(arc provided by the publisher via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.)

I am so happy the summoning circle I had going for this arc delivered because it was truly serving me! I thoroughly enjoyed this yakuza shoujo. This has so many tropes I like; a strong, no-nonsense MC who can still be feminine and romantic, a possessive, suave LI who would kill to make his girl happy, and throw in a romance that's probably a bad idea but full of passion and emotion for good measure! I wasn't expecting to love this quite as much as I did, but there really were just so many tropes and details I loved about it. Yuri never letting anyone get away with being weird or creepy to her, Oya's dramatic flair... There wasn't much character development, but I don't think the narrative of the story was focused on the separate character's growth as much as the growth of their relationship, so I didn't mind it all.

There is a difference between instalove and insta-attraction, and I think this manga pulls off the distinction very well. Oya and Yuri have a bit of a meet-cute that leaves a huge impression on both of them, and the high-stakes aspect of Oya's job lends a lot to him just not being able to waste time with what he wants that makes the way their relationship progresses much more believable. This is the start to a very spicy yet cute series, and I'm really looking forward to the continuation! 

I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I treasured this sweet romance! It follows a girl, Maaya, who is harshly rejected and humiliated online after her first love confession, who strikes a strange deal with the most popular guy in her grade, Chigira, in order to get over it. After hearing her muttering to herself, he convinces her to pretend she has an obsessive one-sided crush on him, and from this develops a silly friendship that might grow into something more. 

I loved the sketchy art style of this manga, which gave it a dreamy quality overall, perfect for a shoujo! The start was a bit slow, but I loved seeing both of the characters get drawn closer together by their bargain! I'm a sucker for earnest, devoted popular guy and easily flustered, shy girl romances, and this had even more of my favorite tropes tucked into it! Shoujo readers are sure to love this one. 

 I absolutely adored this manga! This first volume of a sweet shoujo follows the budding romance between Takasago, a popular-good looking high schooler, and Suehiro, a shy bookworm who's been asked out as what she thinks is a joke. Soon, she realizes that Takasago won't give up on her, and so starts a cute relationship that completely warmed my heart! 

At first, I was a bit wary due to the summary, but I was pleasantly surprised by Takasago's earnest crush on Suehiro! I loved the softness of the art style and their relationship, and I had to pause so many times from cuteness overload! Shoujo fans are sure to love this one, especially those who are fans of height differences, devoted boyfriends, and shy main characters! I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume. 

ARC provided by the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a longtime lover of school horrors, I was very much looking forward to this manga, and it blew me away with its eerieness! This psychological thriller (with art from the creator of Your Lie in April!) follows eight students who find themselves trapped in their school on exam day three months after a classmate took their life. As they try to break out, throwing desks and chairs at the door and windows, they realize that among the eight of them, only seven are supposed to be alive. One of them is the student who took their life, but with them all forgetting who killed themselves and why... who could it be?

This book was amazingly creepy and I got literal chills reading it. I loved the slow build as you learn who the characters are and dip your toes into the story, but when this book picks up, it picks up. I was so completely immersed in the mystery of trying to figure out who it is and how the others might escape or remember that I was surprised when it ended. I need more! I highly recommend it and will definitely be keeping an eye out for volume 2. This is perfect for anyone who was a fan of jrpg pixel horrors, like Misao or Corpse Party!

HUGE trigger warning for suicide & death! The entire book centers around it, so please skip this if that will trigger or upset you.

Received a digital arc from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed this graphic novel! It opens with a young boy having a nightmare, and you quickly learn that in the walled-in "purely human" kingdom where he lives, called Pipetown, those who have been touched by magic ("weirdbloods") are persecuted. His nightmares stem from the fact that he himself is a hidden weirdblood, and things take a turn when he's forced to leave Pipetown along with his best friend and the castle groundskeeper's son, who he has a huge crush on. 

My favorite thing about this book was the gay panic. I adore gay panic, and Wynd's blossoming sexuality and his crush on someone much older than him were depicted so well. I loved seeing how Thorn, the groundskeeper's son, talked with him about his feelings, and overall I liked how the relationships were in this book. They felt complicated and simple at the same time, just like they are in real life. 

The pacing felt off in some parts, but I did like the plot. I will say if you're looking for a gentle fantasy, this is not a gentle story, so be warned! Though the art is soft and I loved the color scheme, this fantasy was quite dark at times, and there is quite a bit of death and violence, as well as a prominent side character who's sheltered and problematic, but is corrected and improves. Overall, I would recommend this, and am looking forward to the next volume! 

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

One of my soft spots is gentle fantasy, and in my opinion, manga is one of if not the best mediums for telling those kinds of stories! This charming story follows a few episodes taking place in the same soft fantasy world as a tsundere half-elf wizard named O'Feuille and his assistant-lover Volks solve problems in the kingdom where they live. The art style was perfect for this story, and I loved all of the characters and their relationships!

There are two main stories followed by a few cute side stories, the main two concerning a boy named Oliver and his cursed mother, and the next concerning people in the kingdom disappearing. The two seemed a bit disjointed, but when you think of the main characters being O'Feuille and Volks and not Oliver or the King, they connect much better. 

I wish this was a series because I could read about Volks' shenanigans forever, and I would love to know more about the kingdom and the half-elves. Due to length and the story shift, some things from the first main story seemed to be unexplored, which is why this is more of a 4.5 rounded up.  The humor was on point, the story was compelling, and all of the characters were fleshed out, with their own backstories. 

Overall, this was an adorable read, and I would highly recommend it to others who love soft fantasy, mlm stories, and cats! 

I received a digital copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba is a yuri manga with a cute art style that has two different timelines: one following a popular high school girl, Sahoko, who wants to get to know Aoi Koshiba better, and another following Sahoko years later at her high school reunion, waiting for Aoi Koshiba to show up. While the second perspective is really only prominent at the beginning and end as a frame story, the high school storyline becomes more developed as Sahoko joins a club, gets closer to Aoi, and learns her secret.

This unfortunately read just like every other yuri manga I've read, which was somewhat disappointing. Even after she kisses Aoi (without her consent, I might add) and clearly wants to get to know her better, Sahoko refuses to admit she even might like girls, just a little, and even years later is unsure whether her chasing after Aoi is just for friendship or for love. This comes off as disappointing to readers looking for sapphic rep, and also doesn't seem to do anything "new" for the genre. Pacing-wise, I think it would have been better to save the reveal of Aoi's secret for a sequel volume because Anna's mysterious hatred for Aoi thrown in at the end was a strange cliffhanger and doesn't compel me enough to pick up the next volume after already knowing Aoi's secret is. I was also a bit confused on what the club Sahoko ends up joining is, exactly, since it's referred to by at least three different names in the book. 

However, the art style was quite cute and I think this is perfect for readers who are already fans of conventional yuri storytelling and a sweet first love story. Readers looking for explicit lesbian representation in a manga will want to look elsewhere!