Dec 28, 2020
A surprisingly sweet experience.
Maeda frets over his appearance constantly, believing he's plain and ugly - and he only has one thing going for him.. his fashion sense! When he falls in love with his co-worker, Yagii, who, in Maeda's eyes, is way out of his league, he sees no hope in having a chance with someone as beautiful and cool as him. So when Yagii kisses him after Maeda asks, what is he supposed to think?!
Okay, by now, you're surely thinking: "MAL user, this sounds like almost every other BL ever." And you would be right. The story is nothing special. But that doesn't mean
...
it's not good. Ame to Kiss does a great job with making the most of basic. In a genre that's filled with morally ambiguous decisions, overbearing characters, and scenarios that sound like one of those "that definitely happened" Tumblr posts, THIS manga is a breath of fresh air.
While Maeda and Yagii are rather simple characters in their own sense, they're done right. Maeda is someone who's unconfident in his appearance. That's realistic, right? But somehow, in this genre, characters like these always end up obnoxious. And so do their counterparts, who end up only thinking of themselves. But Yagii doesn't do this. Instead of that, when Maeda's anxieties cause an issue between the two of them, Yagii takes into account how both Maeda feels and the negative effects it has on him, their trust, and their relationship. While this doesn't entirely fix Maeda and the nervousness he has surrounding his appearance, it surely boosts his confidence and leads in a positive direction, which is charmingly realistic.
Now for the art. While some people may not agree with me, I thought the art was rather pleasant and nice on the eye. The characters were lanky and free - the style made me feel at ease.
Also, even though this manga is tagged as shounen-ai, there is sex in it. But it isn't explicit. It's nothing more than tangled limbs, loving eyes, and toes digging into the sheets. I'm always overjoyed when the author can find a way to allude to something erotic, rather than showing it directly. Not only is it something that can be done artistically, but it shows that the story is more than just sex. (Plus, it's all consensual! Isn't consent amazing?)
All in all, if you're looking for a quick read of some wholesome gays with pretty art, give Ame to Kiss a go. Because I'm sure as hell glad that I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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