ellelainey's reviews
2444 reviews

THEMES: age gap, missing pets
TRIGGERS: mentions of stalker, attempted sexual assault, missing people

Fumika Sako runs a detective agency, after finding that being a policeman wasn't quite what he expected. He's a bit flighty and easy going, in that he'll try any job that appeals to him, but the detective thing has stuck. One day, he saved Rou Nakamura from being beaten and brought him into his home, and his company. From then on, he went from solely handling human cases to also missing pets, because there's something about Rou that draws animals in.

For me, this was a story of two halves - the first explores Rou's ability to find missing pets, which often results in a new addition to the growing menagerie of pets in the office. The second half is more about a human case, and their personal relationship development.

Rou has been in love with Fumika since the start, probably a little hero worship, but definitely since they started working together. However, he was only 19 when Fumika brought him into his life and business, and Fumika considers that to mean Rou is underage. While this probably wouldn't be the case in many countries - like to me, in the UK - the date in Japan was 20 (until 2022) so this caused some age gap dramas.

The art is cute and really well done. There's some awesome chemistry between Rou and Fumika, even while Fumika fights against it, because he sees Rou as underage. Rou is persistent but not to the point that it feels creepy. They live together, which adds an extra layer and dynamic to their relationship. The first half of the story lets them focus on investigations, with only small hints of Rou's feelings; but they really start exploring their relationship in the second half as Rou's 20th birthday comes closer.

While it's really cute, I do feel there was something missing, I just can't put my finger on what. I think maybe the halfway split made it feel like two separate volumes, I'm not sure.

OH. MY. GOD!
As with Volume 1, the first few pages are actually a future-flashforward, SEVEN YEARS!

I really thought the whole immortal blood-sucker thing was vampires, but it's NOT! These guys are some kind of shifter, though it's not fully explored (though I have seen a glimpse of Vol 3 online that hints at exploring that aspect in the next volume)

I almost don't know what to say...I'm speechless and desperate for the next two volumes.
The ending was SO sudden and dramatic! It ends on a cliffhanger, but that just makes me desperate to read the next two NOW!

"Bats roost under our roof" - Ugh, this was SO painful and beautiful and bittersweet and devastating!
Why did no one warn me about this series? Why didn't anyone tell me NOT to touch it until it was finished?

THEMES: age gap, non-binary side characters, immortals, blood drinkers, cult(ish) religion, secret sect, sacrifice, duty

This started SO lovely and cute.
Night court scrivener Edmund Fiedler is writing a letter to Lucardo about daily activities and what's going on in his life. At this point there's no timeline reference, but it's clear from the next page that we've gone back in time. I first thought it was a flashback, but I actually think the first few pages - of both volumes - are actually a flash*forward* to future events.

In the longest plot arc - the present, for arguments sake - we see Lord von Gishaupt visiting Edmund's officers, where Edmund is asked to scribe a letter to the person 'the young master' Lucardo is in love with. Only, as the letter continues, we discover that Edmund is the object of his affection.

I won't say any more, because what follows is the lovely but bittersweet beginning of a tragedy that unfolds over the process of a 4-volume series. And I REALLY wish I'd waited for all 4 to be released before I started, because I now have an excruciating wait for the last 2 volumes.

The artwork is - STUNNING! The artist is clearly talented, where the expressions of both main characters are so beautiful. There are places where a single panel perfectly shows Edmund and Lucardo's feelings, while there's a page where each single panel builds on the previous one to show a vignette of emotion, from a growing blush to fingers tightening on a sleeve.

The story also has some amazing humour. I normally don't like stories that are billed as 'funny' or 'hilarious'. This wasn't supposed to be funny, but there were some adorable, cute moments with brilliant one-liners and one panel jokes. The search for oil, for instance, was so sweet. It not only showed how real and charming both these characters are, but it gave a little time to relax from the ongoing background tension of the plot.

There are blood-sucking immortals in this book. I automatically thought vampires - and I think that was intentional - however, the story is far more interesting and complex.

As soon as I finished Volumes 1 and 2, I added these books in paperback to my cart, because I. MUST. OWN. THESE!

Haru Kosaka is a regular guy, but while attempting to stop a potential stalking/beating he stumbles upon something he doesn't quite understand and ends up being hurt instead. He's saved by a man called Akihito, who claims to be a vampire!

Akihito is an ancient vampire, the leader of a ragtag group of vampires, and in saving Kosaka's life, he inadvertently creates his first Tank: a human he's turned into a vampire.

The story is super cute, with a lot of potential for more, and a detailed world build around the concept of human rights evolving. The year is 2096, and humans have adapted to a less caring community, so the number of orphans is HIGH. Society has potentially lost it's humanity, but the story also deals with war, PTSD, abandonment, and the concept of vampires hiding in the shadows.

The artwork is gorgeous. I would have liked more story, or at least more exploration of 'romance' between Akihito and Kosaka, because it all came across a bit like obsession, insta-love and a lot of duty/responsibility bred by the fact that Akihito turned Kosaka.

Right now it's billed as a solo, but I'm hoping there might be another volume in the future?

This was such a super cute story! The art is GORGEOUS! After seeing all the variant covers, this is one of those books where I'd want EVERY cover design!

Haebom lost his parents as a young kid, so their best friend took him in. Only, her son Taesung didn't want him to live with them.

There are some flashbacks to when they were little - cute, adorable munchkins who were drawn so friggin cute! - which shows some ambiguous wording taken out of context, they way kids can do when they're already nervous or upset.

Now he's a senior, Haebom is shocked when Taesung ends up in his class for the first time. Haebom feels like a burden on the family, so he doesn't want anyone - especially Taesung - to find out about the other kids who have been bullying him.

Taesung is popular and no one knows that they live together. They both believe the other one hates them, so they haven't been close since they took Haebom in years ago. Now they're in the same class, Taesung sees the bullying and tries to help.

I loved how blank, stern but composed Taesung is. He's quite unemotional at times, but Haebom brings out those emotions the way no one else can.

I'm SO looking forward to the next volume!

Bullying, Forbidden romance, Non-related brothers (?), Enemies to lovers, Grumpy / sunshine

DNFd at page 136.

Okay, this had a weird but interesting first few chapters. Paul summons a demon, Astaroth - really reminds me of Bedknobs and Broomsticks - to help him get up the courage to speak to Elena, his secret crush.

Only, we find out that Elena works for the Holy Order to eradicate demons...
Complicated, right?

I find this hard to admit but I really do not like the art style. From the cover, it looks fine, but there are some ugly looks, whole panels with no colour, I presume to portray a particular emotion, and some of the faces are downright ugly and demonic for no reason. Paul, in particular - and I assume this is deliberate - goes from cutesy hearts to full on menace between panels.

And, I'm sorry to say that everyone just comes across as an absolute idiot! The Holy Order heavies spend FIVE pages arguing and fighting over who is the best Powderpuff Girl! Paul is supposedly super powerful - enough that the Holy Order think he's a group of magic users - but his big party trick is to make his hand appear, like a statue, on top of a building, doing the peace sign...like...WTF? Why make a huge monument of his hand? Why on top of a building? No idea, because he only does it because he can!

It's supposed to be a comedy, but it's cheesy and not at all to my taste. I don't even care what happens next. I don't care about Paul, Astaroth, his minions, Elena, the Holy Order, Paul's sister, or the poor kid at school who keeps ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Overall it just comes off as really immature. I can see the type of teenage boy who would love the so-called empowerment of Phil and envy it, but Paul is literally stalking Elena and threatening any man who comes near her. That is not the kind of story I signed on for. And I find the cover completely misleading as it suggests that Astaroth is willingly helping Paul, but that's not the case at all. He's locked into a contract where Paul seems to have all the power, then storms off like a child when Paul thinks he's got a better deal. I'm pretty sure there should be consequences to breaking a deal with a demon.

However there's a lot of suspended belief to believe in any of this story. It just doesn't make sense. The plot is thin, the characters are a mess, the art goes from super cute to sloppy within the space of a panel, and Paul is such a huge red flag you can see the signs from an ocean away.

This was a nice little breather after the long arc of the battle. It felt like a collection of vignettes, giving us a bit of insight into their travels. Gil imposed a no-reading ban on Lizel as punishment for his behaviour during the battle, which was surprisingly funny.
I'm looking forward to seeing where volume 11 goes...

Oh man! I didn't realise how close I was to Volume 3's release, when I read the first two the other day. I should have waited, and gone straight into 3 but I had my dates mixed up.

I am gutted that this is the last in the series, but at the same time I actually agree with the author that this felt like a great ending for them. There are apparently a lot of one-shot stories, do I hope they compiled into another volume, like with the Candy Colour Paradox Assorted Pack.

This was such a fun volume! The handcuffs came out! And the whole acorn thing was SO cute!

"Sexy, gutter-minded patrol officer taken into custody at 12.30pm, Sir."

Wow! I thought the rumours about Haru were lies to make her look bad, but they're actually true! And just because Legoshi did something to help her, she stripped and tried to have sex with him...and like a dope, Legoshi is all happy about the fact she saw him not just as a wolf but as a man... Really?!?

The play was interesting and the argument that Legoshi is being self righteous is both fair and unfair. Yes, he is, but claiming he's weak or somehow denying his nature is untrue because he's simply more aware of it and the danger he poses.

I love Louis, with his fragile ego and hidden vulnerability.

While interesting the entire plot of Tem's murder has been ignored, with so much emphasis on Haru and this "inexplicable" draw Legoshi has towards her, that I won't be reading any further. I'm not even remotely interested in her, and in fact can see that Louis is a much better match for Legoshi. If that's not going to happen - and I checked spoilers to make sure - then I'm not reading any more.

4* for potential and art, but it's just not for me, though I can see why it's so popular.

This was such an interesting concept! This is a high school where herbivores and carnivores go to school together. The first scenes are of an alpaca, Tam, being stalked and murdered in the drama room! What an opening.

From what follows, there's the implication that things have been mostly amicable between the two groups before, but the rumours that Tam was murdered by a carnivore spreads like wildfire and tensions rise.
It very much gave me Zootopia vibes, with some sprinkles of Sing!

I loved that each character was distinct in both appearance and personality. You could (mostly) easily identify which species a character was by their design.

Legoshi is the main character and he's definitely interesting! A grey wolf, he lives with some demons, keeping to himself because he doesn't want what he is to scare his fellow students. We discover that he was actually pretty good friends with Tam, but now everyone thinks the "loner, psycho" wolf killed him! However, Legoshi is just an introvert trying to fight the demons of his species.

I like the meaning of the title, the back drop of mystery surrounding Legoshi and the murder. Legoshi is sweet and troubled, just 17 but dealing with the unavoidable reality that people are scared of him just because of how he was born. I really like the deer, Louis, too. I feel like there's definitely some simmering tension between Legoshi and Louis. Louis is from a rich family, kind of like the mean but beloved rich jock in most high school dramas, except he's king of the drama club. Late in the volume we see he's got some demons of his own - he can't admit to doing something nice for someone else without making out it's really for selfish reasons, and he's a perfectionist to the point of hurting himself.

Legoshi has an encounter with a bunny, Haru, that implies there might be some romance in their future. I'm not sure how I feel about that, because I haven't seen enough of Haru yet to decide how I feel about her, but so far she's definitely hitting all my hated Female MC tropes. I've never been a fan of the "woe is me, girl who is in unfairly bullied because every boy wants her but uses and hurts her" or worse, she gets blamed for being a seductress just because she's "so weak and frail and they must protect her only to end up hurting her". Haru embodies both of these tropes, with the added, unfortunate addition of the "She's so misunderstood and it's unfair how other girls victimise her for something that's not her fault" trope.
Honestly, if Haru ends up with Legoshi in the "I'm the big bad wolf who will protect you into death" trope, in the next volume, I'm out!

There's a lot of promise and potential in this world/series, so I hope it doesn't just drift into romantasy land...