Pretty Goblin Top Humps the Memory Out of Beefy Bottom
Title: Two Moments in Time
Memory Loss
The main character or multiple leads experience memory loss as a key element or the main source of conflict.
Manhwa Review | Scent of a Witch by R
Title: Scent of a Witch
In the Kingdom of Yarke, right along its borders, there is a place called Uren. There, men frequently disappear. Like the silver grass in Uren, rumors have grown that witches live there. They are actually old women but can take the form of beautiful maidens during the full moon. In this way, they lure men into their arms, kill them, and then sacrifice them to help increase their power. All of this is actually true, but one thing the rumors aren’t aware of is the lone man born from and living amongst the witches. He, too, turns into a woman during the full moon but returns to his male form afterward.
It is one full moon night when the only male witch encounters prey that might just be too powerful for him: the third prince, Ryan Yarke. Princes are naturally born with the protection of the palace, so a witch’s power isn’t as potent as it might be with any other person. Still, Ryan is taken by the male witch, and they spend a lustful full moon together. Thankfully, Ryan leaves before daybreak, so the male witch’s identity remains a secret. But the other witches in his coven are upset that he let the prince go. The male witch explains that killing a prince would draw too much attention to them and hopes that the prince never returns.
But even though the prince has returned to the palace, full of enemies, schemes, and drama, his mind returns to one place: the beautiful witch he met during the full moon. Prince Ryan’s only goal is to ascend the throne by any means necessary, yet a strange woman has somehow bewitched him. Ryan’s visits to his beloved witch become increasingly frequent, drawing the eyes of his enemies in the palace. Meanwhile, the male witch is working up the courage to kill the prince, which he should’ve done from the beginning. But for whatever reason, he’s not sure that he can.
Manhwa Review | Rix Vanus by Chanseong
Title: Rix Vanus
The royal family’s third child, second son, Rix Vanus, has just returned home after defeating the demon king, a monstrous demon who had been consuming human hearts to gain power. The people celebrate him as a hero, but those nobles who hoped he would die quietly return to plotting how best to remove him from power. Rix isn’t worried about trying to survive, though. After killing the demon king, Rix was cursed with dreams full of sexual assault and rape at the hands of his closest friends and family. He’s grown weak, trying his best to avoid sleep, and the dreams are beginning to mix with reality, causing him to avoid and rebuff any support from those he holds dear. Rix is ready to run off and either find a cure or die trying, but while sleeping in the woods, he encounters a glowing wolf that makes all terrible dreams disappear.
When he wakes up, he reencounters the wolf. The wolf explains that he is a divine beast named Nuah, and he has the ability to stave off the curse for a period of time. But the only way to do it is if Nuah has sex with Rix. Rix is not keen on that idea; sex is no longer a pleasurable experience after the endless nights of rape-filled dreams. Still, Rix is desperate, and he ends up agreeing. As Nuah promised, the dreams stop for a time, but only for a while. He still has to find a cure, and with Nuah by his side, it seems like it might be a real possibility. In exchange, all Nuah wants is to see a festival. Rix finds Nuah to be silly and not all that divine for a divine beast, but over time, those are the things he falls in love with.
But love could never happen between a divine beast and a human. At least, that’s what Rix believes. Nuah, though, is under no assumptions about who can or can’t fall in love.
Novel Review | Yes, No, or Maybe? – Center of the World by Michi Ichiho
Title: Yes, No, or Maybe? – Center of the World
This is the sequel to Yes, No, or Maybe?.
Kei and Ushio’s relationship has been going well for a while now, and so has Kei’s job. Unfortunately, Kei finds his confidence rocked by the announcement of a new pseudo-news show in the same time block. Initially, he’s not all that worried, as the rival show is much more relaxed and focuses less on news and more on the hosts’ commentary. But then he finds out the main host, Kizaki Ryou, once interviewed for Kei’s role. The realization that Kizaki might be motivated by revenge shakes Kei to his core. But nothing shocks him more than when he’s removed from hosting his show to being a field reporter.
It’s chaotic and stressful work with people who aren’t as reliable as the ones in the studio. The stress of work soon spills over into Kei’s relationship. Kei knows he should just apologize to Ushio so they can move on, but his unrelenting pride, along with his random work schedule, makes it difficult. As if things couldn’t get any worse, his show also loses its market share to Kizaki’s new show. Kei’s perfectly crafted life is falling apart, and he has no idea how to fix it.
Manga Review | He Calls Me Every Night by Bond Mitsuya
Title: He Calls Me Every Night
Sumito Tokitsu has returned to his rural hometown after being sent to his grandmother’s house to attend school while his father works back in the city. He isn’t excited or upset, having very little recollection of his time there, and his relationship with his parents is tenuous at best. But his relationship with his grandma is very close, and he’s glad to be doted on for a change. Unfortunately, his peaceful days are followed by less-than-peaceful nights. When he leaves his window open one night, he ends up with an uninvited guest. The guest doesn’t seem to want to steal or hurt Sumito, but he has an odd obsession with touching him instead. What’s even stranger is how much Sumito enjoys their nightly romps.
The village Sumito has returned to praise a being known as the crow demon. It’s a silly story that Sumito doesn’t put much stock in until he meets his nightly visitor at school. The stranger introduces himself as Gaku, the next head of the crow demons. Sumito quickly dismisses such a claim, even as Gaku shows off his wings. But after some magical nudging, Sumito has no choice but to accept that crow demons are real. However, what he can’t accept is that, by Gaku’s claim, Sumito is his fiancee. Sumito has no intention of marrying a strange demon, but as a love rival makes himself known, Sumito finds himself wanting to defend his unwanted position; all the while, his body reacts to Gaku like it knows something Sumito doesn’t.
Manga Review | Kind of a Wolf by Machi Suehiro
Title: Kind of a Wolf
This is the spin-off of Fox-Colored Jealousy. While they are self-contained stories, this title references characters and situations from the first, so it’s recommended to read Fox-Colored Jealousy before reading this title.
Hayato is a bright, excited, and extroverted man. But when his friends ask him to go out and hang out, he surprisingly declines, opting to spend pretty much every day at home alone. But, unfortunately for his neighbor Shiroki, a TA at his college, Hayato spends his time at home playing video games online, where his exuberant personality comes out in full force. He yells, hoops, and hollers, resulting in a less-than-peaceful evening at Shiroki’s apartment next door. Frustrated, Shiroki goes over and lets his young neighbor know how disruptive he is.
Thankfully, Hayato seems to take Shiroki’s words to heart, and the evenings are peaceful once more. Shiroki is enjoying his quiet evening with his cat Furball on the night of a full moon when Furball decides to go on an impromptu adventure. Furball jumps over to Hayato’s balcony and slips into Hayato’s apartment. Panicked, Shiroki runs over to Hayato’s apartment and knocks on the door, but no one answers. Desperate, he tries the doorknob and finds that it’s unlocked. When he sneaks inside, he fully intends to just grab Furball and leave, but then he sees Hayato. Hayato is in bed, moaning and groaning.
But Shiroki is fixated on the pair of ears and a tail attached to Hayato.
Manhwa Review | Kill the Lights by Jang Ryang
Title: Kill the Lights
Haley Rusk, real name Reese, is a wild child. He is well known for drug use, excessive drinking, and his unusual obsession with Noah Raycarlton, a well-known rich kid turned rich man. No matter how bad his public image is, Haley is only interested in his own self-interests. Unfortunately, while trying out the occult to get Noah’s affection, all of the damage to his body finally catches up to him. Haley Rusk, as he is known, passes away due to a heart attack.
Miles and miles away, Mason, a mercenary, is on a mission with two other mercenaries. His target is begging for his life, offering the code to a safe where there are possibly millions, if not billions, hidden away. Mason isn’t interested and takes out the mark, only to be shot by his teammate, who wants the money for himself. This is supposed to be the end of Mason’s life. But to his surprise, he ends up waking up in a hospital room where people talk about how they can’t wait for “Reese’s” inheritance.
Mason couldn’t be any more different than Haley Rusk, but somehow, he’s “reborn” or “transmigrated” into his body. Rather than be bothered or disturbed by the sudden change, Mason sees this as an amazing opportunity. He doesn’t have to do dangerous and horrific work anymore; he has enough money to quietly retire from show business and start a cafe, and if he decides to stay in the business, he can make loads of money in a short time. There’s just one problem: he seems to have kept some of Haley’s preferences. Specifically, his sexual preferences, and when he ends up running into Noah Raycarlton, who he used to protect back in his bodyguard days, he finds himself attracted to him.
Much to Noah’s surprise, this new Haley is pretty attractive to him, too. Haley now reminds him of the man who protected him all those years ago – the man he’s been obsessed with for as long as he can remember.
Manhwa Review | Heat of the Moment by Yensha
Title: Heat of the Moment
Yeo-heun is a goblin. He’s a half-goblin, a creature that lives beyond the average human lifespan, can carry a pregnancy regardless of gender, and is known to seduce and trick humans. They’re feared and hated, so when Yeo-heun was small, his mother scrounged every penny she had to have a seal cast on him. Unfortunately, as a poor, single mother, she couldn’t afford a complete seal, and though it sealed away the goblin part of Yeo-heun, it, unfortunately, sealed away his voice and parts of his memories, too. And, despite her best efforts, his identity as a half-goblin is still clearly visible. It can be seen by the color of his eyes: one gold and one violet. And by the color of his hair, streaked with gold. As a result, he and his mother have lived as outcasts on the outskirts of their village, avoiding everyone who wishes to bully and harm Yeo-heun.
All of that changes, however, when the new, young emperor, Ju Hee-yeon, is on the hunt for a goblin. Hee-yeon has been sickly, chronically so, to the point it is impeding his ability to lead. It’s all due to his bloodline, which carries the blood of dragons. It has manifested in Hee-yeon with fevers and painful scales along his back. It’s said that only by lying with a goblin that he will be healed. So, Hee-yeon sends out a small group of soldiers who successfully hunt down Yeo-heun and bring him back to the palace, leaving his sickly mother alone. The two lie together, and, as expected, Hee-yeon’s fever and pain subsides.
But beyond the newfound freedom Hee-yeon has gained thanks to Yeo-heun, Hee-yeon finds himself entranced by the half-goblin. He wants to know more about this beauty and is determined to find a way to remove Yeo-heun’s seal. All the while, however, Yeo-heun longs to see his mother again. But when Hee-yeon sends out a party to find his bedmate’s mother, there’s no sign of her anywhere. Just what secrets lie in Yeo-heun’s locked memory? And how will Hee-yeon keep the wily goblin by his side?