Manga: Loved Circus

Have you read a story expecting one thing but getting a different one? I finished a copy of Loved Circus, by Nemui Asada, and I was so surprised! I thought this would be a shameless story full of sex, debauchery, and lust. Instead, it's a beautiful manga about bonds, trust, and morality. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 240 pages.
• Publisher: TokyoPop.
• Expected publication Date: December 6, 2022.
• Genres: Drama, Gay, Homoerotic, Romantic, Yaoi.
• Rating: 4 / 5 stars.

Ordinary salaryman Kei has ended up at rock bottom after falling in love with a call girl and spending his life savings trying to pay off her debts. Now living out of his car while hiding from loan sharks, he contemplates ending it all...

But when he comes to, Kei finds himself saved by the men of Circus, a brothel that caters only to male clientele. Despite his despair, he clings to the lifeline they offer him, and it becomes more than just an opportunity to pay off his debts, but a strange and unexpected respite. Living and working alongside the other men, each trying to survive in their own way, Kei faces his new chance at life head-on, learning both the sweetness and ugliness of desire and love — for a night and for a lifetime.

Mature Content Warning: This book contains explicit content and mature themes, including blackmail, attempted suicide, violence, sex work, and non-consensual sex. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age.

As I mentioned before, I was expecting this manga to be filled with different kind of sexual situations, debauchery, and madness. However, I got something totally different: A story about two men who become friends, maybe something more, in the middle of a highly misunderstood world. I should have known better coming from Tokyopop and their wholesome stories, really.

There are indeed a few spicy scenes, some bating, but the development and the topics that the story touches are more interesting than expected. You can safely say this is a manga more about bonds and friendship than just erotica or porn: it's about discrimination, morals, life's teachings, and the uncertainty of future.

I do wish the romance had been a bit more explored, and that more importance had been given to the non-consensual sex scene. It would have been a big improvement, given how important those two elements are. While not a problem straight away, I feel the later could have been better developed, and the second was downplayed a bit.

However, Loved Circus is a beautiful story about finding yourself and overcoming adversities. Kei and Shiro are appealing as characters, seemingly simple at first, but with their own secrets and personalities once you get to know them better. While the ending was perfect, it would be great to know more about them and how their relationship evolves.

Kinky regards, K!

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