Manga Review: The Golden Sheep, Volume 2, by Kaori Ozaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Release Date: February 2020

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After rumors start to spread at school that Tsugu and Sora have run off together to Tokyo, Asari tries to get closer to Yuushin. Yuushin, having lost his living punching bag, is left with aimless aggression, until he asks his coach to let him take the pro boxing test. In Tokyo, the old friends collide and painful truths are laid bare...

Review:

Tsuga and Sora are off on an adventure, off in their own little world, and silly me thought it would be a break from the bullying drama. Ha ha, silly me. I should have read the room better.

While Tsuga and Sora are learning how to mature and run a business, Asari and Yuushin are still dealing with their normal high school lives, of pressure and putting on a certain face and acting like they're so cool. Asari tries to get closer to Yuushin, while Yuushin is dealing with his own pressures that makes him act out. This all comes to a head when Yuushin discovers what Tsuga and Sora have been up to.

The next volume is the final one, and I have hopes that we'll get a good ending. But also, I don't really know how good of an ending I want for Yuushin and Asari, cause they're both kind of terrible. I'm having a hard time sympathizing too much. Especially when I really like Sora and sympathize with him, and I do like Tsuga despite how stupidly optimistic she's being about Yuushin.

Despite my conflicting feelings, this is a very good series so far. It's harsh when it needs to be, and I would recommend. We'll see how it ends, though.

Manga Review: Hitorijime My Hero, Volume 1, by Memeco Arii

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: January 2019

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

"I don't like caramel sauce. I prefer something bitter..."

Masahiro Setagawa doesn't believe in heroes, but wishes he could- He's found himself in a gang of small-time street bullies who use him to run errands. But when high school teacher (and scourge of the streets) Kousuke Ohshiba comes to his rescue, he finds he may need to start believing after all...and as their relationship deepens, he realizes a hero might be just what he was looking for this whole time.

Review:

I was excited by the idea of this series. I haven't watched the anime or anything, but I was intrigued by the idea of Kodansha releasing yaoi series, and given the hype I was curious about this series. Which is to say, I'm a bit disappointed.

As the volume starts, I felt a bit lost. You get thrown into a discussion and history of these two characters, amid discussions with their friends. But it feels like some of the story has already happened, like I was missing something.

We meet Masahiro, who was in the wrong group of friends, but ends up growing close to older Kousuke, who's a bit too brash for him at first. There's some conflict, as one knows what he wants, and has to force the other to acknowledge his wants and rethink these things.

Kousuke's younger brother was cute, possibly the best part of the volume. His relationship was sweet, and he was fun to watch.

This volume felt a little off to me, and I had a hard time getting into it. I wanted to like it a lot more, and now I'm iffy on if I want to read more. I didn't really care too much for any of the characters, and overall it was just okay, I guess.