Details
Title:
On Doorstep
オンドアステップ (On Doorstep)
Author: CTK (Chong Tak)
Artist: CTK (Chong Tak)
Volumes: 1
Publishers:
Waneko (Polish, 2018)
Libre (Japanese, 2016)
Pickpocket Brat Stealing Old Man’s Heart
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Striking iron while it’s hot, let’s talk about On Doorstep, another one-volume BL manga from CTK. Polish fans (and French!) have been lucky to get this one translated. As soon as I finished reading Midnight Rain, I screamed to myself: “HURRY, WHERE IS THE OTHER ONE ON MY SHELF FROM THIS AUTHOR” as I knew I’d already bought both and couldn’t wait to read another one.
Jimmy is a professional pickpocket in his twenties, who steals from people on busy subways. One day, he is caught red-handed by a middle-aged man named Reese. Even though said man let him go without consequences, Jimmy, in his annoyance, decided to follow him home and break in, only to discover he is an ex-cop. Another person would just bolt and never look back, but not Jimmy. Pulled by his curiosity and worry about his break-in stunt being discovered, he decided to get closer to the older man. However, their delicate friendship is soon to be put to the test as Reese becomes aware of the home trespassing.
One of the key aspects of this BL is a significant age gap between the characters, which will be a hit or miss for readers. There are about 20 or so years of difference between the main cast. For me, it was intriguing to see how it would contribute to their relationship and drama. Reese struggles with a complex PTSD from his police partner being brutally killed; it is one hell of baggage for one character. How the heck is this young dude supposed to fit into it?
The culminating point of the story is the moment when a home invasion comes to light. Not gonna lie, as I read I kept thinking that I wouldn’t forgive such a huge trespassing in both physical and trust sense. I must admit, when I saw Jimmy cry ugly tears from being overwhelmed sometime after the confrontation, I was like “Serves you right! You literally made your bed”. I wish we could have been given more time to stew in this drama a little longer. It doesn’t necessarily feel that things were forgiven too quickly or immaturely. Despite the story being only a few chapters long, it resolved in the most natural way it could, given the length constraint and the characters’ personalities.
Whenever a BL manga is released in a large format in the West, my heart leaps with joy. So many titles deserve to be presented on a bigger paper canvas! On Doorstep has been published in Polish by Waneko in a large manga format. While most BL titles are getting a pocketbook treatment, it’s nice to see some publishers shifting to larger sizes for their releases. The paper is white and crispy, with no complaints whatsoever in that regard. As the book has a proper dust jacket, the cover art can be unveiled to be shown in its full glory!
However, I am so disappointed in the lettering work in this release as it’s unfortunately not up to standards for me. I dislike the font choices and inconsistent sizes, and I find the typography highly distracting. It’s not the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely not good either. It reminded me how much I loved lettering manga myself and how crucial it is to the best presentation of a comic. On Doorstep is unfortunately out of print in Polish and impossible to buy for a reasonable price. Even though I already own my copy, I still hope for an English release so that my friends can get it!
If you’re a fan of CTK already or even just think the cover art is pretty, I wholeheartedly recommend On Doorstep. Fans of old man yaoi and more serious topics will not be disappointed and others may actually get converted to the cause. I am looking forward to reading the author’s webtoons as well and hoping that we get more of her works released physically!
