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Anyhow, the Rabbit Is Infatuated with the Puppy
Usagi Akira is a twenty-five-year-old office worker. He's a total introvert who lives for two shojo manga, and the spare moments when he can log into his favorite MMO, Tail Earth. There, his avatar is a beautiful bunny girl, and he's able to go on adventures with the charming wolf-boy Gakuto. When Gakuto askes if Akira wants to meet up IRL, Akira agrees. Sparks fly despite both of them being guys and Gakuto and Akira decide to date. Neither has much experience when it comes to romance, but these two are eager to figure it out together!
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2023
3 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
December 2, 2023
So I think my brain completely blacked out the fact that the love interest is still in high school... don't really understand the choice, but anyway. The art style is nice, but the plot was also wishy washy.
January 13, 2024
Lots of missed potential. Loved the premise and the game scenes but the age gap was kinda weird and that's coming from a fan of age gap. The art was wonderful though! Good spicy scenes. And some aspects were still super cute.
no-thank-you
November 24, 2023age gaps I hate: 25 y old w/high schooler
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2024
I think I'm too old for these kinds of age gaps (minor + adult) being framed as Cute and Just Fine and Not Concerning (though "pedo" still gets thrown out there)... I almost noped out a few times, but I'm committed to reading through the books I have! It was cute enough, though several things made me 😰 (day one hanky panky IN PUBLIC... Uncle walking in... Office women squealing over "real life BL" in all seriousness...) The scream-laughing-while-crying emoji would also be a good representation of me as I read, because I am a silly person and this wasn't meant to be that deep.
All in all, maybe a fun read for people who like Mature-rated BL (but with some tiddies thrown in too! Nice!!) and FFXIV, and are okay with minor + adult age gaps (framed as Cute and Just Fine).
All in all, maybe a fun read for people who like Mature-rated BL (but with some tiddies thrown in too! Nice!!) and FFXIV, and are okay with minor + adult age gaps (framed as Cute and Just Fine).
January 1, 2024
2.75/5stars
this one has some VERY QUESTIONABLE ASPECTS TO IT (to the point where the author calls out their own characters!! like if you knew it was weird, don't write it!?) which sucks cause this story was SO cute and fun and the spice was TOP NOTCH.
this one has some VERY QUESTIONABLE ASPECTS TO IT (to the point where the author calls out their own characters!! like if you knew it was weird, don't write it!?) which sucks cause this story was SO cute and fun and the spice was TOP NOTCH.
June 7, 2024
The concept and the characters were cute, especially Usagi who has a relatable personality to me! Just felt like it was rushed and left me a little disappointed, but overall it was a good story.
June 23, 2024
Usagi is a 25-year-old office worker who finds interacting with people in real life to be troublesome and awkward, although he's good-looking enough that his coldness doesn't stop his female coworkers from inviting him to department get-togethers. All Usagi wants to do, however, is read shojo manga and play his favorite MMO, Tail Earth. His in-game avatar is a beautiful bunny girl named Usaco. He's particularly close to another player, Gakuto, who helped him out when he was new. Even though Gakuto knows he's a guy in real-life, he regularly compliments and flirts with Usaco - Usagi, meanwhile, happily feels like he's getting to roleplay his own cute shojo romance story.
Then Gakuto proposes that they go to the Tail Earth fan convention together. Although this risks the possibility that Gakuto won't measure up to Usagi's shojo fantasies, he ends up agreeing to go, and the two of them hit it off really well in real life. They decide to go to an internet cafe and play Tail Earth together...and things suddenly get much steamier than Usagi expected. Not only does this not fit his shojo romance expectations, but there's the issue that Gakuto is a high schooler.
No spoilers, but there are other awkward revelations in this, and one moment in particular made both me and Usagi feel like our souls had left our bodies. My horror, it was immense.
This is a BL manga with on-page sex between a 25-year-old and a high schooler. The high schooler is the more sexually aggressive one through most of the volume, but still. The volume's problematic aspects are acknowledged by several characters (Usagi and one other character, who calls Usagi a "pedo" but whose actions indicate he doesn't really have a problem with their relationship), but acknowledgment is about as far as things go. It doesn't stop Usagi from allowing Gakuto to take things further between them, and no one else seems to have much of a problem with their relationship. Granted, some of the characters seem to view it like getting to watch their favorite BL romance play out live - more a story for them to enjoy than reality.
It's a shame, because I thought Usagi and Gakuto were a cute couple whenever I was briefly able to forget the age difference. Gakuto came on way stronger than I generally like (especially during that internet cafe scene - they'd met IRL for the first time that day, and they were basically in public), but he did attempt (unsuccessfully) to tone it down later. I thought there might end up being some gender-related complications as well, considering that Gakuto initially fell for Usaco, Usagi's female avatar, but that wasn't the case. Overall, I also really liked the artwork.
But...yeah. I don't know. And the way BL manga ended up functioning as a sex/relationship "how to" was also kind of concerning (although I guess it depends which ones? but still...).
Extras:
One full-color illustration, a note from the author, and a 4-page bonus chapter.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Then Gakuto proposes that they go to the Tail Earth fan convention together. Although this risks the possibility that Gakuto won't measure up to Usagi's shojo fantasies, he ends up agreeing to go, and the two of them hit it off really well in real life. They decide to go to an internet cafe and play Tail Earth together...and things suddenly get much steamier than Usagi expected. Not only does this not fit his shojo romance expectations, but there's the issue that Gakuto is a high schooler.
No spoilers, but there are other awkward revelations in this, and one moment in particular made both me and Usagi feel like our souls had left our bodies. My horror, it was immense.
This is a BL manga with on-page sex between a 25-year-old and a high schooler. The high schooler is the more sexually aggressive one through most of the volume, but still. The volume's problematic aspects are acknowledged by several characters (Usagi and one other character, who calls Usagi a "pedo" but whose actions indicate he doesn't really have a problem with their relationship), but acknowledgment is about as far as things go. It doesn't stop Usagi from allowing Gakuto to take things further between them, and no one else seems to have much of a problem with their relationship. Granted, some of the characters seem to view it like getting to watch their favorite BL romance play out live - more a story for them to enjoy than reality.
It's a shame, because I thought Usagi and Gakuto were a cute couple whenever I was briefly able to forget the age difference. Gakuto came on way stronger than I generally like (especially during that internet cafe scene - they'd met IRL for the first time that day, and they were basically in public), but he did attempt (unsuccessfully) to tone it down later. I thought there might end up being some gender-related complications as well, considering that Gakuto initially fell for Usaco, Usagi's female avatar, but that wasn't the case. Overall, I also really liked the artwork.
But...yeah. I don't know. And the way BL manga ended up functioning as a sex/relationship "how to" was also kind of concerning (although I guess it depends which ones? but still...).
Extras:
One full-color illustration, a note from the author, and a 4-page bonus chapter.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
September 25, 2024
Two things I really need manga, especially BLs to stop:
1). Having a high schooler in a relationship with a twenty-something. It’s a nope for me
2). For the r*pe word to be dropped so casually, even when joking. Another firm no.
1). Having a high schooler in a relationship with a twenty-something. It’s a nope for me
2). For the r*pe word to be dropped so casually, even when joking. Another firm no.
June 9, 2024
Bit too questionable for my tastes
December 4, 2023
As cute as this was, it also made me a bit uncomfortable. The connection between the two leads felt genuine and sweet, but the fact that Gakuto was still in high school stood out to me more than it has in other age-gap stories I've read. I think it would have helped if he had been a more layered character, because then he would have felt like a person, not just a trope.
December 3, 2023
I have not read many age gap BL mangas, so this was a nice surprise. Finding out the love interest is still in high school was a little shocking TBH. Especially when the MC is an adult. But overall the story was really sweet, endearing, and smutty!!! I’m just living with the belief that the love interest is 18.
The whole story is based around a fighting MMO where some of the players are animal/human hybrids. You can play as male or female and our MC, Usaco, plays as a female rabbit and his other half (that he’s never met), Gakuto, plays as a male puppy. They are online friends and when Gakuto wins tickets to a convention, he invites Usaco.
By chance, Gakuto’s uncle just happens to be Usaco’s boss at work. Once they start actually dating IRL, it adds another layer of awkward to the interactions. He even calls him a pedo at one point. His age isn’t stated until almost the end of the book, but when some of the girls who work with him call him middle aged, it threw me. I got a bit of ick. But we find out he’s 25… which made me feel attacked instead.🤣
This was cute overall. I loved the rollercoaster my emotions went through. I need more like it!
The whole story is based around a fighting MMO where some of the players are animal/human hybrids. You can play as male or female and our MC, Usaco, plays as a female rabbit and his other half (that he’s never met), Gakuto, plays as a male puppy. They are online friends and when Gakuto wins tickets to a convention, he invites Usaco.
By chance, Gakuto’s uncle just happens to be Usaco’s boss at work. Once they start actually dating IRL, it adds another layer of awkward to the interactions. He even calls him a pedo at one point. His age isn’t stated until almost the end of the book, but when some of the girls who work with him call him middle aged, it threw me. I got a bit of ick. But we find out he’s 25… which made me feel attacked instead.🤣
This was cute overall. I loved the rollercoaster my emotions went through. I need more like it!
December 23, 2023
Unnecessary and frankly uncomfortable age-gap 😅
The relationship development was rushed. It was more of a lust situation than love. The art of cute, but there isn’t much else that would have me recommending it anyone 🤷🏻♀️
The relationship development was rushed. It was more of a lust situation than love. The art of cute, but there isn’t much else that would have me recommending it anyone 🤷🏻♀️
December 5, 2023
Just smut no plot
December 12, 2023
Usagi, an introverted, somewhat grumpy office worker spends his free time reading shojo manga and playing his favorite MMO game, Tail Earth. Using a female avatar in-game, he falls for his fellow player Gakuto. Gakuto isn't put off when he finds out that Usagi is a man, and romance progresses from there.
Many other reviewers have already touched on the age gap between Usagi and Gakuto. Usagi is in his mid-twenties while Gakuto is still in high school. If you're not a fan of a gap like that, this story isn't for you. I enjoy an age gap in fiction so that didn't bother me. What I found more troublesome was the behavior of Usagi's boss/Gakuto's uncle. Any concern he has about his nephew dating an older man is played off as a joke at Usagi's expense. Then at a work get-together, the boss casually outs Usagi as gay to his female co-workers. This is all played for laughs with no consequences.
The female co-workers turn out to all be BL fangirls and proceed to treat Usagi like he's a character in their stories. They ask intrusive questions like whether he's a "top" or "bottom". BL fangirls get a bad wrap as it is and portrayals like this don't help. Obviously, I'm a white woman who has never been to Japan, but I don't think that actual BL fangirls there act like this. It's all played off as a gag here, but it rubbed me the wrong way.
These troubling elements plus lack of fully fleshed-out characters left me to settle on a two-star review.
The art is nice and the sex scenes were well done. Just not a lot of substance.
Many other reviewers have already touched on the age gap between Usagi and Gakuto. Usagi is in his mid-twenties while Gakuto is still in high school. If you're not a fan of a gap like that, this story isn't for you. I enjoy an age gap in fiction so that didn't bother me. What I found more troublesome was the behavior of Usagi's boss/Gakuto's uncle. Any concern he has about his nephew dating an older man is played off as a joke at Usagi's expense. Then at a work get-together, the boss casually outs Usagi as gay to his female co-workers. This is all played for laughs with no consequences.
The female co-workers turn out to all be BL fangirls and proceed to treat Usagi like he's a character in their stories. They ask intrusive questions like whether he's a "top" or "bottom". BL fangirls get a bad wrap as it is and portrayals like this don't help. Obviously, I'm a white woman who has never been to Japan, but I don't think that actual BL fangirls there act like this. It's all played off as a gag here, but it rubbed me the wrong way.
These troubling elements plus lack of fully fleshed-out characters left me to settle on a two-star review.
The art is nice and the sex scenes were well done. Just not a lot of substance.
March 27, 2024
A bit torn with my thoughts on this one. I thought the story was really cute and well told, it had some great commentary on gay culture. Feeling lost in being who you are, having straight friends that you can't relate to. I really like that aspect of this book. I also like how they met in an MMO RPG, that was cute. As someone who is socially awkward and the idea of dating scares them, this aspect of the story was really comforting.
The age gap wasn't really for me. I had trouble enjoying it when it got spicy. However, if it doesn't bother you, this was a good read.
The age gap wasn't really for me. I had trouble enjoying it when it got spicy. However, if it doesn't bother you, this was a good read.
June 6, 2024
All I gonna say....
A high schooler w/ a grown up...
A high schooler w/ a grown up...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2025
Actual rating closer to 3.5.
May 19, 2025
This one is very smutty which I love 😆 but also funny and light hearted! A good comfort read.
March 28, 2025
Interesting premise but felt like there were things missing. Had potential but fell through with certain themes/ideas?
December 3, 2023
I was so excited for this only to get disappointed. The premise was cute and the set up for Usagi was awesome and relatable, but that was the only good thing. It just went downhill from there. His love interest could’ve been in college and this would have been a much better story if they desperately wanted an age gap, maybe that way he would’ve had a better understanding of consent too. I’m so annoyed because I picked this up as a read to cozy up with over the weekend because that was the vibe it was giving from the cover and synopsis. definitely a volume I regret buying.
April 26, 2024
Definitely "no plot just smut" 😅 No but for real, it was sweet in its own way and cute. Age-gap romance with an inexperienced submissive "bottom" and overly cheerful and uh...eager ...top lol. I did enjoy the MMO gimmick. And it's refreshing sometimes to just have the other characters just accept the couple rather than deal with all the drama sometimes.
January 3, 2024
I really liked the art in this and the concept was amazing but why dose every bl have to have a questionable age gab I am just living with the belief that the love interest is at least 18 preferably older.
May 15, 2024
DAMN 😩
December 6, 2023
This is a BL written for straight people.
And yes, I know, I know, BL as a genre is targeted to different audiences, and straight women finding escapism is definitely a crucial part of its history...but this one really comes across as a straight story packaged in two male bodies. (Part of the time, since there's an MMO game aspect with male/female avatars who are also shown having sex.)
Shoujo is even repeatedly referenced throughout, with Usagi wanting to live his life in a shoujo story (specifically being the girl), calling Gakuto a shoujo hero, then frequently going, "omg, they never have sex this fast or on screen in shoujo!!"
His female coworkers, upon finding out that he's gay and in a relationship with his manager's nephew (something that was announced at a company event against his will, which is also a thing I have a major issue with), go, "omg it's a real life BL!" and then give him sex advice based on their consumption of BL, explaining the "male and female" roles of a gay relationship. To a 25 year old gay man. Who then uses that advice in a love hotel with his boyfriend, because he clearly couldn't figure any of this out on his own? He had to be instructed by straight women? It's...kind of off-putting.
And quite frankly, I don't read much shoujo because I find it boring, so trying to write something as shoujo but sexy isn't really my genre to begin with.
I was a little surprised that Seven Seas picked up something this unapologetically smutty, with little to the plot beyond "horny things," but I realized partway through that it reminds me a lot of their Steamship line ("sexy romance for women"), which I always mark as no interest in their surveys.
The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. And it had such an interesting setup!
Two straight stories I do love are Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku and Recovery of an MMO Junkie, so I was excited at the idea of a BL that used the MMO and gamer otaku worlds. I liked the idea of them meeting in an online world and then discovering that they had an offline connection, too. I was surprised and pleased that only a couple pages in, we discover that Gakuto already knew long before their in-person meetup that Usagi is a man using an in-game female avatar. No big shocker of an unveiling; they're just getting to know each other better outside of the game.
And there's other stuff that isn't bad; their bonding over their fandom event was cute, and I liked how seamlessly their personalities transferred over to the real world, and how Gakuto struggled with his attraction to Usagi, even after finding out he wasn't a sexy lady with huge gamer boobs. (The boobs are drawn a lot, and lovingly. The author's note indicates that this was one of their favorite parts of this story. Can't relate.)
But there isn't much to their characters or personalities beyond that. We know very little about Gakuto as a person, other than being "super hot" and "a perfect shoujo hero"...neither of which is very substantial. Plus Gakuto's uncle, Usagi's boss, is an absolutely horrible character. Extraordinarily invasive, obsessed with his subordinate's sex life, and completely disrespectful of any boundaries whatsoever. I hated the drinking scene, where he finally managed to bully/threaten/blackmail Usagi into going out with coworkers, then outed him.
And there's no consequence!
Plus it's honestly a little weird that he found out about Usagi's relationship with his nephew and didn't care at all, other than being skeevy and leering about it.
No plot to speak of, characters that were either thinly developed or unlikeable, and way too much straight stuff for a supposedly queer story. Not keeping this one.
And yes, I know, I know, BL as a genre is targeted to different audiences, and straight women finding escapism is definitely a crucial part of its history...but this one really comes across as a straight story packaged in two male bodies. (Part of the time, since there's an MMO game aspect with male/female avatars who are also shown having sex.)
Shoujo is even repeatedly referenced throughout, with Usagi wanting to live his life in a shoujo story (specifically being the girl), calling Gakuto a shoujo hero, then frequently going, "omg, they never have sex this fast or on screen in shoujo!!"
His female coworkers, upon finding out that he's gay and in a relationship with his manager's nephew (something that was announced at a company event against his will, which is also a thing I have a major issue with), go, "omg it's a real life BL!" and then give him sex advice based on their consumption of BL, explaining the "male and female" roles of a gay relationship. To a 25 year old gay man. Who then uses that advice in a love hotel with his boyfriend, because he clearly couldn't figure any of this out on his own? He had to be instructed by straight women? It's...kind of off-putting.
And quite frankly, I don't read much shoujo because I find it boring, so trying to write something as shoujo but sexy isn't really my genre to begin with.
I was a little surprised that Seven Seas picked up something this unapologetically smutty, with little to the plot beyond "horny things," but I realized partway through that it reminds me a lot of their Steamship line ("sexy romance for women"), which I always mark as no interest in their surveys.
The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. And it had such an interesting setup!
Two straight stories I do love are Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku and Recovery of an MMO Junkie, so I was excited at the idea of a BL that used the MMO and gamer otaku worlds. I liked the idea of them meeting in an online world and then discovering that they had an offline connection, too. I was surprised and pleased that only a couple pages in, we discover that Gakuto already knew long before their in-person meetup that Usagi is a man using an in-game female avatar. No big shocker of an unveiling; they're just getting to know each other better outside of the game.
And there's other stuff that isn't bad; their bonding over their fandom event was cute, and I liked how seamlessly their personalities transferred over to the real world, and how Gakuto struggled with his attraction to Usagi, even after finding out he wasn't a sexy lady with huge gamer boobs. (The boobs are drawn a lot, and lovingly. The author's note indicates that this was one of their favorite parts of this story. Can't relate.)
But there isn't much to their characters or personalities beyond that. We know very little about Gakuto as a person, other than being "super hot" and "a perfect shoujo hero"...neither of which is very substantial. Plus Gakuto's uncle, Usagi's boss, is an absolutely horrible character. Extraordinarily invasive, obsessed with his subordinate's sex life, and completely disrespectful of any boundaries whatsoever. I hated the drinking scene, where he finally managed to bully/threaten/blackmail Usagi into going out with coworkers, then outed him.
And there's no consequence!
Plus it's honestly a little weird that he found out about Usagi's relationship with his nephew and didn't care at all, other than being skeevy and leering about it.
No plot to speak of, characters that were either thinly developed or unlikeable, and way too much straight stuff for a supposedly queer story. Not keeping this one.
July 28, 2024
The premise of this is delightful: two guys, one who plays a female character, meet through a World of Warcraft-style MMORPG and grow closer. They eventually meet IRL, hit it off, and we get to celebrate both their on-screen and off-screen relationship(s).
However, there are two bits of this that absolutely stopped me cold from just being delighted. One is the age difference; it's not much, but Gakuto is still in high school--which makes it seem like more than the seven-ish years that it is--and the narrative points it out *a lot*. I appreciate that Akira (the older one) is trying to be respectful of Gakuto (who is a younger top, if that matters to folks) but it's such an inherent part of the narrative that it's talked about but never talked through that it feels a little ugh to me. If the pair had sat down and talked about "here's why I'm okay/not okay with this," that would have been better, but instead we get Akira saying "it's kinda wrong" and Gakuto saying "don't treat me like a kid while I finish my senior essay" and that's just...odd.
The second thing is Gakuto's uncle. Everything about that dude is a red flag and a half, up to and including the way he pressures/stalks Akira. This may be a mix of cultural differences and "extreme played for joke" that I'm not getting, but he is a creeper and made everything else feel somewhat slimy.
I did appreciate the semi-meta narrative of Akira being into shojo manga and then getting school on BL manga by the women in his office (playing into the fujoshi stereotype), and the ways Akira's female in-game persona plays with his male IRL personality are fantastic bits of gender conversation (the extra scene with the cosplay wedding dress is marvelous), but the way the age gap gets played and the entirety of the uncle character just made this feel less fun and more crude than I was expecting. Good art of facial expressions, though.
However, there are two bits of this that absolutely stopped me cold from just being delighted. One is the age difference; it's not much, but Gakuto is still in high school--which makes it seem like more than the seven-ish years that it is--and the narrative points it out *a lot*. I appreciate that Akira (the older one) is trying to be respectful of Gakuto (who is a younger top, if that matters to folks) but it's such an inherent part of the narrative that it's talked about but never talked through that it feels a little ugh to me. If the pair had sat down and talked about "here's why I'm okay/not okay with this," that would have been better, but instead we get Akira saying "it's kinda wrong" and Gakuto saying "don't treat me like a kid while I finish my senior essay" and that's just...odd.
The second thing is Gakuto's uncle. Everything about that dude is a red flag and a half, up to and including the way he pressures/stalks Akira. This may be a mix of cultural differences and "extreme played for joke" that I'm not getting, but he is a creeper and made everything else feel somewhat slimy.
I did appreciate the semi-meta narrative of Akira being into shojo manga and then getting school on BL manga by the women in his office (playing into the fujoshi stereotype), and the ways Akira's female in-game persona plays with his male IRL personality are fantastic bits of gender conversation (the extra scene with the cosplay wedding dress is marvelous), but the way the age gap gets played and the entirety of the uncle character just made this feel less fun and more crude than I was expecting. Good art of facial expressions, though.
February 13, 2025
Hang onto your mice and keyboards. Or controllers, if that’s more your jam. This one is for fans of MMO games! It has a pretty huge age gap and the worst babysitter ever, but you can also find a cute romance here.
Their romance is on the fluffier side of things, and there are plenty of spicy scenes to keep you going if you’re not vibing too much with the fluff. If you’re a fan of shojo manga or fluffy romance with a side of spice, this manga might be for you. I’m very specific about the shojo I read, so my impression of it was kind of a neutral one.
The summary is fairly explanatory, so that’s great if you’re going in with just that. It’s one of those that you have to read to know if you like it or not. But if it looks interesting to you, give it a shot!
Who is this manga for
This oneshot is a really specific one. It’s for fans of the gaming side of things, and don’t mind age gaps between . If you like fluffy romance and can turn a blind eye to the… choices… this manga makes, you might enjoy it.
Check out the full review on the blog
https://yeolliestorytime.com/anyhow-t...
Their romance is on the fluffier side of things, and there are plenty of spicy scenes to keep you going if you’re not vibing too much with the fluff. If you’re a fan of shojo manga or fluffy romance with a side of spice, this manga might be for you. I’m very specific about the shojo I read, so my impression of it was kind of a neutral one.
The summary is fairly explanatory, so that’s great if you’re going in with just that. It’s one of those that you have to read to know if you like it or not. But if it looks interesting to you, give it a shot!
Who is this manga for
This oneshot is a really specific one. It’s for fans of the gaming side of things, and don’t mind age gaps between . If you like fluffy romance and can turn a blind eye to the… choices… this manga makes, you might enjoy it.
Check out the full review on the blog
https://yeolliestorytime.com/anyhow-t...
February 17, 2024
This one was meant to be cute, but ended up being super problematic.
Other reviewers here have already pointed out the biggest issues, like the age gap (I don't have a problem with age gaps, I just need both main characters to be over 18), and the insensitive uncle character. Also, at some point I just insisted in my head that Gakuto is 18, since the mangaka never actually says. But what got to me the most was also emphasized by one reviewer, and that's the way yaoi fangirls are portrayed in the manga.
I discovered yaoi last year, and even though I wouldn't call myself a fangirl, I've read a fair amount now. I have a problem believing that anyone who enjoys yaoi would treat Usagi the way his coworkers do at the bar. They ask him really inappropriate questions about his personal life, and then they proceed to school him on being in a BL relationship. Who does that? I can see what the mangaka was trying to do here, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, you make Gakuto older, remove the insufferable uncle (which makes that entire bar scene go away), and this story gets a lot better. Sadly, this is what we have.
Other reviewers here have already pointed out the biggest issues, like the age gap (I don't have a problem with age gaps, I just need both main characters to be over 18), and the insensitive uncle character. Also, at some point I just insisted in my head that Gakuto is 18, since the mangaka never actually says. But what got to me the most was also emphasized by one reviewer, and that's the way yaoi fangirls are portrayed in the manga.
I discovered yaoi last year, and even though I wouldn't call myself a fangirl, I've read a fair amount now. I have a problem believing that anyone who enjoys yaoi would treat Usagi the way his coworkers do at the bar. They ask him really inappropriate questions about his personal life, and then they proceed to school him on being in a BL relationship. Who does that? I can see what the mangaka was trying to do here, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, you make Gakuto older, remove the insufferable uncle (which makes that entire bar scene go away), and this story gets a lot better. Sadly, this is what we have.
February 26, 2024
Rating could have been higher with some clarification and possibly a sequel, only rated this high as is, based on my ASSUMPTION and HOPE that "the puppy" referred to in the title is over 18, because it never explicitly says that in the book. Despite several times mentioning that "the rabbit" is 25 and works in an office, the closest it gets to a mention of age for "the puppy" is that he's in highschool. I do wish the author had clarified that information, as I don't generally have an issue with age differences in stories on the condition that all involved are consenting adults, and while the consent was never a question for me in reading this, the adult part was, so I can't rate it higher than I have, based on that. Overall though, I did enjoy the premise of the story, even if it does somewhat feel like there should be a sequel to finish it, as it seems to me like it ends without truly completing the story. Unfortunately, I have so far been unable to locate a sequel or even anything else written by the author despite mention of this being their fourth manga. Taking all that into account though, I did enjoy this book as an intro to the genre.
October 1, 2024
4* (I removed 1* for Gaku being in high school)
The cover made these two look of similar age, and the blurb says that Usaco is 25, so I was thinking college age. The problem is that Gaku is in high school! Although I know that could mean 18, it's never explicitly stated.
Usaco escapes from real life with online games and an obsession with shojo manga.
There's an age gap romance, where the younger character is the instigator. It's very creepy that Gaku is a high schooler. I tried to picture him as more college age because he's so mature, but there were constant reminders that he's so young. But Usaco still has sex with him. Eek.
The page about The Cat Goddess mysteriously reappeared during the love hotel scene, which was very confusing.
While the story had a lot of potential and great artwork - I loved the gaming world storyline just as much - Gaku's age put me off, despite him being the instigator. I could have rated this as though he was college age, by giving it 5*, but the constant reminders of his age were annoying and difficult to ignore so it's gone to a 4*.
The cover made these two look of similar age, and the blurb says that Usaco is 25, so I was thinking college age. The problem is that Gaku is in high school! Although I know that could mean 18, it's never explicitly stated.
Usaco escapes from real life with online games and an obsession with shojo manga.
There's an age gap romance, where the younger character is the instigator. It's very creepy that Gaku is a high schooler. I tried to picture him as more college age because he's so mature, but there were constant reminders that he's so young. But Usaco still has sex with him. Eek.
The page about The Cat Goddess mysteriously reappeared during the love hotel scene, which was very confusing.
While the story had a lot of potential and great artwork - I loved the gaming world storyline just as much - Gaku's age put me off, despite him being the instigator. I could have rated this as though he was college age, by giving it 5*, but the constant reminders of his age were annoying and difficult to ignore so it's gone to a 4*.
November 18, 2024
The story itself is cute how the boys are similar in real life to their characters, even though Usagi plays a female character in the game. The only real downside to the story is the age gap. It wouldn't be as bad if Gakuto were at least in college, though suppose then he wouldn't be living with his crazy uncle who turns out to be Usagi's boss. If you can manage to forget about the age gap, it's sweet, but that's a major flag that is concerning at this stage when the story takes place. The uncle is also hilarious and oddly supportive short of the pedo jab, which is honestly deserved with Gakuto being in high school. He even goes as far as creating a similar character in the game and acting like he's trying to hit on Gakuto like he's trying to test the two of them or something, yet he's also cheering Gakuto on and telling him he did good nabbing Usagi, which is really weird when you think about it. Overall, the characters are fun, just need Gakuto to grow up a bit ideally before they're so up close and personal or planning weddings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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