A review by jupanuma
Only the Ring Finger Knows: The Lonely Ring Finger by Allison Markin Powell, Hotaru Odagiri, Satoru Kannagi

emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This story has issues. It is terribly translated, but if you can get over that then the story it’s self is iffy at best. 

There is little to no detail so it’s hard to know what’s going on, and there is nothing to show a scene is going to change, which makes it jarring to read. 

Both main characters are not fleshed out. We have Yuichi, who has internal homophobia on himself which it uses to bully the person his likes. And once they do get together he’s very passive aggressive and gets jealous easily. 

Then we have Wataru. I don’t know why it’s a trope but the “this person is bullying me and now that they act like I’m invisible, I start to see that I actually like this person”, that’s what gets him to fall in love with Yuichi. No. Just no. This person was terrible to you and now that they are leaving you alone then you should be glad, not sad and falling in love. And he’s best friend is terrible to him too. Kawamura, his best friend, asks how their relationship is going but then just doesn’t not care what the answer is and is rube about it. And Wataru just plays it off as oh he’s single so it’s okay. No. If he was really a good friend he would be invested in what you have to say even if it doesn’t effect them. And when Wataru returns the favor to ask about his love life he says
“why would a homo like you care”.
And they play it off likes it’s teasing but it’s not. 

Once they are in a relationship multiple people ask if they have had sex yet. And when Wataru say no and that he’s not ready it’s portrayed as something strange. Like they only have been in a relationship for a few months, they don’t need to have sex right away.


I think the best part of the story is the whole
black mailing
part just because the scenes don’t break up and it read smoothly, but otherwise is was just as bad as the rest of the story. It’s could have all been solved if Wataru just told the true from the very beginning, instead he
lies about what’s going on, have to deal with a girl who’s black mailing him, and this stupid bet he made with his boyfriend.
Yeah your relationship is going so well. And when everything does work it’s self out it feels like a huge waste of time. 

And I’m sad that this story wasn’t as good as I was expecting. I read the manga first and liked it, so I was hoping to at least think this was decent but not really. 
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