The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait was incredibly generic for something that has a clear timestamp on it: 1920s Tokyo and university life, the "renaissance man" of the protagonist, the supernatural mansion - all of this is a window dressing, and never comes into play. They could have lifted the whole story wholesale and put it into any era with minimal changes in dialogue and none in events: because it's a rich man gives shelter to a young man, turns out they are connected via the young man's older generation because the guy is a moping reclusive immortal. And it plays into nothing! There is no tension, no question marks, no interesting twist in the bond between the immortal fox and the protagonist's grandfather, there is very lukewarm attempt to create a conflict and sizzles out without much remark... If I hadn't known for a fact that Nmura has written wildly different and funnier stories, I would have shrugged and moved on, but as is I am amazed this came from the same pen as brought to life the hilarious shenanigans between gamers (Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss)

I had previously read the mangaka’s other work and enjoyed it, so was excited to read this one. Right away I was drawn in by the cover, which is beautiful. I love the art style and I especially love the 1920’s elements and fashion that are included.

The pacing of the story was a very quick and sometimes seems a bit disjointed. I would have loved to see more about how their relationship and feelings developed. Overall, I did enjoy the story and would read other work by them.

This was good but it's not my favorite manga!
This book doesn't have much of a plot other than the two main characters living together and how that develops a relationship between them.
Personally, I found the age difference a little awkward, since Ozaki is thousands of years old while Tokyo is just starting college. While at the same time Tokyo "owes" Ozaki for giving him a place to live.
Just not for me, but no doubt many people will enjoy it! It's also very quick to read, so I recommend you give it a try.
3.5 stars rounded to 3.

*Thanks to NetGalley uk, the publishers and the author for the ARC*

Sadly, despite being a manga, the story was all tell and no show. I’m told they love each other, not shown how their relationship develops. I think it was supposed to be vignettes, but each scene just felt abrupt, disjointed, and clunky, unconnected to the last one. The art itself was pretty, and I love the fashion/setting of 1920’s Japan, but the story itself needed more substance to hook me.

This was cute, if not the best thing I've read. However, it was quick and easy, I enjoyed the art style, and thought the story made sense. Would have liked to have seen a little more character development, but for as short as it was it worked out.

I believe I read this manga in 10 minutes. It was very short, and because of that it lacked any real sense of plot or character development. The story is about a boy going to university who crosses paths with a kitsune, and the kitsune sees the boy's resemblance to his grandfather and so takes a shine to him. The fox invites the boy to live with him for free so he doesn't have to find a place to rent while he's at school, and with no further development, they're instantly in love. The boy is insecure that the fox only sees his grandfather when he looks at him, but the kitsune assures him that is not the case, that he loves him for him. Except they don't have any real conversations or anything due to the brevity of the book, so you don't really know how or why they are in love. I enjoyed the art and I liked the premise of the story, but it's just to short to be effective at what it's trying to do.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc of The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait by Nmura.

The story is set in 1920s Tokyo, where the MMC is planning to start university. In the exchange for some household chores, a stranger offers him room and board. Turns out not only is the stranger a fox spirit, he'd also known the mans grandfather.
While the story's premise is very interesting and I did enjoy the main characters, the pacing had some issues for me. The relationship just suddenly was there without much tension or build up to it.

Another one shot BL that suffers a bit from pacing, but does make up for it a bit with the characters. Set in the 1920s, the main character is coming to Tokyo for the first time for university and runs into a mysterious man who offers him free room and board. There's more to this man that it seems, as it turns out he's a fox spirit who knew the main character's grandfather. The relationship aspects are a little garbled, not given enough time to fully develop and mixed up in misunderstandings over the fox spirit's relationship with the grandfather. I did like the setting and the ending was fairly solid, but it is always a balancing act with one shots and I didn't feel like this one did enough to make a coherent plot.

This was an enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author and artist for the ARC I read.

This is a complete story in one manga (which is so nice when so many series are many volumes and sometimes patience while waiting for the next volume is hard). The art style is really gorgeous and the story is a cute little love story. I think it was light and cute but probably not a favorite read since it wasn’t anything new, but I think it’s worth reading since it’s only one volume and it’s really pretty and well done.

Very quick storytelling. The author mentions in the afterword that this is their first story, and the pacing sort of reveals that. While there is some great potential for depth and development, we breeze through it at such a quick clip that none of it gets to sit with us very long. Would love to see a slower paced story from this author though!

The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait is a wholesome romance between a nine-tailed fox and a newly enrolled university student. I enjoyed seeing them interact, but I thought the author could have spent more time developing the emotional bond they share.

SO cute. This had such a calm progression. The art style is incredible and the gentleness of the story fit the art style. We got a lot of information in a short time but it blended well. If you’re looking for a sweet read this is for you!

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait,
by Nmura

★★★★☆


The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait is a lovely historical story about a young man starting a new school. Kiyo gets lost on his first day and comes across an old building he believes to be a museum, until the owner, Ozaki, appears and informs him that it's his home. With nowhere to lodge during the school year, Kiyo introduces himself and, after hearing his name, Ozaki invites Kiyo to stay with him.
Throughout the story, we learn that Ozaki is a fox spirit and once knew Kiyo's grandfather, Seishirou.

Together, they navigate long forgotten memories, a new future, and modern day difficulties as they learn to live together and get to know one another.

The story was interesting and sweet, quite innocent in a way. It explored unrequited love, past grief, hurt/comfort, and new first love. I ended the story feeling like I wanted more – though I couldn't say what that would look like – but it was a good, solid story.

Kiyo travels to Tokyo to attend university. He gets lost and ends up in front of a large home. Ozaki is a fox-spirit, who keeps to himself. He notices a stranger loitering close to his home and confronts him. When Ozaki hears the boy’s surname, he offers Kiyo a place to stay. What secrets is Ozaki keeping from Kiyo? Can Kiyo befriend his eccentric landlord?
THE YEARNING FOX LIES IN WAIT is a one-shot manga. I really like how the story takes place in the 1920’s. It is an era that is rarely used.
I feel the manga had potential to be longer. The author could have explored Ozaki and his backstory with Seishiro in this volume. Then, in another have Kiyo and his resolution, etc.
Overall, TYFLIW is a sweet, wholesome story. The ending got a little heated but nothing too naughty. Readers who like the spicery and erotic interactions would be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait follows Kiyo as he is about to attend university. On his first day, he gets lost and runs into Ozaki who gives him an offer he can't refuse. I thought this was a solid one-shot but it needed more time to develop the characters. Ozaki was very one dimensional and his love for Kiyo's grandfather did not make him more interesting. The love he has for Kiyo is not entirely believable as he is still grieving his love for Kiyo's grandfather. In the end, I didn't feel the couple needed to be together.

A very cute story, I've always been in love with fox demons. And he's incredibly cool.
the story is very fast, being a single volume and some of the growth of the characters is lost. The drawings are very beautiful and unfortunately i have to say that the story is very predictable.

It was cute for a standalone. Could've used a bit more background on the history with the grandfather.

It’s been a while since I’ve read any manga, and I’m really glad that I gave a shot to this BL as my first NetGalley review. It was so lovely and sweet and heartwarming. I can’t honestly figure out if the beginning felt a bit slow or too fast (but it’s possible that it’s a ‘me’ problem—it’s been so long that maybe I need time to adjust myself again), but I definitely was invested in Kiyo and Ozaki’s development, they made me squeal and giggle with joy a lot! And even though you don’t see much of it, I love the setting choice and the simplicity of the characters themselves, it all felt like breath of fresh air.

The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait by Nmura is a very cute, sweet and short BL manga that I would recommend to anyone looking for a cozy, close door romance.

There is not a lot of depth or plot, just mostly vibes but the interactions between the two main characters along with the visuals carry the manga to a lovely finish.

I did receive a copy in return for an honest review from Netgalley.

3 star

Cute, easy read, and lovely art! If you want a manga that brings you into the historical bl genre, then this one is for you!