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ellelainey's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Jason is a single, 35 yo virgin, who is still hung up on a guy in college who confessed to him, but who Jason turned down. Frank is the newly scouted techie RD, a little timid at first, but sweet...and he needs a place to stays that's close to work. Good thing Jason has a prime location and a spare room, huh? 😉
Frank is adorable! Jason is just full of internalised homophobia! Together, they're wonderful and I'd love to read another story about them, if that ever happened.
In the end, it's a sweet, lovely and uplifting story about finding yourself amongst all the noise of expectations, social norms and peer pressure to figure out who you really are and what you really want.
Yay for the bisexual rep!
Frank is adorable! Jason is just full of internalised homophobia! Together, they're wonderful and I'd love to read another story about them, if that ever happened.
In the end, it's a sweet, lovely and uplifting story about finding yourself amongst all the noise of expectations, social norms and peer pressure to figure out who you really are and what you really want.
Yay for the bisexual rep!
mehsi's review
3.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Another BL manhua and I did like it was more mature and more real than most so far, but yeah, it just didn't grab me and at times it felt very disjointed, I missed connection between certain parts. We would go from point a to point p and I would have to go back to the previous pages to see if I missed a panel, a page, or something else. The MC was at times a bit hard to read/didn't always like him, but I did like seeing our MC grow, see what makes him tick, see him discover love, and I do hope that he is open a bit more to various sexualities. Like being Bi or Pan. Because those exist. Plus, feels better about being queer, because there is nothing wrong with two guys. Though given some countries I guess I could understand he was worried. The art was pretty nice though at times the MC looked WAY older than his 35 years. The romance was nice as well and I was rooting for these two to get together because they would be nice together and they fitted so well together (as they noticed because they became roommates).
Another BL manhua and I did like it was more mature and more real than most so far, but yeah, it just didn't grab me and at times it felt very disjointed, I missed connection between certain parts. We would go from point a to point p and I would have to go back to the previous pages to see if I missed a panel, a page, or something else. The MC was at times a bit hard to read/didn't always like him, but I did like seeing our MC grow, see what makes him tick, see him discover love, and I do hope that he is open a bit more to various sexualities. Like being Bi or Pan. Because those exist. Plus, feels better about being queer, because there is nothing wrong with two guys. Though given some countries I guess I could understand he was worried. The art was pretty nice though at times the MC looked WAY older than his 35 years. The romance was nice as well and I was rooting for these two to get together because they would be nice together and they fitted so well together (as they noticed because they became roommates).
alyssaann1317's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rinniebeanie's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
deanlockiradall's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Yuzu Comics for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Confessions of a 35 Year Old by TEI is a one-shot BL office romance, with a "They were roommates!" twist. Jason (Junren) Liu is the 35 year-old protagonist who is cajoled by a coworker into renting out the spare room in his apartment to his junior at work, Frank (Qianfan, age 28). Both men, initially strangers, are hesitant about the arrangement but try it anyway, and find that they are able to bond, despite--or because of--their personal baggage.
This is a solid story focused on emotions and relationships. While parts of it are tropey, and the brevity of the book limits very in-depth development, TEI still manages to include deeper reflection and consideration of the complexities of LGBTQIAP+ romance, especially for someone coming to terms with non-hetero sexualities without much social support. In the author's note, TEI mentions that the story and characters are very important to the creator, and that the story was inspired not just from TEI's own experiences, but also those of loved ones. I appreciated the bisexual representation (increasing, but still somewhat rare in the BL genre) and the protagonist's journey of self-reflection regarding internalized homophobia and guilt of inadvertently hurting others in the past. I hope to see more of TEI's work in the future, hopefully with a longer series!
Confessions of a 35 Year Old by TEI is a one-shot BL office romance, with a "They were roommates!" twist. Jason (Junren) Liu is the 35 year-old protagonist who is cajoled by a coworker into renting out the spare room in his apartment to his junior at work, Frank (Qianfan, age 28). Both men, initially strangers, are hesitant about the arrangement but try it anyway, and find that they are able to bond, despite--or because of--their personal baggage.
This is a solid story focused on emotions and relationships. While parts of it are tropey, and the brevity of the book limits very in-depth development, TEI still manages to include deeper reflection and consideration of the complexities of LGBTQIAP+ romance, especially for someone coming to terms with non-hetero sexualities without much social support. In the author's note, TEI mentions that the story and characters are very important to the creator, and that the story was inspired not just from TEI's own experiences, but also those of loved ones. I appreciated the bisexual representation (increasing, but still somewhat rare in the BL genre) and the protagonist's journey of self-reflection regarding internalized homophobia and guilt of inadvertently hurting others in the past. I hope to see more of TEI's work in the future, hopefully with a longer series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
lauren_miller's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story is so sweet and simple and quiet, and as a newly minted 30-year-old struggling with dating apps, it hit so close to home... The regret of losing out on love is universal, but the regret you carry with you for what could have been is a special kind of torture. Seeing Jason carry that and eventually let it go was all the catharsis I needed to love this story. While I'm sad the ending is ambiguous, that emotional growth—towards acceptance and confidence in who you are—was beautiful. In my mind, it ends quite happily. I would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a short and sweet standalone lgbtqia+ manga.
4.50 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is so sweet and simple and quiet, and as a newly minted 30-year-old struggling with dating apps, it hit so close to home... The regret of losing out on love is universal, but the regret you carry with you for what could have been is a special kind of torture. Seeing Jason carry that and eventually let it go was all the catharsis I needed to love this story. While I'm sad the ending is ambiguous, that emotional growth—towards acceptance and confidence in who you are—was beautiful. In my mind, it ends quite happily. I would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a short and sweet standalone lgbtqia+ manga.
4.50 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ashlikes's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ariireads's review
very cute and im a sucker for romance mangas that are about adults and not teenagers. The budding relationship between the two characters is precious and cute and i am excited to see the development of the relationship.
rheynir's review
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a very cute story of two men meeting, becoming roommates, then falling in love. A basic story, but they are basic for a reason, right? My biggest complaint, is that I wanted to see their development on page more. Since we only get the one book, it feels that we miss out on seeing all the fluffy domestic stuff that most likely helped to grow their feelings.