Never Love an Egoist

by Emu Soutome, Jan Lukas Kuhn (Translator)

Jin führt ein abwechslungsreiches, aber angenehm ungestörtes Leben am Meer von O’ahu, Hawaii. Sein kleiner Reisbällchen-Laden zieht Touristen und Einheimische gleichermaßen an und an unkomplizierten Liebschaften mangelt es nie, bis der stürmische Kazuma in sein Leben tritt und alles auf den Kopf stellt. Für Jin stand bislang fest: niemals würde er für einen anderen Mann der Bottom sein! Doch Kazuma bleibt hartnäckig und bald findet Jin sich in unverschämt heißen Situationen wieder…

Ein erotischer Einzelband von EMU SOUTOME, der Zeichnerin von KISS OF THE INNOCENT!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Boys Love, Yaoi, LGBT, Comics, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2024

About the author

SOUTOME Emu
Name (in native language): 五月女えむ
Associated Names:
しゃもじゃこ (五月女えむ)
Shamojako (SOUTOME Emu)
Syamojako (SOUTOME Emu)

Circle: Shamojako

Reviews

[⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚Tiara (Alec’s Bestie)🏹 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different but I really really liked it!!💛🌺

[syh ツ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay I have big feelings about this book. Get ready.

The beginning was promising. I LOVE Aohara. He's beautiful and so sexy like dear LORD. Masaki was irritating but I was putting up with him. Whatever.


The middle? Enraging. The amount of times Masaki made unwanted (VERBALIZED BY AOHARA) advances toward Aohara was astounding. And Masaki had the balls to say "maybe I'm not pushing hard enough"????


The ending was so fucking cute and it pisses me off. How dare this author change Masaki's character with only like 10 pages left???? WTF??????? 😭

I'm all for character development but like...why was he so easily redeemed at the end? Like...stop.

2.5 stars 🫩.

[Kate♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5stars

this was fine - I really love the top/top (or in omegaverse alpha/alpha) trope, so this one sounded up my alley. I think this one just really proved to me that some bl one shots just DON'T need love/feelings involved lol the them being in love/confessing and all that just made absolutely zero sense and came out of nowhere loll like some stories should just end at the smut

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Art was A+ but the story, characters, and romance left a lot to be desired.

[Fny · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art was good I guess the rest not so much. One of the not so good ones hah. And I’ve read a ton bl mangas. This was basically just pron. Very explicit too. Without any real emotions to be found. For me at least. The characters did love each other bla bla bla and what not but that didn’t really come across among all the smex they were having. And it was kinda dub con a few of the times too. Very icky. One of MCs was a pushy horn-dog tbh…

Ok my expectations wasn’t really that high going in but i was still let down haha. Kinda boring I manga overall. I’m not really here for the all right out erotica ones. I want emotions and softness in my bls mostly. Not whatever this wanted to convey.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steamy

Completely uncensored so you see everything. A scene that's probably in the non con territory, otherwise it's a story of 2 prickly guys finding love together

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was interesting.

I'll Never Fall in Love With an Egoist reads like two different manga smashed together, mostly due to Masaki having a massive character adjustment half way through the manga that completely shifts his thoughts, actions, and desires -- and not in the "yay for good character growth" kind of way, but more in the "wait a minute why is he a completely different person now" kind of way.

However, this character shift did make me like the second half of the manga. I like how Masaki reflected on his actions, realized he was a dick the whole time, and actively wanted to be better and make amends. I really liked that, and I liked how open and honest he was with communicating with Aohara. It was a very mature take on relationships, and I always like characters acknowledging their flaws and working to be better people for their lover.
...but this character shift cannot erase the first three/four chapters of this manga, where Masaki was actively perusing Aohara against his wishes, taking advantage of his kindness, and not taking no for an answer. Which kind of sucks! I like end of the volume Masaki and his reflection and growth, and he seems like a completely different character than start of the volume Masaki who is a sexual assaulting scumbag, and who does NOT deserve to get everything he wants at the end. There wasn't even really enough character development between part 1 and part 2 to connect each arc smoothly or to make sense of the character shift. There also really weren't enough moments between Aohara and Masaki shown that weren't Masaki not taking no for an answer and assaulting Aohara to justify how they ultimately feel about each other. We get an added flashback in part 2, that apparently happened in part 1, that was very clearly added in to help build this context and relationship, but it just wasn't enough on its own (plus the glass thing, which, I will admit, I did like).

As for Aohara... maybe the translation didn't do his past relationship justice, but I could not understand why he was painted as the 'villain' and selfishly motivated when it came to his ex. Like, yes, I understand that being cared for and 'taken care of' to that extent can make someone feel bad, but that is very much not a universal experience and, if anything, I see either the ex as being more in the wrong for not being willing to explain his perspective and talk it out or just Aohara and his ex not being right for each other. This is, ultimately, a small detail, but since it became such a cornerstone of Aohara's character, background, and sense of guilt and being unable to love correctly, I can't just let it go. His love wasn't too much or too intense at all -- it just wasn't right for that person, and I don't like the implication that loving someone like that is, at it's core, selfish, since ultimately it depends on how both people end up viewing it.

On the plus side though, the art was stunning. I really liked Aohara's design, and both characters had really well done expressions, eyes, and hair. They also had... really nice line work and a lot of the poses and interactions were just beautiful and dynamic. also Masaki in the second half of the volume kept reminding me of wolfwood from trigun stampede. i have no idea why but i am guessing the hair + kind of angry eyes + vashwood brainworms for the better part of a year now

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I'm going to start by saying this one has a bit of dubcon/physical fighting. One mc is very aggressive in his attempts to sleep with the other mc. Especially in the beginning. And they also talk "top or bottom" a lot. And I can't forget the completely unedited 🍆! So proceed with caution!*
I edited the fireworks scene so as not to spoil the story.

Aohara is a hot playboy living in Hawaii and running a beachside restaurant. He's a self professed horny top who enjoys his life full of casual sex. Then, one day, he sees a stranger getting beat up and brings him back to his place. His name is Masaki, and he immediately starts hitting on Aohara. Soon, he's relentlessly pursuing him and getting very physical. But Aohara is frustrated when Masaki insists on being on top and making Aohara the bottom, so he rebuffs all of his advances.
But eventually, something about Masaki makes it hard for Aohara to keep turning him down. Soon, these casual players realize they might be falling in love with each other.

If you can get past Masaki being a pushy ass in the beginning and Aohara doing a total 180 just because someone showed him human decency, then they are a cute couple. Lol
Or just consider it a one-shot with more smut than plot, and you might enjoy it more with lowered expectations. I really love the art. The character designs are hot. I still liked it a lot.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

where to read: mangaplanet, physical copy published by tokyopop

Jin owns a Japanese-style restaurant in Hawaii and while leaving work one day he happens on a couple arguing near his shop. He tries to break it up, but steps in right when one of them gets punched and the other runs off. He ends up taking the passed out dude home and lets him hang out until he recovers. Masaki is a Japanese guy who came to Hawaii for his ex's wedding, not as a guest, but to chew him out. He ends up getting punched and wakes up in a stranger's house. This stranger is exactly his type though and he's determined to fuck him. Jin ends up letting Masaki stay with him for the remainder of his trip. The two have a bit of a back and forth with Masaki pursing Jin and Jin fending off all his advances.

This actually had a trope I hate, which is the pushy, unrelenting seme. I don't like a dude that can't take no for an answer, but I actually didn't mind it that much in this? He was annoying, but it was pretty funny and idk it was entertaining. I surprisingly didn't mind the relationship. It was messy and a little toxic, but I think they fit together pretty well. Jin had a bad breakup from his past that was pretty well written. It was actually super sad and really didn't fit the rest of the story, which made it a bit awkward, but it made his relationship with Masaki make sense. Despite the annoying pushiness and unwanted advances, Masaki was someone that helped Jin feel needed and was someone that reciprocated the same energy Jin wanted to give. This was very different from the other Emu Soutome title I read. Way more chaotic and comedic. But I really like the art and the more serious parts of the writing were pretty good. Overall this was a fun, stupid read, but still had a bit of depth that made me enjoy it.

[Cassie Renais · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is two different stories smashed together because both characters undergo radical changes in the middle of the book. Because of that, the second half is actually quite sweet and romantic - but the first half is straight up distressing; I almost DNFed because it was just too much. Lots of non-con/assaulty encounters and won't-take-no-for-an-answer unwanted advances that get called out, but then, don't change? It's a shame that more attention wasn't paid to the characterisation and tones of these scenes, because it could easily have been a more prickly enemies-to-lovers style of romance, rather than whatever hot mess this is. And with a bit more finesse, the character growth could have been very satisfying. Everyone likes seeing a selfish asshole grow up and become a better person.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the art is amazing. I like this author from two other stories I’ve read by them but this one wasn’t it for me. I don’t hate the story overall on paper I just didn’t like the execution. This is about two people who both are not good in relationships for different reasons but end up in love. The conversation that they had about how they are both still working on themselves and not great at self reflection and really need their partner to communicate quickly and well I loved. However, the first half of this story was gross. Masaki has the problem of not respecting sexual partners and pushing to the point that it becomes force. I just yuck… I think if his problem wasn’t that he didn’t respect consent, I would have been more into this story.

[R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aohara and Masaki both have a bit of a temper and are rather sure of themselves, to the point they can be rather overbearing in their relationships and pursuit of those they are interested in. For all of their self awareness though, truly recognizing their own feelings is still a bit of a challenge, and communication is a struggle. When Masaki isn't trying to just Aohara, they seem to get along rather well and fit together, but Aohara is more than a little uncomfortable with Masaki's advances at least at the start. The old saying about "distance makes the heart grow fonder" may have a ring of truth in this tale, which will work in both the boy's favor.

[Azathoth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes I’m more scared of the audience a book attracts more than the actual book itself. Straight porn, but in the most senseless and pathetic way possible. This book would be five pages long if you took out all the instances of sexual harassment, assault, and rape. Even then it is an awful book full of shallow characters and their nonstop yapping about wanting to stick it in his ass. I’d rather read a story about sad old couples in failing marriages who can’t get their partner wet doing missionary.

[J-Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is great with it being very clear and crisp. However, the relationship aspect of this story sucks. I should know by now that I don’t like characters that sleep around, yet I keep picking up stories that contain people like that. That’s a me thing, but I think that it was handled well in the manga.

….it’s very likely that I won’t ever read this again because I don’t like the characters. Also, you cannot fall in love with someone in a week. Just saying! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Amanda Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art style was fantastic and the way the author developed the main characters in one volume was actually pretty well done. There's a ton of spice so at first I felt like there wasn't much actual plot but I believe that's because the focus really was on building Aohara and Masaki as characters, working through their own "egos" through physical means 😏. In the end they were pretty cute realizing they both had red flags to work on themselves.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das kriegt nur 4 Sterne, weil die unzensierten Sexszenen echt gut gezeichnet und hot sind.
Alles andere ist hier wirklich eher nebensache :D ganz zu schweigen, dass die Chemie der beiden und der ganze Sex am Anfang doch uh sehr .. hm fragwürdige Zustimmung erhält ... und wieso die beiden am Ende eine Liebesbeziehung eingehen ist mir auch ein Rätsel.
Aber ja, der Pornpart ist wirklich gut hier drin, also was solls.

[Dayamarali Espinosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aohara is a hot playboy living in Hawaii and running a beachside restaurant. He professed horny top. One day he see/meet stranger Masaki who got beat up and bring him to his place. Masaki is a Japanese guy who came to Hawaii for tour and immediately starts hitting on Aohara. Masaki is a model Japanese. The rest you check it out about them. The sex scene ohhhh.

I rate 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and the
spicy 🌶️ rate is 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[DC · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite the rollercoaster

I genuinely enjoyed the ups and downs of this story. There is a lot of pushy behavior in the beginning which is really annoying, but in the end they learned their lesson, hence the 5 stars. I highly recommend this story to long-time Yaoi fans. It’s a fantastic one-shot to add to your collection.

[SplatterGunk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wish I could have liked this more, but pretty art isn’t the only thing that makes a good manga - even if they are able to secure uncensored licensing for the English translation.

The pacing is choppy. You learn nothing worthwhile about the characters and the characters are already lacking depth. It’s a shame too, because the setting is so unique.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read anything set in hawaii but this was peak, i mean masaki kinda was trying to climb onto aohara a bit too much (alot) but at the same time like idk bl etiquette is kinda like thag but like irl if someone kept punching u to stop it then like stop but they fell in love in the end anyway so it was a peak story

[Jerrica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art style, good location for the story (Hawaii), and interesting characters. The OCs are almost an acquired taste, I feel like some people like them some people hate them. But good smut and I like that it’s a slightly different trope

[Yuuto · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was a pretty awful “romance”…toxic, much? Hated how Aohara decided “oh, I actually love this guy who’s been pestering me for sex and practically forcing himself on me…just because he went out and got this glass repaired for me.” lol what.

[Camron Winger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow the spice was incredible- this story was amazing as well, there were some parts I wasn’t fond of and they almost made me hate the character- but the overall character development was very well thought out and it progressed nicely. Is there a sequel? There needs to be!

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Surprisingly cute! Of course you can’t expect super deep romantic plot lines in one shots all the time!!! sooo don’t take the piss out of the pr0n, people!

And thank you for saying “explicit content” and not scribbling over the d. Dunno how many times I pick up an 18+ BL and it’s still censored. Gah Blesh 🙏🏼

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was bad in several of the expected ways.

[nana ୨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟

[Book busy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a winner. Dubious / nonexistent consent for the first part, hollow trope-like characters lacking in likeability. A shame really because the art style was relatively decent.

[Madison Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was okay. all i have to say

[laura cabezas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars 🧡 first manga in a while, always remember how much i love them

[78sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,4 von 5 Sternen