BL Library - Mental Illness / Mental Health Condition Archives

Manga Review | My Cat and My Bed by Sakana Tojo

Title: My Cat and My Bed

Author(s): Sakana Tojo

Artist(s): Sakana Tojo

Hiroki has never had pleasurable sex. Not due to a lack of trying, that is. He desperately wants to know what it feels like to have good sex with someone, and in his desperation, he calls an escort service. While hoping for the best, he’s not expecting much, and his nerves make it hard to look forward to the big event. Fortunately, Hiroki has been assigned one of the best escorts from “Stray Cat.”

Haru is the perfect escort boyfriend. His specialty? Pampering his clients. He loves to make his customers feel dependent on him, and he has yet to find someone he can’t woo into being his regular. When he meets Hiroki, shy and nervous, he goes through the standard script. He asks Hiroki to call him baby, showers Hiroki with compliments, and then makes sure to please him in bed. Hiroki is pleased with the service and falls in line with all of Haru’s other regulars.

But for some reason, Haru wants to pamper Hiroki outside of work hours.

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Manhwa Review | Stigma by Marloong

Title: Stigma

Author(s): Marloong

Artist(s): Marloong

Sehyun’s life is shrouded in darkness. He has little to no hope due to the terrible trauma he has experienced at the hands of his guardian, Michael. The only way he can find any semblance of peace is by plunging into the dirty underbelly of the city he lives in, having unsafe sex with strangers, and confirming to himself what everyone believes: he’s trash. He has come to accept this lifestyle until he runs into Boris.

Boris is rude and standoffish, but when he finds a line to an open stall where Sehyun is being endlessly assaulted, he can’t just walk away. Stepping to the front of the line, Boris fights off as many waiting men as possible. Once he’s cleared them all out, he takes a worn Sehyun to a nearby hotel and lets him rest there. It is then that Sehyun admits that he wanted that to happen, which disgusts Boris. Still, Sehyun can’t help being drawn to this bristly white knight.

Sehyun is far from a damsel in distress, but could he still be someone worthy of Boris?

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Manga Review | A Stomachful of Secret Delights by Tsutako Tsurusawa

Title: A Stomachful of Secret Delights

Author(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Artist(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

This is the sequel to Saving My Favorite For Last.

Melo suffers from intense anxiety. His anxiety is so strong that he suffers from chronic hematuria, which puts his health on a major decline. The reason for his anxiety? It could be anything, but the main culprit is his lover, Noris. They’d been together for as long as Melo could remember, having been childhood friends since their families were close. From the moment Melo saw Noris eat his food with a smile on his face, Melo made it his mission to marry Noris.

So far, so good, until Melo catches Noris smiling at his new coworker. Melo has never had competition before, having thoroughly monopolized all of Noris’s affection for himself. Melo’s anxiety has reached a fever pitch with a few new suitors hanging around. Not even his meds can stave away the stress anymore, and with the increased pressure, so follows the steep decline of his health. Will Melo be able to keep his one love to himself, or will he die before he even gets the chance?

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Manhwa Review | Trap? Trap! by Ichika

Title: Trap? Trap!

Author(s): Ichika

Artist(s): Hanmomi

Baekyeon hasn’t left his apartment for years. After being bullied, harassed, and assaulted throughout high school, Baekyeon developed an intense fear of people and the outside world. Thankfully, with his writing talent, he has supported himself while working from within the confines of his home as an adult novel writer. Unfortunately, under the imposing and obsessive eye of his editor, Soohyun, Baekyeon has no motivation to leave, clean, or do anything beyond writing.

That is until he finds some unexpected guests living among the refuse that has slowly built up around him: cockroaches. There is nothing in this world that Baekyeon hates more than bugs. Unable to do anything until his uninvited guests are evicted from his home, Baekyeon begs Soohyun to call an exterminator. Begrudgingly, Soohyun does, but that means Baekyeon will have to face his greatest fear: a stranger in his home.

Thankfully, the exterminator who comes over is Junghyuk, a kind and extroverted man who just happens to be Baekyeon’s type. Maybe strangers aren’t so bad after all.

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Manhwa Review | Intense by Kyungha Yi

Title: Intense

Author(s): Kyungha Yi

Artist(s): Kyungha Yi

Jiwoon Kang is nothing more than collateral. After his father, in debt to a large criminal organization, kills himself, the boss, Yoonshik, takes Jiwoon on as collateral. The boss trains him up so Jiwoon can someday work off the debt. In the meantime, Jiwoon learns to kill and becomes Yoonshik’s right-hand man. In an open secret, Jiwoon also plays the cooperative, though the unenthusiastic role of Yoonshik’s lover. When Yoonshik is sent to prison, Jiwoon is hidden in the redlight district, where he protects the working girls. There, he meets Soohan Lee.

Soohan Lee is mute. He just happened upon the redlight district years ago and, ever since, has taken up residence there, doing odd jobs for a little bit of cash and a roof over his head. His life is rather mundane, even in the bustling streets, that is, until he meets Jiwoon. After getting beaten up while defending a working girl from a customer, Jiwoon comes upon Soohan bloodied up on the ground. Despite their odd circumstances, Jiwoon is compelled to kiss Soohan, which he does. This sends them down a dangerous path fraught with jealousy, violence, crime, and more.

But in the end, will it be worth the struggle?

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Novel Review | Until I Meet My Husband by Ryousuke Nanasaki

Title: Until I Meet My Husband

Author(s): Ryousuke Nanasaki

This is the story of Ryousuke Nanasaki. From the time he was small, he always knew he was different. Whether it was the way he spoke, the way he walked, or the things he enjoyed, he never could mesh with what the world expected him to be as a little boy. This only became all the more apparent when he began going to school and was incessantly bullied for being a “girly-boy.” Whether it was by adults or his peers, he was always treated as an “other” until he met Tsukasa. Of course, Tsukasa was Ryousuke’s best friend, but more than that, he was his unrequited first love.

This starts a journey of self-acceptance, self-love, and the journey for true love for Ryousuke Nanasaki. Ryousuke has never been what the world perceived as normal, but that would never stop him. He wants true happiness with the one he loves and wants that for everyone, no matter who you choose to love.

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Manhwa Review | Addiction by JIRAC

Title: Addiction

Author(s): JIRAC

Artist(s): Taesung

Kim Ho is on the prowl. He may look like a human, but he is far from it. He is actually part of a species of foxes that once owned large swaths of territory that humans have since taken over. To survive, the foxes have integrated into human society in the areas they once ruled and go on the hunt for mates in clubs. Ho is doing his duty for his species by mating with someone in the club bathroom, but a wolf breaks down the stall door just before he can complete his mission.

As it turns out, wolves also used to own territory in this area and had to fight for the same territory as the foxes. The alpha wolf Han Sirang happens to be the one to come upon Ho in the throes of passion. As soon as he figures out what Ho is doing, Sirang, to gain the upper hand, takes a photo of Ho mid-coitus and threatens him with the image. Unable to do anything else, Ho goes along with Sirang’s demands, primarily sexual in nature, all the while trying to figure out how to get rid of the image so he can be free of Sirang’s influence.

But what started as a game for Sirang appears to be becoming something more.

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Manhwa Review | Escape into Oblivion by Gawee

Title: Escape into Oblivion

Author(s): Gawee

Artist(s): Gawee

Woojin is willing to do anything to escape. Escape from what? His family, school, his lovers, and life in general. He’ll do whatever it takes to escape, whether through sex, alcohol, moving away, hiding from school, or anything else. It’s almost like a game to Woojin, and it’s one that he wins often. That is until he meets Hwon.

Hwon does anything Woojin asks, even when Woojin does everything he can to either run from Hwon or hurt him. This intensity of love is new to Woojin, and it scares him. What scares him even more, though, is who Hwon might be. Part of why Woojin feels the need to escape is that when he was a child, his friend was beaten by a homeless boy they would occasionally pick on and whom Woojin would confide in. Rather than save his friend, Woojin ran away, never to see the friend again.

Could Hwon be that friend seeking revenge? Or could he be the homeless boy, finally back to take what belongs to him, Woojin? Woojin’s not sure which he would prefer, but he knows one thing for sure. No matter who Hwon ends up being, Woojin has fallen hopelessly in love with him, which is something he can’t escape.

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Manhwa Review | Dine With a Vampire by PANGIN

Title: Dine With a Vampire

Author(s): PANGIN

Artist(s): PINKO

Sooin spends every day living in utter hell. He lives in a world stuck between guilt and rage, love and vengeance, and complacency and revenge. The best he can do on a day-to-day basis is to try not to anger his roommate, Sungha. Why Sungha? Because Sungha spends every day torturing and beating Sooin because Sooin fell in love with him. Sooin could leave, but his guilt won’t allow him to, as he feels his love for Sungha has turned him into a monster. So he endures Sungha’s cruelty, but not without hoping that someday he can escape.

Then, while at work, Sooin meets another kind of monster. He runs into the owner of the restaurant he works at, Chi-hwan, because of a cut on Sooin’s finger. It turns out that Chi-hwan is a vampire, but not just any vampire. Instead, he is a vampire that can’t drink human blood and must subsist off the hearts of his fellow vampire brethren. But for some reason, he is drawn to Sooin’s blood, and when he gets a taste of it, he finds it perfectly palatable when human blood hasn’t been for so long.

Desperate to ensure Sooin stays alive and well so he can partake in his blood, Chi-hwan makes him an offer Sooin can’t refuse. Chi-hwan will kill for Sooin, including Sungha. All Sooin has to do is give him blood.

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Manhwa Review | May Belongs to Me by eol

Title: May Belongs to Me

Author(s): eol (formerly cereal)

Artist(s): Gaesalgu

May has terrible taste in men. His latest boyfriend tended to hit him whenever he was upset, then blamed May for “liking it.” May is pretty quick to leave when things go sour, but due to his homeless status, he’s quick to get with the next man for a place to stay. He’s already got Youngjin, a kind bar owner, in his sights when his abusive boyfriend comes back one evening since he’s also an employee at the bar. The ex-boyfriend attacks May, choking him, but just before May passes out, a mysterious man appears and takes care of the ex before stealing away May in the middle of the night.

When May wakes, he finds him naked, in bed, in an unfamiliar, stark white bedroom. While that is strange enough on its own, he also finds a collar locked around his neck, connected to a chain. May has been in some shitty situations before, but this takes the cake. While trying to determine if this is an ex or just a psychopath, May meets his captor: Jooin. While Jooin doesn’t seem like some fanatical psychopath, he also doesn’t seem like one of May’s exes, but Jooin acts like they know each other.

Jooin is kind and sweet (besides being a kidnapper, of course), but he has the odd inclination to treat May as if he were a cat. He feeds him cat treats, buys him cat toys… and he wants to neuter May? What is going on? Who is this guy?

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Manga Review | Until I Meet My Husband by Ryousuke Nanasaki

Title: Until I Meet My Husband

Author(s): Ryousuke Nanasaki

Artist(s): Yoshi Tsukizuki

Based on a novel of the same name by Ryousuke Nanasaki.

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Manga Review | Metro by Chika Hongo

Title: Metro

Author(s): Chika Hongo

Artist(s): Chika Hongo

Mizuki spends his days under the watchful and paranoid eyes of his mother. It was of no fault of his own that he is monitored so carefully, but it is instead due to his father’s infidelity. Because his father ended up having a scandalous affair and left both Mizuki and his mother behind, Mizuki’s mother now views everything sexual as evil. To prevent her son from following the same path as his father, she makes him write out every hour of his day, monitors the media he consumes, and controls every aspect of his life that she can so he never encounters anything she deems as immoral.

This causes Mizuki’s life to become rather hollow, especially since, due to an illness, he could not graduate high school and is forced to attend his final year again as somewhat of a social pariah among the strangers in his class. The only spark in his life is the few times he rides the metro. There, on the train, a faceless man assaults him. For someone else, this would be traumatic and horrific, and though it does scare Mizuki, he finds it thrilling and the only intimate connection he’s ever had with another person.

This happens nearly every day like clockwork, with the man touching Mizuki for a while only to disappear without a word, until one day, while touching Mizuki, the man tells Mizuki that if he gets off the train with him, he’ll give Mizuki more. Having been isolated and sheltered for so long, Mizuki finds himself unable to refuse this offer. But is what he finds on the other side worth risking his simple and routine life for?

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