Watashi no Tadashii Oniichan
Searching for My Perfect Brother

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The story focuses on Riyo, a childlike and naive girl who works a part time job. She is saving up money in order to live with her brother. Her parents separated when they both were young and her brother went to live with her Father. I should also mention that Riyo has a brother complex. At her new job, she meets Kairi and is intrigued by her. Riyo claims her talent is that she can fall asleep anywhere and Kairi is an insomniac. They both are intrigued by each other and Kairi tends to get awfully close to Riyo. While the sparks are there, she ... cannot help that this guy reminds her of her brother.

Kairi can fall asleep if Riyo is nearby, this happens when they meet and this comes into play later on when she stays at his apartment. She finds his diary and is shocked to read that he confessed to a murder but something seems oddly familiar about their connection. This is a story that plays into the psychological thriller aspects and the end of the story is rather bittersweet to me. The art is fine, but the premise, motivations and outcome will either have you enjoying the maddening yet intriguing story or outright hating it and its protagonists. There is a live action drama available, but I have not seen it yet or can compare it to the manga.

The artwork is fine... but here are a few flaws in the story, such as Riyo only being able to sleep because of her brother being right next to her. This is justified by the plush doll that her brother gave her before he left. And Police Officer Tachibana's inner strife between wanting to help and wanting to uphold the law, yet he doesn't get enough development. It does lead to a moral question of rehabilitation and atoning for ones's sins. Definitely not for the easily offended. But, if you liked Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan, definitely pick this up. This is a lighter version of extreme relationships found in titles such as Happy Sugar Life or Cross and Crime. Some would consider this a tawdry title or paltry paperback, but it's well worth a read.

A top thriller, the already interesting premise doesnt prepare you at all for the story youre gonna get: you never really know what's gonna happen until it happens... and even then you don't really process it til much later on. BUT.
It was very sick to me that the main couple ends up engaging in some sort of pseudo-incest that makes no sense no matter how many times I read it. Doesn't even feel like one of those over elaborated psychological movie endings you'll see for stories of similar caliber, it just feels forced and quite pointless given the way the characters were presented to us.

Mystery, Psychological ❌
Romance, Drama ✅

If you’re looking for a mind-bending mystery and psychological manga with a romance subplot, please stay far away from this. I would say this manga is perfect for those who like to fantasize about romance and stay in their dreamy land. Don’t waste time thinking too deeply because there’s really nothing deep in this manga.

Why did I cross out the mystery? Because it’s an insult to the mystery genre. While it is mysterious in the first couple of chapters, it never really develops beyond the surface level. The author is actively trying to downplay the mystery in pursuit of greater romance ... through drama.

Also, if psychological means MCs breaking down and being emo every single chapter, then it probably is.

What this manga truly focuses on is romance, like 90% of the manga. It is just a typical shojo manga if you minus the crime.

The characters left a lot to be desired. All of them are very shallow and only ML gets a tiny bit of progression. FL is the naive type while ML is the badass type like never seen before. The cops are beyond redeemable and one of them is even conflicted about whether he should follow the law. Why are you even a cop again?

The theme of the manga is righteousness and it is very problematic. It explores vigilantism but also forgiveness which is a pure contradiction. If you take things into your own hands while breaking the law in the name of righteousness, you’re not exempted from the law. Simple as that and that’s how modern society works. Wanting to be a hero but doesn’t want to take responsibility for the consequences is not a positive message for the readers and it will only promote more violence. You’ll get what I mean after reading this manga.

Overall, just don't expect too much and treat it like a pure romance manga with flawed unlikeable characters.