Member Reviews
This was such a cute manga! The characters were so darn cute and I loved that they were childhood friends. I enjoyed watching them trust each other. Definitely recommend!
A toxic relationship. I couldn't understand how this could be considered romance. Although there are certainly several cute and funny scenes, the overall idea of two friends attracted to each other seemed forced and not natural at all. It could have been a cute story and I really wanted to like it since it had all the right elements (coming of age, confused feelings, a cute character, and so on,) but the way Yuujirou treated Rui was anything but nice during most of the manga.
This was really sweet and I liked how this wasn't the usual "omg I like a boy, I shouldn't like him he's obviously a boy" trope very overused in boys love mangas. It was really sweet and I loved the dynamics between the two main characters and their friends. There wasn't any real drama and it made me really happy!!
The drawings were well done, I could've read 100 volumes and be more in love the more I read.
This was very very cute and I loved it a lot. Their relationship was very sweet and while the last chapter was basically all about sex, it was treated in a way that wasn’t gross and sexualizing young not straight boys. I don’t know if their’s gonna be another volume but I would love to read another.
This manga was precious as could be. I love a good, romantic, friends-to-lovers story! Even more so if they're childhood friends. Plus, I think the sex was well done and realistic in a way that I haven't seen from manga in a while - not to mention lovely!
*Thanks to NetGalley & TokyoPop for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
If you are a fan of boys love manga and are looking for a sweet light read, Dekoboko Sugar Days is worth a read. Though for younger readers there is sex between the characters even though it is not overly graphic it may cause problems in some library collections. The art is adorable and the story is a classic, best friends from high school realize they they love each other. There are some humorous moments that help make the story more memorable. The best part is the story stays light and doesn't delve into angst that many does he doesn't he romances fall in to. Over all solid read if you are a fan of boys love or high school romance in general.
Solid 4.0 stars to this super cute BL manga about two childhood friends who are secretly in love with each other, Rui and Yuu. The art style is super cute and fun, and the dialogue was very funny. I especially loved the side characters, and would love a spin-off featuring them!
The relationship between Rui and Yuu starts when they are toddlers, and Yuu saves Rui by pulling him out of a gutter, mistaking him for a cute little girl. Since then, Rui has grown into a very tall, but still adorable, boy! The story follows them as they both try to figure out their feelings for each other, get together, and navigate their relationship together, including their first time getting intimate. I would have loved to see some more dialogue between the two about their feelings, etc., since it did happen rather suddenly. Yuu is rather brash at first, always yelling or running away from Rui, but he always apologizes after, which is sweet.
One thing that especially endeared me to this story was that nobody seemed to think it was weird for two guys to be together. All the friend characters, and even some strangers were very supportive of their relationship! I would definitely read more by this mangaka.
Dekoboko is a very sweet and very cute manga using humor and lightheartedness to tell its story. The characters are fun and easy to follow, putting an easy smile on my face and even laughing out loud several times.
Synopsis: When Yuujiro helped little Rui out of a gutter when they were kids, a friendship was formed instantly. But now, in high school, Rui has grown tall while Yuujiro chafes at being so much shorter than his friend. Worse, Yuujiro has always seen Rui as the cutest thing ever - and even now as they've grown up, can't believe how adorable his energetic friend has managed to become. As Yuujiro grapples with his continual attraction to his schoolmate, Rui also has always idolized Yuujiro. Will the two take this mutual attraction to the next level?
The usual tropes are here: Yuujiro (despite being so short) is the masculine and athletic type, quiet and more intense. Rui, on the other hand, is tall but very girlie (even wearing flower pins in his hair to help his sister's boutique). Yuujiro thinks Rui is too darn cute while Rui thinks Yuujiro is the handsomest guy in class. As they start to explore feelings, Yuujiro's intensity gets the better of him and sends him running away from poor rejected Yuujiro. Hence, the humorous situations.
The artwork is clean but characters can be hard to tell apart at times. It probably doesn't matter much in this type of story, however, since the focus is nearly always on the two leads anyway. I was reminded a lot of His Favorite series by Suzuki Tanaka - the looser art and reliance on humorous situations to further the relationship were very similar.
In all, I enjoyed this stand-alone story. It was fun, moved quickly enough, and an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy manga but I haven’t read BL. As a queer reader, it bothered me that this story really reinforced negative stereotypes about gay relationships, gender roles, etc. I’m not sure if that’s typical of all BL manga but it pulled me out of the story, the views were so old-fashioned.
Just wasn’t for me.
I admit I was not head over heels in love with the artwork at first or the way one of the characters was stereotyped as very effeminate/girly/uke but the characters' relationship developed in a ver sweet and consensual way.
Also, there was the most adorable moment when both characters were talking about their crush to their respective friends, and both realized at the same time, that they were in love. The panels were drawn side by side of this revelation, and it was cute! There wasn't much of an original plot, and some typical cliches, but I liked the way the story unfolded.
This manga was an extremely cute and adorable read. I laughed out loud many times and I absolutely loved the pining and the angst each character felt as a result of their feelings for the other. Atsuko wrote that aspect of the storyline incredibly well. The art was matched the storyline perfectly - a mixture of cute and detailed drawing and it was another aspect of the book which I enjoyed.
However, I found the perpetuation of gay stereotpypes within this book to be slightly problematic. For instance, the term 'wife' and 'wife material' is used in reference to the 'feminine' male character, with a masculine male character as the 'husband'. It is utilising heteronormative understandings of relationships and just substituting each category for a character that personifies the traditional gender stereotypes. The fact is, it's 2020 and such stereotypes have to be left behind as it can demean and demonise an entire group of people.
Although it was a cute read it was quite predictable. I would have also loved to see more of the relationship developing between the two characters. I wanted to see them grow with each other and take the steps from friendships to a relationship.
I want to thank the publishers for providing a free copy of this book via NetGalley.
This manga may be short but it is just an absolute delight. The story and the characters are incredibly adorable and it made me feel very happy when I was reading. I strongly recommend it!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Dekoboko Sugar Days is a cute BL manga that follows two best friends who like each other and completely fail at expressing it properly to one another. It’s a bit cliche and tropey as far as storytelling goes but it’s a cute, fun, fast read. I like that both boys are disasters even though I wasn’t a big fan of the, “I don’t understand my feelings, so I’m going to lash out at you” bit. Control yourself Yuujirou, words can get you far. Once they get past that though the story sails forward.
Dekoboko Sugar Days is a solid BL and quite entertaining. The tall and somewhat girly Rui and short and tempered Yuujirou have been friends since kids when Yuujirou saved Rui from a ditch and thought he was a girl. He wasn't, but the feelings didn't die and Rui has feelings for his friend too, but they are oblivious. So, through misunderstandings and such these two find that they are truly in love with each other, but moving from friends to lovers isn't so easy especially when both are virgins and guys no less. They try to find the right time and place and even after it all it seems that it isn't going to be that easy in the future either, since they are idiots of sorts. The manga is quite cute and plays the idiotic approach well. The story is mostly about the problems of not talking and clearing things up, so if that's your cup of tea, then this is surely for you.
The art looks cute and quite nice with lots of facial expressions, which is always great. The manga is humorous and light and even realistic at times. The story works our well and the flow is good too, so points for a slow plot and building up the relationship. The sex scenes are simplistic and not all over the place, which suits this. So, a good and tender school BL for the lovers of that.
A solid, sweet story that was a nice read to pass the time. I was totally expecting it to pull that cliche of the taller partner being all sweet but then becomes the aggressive one in the bedroom, while the shorter one is a plain old tsundere, but what you see with the characters is what you get and it just makes for a nice story with pretty art.
Super cute! I'm surprised by some of the M-rated content for how bubbly and softly it's drawn but it's a great standalone about two boys realizing they're in love. The height difference is the crux of the silliness in the story and both boys are oblivious to each others feelings which gives it that age-old romcom feel!
Unfortunately my library does not have an adult manga section so I won't be ordering it but I'm very likely to pick up a copy for my personal collection.
As a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy I shall give an honest review of “Dekoboko Sugar Days” written and illustrated by Yusen Atsuo. The following is an LGBT Magna that features the story of close friends Yuujirou and Rui. Since children they had been the best of friends and as they near adulthood are experiencing physical and romantic attraction. In this journey do we follow these characters as they explore their sexuality and follow the age ole trope of everybody was in on it except us, ha! It is lighthearted and fun. I highly recommend those into romance graphic novels featuring LGBT characters. Overall I give this graphic novel 4 out of 5 stars.
A cute story about two childhood friends that everyone knows are in love with each other except them. The art is cute and the characters amusing.
A very lovely standalone story: the art style is charming and the development of the relationship between the characters was both sweet and sincere.
Do you enjoy reading about a good mutual pining between two friends? If you do, Deko-boko Sugar Days would be the perfect light read for you!
Yuujirou Matsukaze has been close friends with Rui Hanamine since the two of them were little. He's s been Rui's protector since the beginning. How will he deal with his growing feelings for Rui who is now much taller for him to protect?
I love that the couple settled their issues through honesty and vulnerability. Their friends were also very supportive, pushing them towards each other. Communication is the key, always!
Another thing I love the most about this book is its lack of the traditional yaoi's dub-con elements. It also promoted proper preparation and safe sex, unlike some yaoi manga I've read years ago. They didn't just shove the D up the A.
Another volume of this manga would be lovely, but this is perfect on its own. Definitely worth reading!