Rotten Rats Choir

"Kutsuna Satoru, a hatter, picks up a man collapsed by the side of the road. This man, Kashiba Ryou, has come to Japan to die.…"

I really enjoyed this story!
I was a bit weirded out by the age gap at the beginning, but the characters are so nuanced, I think the author makes it work out in the end. I found myself rooting for them without even realizing it. The side characters are a bit underdeveloped to my taste, but I grew really attached to the two main characters during those three volumes. I think their relationship was very subtly told and I liked how they built a strong relationship, being able to rely on each other throughout the progression of the story. It was not only a romance but also and foremost a beautiful tale of overcoming grief and finding your purpose in life despite the hardships and the losses.
And the artstyle was just gorgeous, too.
I know there's a spinoff focusing on the mafiosi, I'll probably give it a try. (I dont know what's with bl authors and mafiosi, it seems they're really facsinated by this subject...)

Long story short to not spoil anything: Yaharu, a depressed mangaka unexpectedly meets Jun, a popular and seemingly cheerful mangaka who wants to take care of him.
I didn't read the tags for this one and I expected a cute romance, I cannot emphasize how wrong I was. This is anything but a fluffy romance, this is a tragic psychological story about a twisted and imbalanced relationship. And yet, this was beautiful. I'm amazed at how imperfect and fucked up the two main characters were, their flaws and their relationship felt so human. As someone who struggles with heavy depression, this is probably one of the first time I see it depicted so truthfully in a manga, the sheer violence of it, how it can make you feel like you're drowning all the time, psychologically and physically. I recognized my past self a lot in Yaharu and his words, especially the last chapters. Jun is also very well-written, there are so many layers to him. I can't detail his character much without spoiling the story, but I really enjoyed it.
This was a very unique read, I'm glad I stumbled upon this work.

A collection of short stories about bittersweet relationships between high school girls in the 1920s, adapted from the work of lesbian author Yoshiya Nobuko.
This was so beautiful, young women becoming infatuated with each other, facing society's expectations as well as the difficult living of this period, especially for girls. Some relationships were depicted more as sisterly bonds, but some were more explicit on the fact that those were indeed tales of romance, often picturing unrequited love or tragic endings.
The art is exquisitely delicate, very fitting for those nuanced and chaste stories.

This is a re-read for me but i love this one!
When Ririko passes away, she leaves behind her a six year old daughter, Meguru, and a will stating that Meguru's father is either Touma and Sentarou, with whom she had a relationship at the same time several years ago. According to her will, both men now have to cohabit with each other and young Meguru for three months before the girl chooses herself who her father will be.
Okay, I know, the set-up for this story is a bit crazy but bear with me, because the characters are so well-written that despite how bizarre it is, it works perfectly.
Every character is flawed, they all have unique personnalities and the author shows us the good and the bad (especially the bad) in every one of them. They are all likeable in their own way, each fighting battles we learn about gradually along the progression of the manga.
Each of them is written with a lot of nuances, none of their depiction was caricatural at all. The romance is endearing, doesn't feel forced and becomes almost auxiliary, because the focus is really put on how every relationship intertwines and the inner turmoils of these characters.
And it doesn't hurt that the artstyle is absolutely gorgeous. Like come on the chapter covers are so beautiful, how is it possible to deliver such amazing compositions? The use of color is particularly well done too.
I have yet to read another work from Tsurukame Mayo, but I'll definitely check them out!

This was a very fun read!
We follow the adventures of the Rabbit Princess in her kingdom, surrounded by animals with very colorful personalities. Caustic humor is ever-present, often endearing, though some stories occasionally take a dark and ironic turn, giving some depth to this work. The illustrations are truly charming and expressive, with very gentle lines, and the contrast between the cute design and the mildly dark humor was really effective.
It's full of short, interconnected stories, making it a very quick read if you decide to give it a go.