insaneneko

Kiraina Sempai by Ichinose Yuma is an interesting manga about two guys at a company who start off not liking each other but end up falling for each other. The tone is odd, a bit off, a bit distant. But I do like how the POV switches between the two and how their dislike is very adult. Nothing really in-your-face, the kind of thing grown ups do in a work situation. They grow closer in spite of their dislike of each other, and the end is...rather sweet. There's a moment I truly detest, but it's such a blip in the story I can ignore it. The artist plans on continuing the story for a bit more online (and eventually publishing it as a doujinshi), but her blog post says it won't happen right away. I find it rather annoying, because while the end of the manga works as an ending it so begs the question of "what happens next?"

I picked up two "xx-kun and xx-kun"-titled manga based on wednesday_10_00's rec and enjoyed them both.

I personally didn't like Negative-kun to Positive-kun by Hide Yoshico nearly as much as the other one. It's a bit too episodic and non-linear, a bit too disjointed for me to really adore it. But it's adorable and sweet and light and fluffy. It's about opposites attracting and being in an adorable relationship. One is smart and introverted and rather negative, a worrywart. The other is stupid and outgoing and very carefree. They met in elementary school and naturally came together. I just wish the manga flowed more smoothly, because I think I would've truly fallen in love with it. The ending bit with the two girls was hysterical, though.

I was a bit put off by Samejima-kun to Sasahara-kun by Koshino at first, but have since fallen for it head over heel. Part of what threw me was the dirty, rather graphic sex depicted. Typically not my cup of tea, but I've grown to accept it (and the sex is kinda hilarious). In any case, this is another opposites attract story. Samejima-kun is an odd duck, at times wildly aggressive but at other times painfully shy and awkward. Sasahara-kun is a fairly normal guy. They work at the same store, and Samejima-kun confesses his love to Sasahara-kun. It begins their completely wacky and totally hilarious courtship which made me laugh a lot. The pocky moment! The attempt to recreate the pocky moment which results in alcohol overdosing! The hilariously realistic embarrassment about showing your body! The times when Samejima-kun seems so...manly! How they continue to call each other "xx-kun" the ENTIRE VOLUME! ♥♥♥