#Miyano Akane | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

metalandmagi · 10 months

Text

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess).

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅

#yuri on ice #kaguya sama: love is war #fruits basket #ore monogatari #bloom into you #sasaki to miyano #snow white with the red hair #yamada kun to lv999 no koi wo suru #horimiya #recovery of an mmo junkie #taisho maiden fairy tale #skip to loafer #unfortunately not much bl or gl since a lot that I've seen is too...out there for this list...#now bl manga on the other hand...#why did i make this lol?#because i finally got to the confession scene in akatsuki no yona of course and now i'm dead #I kinda want to include doukyuusei too but it's just a little bit steamier than what I was going for with this 😅

3K notes · View notes

neonscandal · 4 months

Note

Who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love them...Thanks if you want to answer....

Contemplating my answer as I've come to the realization that ships are really just a way to self report on how you view relationships or how yours are in real life (is that just me?)...

Suffice it to say, I generally like ships that are a leetle antagonistic in jest, but are warm and fuzzy at the core.. generally. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the ships I love most are also featured on this list of recs. Thank you for asking, I'd love to hear about what ships you'd recommend as I'm always looking for something new to obsess over. In no particular order:

A Special Place In My Heart

Inclusion of the ship may not necessarily be a gold seal of recommendation for the source material so.. grain of salt.

Kyouko Hori & Izumi Miyamura, Horimiya - innocent and navigating the obstacles of coming of age. They each get a sense of redemption (just looks a bit different) but also they are silly and comfortable.

Shuumei Sasaki & Yoshikazu Miyano, Sasaki and Miyano - genuinely? Earnest Gentle x Considerate Gentle but also funny. Butterflies and second hand embarrassment, just what you'd expect from falling in love in high school.

Narumi Momose & Hirotaka Nifuji, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku - because of course. Authentic acceptance of one's shameful quirks and hobbies even if it isn't readily apparent that one of them has been invested a whole lot longer than the other.

Ranma Saotome & Akane Tendou, Ranma 1/2 - don't judge me, I was young, immature even. Tsundere x tsundere will have you fighting for your life on that "will they, won't they" ledge. If you haven't seen it, think Inuyasha & Kagome (same mangaka and Ian Cox voices Ranma in later seasons and goes on to voice Inuyasha).

Miaka Yuuki & Tamahome, Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play - she won.

Tatsu & Miku, The Way of the Househusband - not a ship but a fact of life.

Hayase Nagatoro & Naoto Hachiouji, Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro - ... another "don't judge me" inclusion. These two are "pause the show to recover from second hand embarrassment" but so am I.

Gugu & Rean Cropp, To Your Eternity - because first and foremost, I'm a sad bitch and their story accomplishes more in like.. a few episodes than some ships do in an entire series.

A Special Place in My Festering Lizard Brain

Generally, I post more about these ships because, in my head, their stories are incomplete or, more likely, tragic and deserving of remediation.

Kojiro Nanjo & Kaoru Sakurayashiki, SK8 the Infinity - if not ship, why ship shaped? It's the banter, baby.

Satoru Gojo & Suguru Geto, Jujutsu Kaisen - Gojo's last warm spring of youth was my last warm spring of youth.

Aslan Jade Callenreese & Eiji Okumura, Banana Fish - shhh, we can fix what canon broke.

Katsuki Bakugo & Izuku Midoriya, My Hero Academia - this ship is about to be canon as hell, so help me.

8 notes · View notes

rabbitindisguise · 5 months

Text

Lav year in review:

Visited my friend on the east coast for christmas and new years

Most importantly

Total written in 2023: 41,955 🎉

(sidenote; about a third of the way through this I was like "oh neat I did a lot of stuff I didn't realize! I should feel proud of myself for tha-" to quickly going "oh god what have I started, when will it end" so feel free to skip the end for anime)

Life events:

Started and finished cross stitching my mob psycho III project

Started a crochet blanket

Started playing dc again after 10+ years, and started a new game (tfo)

Got all four wisdom teeth removed

Moved to a different county

Increased medication dosage

Got approved for SSI

Wrote (at least part of) 7 fics

Made a bunch of great friends

[Frustrating legal stuff and insurance stuff]

Worked on the four ornament cross stitch project (it was really difficult, this might take me years honestly)

Learned to weave (!!!)

Got a rigid heddle loom (!!!!!!!!!)

Got a bunch of helpful tools for cross stitch and the supplies for three projects

Gridded and hemmed aida for first of three projects and got started

More or less completed the game A Little to the Left, and played lots of slimerancher

watched SO MANY anime

Cross stitch projects:

Anime:

Mob Psycho (all three seasons)

One Punch Man (all seasons)

Bocchi the rock

blue lock

Tomo-chan wa onnanoko!

Sugar apple fairytale

Yamada-kun to lv999

Jigokuraku

Spy kyoushitsu

Mononogatari (season 1 and 2)

Dead mount death play (season 1 and half of season 2)

Jujutsu Kaisen (second half of season 1 and most of season 2)

Akaka

Mignon

Tsurune (season 2 and movie)

link click (both seasons)

MDZS (all three seasons)

got caught up with Boku no Hero Academia (watched seasons 5 and 6)

The case study of vanitas (all)

Caught up with Bungou Stray Dogs (season 5)

Sasaki and Miyano

Heaven's Official Blessing (half of season one finished, then most of season two)

re-watched Howl's Moving Castle

Undead girl murder farce

Deranged Detective

4 Cut Hero

Haikyuu (season 4 and 5, and rewatched up until the end of the 2nd season)

Tokyo Revengers

My New Boss is Goofy

Ojou to banken-kun (half of season 1)

OVERTAKE!

Sousou no Frieren

Started 16bit sensation

re-watched My Hero

Dakaichi

The dreaming boy is a realist

Golden kamuy (half of season one)

Onmyoji

Manga:

Akane-Banashi

Books:

The life changing magic of tidying up by Marie kondo

The god of Arepo (yes it's a real book now!! It's amazing, someone made a comic of it)

Read this if you want to take good photographs + other photography books

You're a mean one, Matthew Prince and Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky

(Part of) how to keep house while drowning

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (plus a re-read of other tlt books)

Basketry books

Origami books

Mary Oliver poems

Rockhounding books

Some of Trauma Stewardship, Unmasking autism, Laziness Doesn't Exist, and A Short History of the World According to Sheep

Archery books

Weaving books [including: weaving today - selecting and using a weaving loom, inventive weaving on a little loom, mastering weaving structures, pattern weaving, role of yarn tension in weaving, the Weaver's idea book, and weaving made easy]

Some of Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

Part of The Geek who Saved Christmas and probably many other mlm books I didn't think to keep track of (I read a lot of mlm before bed)

Movies:

Rewatched Going Postal and The Hogfather

Rewatched Klaus

(fndjsk is it obvious I like Christmas a lot?? I might be agnostic but it certainly helps to look forward to stuff in the winter months)

#personal

8 notes · View notes

mikuyuuss · 1 year

Text

I just got home from the Kny premiere❤️ I got these free merch, and sadly we had to choose between Mui and Mitsuri shirts, so me and my friend both chose Mitsuri for each of us.

The only size that was available is extra large, and is way too big for me. I hope I can still pull it off with a baggy look with my matching green socks or something. Anyways, I need to gather my thoughts because, man I didn't expect to be as speechless as I am now after finishing it lol.

First of all WOW, I somehow didn't expect the infinity fortress to be so big I don't know why I somehow visualize it as just some really big maze of hallways, but the movie showed a whole ass city, and apparently with houses too as Douma said.

And speaking of Douma, Mamoru Miyano did such an amazing job with him! I don't remember him being this cute in the manga, but in the anime HE WAS JUST SO ADORABLE. I almost felt bad with how Akaza and Kokushibo were treating him lol. I just cannot get over how amazing all the vas are, especially Koku with Byakuyas voice!!

And speaking of Swordsmith Village. Ngl, Swordsmith wasn't exactly my favorite arc in the manga, (as much as I adore Mui, Mitsuri and Genya there.) but seeing it in anime and just seeing the environment in general, with the swordsmiths, the blade forging and the world building, made me appreciate it so much more. My friend however, said how he wished the village looked bigger. Our guess is it might be a lot bigger than it looks with more houses that are simply hidden.

Tanjiro's introduction to Genya is just h i l a r i o u s, sometimes I just forget how weird their first interaction is lol. Just from the the way it was animated and how it went manga panel style just as soon as Tanjiro is gonna jump. It's all just perfect.👌

And of course there's the infamous Mitsuri bath scene. I remember saying before about how I was worried that they might exaggerate the fan service scenes, but thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I know there were some people who wished to omit the bath scene altogether, and I'M SO GLAD THEY DIDN'T, let her enjoy her bath smh 😤 Prior to this, I heard stories about how someone moaned in the theaters during that scene. There wasn't anything like that in my own experience. 🤣 But the audience did gasp, mostly heard comments like "She's so pretty!" something like that.

Also gotta give it to Mitsuri's va Kana Hanazawa! I mentioned before how she also voiced some of my favorite female characters like Akane Tsunemori. I felt that she's a bit underrated within the va community, probably bc they think that she's limited to shy and cutesy roles (she isn't) but the thing is, Kanahana REALLY SHINES when she plays characters like Mitsuri, and it shows. I LOVE the Mitsuri and Nezuko scenes. It was just WAY TOO CUTE AND WHOLESOME (I can't believe I haven't drawn these two together yet ;_;) and I even heard the collective "Awwwwwwws" of the audience during that scene. It was just that cute.

(But that said, I'm a little disappointed they didn't include the part where Mitsuri was singing to Nezuko, it was such a missed opportunity, I wonder if it's too late to add them to the episode once the season is fully released... 🤔)

But overall, It was all really really good, and I was getting so excited to also see Muichiro and then suddenly it ended abruptly, and then I remembered that this was just a teaser of sorts and not the full movie. So I don't know how to end this post except to say that me and my friend are both shoocked.

#kny #demon slayer #me speaks #mitsuri kanroji #tanjiro kamado #nezuko kamado #swordsmith village arc #mamoru miyano #kana hanazawa #kanahana

23 notes · View notes

ao3feed-twiyor · 4 months

Text

The kidnapping of a new idol group!

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/wSFRb35 by Esoor Both the Forger family and the Detective Boys receive tickets for a B Komachi concert. Words: 3813, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: 推しの子 | Oshi no Ko (Manga), 推しの子 | Oshi no Ko (Anime), 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed, SPY x FAMILY (Manga), SPY x FAMILY (Anime) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Shounen Tantei-dan | Detective Boys, Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Anya Forger, Hoshino Aquamarine | Goro, Hoshino Ruby | Serena, Arima Kana, Kurokawa Akane, Mem-Cho (Oshi no Ko) Relationships: Haibara Ai | Miyano Shiho/Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Mouri Ran, Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Arima Kana/Hoshino Aquamarine, Hoshino Aquamarine/Hoshino Ruby, Hoshino Aquamarine/Kurokawa Akane read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/wSFRb35

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #twiyor #spy x family #sxf #loid forger #yor forger

4 notes · View notes

lgbtqmanga · 1 year

Text

New Releases April 18, 2023

Barbarities vol. 2 by Tsuta Suzuki

After Joel flatly turned down his bodyguard’s aggressive advances, things have grown cold between the two men. But when Simon, the former king’s brother, returns, everyone is on high alert. Simon wants the crown for himself and he’s even willing to partner with the kingdom’s enemies to take it. If Joel and Adam are to stop him, they’ll need to get over their differences and work together. But can Adam put aside his intense feelings for Joel?

Catch These Hands! vol. 4 by murata

There’s something different about what Soramori means by “like” and what Takabe means by “like” — but can the two come closer nonetheless? See how their unique love story will unfold in the final volume of this heartwarming ex-delinquent yuri comedy!

Does it Count if You Lose Your Virginity to an Android? vol. 1 by Yakinikuteishoku

Beautiful, brainy Tsuda Akane is indispensable at the robotics manufacturer where she works, but her colleagues never saw her private side. At home, Akane’s a hot mess with an apartment that looks more like a landfill than a living space. When she drunkenly orders a maid to help her tidy up, the lady android who arrives is a horny hottie that’s about to give Akane more service than she bargained for!

The Executioner and Her Way of Life vol. 2 by Mato Sato, Ryo Mitsuya, and nilitsu

In order to kill Akari, Menou follows Orwell’s orders and boards a train to Garm. Unbeknownst to her, terrorists bent on capturing the princess Ashuna sneak onboard. Will Menou be able to deal with these unexpected foes on the runaway train, or has she met her match?

I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons vol by Yuki Fumino

Kohei Sugihara, college student with hearing loss, and Taichi Sagawa, his ever-optimistic former classmate, met in a chance encounter that ignited an undeniable spark that would eventually blossom into love.

Now it’s spring and as Kohei nears graduation, his search for a job begins. Meanwhile, Taichi finds himself in charge of someone new at work. Life is busier than ever, but all in all, things seem to be looking up for the pair. That is, until the sudden appearance of Ena, one of Kohei’s old flames.

Love is an Illusion vol. 2 by Fargo

It might be said that omega Hye-sung has an attitude problem. His life as an alpha has been turned completely on its head thanks to meeting Dojin, except unfortunately for him, his life is about to get even more uncertain… When Hye-sung gets sick, a quick trip to the doctor results in a life-changing surprise for them both. Dojin is ready to take responsibility, but is Hye-sung willing to cooperate?

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady vol. 4 (novel) by Piero Karasu

After receiving the right to succession, Euphyllia is facing a future where she becomes ruler, while Anisphia is released from her obligations and continues her research. How will this affect the future of Palettia—and Anis and Euphie’s blossoming relationship?

Sasaki and Miyano First-Years vol. 1 (novel) by Shou Harusono and Kotoko Hachijo

Welcome one and all—to the fabulous life and times of Sasaki, Miyano, and their closest companions! Ever wondered how Kuresawa met his girlfriend? Want to find out if Miyano and Kuresawa were always friends? Or contemplated just why Miyano and Hirano are so close? The answers to these questions—and many more—will be revealed in Sasaki and Miyano: First Years!

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess vol. 4 (novel) by Kotei Kobayashi

With the conclusion of the Six Nations War, Komari’s life finally starts to settle down...or so she thinks! At the behest of Karla Amatsu, a commander from Heavenly Paradise, Komari is sent as an envoy to a far eastern nation where a major crisis lies in wait! Will this vampire princess ever catch a break?

#new releases #manga #light novels #lgbt manga #queer manga

9 notes · View notes

miry-shoyo · 1 year

Text

~About me~

She/Her

Bisex

Name: Mirella

Nickname: Miry

Age: 23

Birthday: 15 dicembre

Star sign: Sagittarius

~Games i like and play~

Angels of death

The Witch House

Mad Father

Aria's story

Midnight Train

Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium duels

Inazuma Eleven go: luce

Inazuma Eleven go Chrono Stones: Fiamma

Pokémon perla/platino

Pokémon bianco/nero/bianco 2

Pokémon X

Pokémon Sole/Luna

Pokémon Spada

My hero academia One Justice

Husbands:

Izuku Midoriya

Hinata Shoyo

Gilbert Nightray

Yuichiro Amane

Johan Andersen

Yusei Fudo

Reginald Kastle

Yuto

Dan Kuso

Zack Foster

Simeon Ayp

Ash Ketchum

Kousuke Ooshiba

Chuuya Nakahara

Mafuyu Sato

Ray (TPN)

Wei Wuxian

Hua Cheng

Killua Zoldyck

Ash Lynx

Tetsuya Kuroko

Sasuke Uchiha

Keika Yuu

Karma Akabane

Yuri Plisetsky

Touya Kinomoto (CCS)

Aichi Sendou

Natsu Dragneel

Inuyasha

Kai Ichinose (Piano no Mori)

Reki (SK8)

Ren (Super lovers)

Ikuto Tsukiyomi

Miyano (Sasaki to Miyano)

Riuji (Toradora)

Zero Kiryu

Ranma Saotome (Ranma½)

Yato (Noragami)

Waifus:

Rachel Gardner

Runo Misaki

Uraraka Ochaco

Kyoka (BSD)

Sakura Kinomoto (CCS)

Misaki Tokura

Lucy Heartfilia

Yachi Hitoka

Kagome Higurashi

Akane Tendo (Ranma½)

Momoi Satsuki

Hiyori Iki

Jiang Yanli (MDZS)

Sakura Haruno

Shinoa Hiiragi

Alice (Pandora Hearts)

Dawn (Pokémon diamond and Pearl)

Amu Hinamori

Taiga Aisaka

Emma (TPN)

Akiza Izinski

Louise Francois de la Valliere (ZNT)

#about me #otakugirl #Spotify

7 notes · View notes

tanenigiri · 2 years

Text

Review #26: I Cannot Reach You (Volumes 3 and 4)

Japanese title: 君には届かない。(Kimi ni wa Todokanai)

Story and art: Mika

English publisher: Yen Press

Number of volumes: 4 in English, 5 in Japanese (ongoing)

The pain of self-doubt.

(This review contains story spoilers.)

Volume 2 of I Cannot Reach You left Yamato and Kakeru with a lot of things up in the air, with Yamato letting his jealousy show and Kakeru being completely unsure of what to think of and how to feel about the whole situation. And while Volumes 3 and 4 do address most of these uncertainties to some capacity, it’s gonna take quite a while to get there, and the journey to certainty is definitely a rough one. If the first two volumes didn’t make it clear, this is definitely one of those stories that’s gonna take its time for its leads to get together.

While I don’t mind slow burns at all - and my praise for Sasaki and Miyano as well as Koimonogatari: Love Stories should prove that - I did find myself reacting a bit less optimistically to how I Cannot Reach You handles its buildup when I compare it to those two series. I don’t mean that in the sense that I was annoyed at the main leads not getting together immediately - I do like how the story takes its time to go through all of Yamato’s worries and Kakeru’s insecurities - but rather on how it was almost making sure that things were progressing as slowly as it could.

I think my biggest peeve in this regard is how the story resorted a lot on the likes of convenient interruptions and unfortunate coincidences to prevent both Yamato and Kakeru from openly talking about these issues to each other. It was understandable the first few times it happened, but the fact that it kept on being delayed by these wrong timings and whatnot made it feel like the story didn’t actually want them to have this conversation even if it knew that it needed to happen.

This even applies to the Yamato's long-awaited confession - complete with a picturesque setting and the first kiss - at the end of Volume 3. That's because Volume 4 begins with the reveal that Yamato had actually fainted after this encounter and is shown to have experienced memory loss and not remember anything about it. I remember feeling incredibly sorry for Kakeru when I first read this, since it really seemed like the story was going out of its way to make sure that he wasn’t going to get any clarity out of the whole situation. If anything, this only makes his frustration about it all the more justified, and I can’t even blame him for being hostile toward Yamato about this whole thing.

It’s no surprise, then, that my favorite character in the series so far is Hosaka, who’s introduced in Volume 3 as one of Yamato’s and Kakeru’s classmates who joins them in their group for the school trip that takes up pretty much this entire volume. Not only are his interactions with Yamato hilarious, but quite a lot of developments in the main relationship in these volumes happen because of him. I’m not sure why the story decided to anchor a lot of its plot beats on a completely new character, but I’m all for it since he’s turning out to be a really great addition to the cast.

In his conversation with Kakeru in the middle of Volume 3, he describes himself as someone who “lets everything slip straight out of [his] mouth,” which already tells us that he's pretty much the opposite of both of the main characters. He makes this contrast apparent in his advice to Kakeru, telling him that if he doesn’t do anything about his situation with Yamato (though Kakeru keeps the specifics vague), things will still change whether he wants them to or not. Part of me was wishing that Yamato was gonna be a main character and overhear this, since he needs this piece of advice as much as Kakeru does (though, to be fair, his sister has been telling him pretty similar things from the start).

What Yamato does get out of Hosaka, though (apart from constant annoyances), is a reality check. After Kakeru was forced to cancel his plans with Yamato and go with Akane due to being set up by Fujino and his girlfriend, Yamato is seen moping about it in the park where they were supposed to hang out, which just so happens to be where Hosaka and another one of their classmates, Amamiya, are spending their time. Yamato ends up telling them quite a lot about why his plans with Kakeru meant a lot to him, as well as his fear of what Kakeru would think if he tells him the truth. While Yamato is talking about the truth of why he was looking forward to their day together, you can easily tell that this also applies to the whole situation, and I have a feeling that by this point, Hosaka's also caught on to this fact.

So when Hosaka calls him out on his faulty logic - Why wouldn’t Yamato’s closest friend want to know how he’s feeling? - Yamato is understandably taken aback and even resorts to physical action to confront him. But Hosaka, being the 10/10 character that he is, doesn’t back down from this threat and continues to break apart Yamato’s thinking, saying that if Yamato thinks that Kakeru wouldn’t hear him out on his thoughts, then the bond they share wasn’t important to begin with. I don’t know where all of this wisdom came from and where Hosaka found his motivation to help the main couple out, but I’m all for it, as everything he’s saying is exactly what Yamato and Kakeru need to hear.

I mention her slightly above, but at the same time that Hosaka is making Yamato rethink how he handled the situation, Akane is also figuring out what’s going on with Kakeru and makes him rethink how he’s approaching it. Noticing that Kakeru was lost in his own world during their arranged date, Akane encourages him to go after Yamato, even if it’s revealed shortly after that she’s actually developed feelings for Kakeru after their encounters. I really feel sorry for her as she gets the short end of the stick in this whole situation, and I really hope that she comes back in a future volume just so she can get some closure. I even want her to become a confidant of sorts to Kakeru, seeing as she’s one of the few people who’s realized what’s going on between him and Yamato.

The others who figure it out are - to my delight - Hosaka and Amamiya, as Volume 4 reveals that they saw Yamato kiss Kakeru in the climactic scene of the previous volume. I found it interesting that the two of them actually agreed not to bring this up to anyone, but continuing his role as the plot’s mover, Hosaka does bring it up to someone, though that someone happens to be Yamato. It’s in this conversation where Yamato realizes why Kakeru’s been acting hostile towards him in the early parts of Volume 4 and what ultimately gives him the resolve to finally have their long overdue conversation.

Before I leave him behind to talk about the conversation, I found it hilarious that when Hosaka sees Yamato and Kakeru sneak out of class, his first instinct is to follow them. He’s only stopped by Amamiya, who points out that he’s not even close friends with both of them. Part of me wanted Hosaka to eavesdrop since him understanding the full situation might make him an even more critical foundation of the main relationship, but eh, I’m sure he’ll figure it out on his own.

The conversation does see Yamato properly confessing to Kakeru, but the thing I wanted to note about this is how Kakeru reacts to it - he sounds incredibly confident here, calling Yamato out for his assumptions before he even gets to make them. His response is also very mature - he’s not giving Yamato a yes or a no, but he promises to properly think about his feelings and “face them head-on” instead of hiding from them or denying them. This understandably makes Yamato happy, as he had been preparing himself for rejection all this time.

The chapters following this see Yamato and Kakeru adjusting to this new dynamic in their relationship, and we finally get to see all the advice that the people around the two main characters have been giving them put to good use. Yamato is becoming more honest about his feelings and is making a marked effort to express all of them to Kakeru, while Kakeru is making sure that he’s changing how he acts around Yamato, in that he’s not just being passive and absorbed in his own thoughts all the time.

I think my favorite instance of this is when Kakeru asks Yamato why he’s so calm about the entire situation when the former has been freaking out about it both internally and externally. Yamato admits that he feels just as nervous as Kakeru does, saying that he only acts calm so that Kakeru would think that he was cool. I’ve really wanted them to have this conversation for quite some time, so I’m glad they got it out of the way, and I do hope it’s the start of a more open and healthy relationship between them going forward.

It’s with this clarity where I Cannot Reach You’s fourth volume ends, and like I said at the start, it was a really long journey to get here. I may have my qualms about certain parts of this journey, but I’m happy at where the story is at now, as we’re beginning to see some solid developments in both Yamato’s and Kakeru’s characters that would really improve their relationship.

Random thoughts that I couldn’t fit elsewhere:

With these volumes leaning a lot more on its supporting cast to drive the plot, Fujino actually has a lot more to do here compared to the first two volumes. His standout scene for me is when Kakeru asks him for advice about dealing with his crush. Fujino gives pretty good advice here, and I really like how he continues to earnestly root for Kakeru and his happiness, even if he sometimes goes too far with it. (There was also a part of me that was expecting Fujino to figure out that Kakeru was talking about Yamato, and I still have a feeling that he does figure it out but chooses not to say it just yet.)

Volume 4 features another important Kakeru conversation, which is the one he has with Mikoto, Yamato’s sister. Mikoto realizes that his brother has finally told his feelings to Kakeru, and she ends up revealing quite a lot to Kakeru about what Yamato’s been bottling up all this time. Part of me wishes that this happened after Yamato’s confession on the rooftop instead of before, but I do think that Kakeru needed to hear this, as it would help him properly think about the situation.

The bonus chapters come back as humorous as ever here, and this time they’re even integrated into the main story - Volume 3’s bonus chapters all take place in the school trip, for example. My favorites are definitely the ones that feature Yamato and Hosaka’s dynamic - I find it so funny that Hosaka’s making all this effort to befriend Yamato and he’s just not having it.

Thanks for reading! You can read my review of the first two volumes of I Cannot Reach You here. Despite my complaints about certain aspects of the journey, I do like where the story’s going, especially with all the developments to Yamato and Kakeru’s relationship. I think the next English volume is releasing later this year, so I’m looking forward to reading it!

#I Cannot Reach You #Kimi ni wa Todokanai #Oohara Yamato #Ashira Kakeru #Hosaka Yui #BL manga #manga review #manga

8 notes · View notes

ainotheory · 29 days

Text

THE SURVEYORS

DariSUNGCHAN — Childe of Genshin Impact

privateliveme — Boa Hancock of One Piece

shamarne — Tooth Fairy of Reverse: 1999

schwizChilde — Gojo Satoru of Jujutsu Kaisen

vidyadhaya — Dan Heng of Honkai: Star Rail

veriotas — Dr. Ratio of Honkai: Star Rail

ciisanakatawo — Todoroki Shoto of BNHA

blasmphemy — Otto Apocalypse of Honkai Impact 3rd

CourierKlee — Akane Kinoshita of Yamada-kun Lv999

eurachaz — Ayasaki Remi of Horimiya

danhengku — Itsuomi Nagi of Yubisaki to Renren

jodohanjay — Lance Crown of Mashle

senjanami — Mash Burnedead of Mashle

cgeirs — Zhongli of Genshin Impact

rollingstopes — Sanji of One Piece

scapetic — Aventurine of Honkai: Star Rail

seertomoe — Vyn Richter of Tears of Themis

nyempildong — Meguru Bachira of Blue Lock

shailors — Rudbeckia de Borgia of How To Win My Husband Over

greedxokita — Eunyung Baek of No Home

amarahanakca — Shota Kazehaya of Kimi No Todoke

ketawaberak — Kim Yohan of Revelation of Youth

antonkru11 — Miyano Yoshikazu of Sasaki to Miyano

loveofzubayr — Nilou of Genshin Impact

AKUVILLAINLOH — Himmel of Frieren

DollMoedja — Hua Cheng of Heaven Official's Blessing

ofallstarse_ — Rosa of Tears of Themis

Notarils — Kageyama Tobio of Haikyuu

castljes — Cheng Xiaoshi of Link Click

steulars — Hawks of BNHA

M1117185613360 — Miyamura Izumi of Horimiya

sucnbeam — Yuki Takumo of Jujutsu Kaisen

httplovefire — Yuki Itose of Yubisaki to Renren

recentlv — Kaveh of Genshin Impact

finallvictor — Uta of One Piece

BlissofSeonghwa — Dot Barrett of Mashle

craftrobini — Ruan Mei of Honkai: Star Rail

shinuchie — He Tian of 19 Days

uraomoteai — Sakura Chiyo of Gekkan Shojo

scxrewy — Guren Ichinose of Owari No Seraph

tetsurowr — Nagi Seishiro of Blue Lock

BeastDdeonghwa — Abyss Razor of Mashle

islards — Itoshi Rin of Blue Lock

craftdanheng — UNDECIDED

jonghwo — Suna Rintarou of Haikyuu

0 notes

sunnyscouts · 5 months

Text

REGU PERINTIS: Izumi Miyamura

Hori Kyoko (x.com/eeseooesa)

Yoshikazu Miyano (x.com/kanadulset)

Sawako Kuronuma (x.com/FILE09ALY)

Qiu Tong (x.com/heaventcloud)

Shuu Iura (x.com/gyjvin)

Inumaki Toge (x.com/avecsolitude)

Baek Dohu (x.com/ainthooman)

UNDECIDED (x.com/graqter)

Ritsu Sakuma (x.com/wibuimpek)

Sun Jing (x.com/YoukaiHamtaro)

REGU PENEGAK: Akiyama Mio

Oikawa Tooru (x.com/akutigawa)

Shim Soo-Ae (x.com/clarijnets)

Chisato Nishigiki (x.com/fromthewault)

Sousuke Shima (x.com/nekwyork)

Jian Yi (x.com/PikmiC2H6)

Nishinoya Yu (x.com/suggemtion)

Micchon Shikimori (x.com/SpecsXiao)

Sakusa Kiyoomi (x.com/guitajrist)

Akane Yanagi - (x.com/bengongteyus)

Kento Miura - (x.com/vanitasei)

REGU PENDOBRAK: Akito Yamada

Denji (x.com/KostCanin)

Hiyori Tomoe (x.com/pikmiKAVIER)

Kuroo Tetsurou (x.com/bringtrauma)

Deuce Spade (x.com/daiasomnia)

Yuzu Aihara (x.com/AntthonyOSIS)

Geto Suguru (X.com/laperterud)

Mirai Kuriyama (x.com/cotagme)

Aquamarine Hoshino (x.com/FILE132MARII)

Michael Kaiser (x.com/VisitorChilde)

Arima Kana (x.com/mjrning)

REGU PELAKSANA: Kitagawa Marin

Ayasaki Remi (x.com/bloomlothus)

Oreki Houtaro (x.com/toskozume)

Gojo Satoru (x.com/gojonisasi)

Megumi Fushiguro (x.com/PenegakSatoru)

Yuuta Okkotsu (x.com/meinallmine)

Sasaki Shuumei (x.com/soonglas)

Sugawara Koushi (x.com/gumsmark24)

Zhan Zheng Xi (x.com/GleamySUNWOO)

Fujiwara Shuu (x.com/wocnyoung)

UNDECIDED (x.com/Megistuschan)

1 note · View note

dagakootoowaru · 9 months

Text

who i would cast as the seiyuus for sbr

johnny joestar - toya kikunosuke

i had a HARD time choosing one for johnny, mainly bc i feel like many vas can voice him well. however., i managed to narrow it down to toya and uemura yuuto and this was difficult cos i do feel like both of them would be great, i decided on toya bc his voice sounds childish at times, which johnny could be but when he’s serious (he’s serious, ykwim?) but tbh both toya and uemura would rock.

gyro zepelli - miyano mamoru

i feel like miyano just screamsss gyro tbh, considering that his notable roles include dazai, tamaki suoh, and atsumu which are all considered to have a more “goofy” personality, but miyano has also voiced characters like light, chrollo and rin who have a more serious personality. miyano imo can definitely master the versatile personality of gyro. (p.s. i just really want to hear miyano mamoru singing pizza mozzarella)

funny valentine - rikiya koyama

NO BUT HEAR ME OUT. does koyama not scream funny valentine? he does. he just does. like idek how to explain it but like koyama is just soooo funny valentine coded. his voice is deep and mature, he also voiced the president of the ada in bsd. so why not voice the president of the united states as well? just saying.

lucy steel - iwaka manami

since lucy is still a 14 yo teenager and is depicted as quite feminine, i think iwaka’s voice acting can really display this trait of hers. for some context she also voiced akane in oshi no ko. iwaka’s ability to voice act in such a gentle and feminine voice could bring out the femininity of lucy and the gentleness could display her role as a housewife (i.e. being caring and kind)

diego brando - ryota takeuchi

i am fully aware that he’s alrdy voiced in jjba BUT it was a minor role and i’m convinced he’ll pull dio off, and why? his performance as ushijima in haikyuu just instantly convinced me. end of story.

hotpants - romi park

hot pants was mistaken as male to begin with, which resulted in me coming to a conclusion that her voice would be an ambiguous tool to determine her gender. which is why i believe romi would suit this role perfectly, romi voices a lottt of male characters despite being a woman (which i know is not a rare thing, but this supports my argument) and she’s also voiced hanji which isayama has led readers interpret hanjis gender. tho araki did specify hotpants as female, having non manga readers trying to guess hotpants gender in the beginning can be quite entertaining

#jojos bizarre adventure #jojo #jjba #steel ball run #jjba sbr #sbr #seiyuu #voice acting

1 note · View note