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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
This was a short story but very cute, it follows Kaoru and Soujirou romance, very fast-paced and good for reading it in one sitting. My only problem with it is a scene where Kaoru makes sweets with alcohol and gives it to Soujirou, which for me was unnecessary and weirded me out. But other than that I would 100% recommend this for anyone who I think would enjoy it!
Thank you NetGalley and TOKYOPOP for allowing me to review this!
This was a short story but very cute, it follows Kaoru and Soujirou romance, very fast-paced and good for reading it in one sitting. My only problem with it is a scene where Kaoru makes sweets with alcohol and gives it to Soujirou, which for me was unnecessary and weirded me out. But other than that I would 100% recommend this for anyone who I think would enjoy it!
Thank you NetGalley and TOKYOPOP for allowing me to review this!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.
I was really excited for this manga based off the description. LGBTQ rivals to lovers with bakers? Sign me up. Unfortunately, it was not what I was hoping for.
The MC deliberately puts alcohol in some chocolates to get to LI drunk after he specifically tells him that he doesn't drink alcohol because it lowers his inhibitions. He does so WITH THE INTENT of having sex and they do. I was about to put the book down right there, but I finished it for the purposes of this review.
The story was cute enough early on, and I enjoyed the art, but there was little to no relationship development, and it felt very shallow to me. I would have enjoyed it more if not for the AT BEST dubious consent, but overall I just felt like I wasted forty minutes reading this.
I was really excited for this manga based off the description. LGBTQ rivals to lovers with bakers? Sign me up. Unfortunately, it was not what I was hoping for.
The MC deliberately puts alcohol in some chocolates to get to LI drunk after he specifically tells him that he doesn't drink alcohol because it lowers his inhibitions. He does so WITH THE INTENT of having sex and they do. I was about to put the book down right there, but I finished it for the purposes of this review.
The story was cute enough early on, and I enjoyed the art, but there was little to no relationship development, and it felt very shallow to me. I would have enjoyed it more if not for the AT BEST dubious consent, but overall I just felt like I wasted forty minutes reading this.
Cheri My Destiny is a one-shot BL manga about two rival confectioners, one who focuses on French style and one who does Japanese style, as they fall in love with their candy and each other. It's a cute one-shot BL story if that is your thing. The art style for me was a little weird (at first I thought it was an older title because the style seems 90s-inspired sometimes). Not my favorite style. And lastly, the main character learns that Sojiro can't handle alcohol well so he makes candies with whiskey in them to get Sojiro drunk so that he sleeps with him, which is kind of gross.
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
(arc received from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
I enjoyed this cute manga! This sweet love story follows Kaoru, a patisserie shop owner who gets fired up after some of his customers become enamored with a rival shop dealing with traditional Japanese sweets run by the handsome Soujirou. His competitive passion quickly turns to a huge crush after he begins a food war, and the two grow closer the more Kaoru visits.
I liked the story of this manga and how the relationship blossomed. I think the pacing was a bit odd in some places, but it progressed well as a one-shot and it was nice to see Soujirou like Kaoru as much as Kaoru liked him. One of my favorite things about this manga, though, was how it dealt with identity. It wasn't a huge part of the story, but it was nice to see both Kaoru, who was confident in his bisexuality, and Soujirou, who didn't care for labels at all and wanted to love who he loves, talk about their identities. Often you see characters in BL stories grapple with being gay in slightly over-the-top ways and how they were portrayed was really refreshing!
I enjoyed this cute manga! This sweet love story follows Kaoru, a patisserie shop owner who gets fired up after some of his customers become enamored with a rival shop dealing with traditional Japanese sweets run by the handsome Soujirou. His competitive passion quickly turns to a huge crush after he begins a food war, and the two grow closer the more Kaoru visits.
I liked the story of this manga and how the relationship blossomed. I think the pacing was a bit odd in some places, but it progressed well as a one-shot and it was nice to see Soujirou like Kaoru as much as Kaoru liked him. One of my favorite things about this manga, though, was how it dealt with identity. It wasn't a huge part of the story, but it was nice to see both Kaoru, who was confident in his bisexuality, and Soujirou, who didn't care for labels at all and wanted to love who he loves, talk about their identities. Often you see characters in BL stories grapple with being gay in slightly over-the-top ways and how they were portrayed was really refreshing!
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of Chéri, My Destiny! has all I could ever want in a Yaoi manga! The story follows Kaoru, a pastry chef from France, who is confident that his desserts are the best. However, he becomes suspicious at the growing popularity of a nearby Japanese pastry shop and decides to confront the owner, Sojiro, himself. Of course, things take a much different turn than expected!
The couple don’t get together too quickly, which is something I enjoy, and there is some conversation, mostly from Kaoru’s part, regarding internalized homophobia/biphobia. Personally, I love the dynamic of a couple that’s made up of an easily excitable hot-head (Kaoru) and a calm and stable rock (Sojiro). The sex scenes are also very hot and intimate, so look forward to those as well! My only complaint was the use of the “get him drunk to seduce him” trope for one scene. It led to some very hot sex, but I don’t think it’s something we should be using as a plot device anymore. There are better ways to bring two people together that involve both parties being sober and able to make decisions.
Nevertheless, I found Chéri, My Destiny! to be super cute, fast paced, very steamy, and full of many, many delicious looking sweets! I’m excited to see what the mangaka does next!
CW: internalized homophobia, on page sexual content, and one scene with dubious consent.
*Thank you TOKYOPOP (LOVE x LOVE) and NetGalley for the ARC*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia