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About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Love Nest 2nd. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to age gap, strained familial relationships, peer pressure, excessive drinking, mentions of divorce, homomisia, sexual harassment, prejudice, overwork, mentions of cheating, manipulation, alcoholism, dementia, self-deprecation, self-hatred, death, violence, disability, parentification, child neglect, child abandonment, ageism, ableism, strained familial relationships (including disownment), mentions of infertility, mental illness, fat-shaming, mentions of embezzlement, and sexual assault, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
This is the fourth series in a shared world created by Yuu Minaduki. It is recommended that you read the first, second, and third entries before reading this one, as they share backgrounds and characters.
Masato and Asahi have moved love nests. After much care and hard work, Asahi has renovated a floor in his building, creating the perfect little home for him and Masato. His business office is on the floor just below, so even when Asahi is at work, he’s never too far from his feisty lover. Things are nice. Things are going well. At least, they are on the surface. Though Asahi and Masato have a happy and healthy relationship, Asahi’s insecurities and Masato’s fears still bubble just beneath the surface.
Masato, fearful of prejudice and what his mother might think if she found out he was gay, refuses to admit to being with Asahi in public. Asahi is willing to do whatever makes Masato feel comfortable, but this inadvertently leads to others trying to flirt with and set up Asahi, leaving Masato at a loss. On the other hand, Asahi still fears being seen as defective due to his infertility and is always expecting the day Masato might leave him. As if he isn’t stressed enough, his father has developed alcohol-related dementia, and though Asahi was abused by his father, he can’t just abandon him.
These two undoubtedly love each other, but is love enough to get them through this?
Review:
We’re back once again with my favorite couple of the Minaduki universe. The art is the same as the previous iterations, which isn’t my favorite style in the world. It has an antiquated flair to it, and some of the character’s ears fan off the sides of their heads, but it has become a pleasant part of my BL-reading life. The chibis are super cute, and I especially love Masato. He’s so expressive and extroverted, so he has the best reactions. If you like the art of the previous entries in this series, I see no reason why you’d dislike this now. If you hated the art from prior entries, there’s no point expecting something different here.
This entry into the universe is beyond my favorite thus far. I love established couple titles because they focus less on the “will they, won’t they” back and forth and more on how the individuals learn to function together. We get much more individualistic insight into who these people are and their struggles. We get particularly great insight into Asahi. As we learned in the previous series, Asahi has fertility issues, and much of his trauma centers around this feeling of being inferior or defective as a man because of it. He struggles with simultaneously being relieved about not feeling pressured by being with Masato but also fearing he’s only with him because he doesn’t have to worry about his infertility. This is such powerful self-reflection, and it is a very sensible worry. But even after he’s come to terms with that, the fear of being perceived as defective still haunts him. He’s not suddenly healed, which I really appreciate. It’s very realistic, and that’s awesome.
But as much as I love Asahi’s development, nothing beats Masato’s part. He fears coming out and being public with his relationship, mainly because he fears being labeled “the gay guy” and having to experience prejudice from a society that feels forced to accept him. He wants to be recognized as Masato, not by his sexuality. This is only further compounded by what he assumes is his mother’s expectations for him to get married and have children, something he’ll never be able to do. Masato is acutely aware of what the world expects of him, and while he has no intention of living his life exactly to that expectation, he does feel some amount of sorrow that he can’t just be with Asahi how he and Asahi would like. This leads to them going to his mother’s home, where she recounts her journey in accepting her son’s sexuality and is happy to wait for him to come out to her when he’s ready so she can accept him for who he is. She also takes the opportunity to free him of those expectations, telling him to live his life the way he wants. It’s a very raw and honest section of the story, and I adore it.
Now, as much as I love this title, it is all about miscommunication. I typically despise miscommunication, but this is done exceedingly well. This is about two people learning to communicate about the darkest and most painful parts of themselves, which would be hard for anyone. But they’re also learning how to comfort, wait, and listen. I love it. It’s none of the half-hearted, petty, and silliness that I usually see. It’s a very realistic view of how people in a new relationship or those who just move in together have to work through it. These two are very honest and self-reflective. They don’t always get it right, but they learn and grow, and that’s all that matters.
Bonus: we get to see Yosuke and his gloomy mushrooms. It’s icing on top of a delicious cake.
Results:
This universe is such a treat. I love seeing characters from the viewpoint of other characters, checking in on how everyone is doing, and watching them evolve as individuals and as couples. It hurts sometimes but in the best way. And I’m so pleased that another series is already out with our mastermind, Naru, at the forefront. This universe has the potential to go on and on forever, and I certainly hope it does. I highly recommend this entry.
Have you read Love Nest 2nd? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!