It was a fun mystery/drama that managed to be rather light hearted despite its darker subject matter. Moriarty is a kind of Robin Hood character except instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, he helps the poor murder the rich; often in ever more increasingly elaborate ways.
It tries to tackle some interesting moral questions, but in my opinion doesn't delve very deep into them and thus is kind of shallow. "Rich people are terrible, the world would be better without them, so to bring about that better world let's kill them". Additionally, each "villain" is comically villainous to the point of seeming to
...
Sep 4, 2020
Do S Obake ga Nekasete Kurenai
(Manga)
add
The premise was interesting and while not entirely novel was still rather unique. The first half of volume 1 was mostly smutty comedy, but the plot twist and more emotional parts of the second half of Vol.1 upped my rating of the overall piece.
The 2nd volume was okay, but focused more on Yuuji's neighbor, Daichi, and Daichi's love interest Takumi. More ghostly shenanigans, lots of cake, and hospital visits. I didn't like Yuuji and Daichi's interaction, nor did I like Yuuji or Kousuke's responses to it. The "drama" felt kind of forced and was "resolved" way too easily without addressing some of the bigger issues it presented. As ... 
Jul 12, 2020
Sakurada-senpai Kaizou Keikaku
(Manga)
add
Given the cover, when I started reading this I did not realize that it was intended to be a comedy. I did not care for much of its "humor" though. In particular its decision to treat drugging, rape, and kidnapping as "jokes". Outside of this, it was able to set up a few funny scenarios, but they seemed few and far between. Also, the author's treatment of S&M and BDSM seemed superficial at best and poorly uninformed at worst.
The art is decent though and the characters are pleasant to look at. Props and backgrounds are well done and the angles and panel layouts work well ... 
Jun 5, 2020
Hakui no Shihaisha
(Manga)
add
This manga wasn't particularly good or bad, just average.
I take issue with the pretense that was used to "awaken" or "start" the main characters' relationship, as it was manipulative and definitely in dub-con territory. Uke (medical equipment salesman) comes to find out that he derives pleasure from pain and Seme (doctor) "helps" him further explore and learn about himself in regards to this. Add in another S&M loving doctor for some drama and that about sums up the whole story. While technically consensual, the coercive nature of certain scenes was a bit uncomfortable/off-putting. Namely the scene involving a molester on the train and the scene where the ... 
Jun 5, 2020
Sokonashi Freefall Romance
(Manga)
add
It's a collection of short stories, all of which have very little plot to them.
The artwork is fairly average for the time it was written in, not bad but not amazing. The characters' interactions and personalities are all pretty one note. There's nothing particularly noteworthy or interesting about any of them and the situations they find themselves in feel contrived purely to facilitate a sex scene, as opposed to making much sense with anything else going on around them. Dub-con and rape are present in a number of the stories as well as at least one Stockholm syndrome story. Other tags that could apply include; BDSM, ... 
Apr 26, 2020
Masquerade Lovers
(Manga)
add
While it was rather cliché and predictable it was still an overall enjoyable read.
The first half focuses on a love triangle and characters deciding whether or not they trust one another. The characters actions were at times rather comical as I felt they only occurred to allow the plot to progress (and would be illogical otherwise). In the second half a new character is introduced but it feels like their only purpose was for readers to have someone to pair the "loser" from the first love triangle with. Pros: rich guys in suits living in huge mansions and making love Cons: the artwork suffers from a lot of ... 
Apr 25, 2020
It's a collection of one-shots mostly focused around yakuza/businessman.
Chap 1 & 9) Yakuza underling falls for his boss Chap 2) Thief breaks into a Yakuza boss's house but gets caught himself Chap 3 & 4) Guy tries to avenge his uncle's death using mahjong, falls in love instead Chap 5) Coworkers in an office decide they have feelings for one another Chap 6) University friends reunite while working at a publishing company Chap 7) Embassy aid and the crown prince of a small country hook up Chap 8) Chance encounter leads job hunting businessman to becoming a cosplay-clad lover to an eccentric rich guy. Most of it was yaoi for the sake ... 
Apr 24, 2020
Confined by familial/social constraints a young nobleman struggles with his feelings towards a long time friend.
Quite a bit of angst/drama but with a happy ending. I enjoyed the historical setting and appreciate the attention to detail given to the character's clothes and home furnishings. The plot/conflict felt believable and took its time to build-up and resolve. While there was some manipulation back and forth, overall they were generally respectful and caring of one another. The location choice for when they finally got together was a bit odd/overly dramatic but otherwise it was a good story. Tags: angst, drama, role expectations, injury, wealthy, overcoming disaster, repressed desire, historical, ... 
Apr 24, 2020
Darling, Iikagen ni Shiyagare
(Manga)
add
Wealthy guy with Japanese heritage who grew up in Italy decides to move to the Japanese countryside where he meets and falls for a young farmer.
Overall it was a cute one shot. Troupes covered include; love at first sight, crying in the rain, they're neighbors, straight but now gay, I'll cook for you, questioning sexuality, and both of our families are supportive. I like that attention was given to the MC grappling with their feelings and how they went about trying to deal with/process them. The art was fairly average but was cute and nice to look at. The story was coherent and there was sufficient ... 
Apr 11, 2020
Ishuzoku Reviewers
(Anime)
add
Normally something with these kinds of tags wouldn’t be of interest to me, but since there was so much “controversy” surrounding it I decided to check it out.
I haven’t seen much else in this genre to compare it to but I will say that I did find it funny and thought provoking but in a light hearted way. The plot and character motivations were pretty simplistic but worked well for comedic effects and the episodic one-shot nature of the show. For something that I thought would just be 50 flavors of fan-service, there were some decent messages about body positivity, diversity, self-confidence, and acceptance. What one ... |
