I haven't reviewed manga in a while! So today there's a one-shot volume that became one of my all'time favorites and that I will definitely re-read in a short time. It's a story about breakups, wounds, love, forgiveness, and healing. It's Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time, by Cocomi. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!
- Mangaka: Cocomi.
- Expected Publication Date: January 16, 2024.
- Publisher: TokyoPop.
- Print Length: 194 pages.
- Genres: Drama, Gay, Romance, Yaoi.
- 5 / 5 stars
For four years, Naruse was swept up in his love for his novelist boyfriend, Toui. But tiring of his flightiness and lack of commitment, Naruse finally walks away from his relationship.Or at least, he tries to. Every time he runs into Toui, they seem to get tangled in one another's emotions and end up sleeping together. They argue and fight, then afterwards comes the pang of regret. Maybe their relationship is doomed to fail. Or maybe, it just needs a new angle...
One of the things that I dislike about yaoi mangas is that the stories can be so perfect they don't seem real, which is generally fine, until it is not. Until it's just too much. Well, this is the biggest exception to the rule I've seen because of how realistic, yet cute, beautiful, adorable, and hot, the story is. There are moments of tension, but it never looses its essence as a love story.
I loved how the characters changed and grew chapter after chapter, showing how similar yet still different they both were at all times. The art took this to another level thanks to the body language and facial expressions during key scenes, important moments that defined what would happen next, along with beautiful backgrounds and details that gave it a more sound personality.
There were moments, however, when I felt I missed something. I cannot put a name on it, but there was something I didn't find, even though the backstories, the development, script, and art were beautiful, some pages where the execution didn't work that much for me. I stayed immersed the whole time, don't get me wrong, but not fully. However, this was minimum.
For those who like redemption stories with a dose of humor, spice, and real life, this is the perfect reading. A good script with amazing art that transports you to another world as the characters try to heal, each of them in their own ways, and discover what all of that actually means. Innocent, yet mature, combines the best of both worlds with amazing results.
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