BL Review: Anemone theater

by Greensea, Zoy,
65 chapters
Lezhin

This was recommended on tumblr and apparently it has the same writer as Pearl Boy!
I had read a lot of manwhas with dark topics so I picked this up in hopes to read something lighthearted and wholesome.
But I was suprised because this story has twists and turns I had not expected from it. I was stressed!

It's set in the 80's and the couple is nerd x high school dropout artist. The manwha deals with homophobia and a secret relationship the couple meets at a secret gay hang out spot (Anemone theater). The main character Sungho has an abusive father who is the reason why the Sungho is so stressed about school and sees it as the most important part of his life. How can a nerd fall in love? Especially with a man! Gay culture is still underground and marginalized in contrast to the prestige of medical school and the good life the Sungho's father wants him to have.

It's a sex first feelings later type of romance. There is also a "i have to have sex to cure my illness" -triope which I love. The love interest, Duk-Gwang, could be cathegorized as a cool seme. He challenges Sungho in his perfectionism and social reclusion to let go and have some fun in life. They are both very independent and stubborn characters.The romance gets better during the story until the very end.

(spoilers below)

The twists in this story deal with the second season which suddenly out of nowhere introduce a love rival and the romance turns into a love triangle. I really hated that part of the plot but it kept me interested in the story I have to admit. TW: In third season the stress was not over. Unfortunately this manwha has a rape scene(although it was left open if it happened really or was it just a dream, either way there is a graphic scene). The main enemy and cause of drama on this story is the strict homophobic father. The last part of the story is an eight year time skip. First I hated the idea but I acually liked how it turned out. Sungho battled to his adulthood with expectations from his father. To be queer is to defy norms. The main character is a comformist and this poses the main dilemma in the story. Luckily, this story had a happy ending but it kept me on the edge until the end. Some of the plot points could have been executed better but regardless I liked the main couple and the overall vibes of the story.


4/5 stars

BL Review: Sasaki and Miyano (anime)

13 episodes + bonus movie on Crunchyroll

I was looking for something chill to watch so I decided to give Sasaki and Miyano a try. It's been called the Heartstopper of BL so I knew I wasn't exactly the target audience for it. It's a very slice-of-life friends to lovers teenage romance which I'm usually not a fan of but I was looking for something wholesome to watch. I have to admit it's a little bit too cute to my taste but I like the slowburn how their romance unfolds during the story. I love both Sasaki and Miyano as characters. Sasaki especially is a bit like Hua Cheng as a cool seme (although it's not confirmed who's the uke and seme as the anime discusses these tropes...but according to the character design it's obvious BUT that's only my interpretation).

As I wrote on my tumblr: It's refreshing to read a wholesome romance like Tgcf and Sasaki and Miyano. The seme is not a typical rapey obsessive mind controller. But that doesn't mean they don't deal with similar feelings: both Sasaki and Hua Cheng constantly hold themselves back because they cherish their loved ones and want to act consentually. They do get lustful, jealous, and possessive but choose not to lash out that energy towards their loved ones. I think both are stories with wholesome pure love, and although i tend to enjoy darker stories this type of consensual and loving dynamic is very important for me as well. I usually engage with darker content because it seems more realistic for me and the type with pure love actually make me sadder because they are more unrealistic. It's not easy to find or become as devoted lover as Sasaki or Hua Cheng.

Overall it was a cute show!

4/5 stars