Nijou, the class president, is a people pleaser. He can't help but be helpful to others, even if it brings him strain. He volunteers to go check on a missing classmate and convinces him to come back to school and tutor him to catch up in his classes. Nijou ends up falling in love with him. It was a cute story. There was a random chapter about some other boys taking music finals which was kind of confusing.

Nijou is a Type A guy. He’s smart, popular, and athletic. As with a lot of Type A people, though, Nijou is a people-pleaser. He can’t say no in any context, especially when saying yes provides him with the kind of social capital he craves.

Toomi is the stereotypical boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s been missing a lot of school. His father has left him completely alone in the world, ostensibly due to some heavy gambling debts he’d rather avoid paying. To make ends meet, Toomi engages in survival sex work via his computer. He conceals his identity by presenting as female to paying clients.

A teacher concerned about Toomi’s welfare asks Nijou to check in on Toomi. Nijou does so because as we already know, he is incapable of saying no. We find out, however, that Nijou needs Toomi as much as Toomi needs him.

I won’t spoil the ending, but BL manga fans are sure to love Glass Syndrome. Even though the narrative was a bit muddled at times, overall it was an enjoyable read, and one I would recommend to my customers.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange of a honest review.

First of all, we have 2 stories in this book.

The first and the longer one it’s about Nijou and Toomi. Nijou is famous for his good grades and for being friendly with everyone. On the other hand, Toomi it’s the completely opposite. One day, Nijou it’s designated by his teacher to check out why Toomi isn’t coming to class anymore. Then he discovers Toomi’s cross dressing secret and that’s when their story begins. It’s a cute slow-burn with a great storyline and I really liked it.

The second story it’s about Kasumi who is secretly in love with his best friend, who it’s also his roommate. He’s having piano extra classes with Saiki, an upperclassman, who tells that he’s in love with him but don’t mind that Kasumi loves someone else. This is a much shorter story but I also really enjoyed it.

Overall, it’s a great manga. The art is beautiful and I would super recommend it if you want to read some fluffy stuff.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tokyopop, and Eiko Ariki for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

There are two stories in this manga, though the main story, Glass Syndrome, is the main larger work. Nijou is a popular student who tends to go out of his way to please others, rather than doing something for his own love of it. When asked to go to a classmate's house, someone who hasn't been to school in a while, Nijou finds he remembers a little bit about Toomi from their middle school days. What he doesn't expect is the life Toomi leads and the attracting he begins to feel.

Toomi dresses as a girl and posts videos and chats with men online for money, as his dad has a huge debt and disappeared without a trace. Now Toomi must do what he can to make ends meet. Toomi helps Nijou find a meaning to life that puts his own feelings before others.

The second story is much shorter and features a character who lives with a roommate he is in love with, but his roommate ends up getting a girlfriend. The unrequited love has an upper-class student aiming for a chance.

Both of these stories are well-written and well-drawn. They take a different look at boy love, focusing on the tougher aspects of a relationship's origin and the complications people tend to come with in their package deal. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories and would recommend this manga for a BL fan looking for something slightly more serious, as well as someone looking for a slice-of-life piece.

Thanks to NetGalley, ToykoPop and LOVExLOVE for the PDF form of this manga to read in exchange for a honest review.

A people pleaser that wears a mask. A man that fears abandonment. These two are the main characters within Glass Syndrome. Nijou is a highschooler that fears letting people down and is constantly stressed of not being what everyone wants. This means he’s the Class President, he’s constantly being pulled to help out in events, and within the first few pages, he’s asked by the teacher to go check on a wayward student -- Toomi.

Recently abandoned by his own father, Toomi is trying to find his way once more. Weirdly enough, this path means not going back to school?

Joking aside, no. Toomi is depressed and trying to figure out things after his father skips town to hide away from debt collectors. Granted, it would’ve been nice for Toomi’s father to, I don’t know, leave a letter? Give a return date? Anything more than just up and leave.

Toomi is lonely and is afraid to reattach himself to anyone in fear of abandonment. This fear is very overwhelming for him and is the main focus of the manga for both Toomi and Nijou.

The story obviously starts when Nijou goes to Toomi’s apartment.

Toomi is very blunt about Nijou. He calls out his people pleasing tendencies and how it makes him look like he’s about to cry at times. Nijou is obviously touch-starved as he reacts whenever someone touches him early on in the manga. While there, Toomi lets Nijou borrow his coat and when Nijou gets home, he finds an URL, where he finds out how Toomi’s been supporting himself since his father left.

I can’t really say anymore without giving away major plot lines as this is a very short manga. Actually, this manga has 4 stories in the one volume. 2 stories follow Nijou and Toomi, and the other 2 shorter ones follow two other high schoolers and it weaves a tale of unrequited love.

I’ll leave the other 2 stories a complete surprise as they were for me. I will admit that compared to Toomi’s and Nijou’s, the second story was very lackluster for me. But it was nice to get an additional story along with Toomi’s and Nijou’s.

Overall, I give this manga a 3 out 5. It was a good read but it was nothing grand for me. Toomi’s and Nijou’s relationship moved very, very quickly and I wish it was a bit more slow burn. What really knocked the rating down was the two additional short stories about unrequited love. The last one specifically was very unnecessary in my opinion.

The publish date is Aug 10, 2021! Be sure to pre-order it or go grab it then if you want to give this manga a read!

This volume is actually a combination of two different stories; Glass Syndrome and Similar Figures of Love. The first is the titular story about a people pleasing class president who discovers that an absentee classmate is spending his nights as a cam “girl.” The second is about a music student who confesses his unrequited love for his best friend to his piano tutor. Both stories deal with themes of loneliness, abandonment, and issues regarding self-worth.
Personally, I love dramatic, sad stories when it comes to shounen-ai, so this was right up my alley. Both stories start off a bit depressing, but do eventually work their way to that happily ever after (I think?). Out of the two, I did prefer Glass Syndrome. It felt more complete as a narrative, while Similar Figures of Love left me with a lot of questions as to the status of Kasumi’s relationship. Like, are they together? Is he happy? Plus, I have a soft spot for bossy "I'm not actually in love, am I?" characters and that is completely what Glass Syndrome’s Toomi is.
As a complete volume, I would still recommend this because the narrative setups were interesting and the art was lovely. It reminded me a lot of the softer aesthetic of early 2000s BL manga, which is a style I sometimes miss.

Nijou and Toomi are two broken souls. They both ache for something… And they find that “something” in each other.
Nijou is popular. He is also a people pleaser, something he abhors about himself. Toomi has been abandoned by his father. He is forced to do shady things to survive.
This is a cute yet bittersweet story. I like how Nijou and Toomi are complete opposites, yet they have quite a lot in common.
The second story in the manga did not pack much of a punch as the first.
Kasumi has been in love with his best friend since high school. However, that best friend has a girlfriend. Kasumi used to think he would be all right with his unrequited love. He finds comfort and love with an upperclassman.

I like how both stories have a beginning-esh and sequel in the same manga – basically showing how both couples progressed further in the future.
Both stories are tame boys love stories.

This is a sweet and needy bl romance. It was exactly what you would expect picking up a bl like this, but it was an enjoyable read. And though this one is a little spicy, it isn't explicit. So it's a good choice for readers who prefer a more tame romance story.

The story was cute, a romance between the top student, golden boy type and a boy who's inherited his fathers debts and works as a cam girl to make money. Its a right person, right time story. It was a quick read, but the beginning was all over the place and hard to follow, especially with the way the eARC had pages split in half, and the characters lacked depth that would have made the story spectacular.

Thank you NetGalley and TOKYOPOP for the ARC.

Nijou and Toomi are polar opposites.

One is an athlete, class president, and the popular boy everyone wants something from. The other sticks to himself, is quiet, and slowly starts to fade into the background. Both are broken in their own ways and start to hope for more after first meeting.

Although I do feel as if the story itself lacked some depth, it did what it set out to do in making you want both of these characters to be happy together. This was a very quick read and the art style made everything flow well together.

There is a second short story following two different characters that felt a little more surface level than Glass Syndrome. Boy pines after boy that is in love with his best friend.

The added bonus chapters at the end were a great addition as it showed you a glimpse into what their futures looked like.

Overall both were enjoyable reads and I would definitely look into more from this artist.

Thank you to NetGalley and TOKYOPOP for a copy of this eARC.

This was a quick read, lovely stories, that I ft were mainly about how sometimes the right person come along at the most perfect tone and they make the dread/lonliness/sadness we have feel as though it might not be so bad.

Glass Syndrome is a intriguing stand alone focusing on Nijou, the perfect student that can't say no, and Toomi, a young boy abandoned by his father with lots of debts that is forced to work in an adult cam site as a girl named "Haruka".

The story is short but well written and it's easy to understand the main characters and feel their pain and love.
Their relationship is not really dived into too much, but there are some breakthrough moments that are enjoyable to read (particularly at the beginning and at the end).
It also deals with fear of abandonment and of letting people down, which are two themes that many can identify with and go through their life.
Generally I would recommend the story, above all because it's completed in one volume and there are no unnecessary part.
For the additional story, I wasn't a big fan of it, I would have preferred something more about Nijou and Toomi, the two main characters.

This manga was quick to get through, although a bit hard to follow. The beginning is a bit random, and it took me a lot of concentration to understand the setup and what was happening. The writing was great, however the characters could've used more setup and development. I felt like while I understood them as characters, I didn't truly understand the intricacies of their motivations, which is something I prioritize in y reading. Overall, I thought this was a very average manga; the premise was interesting however it was lacking in plot and character setup.

Glass Syndrome is a collection of two stories, both focused on love blooming between boys at school. The eponymous Glass Syndrome follows Toomi and Nijou. When Toomi does not show up at school, Nijou is tasked with checking in on him and finds himself drawn to their other boy and their similarities despite their different standings at school. This story deals with issues of parental abandonment and coming to terms with one's sexuality. The other story, Similar Figures of Love follows a young pianist dealing with his unrequited love for his childhood friend. Throughout the ordeal, he has a mentor who he turns to and eventually falls for. Both stories are fairly average BL stories with common tropes of the genre. Neither romance thoroughly tugged at my heartstrings, but the volume makes for a quick, decent read.

Glass Syndrome was a really sweet, slow-burn MM manga. I enjoyed the interactions between Nijou and Toomi and I thought the development of their relationship moved along at a good and believable pace. The illustration style was also appealing, each panel clear and well thought-out. The additional little bonus stories at the end were also fun. Recommended if you like the sweeter end of the BL manga spectrum. It gets 4.5 stars from me.

Glass Syndrome is actually a collection of two short mangas and their sequels/epilogues: the titular story being about Nijou, a chronic people pleaser (to the point where it’s at his own detriment) and Toomi, the delinquent he’s sent to check up on when Toomi doesn’t show up at school.

The other story ‘Similar Figures of Love’ is about Kasumi, a young musician in love with his friend Chihiro, who doesn’t return his affections. Instead, Kasumi finds understanding and affection in the arms of his upperclassman, Saiki.

The first story is definitely worth being the titular one. It addresses much more complex themes and goes into the flaws of both Nijou and Toomi. Both are imperfect and aching for love and protection. Seeing them finally come together and support one another made my heart so very happy.

Similar Figures of Love was less gripping and fairly standard for a Yaoi plot. It wasn’t a bad plot, just quite light and plain, especially when compared to Glass Syndrome. Though perhaps that’s why this gentler story was paired with a heavy themed one.

Finally, the art is very well done, but the settings are general school settings and nothing really makes the story stand out. Still, because of how they tackled the heavier themes in the first story, I would definitely check out more from this artist.

Content warnings for off page sexual content, stalking, and suicidal thoughts.

*Thank you TOKYOPOP (LOVE x LOVE) and NetGalley for the ARC*

The artwork was great but the story was actually hardto follow. It has lost something in translation.

Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

I love, love, love the characters!

Both are broken in ways no one can help if not the other one for the other one.

Toomi's been abandoned by his father. Nijou has been selected as a class president and he's been told to check up on Toomi.

And then things turn out better for both. There's a story that's been waiting for them to meet. Imperfect ones perfect for each other.

I love their chemistry. I ship them so much.

Some parts might make some readers feel u comfortable.

However, I would still recommend this manga for the shounen ai lovers.

Review to come July 28th on blog/goodreads.

I received this manga from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I got this manga the night before (writing this one 8/7) and when I woke up this was the first thing I read while waiting for my breakfast. I just started and I just couldn't stop. It was too good. Too beautifully written.

We have two guys. Nijou who is the perfect guy. Class president, loved by girls and boys, good at sports... but we soon see that he doesn't want all this. But he cannot be honest and so we see he crops it up. That is until he meets Toomi. A guy who has a harsh life and sells himself as a girl on the net to get money. As you see, two guys, two very broken and lonely guys (though I guess for Nijou he doesn't mind being that lonely?? Though on the other hand I could see he was looking for something/someone). They connect. And I could definitely see the connection between them. And could see it grow as these two study together (Toomi barely comes to school so um, he is not too good at things), meet up, and more. I loved that these two had found each other and connected. Sure, at times Toomi makes some toxic comments, but I could see that they were done out of hurt, out of fear that Nijou would also abandon him. I could understand that. 

As I said, Toomi sells himself as a girl on the net... and Nijou finds out. I have to say that at times I was confused at these parts given that after a while Toomi starts appearing instead of his girl persona. So I flipped back to make sure that this was just all in Nijou's head. His fantasy. 

The ending and the sequel to this story made me smile. I am so happy for both of them! I would like to go deeper, but also not spoil things, so here we are. 

The side story, well, it was good, but I was still so much with my head in the main story that I found that I couldn't fully invest/enjoy this story. But in the end I can say it was pretty cute and the couple is nice. 

I would have liked to see the side story AFTER the sequel to the main story. Now it was quite confusing as we went from one couple to another and then got the sequel for the first story. In case it isn't clear, it was MAIN story, SIDE story, sequel to MAIN story, sequel to SIDE story. Very confusing. 

But all in all, this was a good volume and I flew through. The main story was definitely my favourite, but I also had fun reading the side story. The art was really good. I would definitely recommend this one.

Hmm, this feels very Okay. I found this to be a quick read and the premise was interesting, but the characters almost didn’t feel fully fleshed out where I rooted for Toomi and Nijou to get together. The other story also felt like it was missing something, some kind of depth. This was a nicely quick BL manga, but if you’re looking for something heavy on the romance I think this may disappoint on that front.