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False Memories #1
いかさまメモリ（１） (ディアプラス・コミックス)
大手おもちゃ会社に勤める中野は、新しく取引することになった下請けメーカーで高校の頃の親友・津田と再会する。実は卒業間際に弾みで寝て彼への思いに気づき、直後に彼女を作った津田を避けていた中野。だがそれはもう十年も前のこと。平気なつもりで共に企画を進めるけれど……? シェリプラス発のコミックス第2弾!! デリカシーはないのにどうにも憎めない津田と、かつての痛みを忘れられず、頑なに心を閉ざす中野。今度こそ二人の仲は恋になる……? おもちゃ業界が舞台の、十年目の再会ラブ!
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2012
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697 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 2, 2021
[ ★★★,4 / 5 ]
ℹ See full review in いかさまメモリ 2 (Ikasama Memori 2).
ℹ See full review in いかさまメモリ 2 (Ikasama Memori 2).
May 22, 2020
Either this book is really missing something or I've gone numb.
False Memories is the story of two high school best friends who lost touch with each other because of a passionate night that happened ten years ago that left Nakano with a broken heart. In the present, Tsuda and Nakano are reunited when Randai, the toy company Nakano works at, hired Tsuda's team to design a new toy for them.
The art is incredible, as I've exepected from Isaku Natsume. I can really see that each detail was done carefully.
I love that Tsuda and Nakano are very unlike each other. Tsuda is playful and expressive while Nakano is quiet and frequently frowning. Tsuda is one of the few people that like spending time with Nakano, even though their present interactions are mostly strained due to Nakano's suppressed hurt feelings.
I enjoyed this book, but I think that the plot could've been developed better. Tsuda and Nakano carried ten-years worth of pain, but I just didn't feel the weight of it that much because there weren't enough scenes alloted to open their almost-healed wounds between the two of them. They had very apparent issues that needed to be resolved in private, but the book didn't allow them enough pages to fight, cry, and scream.
I recommend this book if you're looking for a second-chance romance. I am hoping that the next volume will be better plot-wise.
False Memories is the story of two high school best friends who lost touch with each other because of a passionate night that happened ten years ago that left Nakano with a broken heart. In the present, Tsuda and Nakano are reunited when Randai, the toy company Nakano works at, hired Tsuda's team to design a new toy for them.
The art is incredible, as I've exepected from Isaku Natsume. I can really see that each detail was done carefully.
I love that Tsuda and Nakano are very unlike each other. Tsuda is playful and expressive while Nakano is quiet and frequently frowning. Tsuda is one of the few people that like spending time with Nakano, even though their present interactions are mostly strained due to Nakano's suppressed hurt feelings.
I enjoyed this book, but I think that the plot could've been developed better. Tsuda and Nakano carried ten-years worth of pain, but I just didn't feel the weight of it that much because there weren't enough scenes alloted to open their almost-healed wounds between the two of them. They had very apparent issues that needed to be resolved in private, but the book didn't allow them enough pages to fight, cry, and scream.
I recommend this book if you're looking for a second-chance romance. I am hoping that the next volume will be better plot-wise.
February 20, 2019
Simple but cute story.
January 7, 2016
First read of the year! This book just reminds me how much I love Natsume Isaku's works, it just has the right amount of drama and comedy injected in perfect timing, so it's never boring.
I love how Nakano can be so goofy and dense at the same time, and I feel for Tsuda who's been carrying the pain of his 'unrequited' love for Nakano all these years. The struggle between these two to figure out just what happened between them ten years ago and how they can clear up the 10 years worth of misunderstanding was worth the read! I'm so excited to see how it's going to end in the next volume.
I love how Nakano can be so goofy and dense at the same time, and I feel for Tsuda who's been carrying the pain of his 'unrequited' love for Nakano all these years. The struggle between these two to figure out just what happened between them ten years ago and how they can clear up the 10 years worth of misunderstanding was worth the read! I'm so excited to see how it's going to end in the next volume.
March 9, 2017
Con esta bilogía he vuelto a darle una oportunidad a Isaku Natsume (ya lei y reseñé Sugar Code) pero tampoco me ha terminado de convencer. No es una mangaka odiosa, pero no sabe enamorarme.
3/10
Los protagonistas de esta historia tienen un romance complicado. En la adolescencia fueron mejores amigos, estaban siempre juntos. Los dos eran polos opuestos pero se complementaban porque uno hacia divertidos juguetes para hacer reir al otro, y su amigo gracias a eso descubrió que podía vivir vendiendo juguetes. Ambos cruzaron la frontera, ¿y que pasó? Pues lo de siempre, un malentendido y ahora diez años después se ven obligados a trabajar juntos, uno quiere conquistar y el otro no quiere ni oír hablar de ello.
Sé que parece que he contado mucho ¿verdad? Pues no, porque el manga transcurre en el presente, así que si os gustan los yaoi de oficina con sentimientos y un 2% de sexo, entonces es vuestro manga, bilogía en realidad.
A mi particularmente la historia me ha decepcionado muchísimo y me he encontrado super aburrida leyéndola. Me ha costado leer los dos tomos que componen la serie, porque o todo era trabajo de oficina, o todo era sufrimiento y silencios y rechazos entre los protagonistas.
A mi me gustan mucho los reencuentros entre amores, pero éste no tiene tanto romance como hubiera querido. Sé que a algunas personitas puede gustar porque prescinde del sexo para construir su historia, asi que, ¿os llama? Dadle una oportunidad. Pero a mi me llamaba y me ha defraudado tremendamente.
Las primeras páginas pensaba "ay que monos" pero poco a poco fueron perdiendo mi interés y me aburrían tremendamente. Odiaba ver que esta pareja no avanzaba y que mis sentimientos por ellos como personajes se iban quedando cada vez más fríos.
No he conectado con los dos protagonistas. Si que me posiciono del lado del chico serio pero no siento cariño hacia él. Ellos son solo personajes ficticios que no podrían -y a la vez si- tornarse reales. Su historia es un bucle sin fin, sus argumentos para odiarse no son sólidos, su razón para haber roto en el pasado me resulta tonta, y no se, no creo en ellos como pareja.
Los juguetes, con lo bonito que puede ser ese mundo, ¿tenía que perderse entre ventas y no éxitos?
Secundarios... Saeki -el único del que recuerdo el nombre-, me encanta como puede pasar de ser un tio cualquiera a un bombón y en el tomo 2 nos regalan el comienzo de su historia con un universitario, ellos dos tuvieron más chispa que esta pareja en dos tomos.
El estilo de dibujo de esta mangaka me parece un poco burdo y no me gusta como enfoca el sexo o los besos. ¡Esa primera vez entre los protagonistas fue muy ugh!
3/10
Los protagonistas de esta historia tienen un romance complicado. En la adolescencia fueron mejores amigos, estaban siempre juntos. Los dos eran polos opuestos pero se complementaban porque uno hacia divertidos juguetes para hacer reir al otro, y su amigo gracias a eso descubrió que podía vivir vendiendo juguetes. Ambos cruzaron la frontera, ¿y que pasó? Pues lo de siempre, un malentendido y ahora diez años después se ven obligados a trabajar juntos, uno quiere conquistar y el otro no quiere ni oír hablar de ello.
Sé que parece que he contado mucho ¿verdad? Pues no, porque el manga transcurre en el presente, así que si os gustan los yaoi de oficina con sentimientos y un 2% de sexo, entonces es vuestro manga, bilogía en realidad.
A mi particularmente la historia me ha decepcionado muchísimo y me he encontrado super aburrida leyéndola. Me ha costado leer los dos tomos que componen la serie, porque o todo era trabajo de oficina, o todo era sufrimiento y silencios y rechazos entre los protagonistas.
A mi me gustan mucho los reencuentros entre amores, pero éste no tiene tanto romance como hubiera querido. Sé que a algunas personitas puede gustar porque prescinde del sexo para construir su historia, asi que, ¿os llama? Dadle una oportunidad. Pero a mi me llamaba y me ha defraudado tremendamente.
Las primeras páginas pensaba "ay que monos" pero poco a poco fueron perdiendo mi interés y me aburrían tremendamente. Odiaba ver que esta pareja no avanzaba y que mis sentimientos por ellos como personajes se iban quedando cada vez más fríos.
No he conectado con los dos protagonistas. Si que me posiciono del lado del chico serio pero no siento cariño hacia él. Ellos son solo personajes ficticios que no podrían -y a la vez si- tornarse reales. Su historia es un bucle sin fin, sus argumentos para odiarse no son sólidos, su razón para haber roto en el pasado me resulta tonta, y no se, no creo en ellos como pareja.
Los juguetes, con lo bonito que puede ser ese mundo, ¿tenía que perderse entre ventas y no éxitos?
Secundarios... Saeki -el único del que recuerdo el nombre-, me encanta como puede pasar de ser un tio cualquiera a un bombón y en el tomo 2 nos regalan el comienzo de su historia con un universitario, ellos dos tuvieron más chispa que esta pareja en dos tomos.
El estilo de dibujo de esta mangaka me parece un poco burdo y no me gusta como enfoca el sexo o los besos. ¡Esa primera vez entre los protagonistas fue muy ugh!
November 28, 2025
I saw this for really cheap on Mercari and since I like CCP the mangakas other series I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did. This story isn’t anything groundbreaking or different it’s been done plenty of times but I eat the trope of a failed first romance due to bad communication given another chance. I found the scenes of their teenage years first time being a disaster to be extremely realistic. I dropped a star because I felt like the pain of Nakano and Tsudas ten years of not seeing each other was glossed over and ignored, probably because it’s only two volumes but still disappointing.
February 27, 2019
Maybe I am not being fair to this story because I’m comparing it to Heart No Kakurega (which is a five-star BL), but the characters are less interesting. I think I will like the second volume more, though.
April 28, 2021
Slow burn 👍
October 3, 2023
Cute, with misunderstandings. A bit non-con in one scene, but he stopped when asked for real.
4 stars
4 stars
March 1, 2017
Como siempre me gusta el arte de la autora, pero la historia es meh...
May 26, 2022
*Reread 5/26/2022*
Felt the urge to reread after flipping through a volume of cheri+
This story is definitely a little more dragged out than I would like. There's a lot of talk about the toy company and a lot of the same flashbacks and conversations over and over again. I still enjoy it though. There's something so nostalgic about the art style that makes me feel weirdly comforted. I especially love the dark linework around the eyes. Nakano is still a cutie. His cute lil vulnerable moments are the best :')
*Original Review 7/31/2021*
This is really cute. Not anything super new or different, but adorable all the same. I love Nakano so much. What a cutie!! Every time I read Isaku Natsume’s works I’m reminded of how much I love her art. Just the way she draws faces and expressions is so endearing.
Felt the urge to reread after flipping through a volume of cheri+
This story is definitely a little more dragged out than I would like. There's a lot of talk about the toy company and a lot of the same flashbacks and conversations over and over again. I still enjoy it though. There's something so nostalgic about the art style that makes me feel weirdly comforted. I especially love the dark linework around the eyes. Nakano is still a cutie. His cute lil vulnerable moments are the best :')
*Original Review 7/31/2021*
This is really cute. Not anything super new or different, but adorable all the same. I love Nakano so much. What a cutie!! Every time I read Isaku Natsume’s works I’m reminded of how much I love her art. Just the way she draws faces and expressions is so endearing.
March 29, 2015
Since I liked a lot of her other works, I had been looking forward to this, but I admit I was surprised by just how much I liked it. I have a soft spot for stories about childhood friends turned lovers, and this had such a nice twist to it that I couldn't help but love it.
Nakano and Tsuda were best friends in high school, and fooled around once before their entrance exams. But then they lost sight of each other until they meet again ten years later.
I liked the switching perspective, and the mixed up feelings, and the art, and the slow development. Also, I found both characters equally likeable. I really enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to the next volume.
Nakano and Tsuda were best friends in high school, and fooled around once before their entrance exams. But then they lost sight of each other until they meet again ten years later.
I liked the switching perspective, and the mixed up feelings, and the art, and the slow development. Also, I found both characters equally likeable. I really enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to the next volume.
October 25, 2017
I am usually not very fond of stories that are more on the lighter side, but there is something very special in the way Isaku Natsume composes a story and characters that always leaves me with a smile on my face.
May 25, 2023
Original Rating: 3.5 stars
Reread #1: 3.5 stars
Reread #1: 3.5 stars
April 11, 2024
3.5 stars.
Nakano is a 20-something man who works in the toy industry. He primarily focuses on pitches and convincing companies to take a design to production. He’s likely either bisexual with a stronger preference for men but tries hard to only like women, or gay and can’t bring himself to realize it. In high school he slept with his best friend Tsuda, and after graduation Tsuda got a girlfriend and was very excited and gushed about her to Nakano, who hadn’t realized they weren’t a couple. It broke his heart and he pulled away. He’s very resistant when Tsuda (seemly) decides out of the blue he’s fine with resuming things if that’s what Nakano wants. This comes off as flippant to Nakano and he gets cranky about it, understandably.
Tsuda is also 20-something. He designs toys. He ends up working with Nakano again after losing track of him after high school graduation. He’s likely bisexual with a stronger preference for women. What happened was he freaked out about liking guys sometimes and about his huge crush on Nakano, so he desperately went out with the first girl he could find, which broke Nakano’s heart. In the present, he still has feelings but struggles with them because he doesn’t want the stigma of being in a queer relationship and thinks it’s best to stick to women because being with a man with be “really hard.” He’s relieved when Nakano says to forget their romantic past, Tsuda asks to just be “normal” friends. He also has a hard time convincing himself he has no romantic feelings for Nakano.
They’re a cute if not too bright couple. Tsuda eventually trips all over himself trying to spend time with Nakano, and Nakano is wary of his intentions, especially when it convincingly seems like Tsuda isn’t very interested romantically. It’s kind of cute to watch Tsuda and Nakano make idiots of themselves but not in a slapstick way.
Tropes and content warnings:
—Exes
—High school friends reunite
—Internalized biphobia
—Rape (Tsuda in high school proceeds to penetrate Nakano anally without prep, lube, or consent. Nakano told him to stop, but he didn’t until Nakano started crying and bleeding. He apologized and stopped, but no acknowledgment that it was rape)
Other:
—Cheating: not technically, but Tsuda gets a girlfriend when Nakano thought the two guys were dating
—Breakup: yes, in the past
—Romantic rivals: it seemed like Saeki would be a rival for Nakano’s affections, but the plot line got dropped at the start of the next chapter
—Sexual roles: Unknown. there was only the rape scene on page.
—HEA: no, it’s the first of a duology.
Nakano is a 20-something man who works in the toy industry. He primarily focuses on pitches and convincing companies to take a design to production. He’s likely either bisexual with a stronger preference for men but tries hard to only like women, or gay and can’t bring himself to realize it. In high school he slept with his best friend Tsuda, and after graduation Tsuda got a girlfriend and was very excited and gushed about her to Nakano, who hadn’t realized they weren’t a couple. It broke his heart and he pulled away. He’s very resistant when Tsuda (seemly) decides out of the blue he’s fine with resuming things if that’s what Nakano wants. This comes off as flippant to Nakano and he gets cranky about it, understandably.
Tsuda is also 20-something. He designs toys. He ends up working with Nakano again after losing track of him after high school graduation. He’s likely bisexual with a stronger preference for women. What happened was he freaked out about liking guys sometimes and about his huge crush on Nakano, so he desperately went out with the first girl he could find, which broke Nakano’s heart. In the present, he still has feelings but struggles with them because he doesn’t want the stigma of being in a queer relationship and thinks it’s best to stick to women because being with a man with be “really hard.” He’s relieved when Nakano says to forget their romantic past, Tsuda asks to just be “normal” friends. He also has a hard time convincing himself he has no romantic feelings for Nakano.
They’re a cute if not too bright couple. Tsuda eventually trips all over himself trying to spend time with Nakano, and Nakano is wary of his intentions, especially when it convincingly seems like Tsuda isn’t very interested romantically. It’s kind of cute to watch Tsuda and Nakano make idiots of themselves but not in a slapstick way.
Tropes and content warnings:
—Exes
—High school friends reunite
—Internalized biphobia
—Rape (Tsuda in high school proceeds to penetrate Nakano anally without prep, lube, or consent. Nakano told him to stop, but he didn’t until Nakano started crying and bleeding. He apologized and stopped, but no acknowledgment that it was rape)
Other:
—Cheating: not technically, but Tsuda gets a girlfriend when Nakano thought the two guys were dating
—Breakup: yes, in the past
—Romantic rivals: it seemed like Saeki would be a rival for Nakano’s affections, but the plot line got dropped at the start of the next chapter
—Sexual roles: Unknown. there was only the rape scene on page.
—HEA: no, it’s the first of a duology.
March 26, 2022
Ugh, oh no, I loved this, and Volume 2 is currently sold out everywhere, a frustrating issue I've been running into this year. I may have to break down and buy the digital version (and then the print copy if it ever comes back in stock), even though I hate reading manga online. It's just that good.
I was not expecting this to turn into a major favorite...and I really, really hope the conclusion holds up to the rest. Because unfortunately, there's a cliffhanger of an ending in this one, and I desperately want to know how the rest of their story goes.
Natsume is exceptional at building characters and relationships in a relatively short amount of time. I've read multi-volume series that don't feel as complete or full as this single book does. I completely understand - and love - the characters, and I felt totally drawn into their world.
One major selling point is that this is a story about working adults. There is high school drama - in important flashbacks - but the Nakano and Tsuda we meet are professionals with established careers. When Nakano walks into a meeting with a new set of contractors, he's not expecting to find Tsuda there...the first time in 10 years that they've seen or talked to each other. It's a nightmare; Nakano had never wanted to see him again. He'd done his absolute best to forget him.
There are a lot of things that could've gone wrong with this story...and fortunately didn't.
The setup is that the two of them were best friends back in high school, and two months before their stressful college entrance exams, Tsuda wanted to blow off some steam and convinced Nakano to sleep with him. You know, just in a bros way. It obviously didn't mean anything.
Except two months later, they stopped talking, and it took 10 years and some serious workplace pressure for them to begin again.
I was initially a little annoyed because as Nakano was rehashing these memories early on in the book, he was presenting his anger with Tsuda as something that ruined his life because (a) gay guys kept mistakenly thinking he was gay (b) the girls he tried to straightly ask out would also think he was gay. I get tired of stories where characters aren't really gay, one specific relationship is just sort of an exception.
But that turns out, I suppose, to be the "false" part of the title. Nakano's been twisting and reshaping his memories, over time, to find a way to patch over and forget how devastated he was by losing Tsuda. We gradually discover that he was absolutely shattered by what happened between the two of them. It's not because they slept together and he got a little accidental gay on himself. It's because he was in love with his best friend, and based on...well, on Tsuda taking them to the next level, he'd thought they were on the same page. Until Tsuda, right after graduation, cheerfully announced that he'd gotten a girlfriend.
Nakano promptly moved far away for university, deleted Tsuda from his contacts when he kept texting stories about his girlfriend, and changed his phone number. This wasn't a meaningless fling. Not for him. And the truth is, unlike Tsuda, he's never fully gotten over it.
Fortunately, we get alternating perspectives in the chapters, so once we're solidly attached to Nakano's side of the story, we're able to see Tsuda's. And Tsuda is...well, he is so incredibly likable, so creative and interesting and caring...and such an absolute idiot.
It turns out he was feeling not-just-friends things for Nakano, too, but it freaked him out a little more, so he cut things off before they went too far. At least, that's what he thought. His solution of dating a girl to save his friendship with Nakano sounds a little ridiculous in theory, but it's actually heartwrenchingly understandable once we finally get to the full recap of that fateful night.
Here's another thing that I loved: things went badly when they tried to have sex, and Tsuda (literally) pushed too hard and hurt Nakano, not initially listening when Nakano was saying no...and there are repercussions for that. That's the important part. People do make mistakes, especially when they're young and inexperienced; it's what they do after that counts. As soon as Tsuda realized that Nakano was actually hurting and frightened, he stopped, profusely apologized, offered to let Nakano do anything to him in revenge, etc...and then was surprised and relieved when Nakano immediately forgave him.
But after that night, Tsuda couldn't get Nakano out of his head, in a multitude of ways. The horrible part, the thing that he couldn't escape from, was remembering how frightened his best friend had looked. He'd done that. And all he'd ever wanted was to make Nakano smile.
So getting a girlfriend...well, if you're a teenager and an idiot and you have little to no experience with relationships, it kind of makes sense. If he had a girlfriend, Nakano wouldn't be frightened of him anymore, right? It'd make it clear that he'd never try something that awful again, and they could be friends again, and everything could go back to normal...because he hadn't figured out yet that once you uncap feelings like that, it's not so easy to bottle them back up. And really, he barely even understood at this point what those feelings were.
All of this is honestly so beautifully told, with so much depth and nuance.
I can feel their friendship. I can feel their affection for and attraction to each other. And I understand and sympathize with each of their perspectives. They need to talk to each other, which I'm assuming will come in Volume 2 - but this isn't one of those stupid misunderstandings that could've easily been fixed with one conversation years ago. Even if they had confessed and tried to start up a relationship, would it have worked? Would it have lasted? Would they have found another way to hurt each other?
The years they spent apart, growing up, were probably good for them. They were both carrying too much pain for all this time - both of them feeling like the other had deserted them - but they grew as people and built successful lives and careers for themselves, and that part is so fun and fascinating to watch, too.
I love that they both went into a field that reminded them of each other. Tsuda is building the kinds of toys and figures he used to experiment with back in school, as a way to make Nakano smile. And Nakano, despite having no direct skill or interest in this area, wound up working for a manga knockoff of Bandai, a major toys & merchandise brand in Japan. And that's what eventually brought them back together.
Soulmates? Yeah. Now they just have to take the few extra steps to figure the rest out.
I loved this whole thing, from start to finish. And while I would ordinarily be annoyed by having a bonus chapter about an entirely different manga and couple, I was delighted that this one was for Tight Rope...the anime that made me hunt down Natsume's works to begin with. I wasn't able to get my hands on that manga, so I went with what I could find, and found this absolute gem instead. Not a bad tradeoff.
I was not expecting this to turn into a major favorite...and I really, really hope the conclusion holds up to the rest. Because unfortunately, there's a cliffhanger of an ending in this one, and I desperately want to know how the rest of their story goes.
Natsume is exceptional at building characters and relationships in a relatively short amount of time. I've read multi-volume series that don't feel as complete or full as this single book does. I completely understand - and love - the characters, and I felt totally drawn into their world.
One major selling point is that this is a story about working adults. There is high school drama - in important flashbacks - but the Nakano and Tsuda we meet are professionals with established careers. When Nakano walks into a meeting with a new set of contractors, he's not expecting to find Tsuda there...the first time in 10 years that they've seen or talked to each other. It's a nightmare; Nakano had never wanted to see him again. He'd done his absolute best to forget him.
There are a lot of things that could've gone wrong with this story...and fortunately didn't.
The setup is that the two of them were best friends back in high school, and two months before their stressful college entrance exams, Tsuda wanted to blow off some steam and convinced Nakano to sleep with him. You know, just in a bros way. It obviously didn't mean anything.
Except two months later, they stopped talking, and it took 10 years and some serious workplace pressure for them to begin again.
I was initially a little annoyed because as Nakano was rehashing these memories early on in the book, he was presenting his anger with Tsuda as something that ruined his life because (a) gay guys kept mistakenly thinking he was gay (b) the girls he tried to straightly ask out would also think he was gay. I get tired of stories where characters aren't really gay, one specific relationship is just sort of an exception.
But that turns out, I suppose, to be the "false" part of the title. Nakano's been twisting and reshaping his memories, over time, to find a way to patch over and forget how devastated he was by losing Tsuda. We gradually discover that he was absolutely shattered by what happened between the two of them. It's not because they slept together and he got a little accidental gay on himself. It's because he was in love with his best friend, and based on...well, on Tsuda taking them to the next level, he'd thought they were on the same page. Until Tsuda, right after graduation, cheerfully announced that he'd gotten a girlfriend.
Nakano promptly moved far away for university, deleted Tsuda from his contacts when he kept texting stories about his girlfriend, and changed his phone number. This wasn't a meaningless fling. Not for him. And the truth is, unlike Tsuda, he's never fully gotten over it.
Fortunately, we get alternating perspectives in the chapters, so once we're solidly attached to Nakano's side of the story, we're able to see Tsuda's. And Tsuda is...well, he is so incredibly likable, so creative and interesting and caring...and such an absolute idiot.
It turns out he was feeling not-just-friends things for Nakano, too, but it freaked him out a little more, so he cut things off before they went too far. At least, that's what he thought. His solution of dating a girl to save his friendship with Nakano sounds a little ridiculous in theory, but it's actually heartwrenchingly understandable once we finally get to the full recap of that fateful night.
Here's another thing that I loved: things went badly when they tried to have sex, and Tsuda (literally) pushed too hard and hurt Nakano, not initially listening when Nakano was saying no...and there are repercussions for that. That's the important part. People do make mistakes, especially when they're young and inexperienced; it's what they do after that counts. As soon as Tsuda realized that Nakano was actually hurting and frightened, he stopped, profusely apologized, offered to let Nakano do anything to him in revenge, etc...and then was surprised and relieved when Nakano immediately forgave him.
But after that night, Tsuda couldn't get Nakano out of his head, in a multitude of ways. The horrible part, the thing that he couldn't escape from, was remembering how frightened his best friend had looked. He'd done that. And all he'd ever wanted was to make Nakano smile.
So getting a girlfriend...well, if you're a teenager and an idiot and you have little to no experience with relationships, it kind of makes sense. If he had a girlfriend, Nakano wouldn't be frightened of him anymore, right? It'd make it clear that he'd never try something that awful again, and they could be friends again, and everything could go back to normal...because he hadn't figured out yet that once you uncap feelings like that, it's not so easy to bottle them back up. And really, he barely even understood at this point what those feelings were.
All of this is honestly so beautifully told, with so much depth and nuance.
I can feel their friendship. I can feel their affection for and attraction to each other. And I understand and sympathize with each of their perspectives. They need to talk to each other, which I'm assuming will come in Volume 2 - but this isn't one of those stupid misunderstandings that could've easily been fixed with one conversation years ago. Even if they had confessed and tried to start up a relationship, would it have worked? Would it have lasted? Would they have found another way to hurt each other?
The years they spent apart, growing up, were probably good for them. They were both carrying too much pain for all this time - both of them feeling like the other had deserted them - but they grew as people and built successful lives and careers for themselves, and that part is so fun and fascinating to watch, too.
I love that they both went into a field that reminded them of each other. Tsuda is building the kinds of toys and figures he used to experiment with back in school, as a way to make Nakano smile. And Nakano, despite having no direct skill or interest in this area, wound up working for a manga knockoff of Bandai, a major toys & merchandise brand in Japan. And that's what eventually brought them back together.
Soulmates? Yeah. Now they just have to take the few extra steps to figure the rest out.
I loved this whole thing, from start to finish. And while I would ordinarily be annoyed by having a bonus chapter about an entirely different manga and couple, I was delighted that this one was for Tight Rope...the anime that made me hunt down Natsume's works to begin with. I wasn't able to get my hands on that manga, so I went with what I could find, and found this absolute gem instead. Not a bad tradeoff.
August 15, 2023
I originally read this manga years ago, probably back in 2017 or 2018, after becoming a massive fan of Isaku Natsume and Candy Color Paradox, my favorite bl manga of all time. I remember reading it and feeling very underwhelmed -- and then promptly forgetting basically everything but the bare bones of the plot. For years, I've told myself I need to reread it again, and this year, 2023, I finally managed to do it.
And it was better than I remembered, especially in regards to the story. I really like how Nakano and Tsuda's perspectives on the past were portrayed, and how both of them have an incomplete version of events in their heads that have haunted them for the past ten years. To me, this makes it so much more than the simple "you hurt me in the past" story line that the summary makes it out to be.
If I could have one criticism, it's that Isaku Natsume very much has A Type of character that she likes, and I could practically see echoes of her other characters in Nakano, Tsuda, and the side characters (seriously, half of the cast looks so much like half of the Candy Color Paradox cast, it's half funny and half jarring). This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- in fact I find it pretty endearing when you read multiple works by a mangaka and can see what types of character personalities and features they like, but as a fan of CCP, it's almost bazaar to see just how much overlap there is.
And it was better than I remembered, especially in regards to the story. I really like how Nakano and Tsuda's perspectives on the past were portrayed, and how both of them have an incomplete version of events in their heads that have haunted them for the past ten years. To me, this makes it so much more than the simple "you hurt me in the past" story line that the summary makes it out to be.
If I could have one criticism, it's that Isaku Natsume very much has A Type of character that she likes, and I could practically see echoes of her other characters in Nakano, Tsuda, and the side characters (seriously, half of the cast looks so much like half of the Candy Color Paradox cast, it's half funny and half jarring). This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- in fact I find it pretty endearing when you read multiple works by a mangaka and can see what types of character personalities and features they like, but as a fan of CCP, it's almost bazaar to see just how much overlap there is.
January 15, 2021
Tsuda seduced his best friend Nakano in high-school, but then dumps him soon after for a girl. They have not spoken in 10 years until Tsuda is contracted by the toy company Nakano works for, throwing them back into each other's orbit.
I loved the characters and story set up of this one. It's a bit like Desire (one of my all time favourite yaois) only with a longer time frame. What I struggled with was Tsuda's explanation of why he got a girlfriend... To reassure Nakano that he'd never hurt him. Eh? On what planet does that make a lick of sense? The artwork is only so-so, if this had had prettier art I may have given it 4* even with Tsuda's monumental stupidity - the story, characters, supporting cast and pace really are pretty good. The weakest thing, other than the art (which isn't at all bad, it's just not as good as some of the other stuff out there) is the title. There aren't really any 'false memories' involved - merely Nakano trying to forget.
Overall though, quite enjoyed this one.
I loved the characters and story set up of this one. It's a bit like Desire (one of my all time favourite yaois) only with a longer time frame. What I struggled with was Tsuda's explanation of why he got a girlfriend... To reassure Nakano that he'd never hurt him. Eh? On what planet does that make a lick of sense? The artwork is only so-so, if this had had prettier art I may have given it 4* even with Tsuda's monumental stupidity - the story, characters, supporting cast and pace really are pretty good. The weakest thing, other than the art (which isn't at all bad, it's just not as good as some of the other stuff out there) is the title. There aren't really any 'false memories' involved - merely Nakano trying to forget.
Overall though, quite enjoyed this one.
January 16, 2019
4 out of 5 stars
I've been a fan of Natsume's work for years now, so when I saw there was a series of hers I had yet to read, I jumped on the chance of picking it up.
Her works just never fail to put a smile on my face. They're not overly dramatic, or problematic. Instead they are more fluffy and romantic, with a dash of smut, which just works better for me over all. Luckily, False Memories follows a similar story line as her other series, and I am a sucker for the childhood friends reuniting as a couple when they are older angle.
This volume ended on a cliffhanger, but I've already got volume 2 lined up, so thank goodness I don't have to wait too long to find out what happens next.
I've been a fan of Natsume's work for years now, so when I saw there was a series of hers I had yet to read, I jumped on the chance of picking it up.
Her works just never fail to put a smile on my face. They're not overly dramatic, or problematic. Instead they are more fluffy and romantic, with a dash of smut, which just works better for me over all. Luckily, False Memories follows a similar story line as her other series, and I am a sucker for the childhood friends reuniting as a couple when they are older angle.
This volume ended on a cliffhanger, but I've already got volume 2 lined up, so thank goodness I don't have to wait too long to find out what happens next.
December 19, 2020
Selama ini baca karya-karya Natsume Isaku belum pernah ada yang betul-betul menarik hati saya. Semua karya beliau bagus, memang, tapi gak bikin sampai saya ingin koleksi. Ini kebetulan aja dapat bukunya yang terbitan SubLime kondisi bekas dengan harga miring, tapi gak bikin saya sampai berambisi mengoleksinya. Kalau ada diskon atau buku bekasannya murah, saya bakal beli kelanjutannya. Kalau gak, ya gak perlu. Beda dengan karya-karya Asumiko, misalnya, yang saya koleksi bukan hanya genre BL tapi sampai karya seinen beliau pula. Gak nunggu diskon pula. Sengaja nyari bonus dan merch-nya pula.
Selera, namanya. Gak bisa diapa-apain.
Selera, namanya. Gak bisa diapa-apain.
October 27, 2018
I picked this duology up on a whim (a BL series that's complete in two books? unheard of!) and wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it's actually a quite charming second-chance romance. The art is very simple but clean and appealing -- I doubt this is an intentional visual comparison but a lot of the time the faces and eyes reminded me of Gene Luen Yang's art in American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints. Volume One ends on a bad cliffhanger, so I would make sure to get both before starting to read.
January 5, 2019
Nakano & Tsuda were two high school friends but things got awkward after they slept with each other & Nakano decide to cut all ties with the other boy.
Ten years later, both of them works in the children toy design and their companies get a contract together. As guess, it is a little hard to keep things professional when feelings are involved, and the past resurface.
I heard good thing about this manga, it was cute but nothing extra-ordinary nor memorable. I feel the plot was seen before and the characters personalities a little bit cliché.
Ten years later, both of them works in the children toy design and their companies get a contract together. As guess, it is a little hard to keep things professional when feelings are involved, and the past resurface.
I heard good thing about this manga, it was cute but nothing extra-ordinary nor memorable. I feel the plot was seen before and the characters personalities a little bit cliché.
June 12, 2021
Just your average run of the mill BL romance with miscommunication.
I was honestly pretty bored with the story and did not for the life of me care about any of the side characters, the main characters job which takes up a huge portion of the story, or even the main characters themselves. I'm also not a big fan of the art style.
I prefer my romance to have a bit more 'spice' and this just did not do it for me. Not my taste.
I was honestly pretty bored with the story and did not for the life of me care about any of the side characters, the main characters job which takes up a huge portion of the story, or even the main characters themselves. I'm also not a big fan of the art style.
I prefer my romance to have a bit more 'spice' and this just did not do it for me. Not my taste.
July 26, 2021
This book was such a nice suprise! I had tried to read this about ten years ago, and I didn't like it. I have matured since then, I really liked all the little things this couple had going for them. Both were adults struggling with a past love. Both had problems with work, which I didn't get when I was younger. I really like how their relationship developed in this volume. If you're looking for a sweet second chance romance between two men, pick this up!
March 7, 2022
Officially, Isaku Natsume is my favorite BL author. I am in love with Nakano and Tsuda's dynamics. There's miscommunication in this series but its handled so well and I love how the two slowly confront their feelings. Especially Nakano. He's a dream and I loved seeing him get all flustered whenever Tsuda dies something stupid.
August 18, 2023
I was pleasantly surprised by this volume! I thought this was going to be a typical misunderstanding trope and get back together. BUT NO! There are multiple different layers that both characters have to work through! And I am actually excited to see how they will actually come together! I am just so excited because this simply seems real and relatable!!
May 20, 2019
This is kinda meh. The art is good, but I remember liking this author more in the past. This series just isn't interesting to me. I think the setup is too bland and there's not much to the characters.
March 11, 2020
Rounded up from 2.5 stars for insight into the toy manufacturing industry, cute coworker interactions, and because I'm a sucker for second chance romance. Reason for 2.5 stars: the flashback story needed to be explicitly consensual.
April 24, 2020
Volumen introductorio donde nos presentan a Tsuda (el seme) y a Nakano (el uke).
Debo confesar que las reacciones de Tsuda fueron por mucho mis favoritas y ese final que nos dejó con la duda de qué pasará ahora con Saeki. De verdad me emocioné y me hizo reír en varias partes.
Debo confesar que las reacciones de Tsuda fueron por mucho mis favoritas y ese final que nos dejó con la duda de qué pasará ahora con Saeki. De verdad me emocioné y me hizo reír en varias partes.
August 12, 2021
One of my favorite books from this writer! This book is so enjoyable to read and never once got bored or irritated in the direction the book was going. Also the artwork is so detailed and pleasing to look at.
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