Details
Title:
Nie chciałem się zakochać...
I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love
恋をするつもりはなかった
Author: Minta Suzumaru
Artist: Minta Suzumaru
Volumes: 1
Publishers:
Dango (Polish, 2023)
Seven Seas (English, 2023)
Homesha (Japanese, 2018)
Emotional Tug-of-War
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
It is quite rare to see BL manga with a very realistic depiction of LGBT dating and hookup culture. Extravagant stories featuring yakuza, policemen, and teenagers with romance larger than life, in which characters meet in extraordinary circumstances or through fate. Boys Love, like many other romance-centric media, offers an escapism opportunity where love happens instantaneously.
Naturally, life isn’t that straightforward. It rarely ever happens, if at all, that love or friendship comes to you. As someone who struggles with socialising and befriending people, I know too well that if you don’t put yourself out there, go outside and talk with others, your stagnant situation will not change. This situation may be especially tricky for LGBT folks who, if they are looking for a sexual or romantic connection, may struggle to meet others like them easily. By no means am I an expert on dating practices, but I thought the next manga from Minta Suzumaru, “I didn’t mean to fall in love,” did a good job showing a realistic attempt to date as an adult.
Never having dated other people, Yoshino is a thirty-year-old corporate rat with little to no sex life. In an attempt to change this, he decides to visit a gay bar to try his luck at hooking up with someone. There is a special room in the bar where you can go purely to find an interested party, making it an easier feat.
Can I go there right away?
Before Yoshino sets foot inside, he catches the attention of a young university student named Rou. Their one-night stand will be the beginning of a complicated push-and-pull dance of uncertainty and second-guessing.
As usual, Minta Suzumaru doesn’t disappoint from an artistic point of view: you can expect a BL feast for your eyes. If you read any of her manga before, you know what to expect. From a lighthearted standpoint, there were a few comedic scenes that made me cackle, and I enjoyed the depiction of Yoshino discovering his sexuality through BL media, which had become normalised enough to be shown in theatres. That was very sweet, and I bet many queer guys had some double-thoughts when peeking at BL media from afar!
Did you confess your love to me yesterday?
Indeed.
INDEED.
From a dramatic perspective, the depicted emotional tug of war was a little too much, so it felt great when the main instigator got a taste of his own medicine. Some people love the feeling of being chased romantically or emotionally, and to achieve this, they lie, obfuscate and manipulate the situation in favour of this immature craving. I am curious how the sequel to this manga develops the characters and plot, and whether it introduces more unnecessary drama.
I have read this title with a Polish release from Dango, which I always enjoy for its quality in my pocket-sized manga. The cover art is quite pretty when unfolded. However, I must admit that the fact that many English releases, especially those from Yen Press or Seven Seas, as in this case, opt for the larger size format makes me despair a little. Now I want to own both versions! Both have their little nitpicks! A large size or a better paper? Please let us have both! Those who only have an English language to choose from will definitely be happy to see Suzumaru-san’s art on a big canvas, nonetheless.
I recommend this title to anyone who finds the art style intriguing, whether you’re already a fan of Minta Suzumura or on your way to becoming one. If you enjoy adult queer stories with a lot of dramatic flair, this should be right up your alley. Looking forward to reading the sequel, subtitled -double- if it gets licensed in Polish. It better be, or Seven Seas here I come!
