BL Library - Cohabitation

Manga Review | Prescription for a Lonely Boy Who Wants Love by Long Utsumi

Title: Prescription for a Lonely Boy Who Wants Love

Author(s): Long Utsumi

Artist(s): Long Utsumi

Kippei is, essentially, a professional live-in boyfriend. He doesn’t necessarily love any of his partners, but they want a boyfriend to have sex with, and he wants a place to live, so it works out for a time. But, inevitably, his partners want more from him, and he can’t give that to them. So, they break up. This time is no different, and Kippei’s already on the hunt for his next partner. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to go very far, as he sees a couple of guys possibly going through a breakup.

Kippei is bisexual, and when he sees one of the men left behind and heartbroken, he swoops in to save the day. The man isn’t necessarily Kippei’s type, and Kippei even considers him to be a little plain-looking, but Kippei isn’t all that picky and plays the field all the same. After a surprisingly short conversation, the two end up in a hotel room where the stranger, Sosuke, turns out to be much more aggressive in bed than his appearance might suggest. After an intense romp, Kippei wakes up in the morning alone in the hotel. He laments that he didn’t get Sosuke’s number, but with nowhere to go and nothing else to do, Kippei makes his way to his sister’s house.

Once there, Kippei ends up catching a cold, and not wanting him to spread the cold to his niece, his sister demands he go to the doctor. After much pushing, Kippei unwillingly goes. As it turns out, this was exactly what he needed. The doctor Kippei ends up seeing none other than Sosuke. Not wanting to miss this chance, Kippei jumps at the opportunity, offering his live-in services in exchange for sex, which he punctuates by having sex with Sosuke in the doctor’s office. Sosuke agrees, and Kippei quickly settles into life at his new partner’s place. But Kippei soon discovers that Sosuke isn’t as needy as his former partners have been, and while this usually might be a plus, when Kippei isn’t needed, what good is he?

Title: Breathing the Same Air

Author(s): YUUJI

Artist(s): Dasic

Haeshin lives alone, and he prefers it that way. Having grown up being raised by a womanizing single father, Haeshin was used to people coming in and out of his life on a whim, and rather than deal with the same thing in his adulthood, Haeshin would prefer the solace of singledom. This also befits his sexual preference for solo anal stimulation, which he does frequently just before bed to ensure he gets a good night’s rest. Unfortunately, his peaceful, homebody lifestyle ends when his former stepbrother comes to live with him.

Haeshin never wanted to live with Sangheon, but after his father, who still pays part of his rent, comes to Haeshin with Sangheon’s mother in tow, Haeshin can’t help but enthusiastically agree. It probably wouldn’t be such a bad living arrangement if Sangheon and Haeshin didn’t hate each other due to their strained relationship as children. It’s even worse as adults, with Sangheon being messy, a smoker, and prone to destruction, which is entirely counter to Haeshin. Will Haeshin be able to regain his peace, or will he be stuck fighting against Sangheon for the rest of his life?

Title: Room to Room

Author(s): Lee Aru

Artist(s): Lee Aru

Dowan fell in love with Chamin the first time he saw him. But Chamin is straight, and Dowan is happy to simply live within his orbit as a friend. Unfortunately, this comfortable distance is strained when Dowan, while looking for a new roommate, is overheard by Chamin. As it turns out, Chamin wants to move closer to campus but isn’t allowed to live alone due to his parents’ worries. Hoping Chamin’s parents will say “no,” Dowan gives Chamin all the details.

Unfortunately for Dowan, Chamin’s parents were all too happy to approve the move, and now Dowan faces his crush day in and day out. Everything is going well, but Dowan suffers as he sees and hears Chamin talking to and about his girlfriend. He’s happy that Chamin is happy, but Dowan’s heart aches all the same. Then, the day comes when Chamin’s girlfriend breaks up with him. Depressed and hurt, Chamin is all too happy to run into Dowan’s arms for comfort, and Dowan is happy to comfort him.

But when Chamin starts coming to Dowan’s bedroom at night, asking to have sex, that distance Dowan so carefully puts between him and his crush falls away.

Title: Sweet Blood

Author(s): Nene Shakeda

Artist(s): Nene Shakeda

In a world dominated by vampires, human rights and freedoms have been severely limited. Humans and vampires are segregated, with very few select humans given passes to travel through and in vampire areas without being accompanied by a vampire. Jinosuke is one of those few humans. He’s a potter whose work is impeded by the deteriorating relationship between humans and vampires. Unfortunately, his most recent job has just been canceled due to his sponsor pulling out.

Frustrated and unemployed, Jinosuke travels through a vampire district, aimless and trying to determine his next course of action. Even with a pass, it’s not easy going through the streets of vampire districts, as all vampires have silver hair, and humans don’t. So, Jinosuke is constantly being watched and talked about. He’s hardly bothered by the attention until he ends up in a sparsely populated area. There, he is ambushed, confined, and then sold in a human auction for vampires. This is very illegal, but as the product being sold, Jinosuke has no choice but to go along with the process.

In the end, Jinosuke is purchased by a youthful-looking vampire named Noi, a human anthropologist. Thankfully, Noi doesn’t want to force Jinosuke into being food but would like to make a trade. In exchange for his blood and knowledge of humans, Jinosuke can continue to work and live under Noi’s protection. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than the alternative, so Jinosuke accepts. What Jinosuke doesn’t expect is for the feeding to feel so good. As they share more time (and fluids) with one another, Jinosuke begins to suspect it wasn’t a coincidence that Noi was the one to purchase him.

Title: Too Close for Love (digital) | Too Close to Fall in Love (TokyoPop print)

Author(s): Akira Nakata

Artist(s): Akira Nakata

Shizuka’s father has finally found the one in a widower named Jace. Shizuka is very happy for his dad, but the addition of a younger brother in the house has him a bit worried. Thankfully, the younger brother, Motoya, is a pretty chill guy, and living together with them all isn’t much of a problem. Yet, Shizuka is still nervous. Why? Motoya is exactly Shizuka’s type.

But no matter how attracted Shizuka is to Motoya, he doesn’t want to risk his father’s happiness by pursuing Motoya. As sure as Shizuka is that he should maintain no more than a familial relationship with Motoya, it seems that Motoya may not have the same apprehension.

Title: Absolute Submission -Like Hell I'll Obey!-

Author(s): tsushiko

Artist(s): tsushiko

Kikuma is a delinquent. He frequently gets into fights and leaves campus overnight, much to the chagrin of the teachers and staff of his boarding school. Determined to put him back on the right path, the staff reassign him to another room, one where his roommate is none other than the dorm superintendent, Takasumi. That doesn’t concern Kikuma, and he has no intention of changing his ways, but while being treated by the nurse after his recent fight, the nurse reveals that Kikuma has been identified as a sub – a secondary gender that requires the person to be dominated, commanded, praised, and punished, otherwise, he might experience detrimental health problems.

That shouldn’t be too big of a deal. Kikuma hasn’t experienced anything yet, and he doesn’t intend to, that is, until he meets his new roommate. As it turns out, Takasumi happens to be a dom – a secondary gender that requires the person to dominate, command, praise, and punish. While Takasumi probably couldn’t have stopped Kikuma’s delinquent streak usually, with Kikuma being a sub and Takasumi being a dom, Takasumi is in the perfect position to command and control Kikuma, whether he wants to be or not. But Kikuma is hardheaded. He has no intention of just going along with all of this, biology be damned.

Title: Playboy Beast

Author(s): Minomushi Momonoki

Artist(s): Minomushi Momonoki

The world has evolved. Through various human experimentation, a second species of human has been created through a mixture of animal and human DNA: demi-beasts. Unlike pure humans, demi-beasts undergo animalistic breeding periods known as heats once they reach puberty. Males long to impregnate females, while females want to be impregnated by males. Unfortunately, for panther demi-beast Riku, though he’s long since passed the age of puberty, he’s yet to have his first heat.

It’s not that big of a deal, but as Riku gets older, it becomes more and more concerning, especially when female demi-beasts begin approaching him. Desperate to initiate a heat, Riku ends up dating a fox demi-beast female, hoping to coax out his sexual urges by going on dates with her, but no matter how hot she might be, he just doesn’t feel compelled to go into heat. Things only become more complicated and frustrating when Riku’s living situation changes. He ends up being roomed with an albino lion demi-beast named Touma.

While Touma initially appears to be a run-of-the-mill book nerd, he turns out to be a bit more of a delinquent. Touma sneaks off campus overnight and has a casual sexual relationship with the school nurse. He’s everything Riku wishes he could be, or so he thinks. After Touma finds out about Riku’s perpetual virginity, Touma is all too happy to toy with Riku’s innocence and get Riku’s heat started. As it turns out, Touma isn’t everything Riku wants to be, but everything that Riku wants.

Title: He's a Predator

Author(s): Yuji Toriba

Artist(s): Yuji Toriba

Yuma’s work-life balance is all out of whack. He spends more time at work than he does at home, and even when he is at home, he’s so stressed about work that all he can manage is falling asleep before heading in the next day. His only real reprieve is with his childhood friend Yasuharu, who dotes on and cares for Yuma. Yuma cares for Yashuharu, but there is one thing about Yasuharu that disturbs Yuma. Yuma has a bad habit of saying that he wants to die, and this habit is at an all-time high with all of the work stress. Whenever he says this phrase around Yasuharu, Yasuharu always responds with:

“I’ll eat you.”

It’s undoubtedly just a joke, but the way Yasuharu says it so seriously, Yuma can’t help being bothered by it. Still, Yuma’s phrase might become a reality when, after returning home from a long and strenuous day of work, Yuma passes out on his floor, but not before calling Yasuharu and asking him for help. Yasuharu comes to the rescue, ensuring Yuma is fed, rested, and gets the medical attention he needs, all of which Yuma is thankful for. But Yasuharu doesn’t intend to stop here. Yasuharu demands that Yuma move in with him so Yashuharu can care for him.

Though Yuma is hesitant, the offer is too good to pass up. But is Yasuharu’s offer as innocent as it seems?

Title: Discover My Secret

Author(s): Gesshi Natsumura

Artist(s): Gesshi Natsumura

Takumi and Akihiro (Aki, for short) have been good friends for a long time. When they found out they would go to the same college following high school, it was an easy decision for them to move in together. As they expected, their lives as roommates go super smoothly. They share responsibilities, take turns fixing dinner for each other, and are just overall glad to spend time together. Aki loves this setup, though it is a bit painful, as it’s a stark reminder that this is as far as their relationship can go. Aki has been secretly harboring an unrequited love for Takumi for as long as he can remember. Aki is supposedly fine with their friendship, happy to just be close to Takumi and live this platonic domestic lifestyle with his best friend.

That is until his birthday. Aki has finally reached the age where he can drink, and his friends, Takumi included, take him to a bar where he tries as many drinks as possible. By the time the day is done and they’ve opened all the gifts, Aki is completely sloshed. Takumi takes Aki home and tries to put him to bed, but in his drunken state, Aki can’t hold back his feelings anymore. As Takumi gets close, Aki kisses Takumi, leaving him stunned. Will their relationship be able to survive this sudden revelation? Or has Aki’s drunken honesty ruined their friendship forever?

Title: Penthouse XXX

Author(s): Bacong

Artist(s): Bacong

Siyeon is leading a double life. Due to his ex, who stole every dime Siyeon had before disappearing, Siyeon is in debt and forced to moonlight as an assassin to make ends meet. He doesn’t really know who his employer is. All he knows is that once or twice a month, he receives a package with a pill and information on his next target. So why would they choose a pretty boy like Siyeon to be an assassin? As it turns out, Siyeon is an esper who can manifest ice and change the temperature at will. The pill they send helps amplify his powers for a limited time, and with his abilities, he often causes his targets to have heart attacks by freezing their hearts, leaving no trace of any foul play. Otherwise, he’s just a regular guy with freezing hands.

With his debt steadily falling by the day, Siyeon can finally better his living arrangements and goes to see a room that is being rented out in a massive penthouse by the owner of the building, who also lives in the penthouse. The man who answers the door is party animal heir Taekyung. Though Siyeon has sworn off men due to his terrible dating history, Taekyung doesn’t make bad eye candy. Unfortunately, after a night of drinking, Siyeon’s self-control wanes, and they get hot and heavy in the bedroom. While Siyeon regrets it immediately, Taekyung is all the more intrigued. He wants Siyeon, and he’s going to do everything he can to claim him.

Cohabitation

Manga Review | Prescription for a Lonely Boy Who Wants Love by Long Utsumi

Manhwa Review | Breathing the Same Air by YUUJI

Manhwa Review | Room to Room by Lee Aru

Manga Review | Too Close for Love by Akira Nakata

Manga Review | Absolute Submission -Like Hell I’ll Obey!- by tsushiko

Manga Review | Playboy Beast by Minomushi Momonoki

Manga Review | He’s a Predator by Yuji Toriba

Manga Review | Discover My Secret by Gesshi Natsumura

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