About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Love Nest. 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 excessive drinking, mentions of divorce (not between the main couple), mentions of sex work, age gap, mentions of cheating (not between the main couple), rape, homomisia, violence, overwork, manipulation, mentions of alcoholism, child abandonment, child neglect, prejudice, kidnapping, mentions of abortion, mentions of infertility, and attempted statutory gang rape, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
This is the third series in a shared world created by Yuu Minaduki. It is recommended that you read the first and second entries before reading this one, as they share backgrounds and characters.
Masato treasures his days off, often working late hours during busy seasons at work. Unfortunately, the little peace he has at home is disrupted by his upstairs neighbors, who constantly stomp around and make noise. He escapes his home to drown his sorrows at his favorite bar, where he complains to one of his best friends, Naruse. Naruse pokes fun and comforts Masato at the same time but ultimately ends up making him an offer he can’t refuse: to move into one of his houses. Masato is all about it and immediately cancels his lease.
Just as he expected, the house is phenomenal. It has the latest entertainment system, which tickles Masato’s fancy. It’s impeccably clean. But more important, there are no annoying neighbors. Masato is ready to enjoy his new digs when he’s suddenly face-to-face with an unexpected person: Asahi. Asahi is an older man. He’s dirty, inconsiderate, and constantly steals Masato’s food. What Masato thought was heaven is suddenly hell. He has gone from shitty neighbors to a shitty roommate, and Masato can’t wait to find another place so he can escape Asahi.
But as he compromises and grows to learn who Asahi truly is, he finds himself softening up to the older man. But Masato has been betrayed by a straight man before. Though his heart might want Asahi, Masato isn’t so willing to let it guide him that way.
Review:
As with all of the other titles in this connected series of other series, the art has an older style to it. It gets cleaner as the series goes along, which is to be expected and part of the reason I adore reading more and more titles from the same artists. I wouldn’t say this artist is my favorite by any means, but it’s interesting to see how their art develops as time goes on. This still has an antiquated feel to it, but Masato’s design feels very modern and fresh to me, which is interesting to see when compared to the initial couple’s designs from the first two entries in this universe. Now, Masato does appear in Change World, but I couldn’t appreciate his design since he played the annoying villain in that series. But in this series, with him being front and center, I can really appreciate it. Unfortunately, Asahi, look-wise, isn’t nearly as interesting. He looks like an old-school Yaoi top, but I love him, so it’s fine.
Now, as I mentioned in the content warnings, there is an age gap. I personally love an age gap as long as it is between two adults, which this is. It is fairly substantial, however, which I imagine will turn some people off. I prefer the older of the two to be the bottom, as it gives a bit of a power shift in the bedroom, but I won’t turn up my nose at an older top, which Asahi is. I like how open Asahi is about whether or not he’s straight. Masato refers to him as a straight man, but Asahi never confirms or denies it. He gives me very much pansexual vibes, which I adore as a pansexual myself. He’s attracted to Masato because he is attractive, not because of his gender. I’m all about it.
The story is also right up my alley. I love that Masato and Asahi are both injured souls from past lovers. While they may appear on the surface as complete opposites, it’s not long before they realize how similar they are. Masato gave his heart to a man who only used him for sex and ultimately left him for a woman. On the other hand, Asahi was married. But he divorced when his wife became pregnant by another man. Both were betrayed by the ones they loved. Both of these backgrounds are pretty equally explored, and I think they provide the perfect amount of tension and background to make their character and relationship growth satisfying and believable.
However, towards the end, we are introduced to Asahi’s brother, whom, as it turns out, Masato manipulated and was quite cruel to in the past, partially due to the trauma he experienced with his ex. I personally hated this section. It felt needless and a bit exaggerated in comparison to the other points of tension between Masato and Asahi. It does lead to a very sweet moment where Asahi’s brother accepts their relationship, though I don’t think that sweet moment was worth the added stress and drama that came along with it. I do think part of the reason it was added was because otherwise, it would be an awkward length for the length of a manga – not quite long enough for two volumes, but too long for one. I just think this would have been so much more cohesive without that unnecessary conflict, but here we are.
Results:
Of all the series thus far, this is my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, the previous characters are sweet, and there are aspects of their story that I enjoy, but these two really speak to me. I like how extroverted and chaotic Masato is, despite him being a responsible househusband otherwise. Meanwhile, Asahi comes off as chill and stoic but ends up being quite lazy and laissez-faire. They complement each other perfectly, and I adore their connection. If the story had been pared down a bit more, this would’ve been a favorite of mine, no doubt, but I like it all the same.
Have you read Love Nest? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!