man and I cant really defend that but I can justify the fact I enjoy it. Loveless is about the complications and the types of love about abuse and conflict and I think it portrays those themes very well. Yun Kouga has expressly stated in the past that she doesn't consider Loveless a BL and I agree with her but I'm still adding it to this page because I dont have a website for non yaoi now do I.

Yun Kougas style is in the nicest words retro, and shes clearly focused heavily on the aesthetics she lieks at the time flitting between whatever interested her for art pieces. Kids in loveless are tiny looking, and the adults are incredibly lanky and imposing. I adore the way she draws Soubi hes such a looker. The story as a whole is incredibly worthwhile and while I cannot fault people for making assumptions and writing off the story it does annoy me when they cant look past Ritsuka's and Soubi's relationship to see the other themes. Ritsuka and Soubi are both victims of abuse both unable to express right and deeply affected by the same man. I wont lie and say that Yun Kouga had only noble goals when writing the story but its really not as bad as you'd think.

I'm as odd as it may seem very proud of my collection of loveless. I secured the legendary four 2-in-1 volumes for 1-8 and theyre just stunning on my shelf. My deepest regret about it is probably the fact that its never going to be finished. Yun Kouga has either lost interest or cant write up an ending and I have to deal with that sadness. I do hope dearly that someday I am proven wrong and I get to see how this piece of fiction older than me ends. Interesting/10