There's nothing particularly bad about this story, but it's nothing neither, either. It's an office romance that starts out with sex before the relationship is clarified through mutual acceptance of kokuhaku, complicated by rumors and insecurity. There's some minor drama before things settle, and that's about it. The art is good, and looks better than the cover art, but like the story there's nothing that really sets it out from the pack. Summary: a quick read that's ultimately easily forgotten.

This is a collection of stories set in the same universe, and the title here is an odd (technically correct) translation that made me think it was the dom/sub thing that gets trotted out a lot of the time. It's a shame, because these are romances with different hints of flavor, all sweet. The first three stories involve the "3 Princes" of the high school - the earnest puppy-love boy, the laid back art guy, and the guy with the chilly demeanor. The fourth uses a character from the third story, and he's the pop star with the heart of gold. Nothing particularly new, but they're told and illustrated in a charming manner with a good streak of cheeky humor that runs throughout. I'm not personally a fan of the illustration in the second story, but the third one was just gorgeous and they were all luxe and bright in VertiComix so it was a pleasure to read. The stories have a little bit of sweet and a little bit of heat, so ignore the shades of black leather in the title.

He's gay and steals her boyfriends, but maybe he's not. Who knows? All of the pop culture gender role tropes are presented here as insight into the male lead's character, who's depicted as a pushy, self-centered guy who steals all of his childhood friend's boyfriends. The female lead has always loved the guy, so his rejection of her feelings and his betrayals really crush her. She provides most of the narrative as internal monologue, so there's comparatively little that actually happens outside of flashbacks and mental hand wringing. A shame she's so fixated on what's going on in her head that she's oblivious to what is actually going on. It's clear the general direction the story is taking, but the female lead is so passive it seems it's never going to get there.

Sweet romance between work colleagues based on a shared interest and chemistry - what's not to like? The art is great, but the real selling point are the characters and story. There is no simpering girl whose entire existence revolves around changing herself to fit whatever image she thinks her man wants, and no domineering office god who uses blackmail/coercion/assault to garner the compliance of the womanchild he wants. Nope. It's just adults who share an interest (possible obsession) in a mobile game. Once they get over their feelings of shyness and shame, they realize that they both really like each other. Sure, there are some of the usual antics: mistaken identity, assumptions based on faulty input, jealousy, etc. but given the story stays grounded in the main characters, the antics don't seem as slapstick as they do in other stories. Adults who find that connecting through a shared interest can mean connecting on other levels as well: how novel!

Well. So that happened. The story is short and moves at top speed, then collapses into the ending. The characters have backstory, but it's all pretty trite and none of their stories were expanded on, so I couldn't muster much interest. The art is good, but with characters so forgettable and a storyline that can be categorized in the "a bunch of stuff happened, then it was over, the end" quality level, it doesn't matter. Part of the fun in this type of story is in the naughtiness of a (sorta) taboo situation, but this story didn't bring it. Since the cheating fianc辿 doesn't even have a line (or face), any interpersonal drama is restricted to some harsh words and minor fisticuffs. Just skip it and read the ingredients on your breakfast cereal.

I really enjoyed this one. The dynamic between the two female characters is central to the stories. We get POV from both during the same events, so we get a picture of how deep their bond of friendship is. We see them grappling with their conflicting emotions as the story progresses, until they learn to be honest with themselves. Friendship is about accepting the shortcomings of others as well as their positives. There are no villains here, and I found the way the characters dealt with the romance was far more interesting than the romances themselves. It's a rare case where the romance takes a backseat to friendship, and the story focuses more on character growth. The art is lovely and character faces are expressive so you don't need the inner monologues so much. The bonus stories are lighthearted and show the couples interacting as friends.

My pick for best in show. The artwork is expressive and perfect for the story, with both leads being absolutely adorable and sexy. The writing is equally great, with leads that feel like real young adults discovering emotional intimacy. Both Yuuki and Nao have distinct personalities that defy the stereotypes as Yuuki (the boy) being more emotional, innocent, and insecure, while Nao (the girl) is more cerebral, composed, and cynical. Their chemistry is strong, and the story feels like real life. This book reminds me of some of the shojo romances I read as a teen in Japan (I'm old, it was the 1980's), barring the spicy love scenes. I'm picking up hard copies the next time I go home so I can read them in Japanese. An aside: Yuuki's dad is all kinds of fun. He's a scene stealer, and the panties incident makes me giggle when I think of it. Even gorgeous rich celebs can be insecure. ***Must read, well worth your time and money.***

Oh boy. The title implies exhibitionism that isn't realized. It also implies "doing" but there's no actual consummation, so combined with the lack of naughtiness in the love scenes, the story isn't nearly as titillating as you'd think. The characters are poorly fleshed out, with the protagonist being the least appealing and the boyfriend taking a momentary heel turn that's clearly there just for the drama. I can see where they were going with the story, but it ends before it really goes there (or anywhere), as if the writer just got bored with it and didn't bother to finish. The characters, however, look great, with the protagonist looking cute but not cutesy, and the male characters looking appropriately young and looking simultaneously cute and sexy. Too bad the story doesn't match the quality of the art in any way.

This is a multi-chapter story, and the first few chapters are definite winners. It does degrade a bit into the usual dating tropes at the end, and that part is very disappointing. There are definite logic gaps, but the loving is hot and the men are hotter. For some reason, the protagonist isn't nearly as well drawn or beautiful, but the body lines when she is performing buyo show enough grace and movement that I can recall the dances. The first chapter is all sorts of sexy, so hold onto whatever needs holding.

Superb. Great art and even better chemistry between the leads who have personalities and quirks (aren't just stock characters). Even the minor and background characters are engaging. The storyline is implausible, but the characters are so endearing that you just won't care! I've re-read this and there are quite a few scenes that always make me laugh, like the forehead massage scene. I can't recommend this enough: the mix of romance, tragicomedy, and earnestness will enchant you.