Born and raised in the countryside, Kyouhei immediately clashes with his next door neighbor, an outgoing playboy called Takara, when he moves to Tokyo. As someone who's always been teased for being a country bumpkin, he doesn't exactly have much in common with an extroverted city boy. But when Takara makes a move on him one day, Kyouhei can't get it out of his mind. Even though he can barely stand Takara, he can't help finding himself strangely drawn to him. But Kyouhei's not looking for a one night stand; he's looking for serious love!
By Shoko Rakuta
Series I'm Looking for Serious Love!
Volume 1
Release Date 13.10.2021
Genre Yaoi
Age Rating 18+
Publisher Tokyo Pop
CW Assault, dub-con
Rating ★★★☆☆
My Review
I ordered this manga a while back and completely forgot about it until recently. After finishing Blue Morning (which left me feeling pretty sad it was over), I was in the mood for something light, and this one-shot seemed like a good pick.
First off, the art is very nice and detailed! There was a lot to look at and some panels were kinda busy. The story begins with Kyouhei, a boy from the countryside, who moves to Tokyo for his studies. He meets his new neighbor, Tomohiro, a city guy with a reputation for one-night stands. At first, they don't get along, but after Kyouhei rescues Tomohiro from a cockroach, their relationship slowly begins to develop.
I found Kyouhei really cute, and I could relate to him in some ways. His character has that innocent charm, trying to adapt to the big city. The dynamic between Kyouhei and Tomohiro as they get friendlier is also fun—their bickering and teasing is cute, since it's not intentionally hurting each other.
The synopsis made Tomohiro seem a lot worse than he actually is. In reality, he’s a lot more caring and looks out for others, which was a pleasant surprise. However, the manga takes a sudden smutty turn quite fast and without much buildup. The scenes felt a bit unnecessary and out of place, especially since the story could’ve worked well without them, also the consent was kind of dubious.. There’s a moment when Tomohiro says, “There’s nothing worse than a guy who takes advantage of others.” And while Kyouhei doesn’t seem to resist their physical encounters, it still feels like he’s being taken advantage of at times, which left me feeling conflicted. But he is seen purposely backing off a few times- so it's kinda vague.
Oh, and midway through, we get the classic BL trope: the childhood friend attempting to assault Kyouhei. Because, of course, no BL one-shot is complete without some kind of problematic assault scene, right? It was disappointing, and frankly, felt forced.
My biggest issue with the story is that the relationship between Kyouhei and Tomohiro develops way too quickly and without us seeing why, which makes their deep feelings for each other feel insincere. There’s very little emotional buildup or exploration, making it hard to fully buy into their connection. That being said, in my opinion Kyohei and Tomohiro do have some chemistry together.
And, weirdly enough, the title of the manga seems completely unrelated to the story. It’s not even mentioned anywhere?
Despite the cliché tropes and rushed plot, Kyouhei’s personality makes this manga fun- his warmth and charm reminded me a bit of Onoe from Candy Color Paradox. The side characters are also pretty fun and unique in their design. While the story itself doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, Kyouhei’s character adds a sweetness that made it more bearable.
Overall, this one-shot isn’t something I’d rush to recommend, but if you’re looking for cute art and a quick, easy read, it might scratch that itch.
