Doushiyoumonai keredo

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I am pretty tough with how I rate, so the overall score of '8' that I'm giving this manga is extremely high up and well deserved. Doushiyoumo Nai Keredo is a gem in the yaoi genre, in my opinion; it is a solid mix of sex, romance, humor, and conflict. The characters have strong and consistent personalities, and although the art is, admittedly, not my favorite, it is still decently clean, incredibly detailed, and appealing to the eye. My favorite things about the manga are the progression of the plot and the pace that it goes along at. From the yaois I have read so ... far, it is very common for emotions to progress too quickly, such as characters saying they love each other after only a short time of knowing each other. Doushiyoumo Nai Keredo does not mix sex with love to begin with, and the reader is able to see the two protagonists' feelings grow for each other as the story continues. This is definitely one of my favorite yaois I have come across so far, and although it contains quite a few cliches typical to the genre, it handles them well; I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good yaoi manga that includes sex, romance, and a solid plot.

I'll keep it short. This was one of my first yaoi/BL mangas and after a year or so of reading it, along with a bunch more, I surprised myself in still giving it a 10 after a second time. The story is set between two salary men, Shimano and Kurokawa, which is pretty usual. However, you get captivated by it because:
- It's really good paced;
- There IS character development, you can see their backgrounds and the progression of both the relationship and the characters is well done;
- The sex scenes are pleasing. That's the only thing I'd change though, there should be more of them. ... But you won't be disappointed;
- The art style is satisfying, still this is more personal. The proportions are good enough (aside from the yaoi hands, they are there but it's not that bad), Shimano isn't girly, both are hot.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend it whether you are still initiating your yaoi/BL journey or have come a long way already, because it's hard coming across a good balance between all the smut and the over sugarcoated shounen ai out there. Plus, I find the length ideal, neither too short or too long. It's worth your time.

Thanks for reading this review!~

This is everything a good yaoi should be: smart, funny, empathetic, and hot as hell.

'Charismatic' is the best word I can think of to describe Doushiyoumo Nai Karedo. It's not got elaborate art or a 100% unique plot; what it does do is spin the old chestnuts of office romance and "does he love me, does he not, oh woe is me" into something that feels new - and honestly is that not what makes yaoi readers punch the air, the new? We don't really get it that often.

The strength of this manga is in its characters: Shimano, the young guy who's got it made ... as the popular, handsome heir to his father's company starts to work under his competent (though non-elite) loud-mouth superior in the firm, Kurokawa. They do not get on. Kurokawa provokes Shimano into revealing his more arrogant, spoiled side, and Shimano provokes Kurokawa into, er, making Shimano his 'pillow'. Sexual tension of course then ensues, and as Shimano comes to see his superior in a new light, he begins to find himself needing a closeness it appears he's never experienced before. While divorcee Kurokawa is more obviously in need of some companionship, the reader starts to see Shimano might need a few hugs too, if not more. Many, many more.

(Can I just say that Natsume Isaku does yearning SO WELL? I almost hugged my *computer screen*.)

How you respond to the art all depends on your expectations. If you want flowers and flowing locks and psychological layouts, then you will be disappointed. If you want confident, clean, charismatic artwork that expresses both humour and emotion perfectly, then look no further. My personal make-or-break art foible is in the way a mangaka draws eyes, and Natsume Isaku has totally conquered me on that front - lovely and strong, and able to express hilarious sneakiness.

Doushiyoumo Nai Karedo is a blunt manga. What its characters feel is 'said' right there on the page. This can add up to tremendously effective sequences of emotion, where Shimano and Kurokawa can dance around each other, but not around the reader. If this is your cup of tea, along with characters growing in front of your eyes, humour, adult emotion, men in suits (hooray!), and a truly excellent translation job, then it is definitely worth a try.