Awkward Silence, Vol. 1

Awkward Silence #1

by Hinako Takanaga

Satoru Tono is too shy to speak to classmate Keigo Tamiya. Instead he fills his sketchbook with drawings of the boy he likes. But perhaps Keigo has noticed him too...?

Genres: Manga, Yaoi, Romance, LGBT, Boys Love, Comics, Contemporary

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2006

About the author

Takanaga Hinako (高永ひなこ) is a Japanese author of Boys' Love manga.
She has also provided illustrations for several BL light novels by other authors, including The Guilty by Katsura Izumi. Her first manga story, 合格祈願 (Goukaku kigan, Prayers for a passing grade?), was published by Hanamaru Comics in 1997; it was later reworked as the first chapter of Challengers. Most of her works have been translated into foreign languages. She was a guest at YaoiCon 2007, invited by Juné, the US publishers of her popular series Little Butterfly.
When not making Boys' Love manga, she spends her time collecting Wallace & Gromit merchandise and playing Final Fantasy. Takanaga doesn’t like beer and people who are ignorant.

She comments that her biggest influence on her art and writing-style was KOUGA Yun, a famous shoujo manga artist whose works she read as a teenager.

Reviews

[Sheziss · Rating 3 out of 5]

An expressionless guy has to struggle to keep the boy he likes by his side.



When I mention the word 'expressionless' it's because it's important, not only a source of anguish and funny episodes, but also a distinct characteristic of this story that makes this different from the rest, and consequently, not easy to forget.

The second book is boring, it starts good, and I love Satoru's parents (I love the fact the mother is an expressionless person, too, it seems hereditary LOL) but after the first chapters the ideas the author had for the main pair were obviously wasted, so she decided to focus the action on the drama around Satoru's childhood friend, Sagara, and it was such a disappointment. It seems the third book goes around Sagara and he annoyingly cool Kagami. Not interested.

*****

Read in Manga Rock.

Read up to volume 2.

Volumes in the series:

[Ekene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not fallen for a guy x guy manga series since Junjo Romantica and this book is making its way up there. It was really good.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually pretty good. However, there was just a little something about the relationship that prevents me from rating it a full 5 stars. The smuttiness was more than fine, but I think the relationship began so fast (like first page fast) and so I feel like we haven’t gotten the chance to realllly get to know our main-leads. Otherwise the storyline was fun and engaging and I’ll be picking up the rest of the series pronto!

[78sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,6 von 5 Sternen
Das ganze war wirklich ganz süß und die Charaktere bekamen sogar etwas Tiefe für einen Manga. Es geht hier um einen Jungen, der Probleme hat seine Gefühle auszudrücken, auch durch Mimik und Gestik. Als er dann eine Beziehung mit einem anderen Jungen beginnt, ist das ein großer Schritt für ihn und er kämpft hart mit sich, seine emotionalen Einschränkungen zu überwinden. Natürlich ergibt sich daraus das ein oder andere Problem und ein Widersacher kommt ebenfalls ins Spiel. Leider konnte mich die Story aber aus irgendeinem Grund nicht so fesseln wie manch andere Manga-Stories. Der Zeichenstil war ebenfalls schön, aber auch nichts besonderes. Ich hab den Manga gern gelesen, muss aber nicht unbedingt die anderen Teile der Reihe lesen. Vor allem nicht nachdem ich gesehen habe zu welchen Preisen, die plötzlich verkauft werden.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon re-reading this manga five years later, I liked it a little less.
I still found it utterly adorable. It is always nice to see a supportive Seme hero, I still really liked Tamiya. Though, the jealousy trope bothered me a little bit more the second time around. I also found issue with the pacing in this first volume. The first chapter especially was very rushed. I think my reading tastes have changed a little bit. I enjoy slower paced stories, rather than ones that get down and dirty.
This is still a great read, and a classic in my eyes. I've never finished the series and I'm excited to see how it progresses!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, especially the chibi characters the author uses as a contrast to the main character's expressionless face. I'm not really a fan of the classic miscommunication tropes but the characters ultimately talk through their misunderstandings which I appreciate.

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the English translation of this. So cute!

[Jace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm board at work, but i canť continue in "the long game" audiobook, so i went read some manga and holly molly this was GOOD. I'm kinda frustred on behalfe MC, i want to scream at him , that he needs to speak, but that's also why it was so good.

[Lou (Lou and Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute manga! It's probably one of the cutest ones I've ever read! Not only that but the main couple is not toxic for each other, which is a very pleasant surprise.

This manga follows Satoru, an introvert, outsider, art-lover, who has a crush on Keigo, who is a popular boy on the school's baseball team. Keigo asks out Satoru, much to his surprise, and they start dating! If you are a fan of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper, I would recommend this book as being similar but also warn it is very sexually explicit and you will see sex.

My favourite part of this manga has got to be the developing romance between Satoru and Keigo. The manga starts as soon as Kiego asks out Satoru which I did like, but I also felt like the reader misses out on getting to know the characters individually before they get together as a couple. They already have faced two obstacles in this volume so it would be interesting to see what would happen to them next in the later volumes.

I would definitely recommend this manga but I would warn that it is sexually explicit and not meant for younger readers.

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Che bisogno hai di cambiare? Per me va benissimo essere l'unico a capire ciò che provi! Così è come se fossi tutto mio, no?"

Davvero adorabile, dolce e romantico ;) Essendo poi il primo di una serie sono curiosa di vedere che altro succederà, dato che in un solo volume abbiamo una ragazza intraprendente che scatena la gelosia dei due innamorati, un amico di infanzia che torna e da del filo da torcere alla neo coppia oltre a tutte le varie incomprensioni inevitabile se si è fidanzati con un ragazzo timidissimo e apparentemente impassibile XD Il contrasto tra il viso inespressivo di Tono e il tumulto di emozioni (che le faccine esprimono molto bene XD) è senza dubbio la base del rapporto tra i due, perché l'affascinante Tamiya ama essere l'unico a comprenderlo, e vuole conoscerlo sempre di più, affinché il ragazzo si senta libero di esprimere tutte le sue emozioni...in tutti i sensi (non mancano le scene hot! >.<) Anche i disegni mi piacciono, seppur a volte Tamiya, con i suoi colori così chiari, sembra un po' strano nei primi piani XD

[Jazmin Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely adorable, and I just love the characters in this book with a passion. What i really enjoy about this book is that our uke isn't like most gaga eyed ukes, he has depth and causes a lot of movement in the plot. I also love the seme he's very childish and much like the uke has depth and sets this series apart from many yaoi I absolutely recommend this book it is just adorable and practically cavity inducing~

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I frikkin' love this manga series. I read all four of the rather quickly, I just couldn't put it down. The characters are really enjoyable and the romance is so ADORABLE! This is by far one of my favorite mangas ever! I am planning on rereading it soon. I would go more into depth about my love for this series, but then all their would be is a bunch of me rambling on about the couples and ever single thing they do in this series. It is just amazing! XD

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this absolutely adorable. Tamiya is such a great love interest, he's sweet, understands the main character, and plays baseball! *swoon* There's a lot of adult themes in this one, but the characters are so good. Highly recommended!

[Dell Rei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to have a cute relationship like this... *cries*

[Veronica Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid characters, sweet love and well rounded story of the light novel kind. What more can I say other than it's a really good boys' love.

[Anna C · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read : Dec 2013
2nd read : Mar 2016
3rd read : Apr 2017

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 2.5 because there were elements I wasn't a big fan of, but there were also some things I did like. I'll probably try volume two and see what I think.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to try out one volume first to see if I was likely to enjoy the rest; you can't always dive into a full series right away. I was pleasantly surprised, especially since I'm a little iffy on the dubcon elements in Takanaga's more well-known story, The Tyrant Falls in Love. That's something that's pretty common in this genre, particularly with older works, so I wasn't completely sure what I'd be getting into, and what my personal comfort level with the material would be.

No issues like that here. I started to cringe at an aggressively possessive dynamic cropping up near the end of the volume, but it was immediately addressed. Although Tamiya vents his jealousy and frustration by kissing Tono in a public space - something he'd just learned from a rival that Tono supposedly doesn't like - he stops the moment Tono says "no." Tono victim-blames himself a little after, not able to understand what he did to make Tamiya so mad at him, but he also says: "I didn't like what happened just now. Tamiya scared me." The first part is important; Tono doesn't like what Tamiya did, and it's not something he wants in their relationship. He may be quiet, but he's not actually that much of a blushingly submissive pushover, which makes him a pretty interesting character.

Neither of them talks about it for a while after, but Tamiya regrets his actions - as soon as he cooled down, he admits to himself, he realized he was in the wrong, and that Yu had manipulated him into exploding in exactly the way he shouldn't. As soon as he and Tono finally do talk again, Tamiya apologizes profusely, not placing any of the blame on Tono, who's always too ready to shoulder the full weight of any responsibility. I should've listened, Tamiya says, and vows to do better.

It mostly boils down to a communication problem, which is actually the entire point of their story.

While the summary calls Tono an introvert, that doesn't fully explain things. Tono isn't just quiet; he's the kind of person who's never been able to physically show or verbally express his emotions. Pretty much every chapter has a running gag where Tono's absolutely brimming with a turmoil of emotions, but "EXPRESSIONLESS" is scrawled across the panel, because none of it shows on his face. He speaks about 1 word to every 100 he's thinking. Even when he actively tries, he can't seem to get more words out...he stumbles over them or stutters or bites his tongue or - at one point - literally faints because he yelled so loudly he ran out of oxygen, unaccustomed to making that kind of physical effort to speak.

It's a little exaggerated, but there's actually a fair amount of realism to his character. I haven't been in his exact shoes, but I'm enough of an anxious introvert to understand some of what he's going through. And he is trying to do better. He pushes himself to be more open and manages to talk a bit more at various points - unfortunately, the topics that loosen his tongue sometimes have to do with his childhood friend and Tamiya's new rival, Yu.

Yu apparently becomes a more prominent character in later volumes. It remains to be seen if that's a good thing; I've had issues before where I started reading about a couple I liked, then the author seemingly got bored with them and switched to another pairing, ruining my interest in the entire series. In this case, though, Yu is pretty prominent fairly early on, and I did like him. I'll even admit that I initially and disloyally thought that I wouldn't mind all that much if Yu stole Tono from Tamiya.

The relationship between Tamiya and Tono isn't perfectly developed; it's not always easy to see why they like each other, or what will make their relationship last. But honestly, they are in high school, and "love" isn't always that complicated at that age. Tono thinks Tamiya is smart and handsome and athletic. Tamiya thinks Tono is "mysterious," and in the process of trying to pick apart some of that mystery, he began learning how to read some of Tono's not-so-expressionless emotions, which increased his interest.

They do still have a lot of ground to cover in their relationship, but hopefully that will expand over the next five volumes. At this point, they're doing a better job of expressing themselves through purely physical encounters, which is actually pretty realistic, too. But by the end of the volume, they're spending a little more time talking to each other when their clothes are still on, and it's nice to see them growing into something that feels like it could last.

There was definitely enough in this volume to interest me in the rest, so hopefully the storylines and the characters remain strong!

[Giada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questo manga è... ADORABILE! Una lettura dolce e romantica perfetta per gli amanti del genere yaoi, "Mi vergogno da morire" (titolo pessimo e un po' no sense rispetto all'originale XD) mi ha fatto fangirleggiare e ridacchiare come una pazza lasciandomi addosso un senso di pace, gioia e... miele... molto miele... tantissimo miele! La storia è molto semplice, forse un po' banalotta e già vista, ritroviamo i due ragazzi protagonisti che si scoprono innamorati e iniziano la loro vita insieme aggiungendo come ogni love story i classici problemucci di routine ovvero difficoltà a comunicare i propri sentimenti nel modo giusto, il mega imbarazzo delle prime volte e di non riuscire a mostrare il proprio amore come si deve, la gelosia e ovviamente gli immancabili personaggi molesti che si intromettono tra i piccioncini rischiando di creare drammi e rotture...cose già viste eppure... questa storiella mi ha ugualmente colpita, lo stile del disegno è semplicemente perfetto e curato in ogni dettaglio e i personaggi sono il punto forte della narrazione, caratterizzati benissimo e subito riconoscibili, è impossibile non amare ogni singolo personaggio di questa storia, Satoru è un piccolo tesoro, con la sua mancanza di espressioni, la sua incapacità (o quasi) di comunicare e soprattutto la sua infinita timidezza mi ha fatto innamorare, mi ha conquistato e fatto venire voglia di prenderlo tra le braccia e coccolarlo, Keigo il suo partner è il fidanzato PERFETTO, il ragazzo che tutti vorrebbero sposare, dolce, sempre sorridente e gentile, che capisce ogni singolo silenzio del fidanzato, lo ama alla follia tanto da essere gelosetto al punto giusto e... awww <3 I due insieme formano un mix esplosivo, si completano a vicenda e leggere le loro piccole avventure è una gioia per la mente e gli occhi (ho già detto che amo lo stile di disegno? DAVVERO TANTO!!). Non sono però solo loro i protagonisti, troviamo infatti altri due personaggi che sono al pari dei principali anche se non hanno lo stesso spazio, mi hanno stupido conquistandosi a forza uno spazio nel mio cuoricino, impossibile non affezionarsi alla frizzante Machida un po' ochetta e svampita, la classica ragazza popolare che cerca di farsi bella agli occhi del mondo, un personaggio un po' "gatta morta" ma adorabile, che sa essere una buona amica al momento giusto e poi lui... Yuji, anche se dovrebbe essere il "cattivo" terzo incomodo, che fa litigare i dolcetti non sono proprio riuscita ad odiarlo 😛 quel suo modo di fare da "senpai" awww non vedo l'ora quindi di poter continuare la lettura e scoprire cosa succederà alla dolce coppietta (e al "malvagio" Yuji)
Una lettura incantevole e perfetta per scollegare il cervello e fangirleggiare

[Naki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questo manga è... ADORABILE! Una lettura dolce e romantica perfetta per gli amanti del genere yaoi, "Mi vergogno da morire" (titolo pessimo e un po' no sense rispetto all'originale XD) mi ha fatto fangirleggiare e ridacchiare come una pazza lasciandomi addosso un senso di pace, gioia e... miele... molto miele... tantissimo miele! La storia è molto semplice, forse un po' banalotta e già vista, ritroviamo i due ragazzi protagonisti che si scoprono innamorati e iniziano la loro vita insieme aggiungendo come ogni love story i classici problemucci di routine ovvero difficoltà a comunicare i propri sentimenti nel modo giusto, il mega imbarazzo delle prime volte e di non riuscire a mostrare il proprio amore come si deve, la gelosia e ovviamente gli immancabili personaggi molesti che si intromettono tra i piccioncini rischiando di creare drammi e rotture...cose già viste eppure... questa storiella mi ha ugualmente colpita, lo stile del disegno è semplicemente perfetto e curato in ogni dettaglio e i personaggi sono il punto forte della narrazione, caratterizzati benissimo e subito riconoscibili, è impossibile non amare ogni singolo personaggio di questa storia, Satoru è un piccolo tesoro, con la sua mancanza di espressioni, la sua incapacità (o quasi) di comunicare e soprattutto la sua infinita timidezza mi ha fatto innamorare, mi ha conquistato e fatto venire voglia di prenderlo tra le braccia e coccolarlo, Keigo il suo partner è il fidanzato PERFETTO, il ragazzo che tutti vorrebbero sposare, dolce, sempre sorridente e gentile, che capisce ogni singolo silenzio del fidanzato, lo ama alla follia tanto da essere gelosetto al punto giusto e... awww <3 I due insieme formano un mix esplosivo, si completano a vicenda e leggere le loro piccole avventure è una gioia per la mente e gli occhi (ho già detto che amo lo stile di disegno? DAVVERO TANTO!!). Non sono però solo loro i protagonisti, troviamo infatti altri due personaggi che sono al pari dei principali anche se non hanno lo stesso spazio, mi hanno stupido conquistandosi a forza uno spazio nel mio cuoricino, impossibile non affezionarsi alla frizzante Machida un po' ochetta e svampita, la classica ragazza popolare che cerca di farsi bella agli occhi del mondo, un personaggio un po' "gatta morta" ma adorabile, che sa essere una buona amica al momento giusto e poi lui... Yuji, anche se dovrebbe essere il "cattivo" terzo incomodo, che fa litigare i dolcetti non sono proprio riuscita ad odiarlo 😛 quel suo modo di fare da "senpai" awww non vedo l'ora quindi di poter continuare la lettura e scoprire cosa succederà alla dolce coppietta (e al "malvagio" Yuji)
Una lettura incantevole e perfetta per scollegare il cervello e fangirleggiare

[Nazish Ahmed (Nazish Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this has lots of sex in it, this book is so adorable😊 This story kind of reminds me of Komi Can’t Communicate, only she has a disease where she has trouble communicating, speaking and her facial expressions. She also just really wants lots of friends so the main character ends up helping her. In Toono’s case, it seems that he just has trouble expressing his emotions and speaking his mind, he gets embarrassed very quickly but it doesn’t show on his face. We are constantly told what he’s thinking and he’s just so adorable🥰

These two started out awkward, not as awkward as the two from Fly Me to the Moon vol. 1 and then we see them experience the usual, like jealousy and learning to communicate with each other better. Normally miscommunication frustrates me in romance stories but it didn’t in this case, maybe it’s because I kind of understand how hard it is for Toono. I don’t have the same problem as Toono but I can understand how difficult it could be.

I love that the new girl at school wasn’t just created to get in between them like who it is in older shojo manga, she actually becomes friends with them and is a nice girl.

Overall, I enjoyed the story so far and I can’t wait to see what will happen next in these two’s relationship. I enjoyed it enough that I might buy the series soon.





Blog: nazishreads.net/TravelandBookBlog
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[L Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satoru and Keigo are such a cute couple! They're second year high school students who's had crushes on each other since their first year. Satoru is usually expressionless and has a hard time expressing himself verbally but Keigo finds him adorable and seems to be able to tell what he's thinking (at least, usually 😉).

The manga starts off at the beginning of their relationship and follows them as they adjust to being a new couple. They immediately have jealousy issues and misunderstandings due to Satoru's inability to say what's really on his mind as well as his naivete when it comes to dealing with..well, everyone.

Keigo is a sweet and caring seme but he isn't above getting frustrated and losing his temper from time to time. What they aren't able to convey to one another verbally they do so sexually... and these boys have a lot of sex. In this manga the uke isn't the kind that says no but really means yes (I actually don't mind, but why are there so many of them?! 🙄), both are active participants from the beginning.

The art style is pretty, the characters are attractive, and the stories are entertaining. SuBLime does it again. This publishing house knows what it's doing.

[Bee (BacchusVines) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I paused briefly and had to look up the mangaka.

I'm stoke to be reading another Hinako Takanaga work. Tono and Tamiya are my brand of BL: sweet, loving, and with some humor.

I really enjoyed Tono as a main character. He's expressionless and has a hard time speaking up for what he wants. I love the dynamic between him and Tamiya. And that the romance hits off right in the beginning but still shows how Tono fell for Tamiya. And I love the introduction of Tono's childhood friend to ruffle Tamiya's feathers and also get Tono to push himself to express what he believes.

I will be continuing on with this series.

[river · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've been trying to read older mangas, and i got this from the library.
this was published in 2006, so i can kind of see the time period in the story.
but again, it's another story about highschoolers and there is sex scenes (barely explicit and doesnt show anything really) but still i'm not the right demographic for this.

it was cute, and yes i know they are in highschool they are kids/still learning. - and i totally get not communicating well (cause thats how i was in highschool)
but the miscommunication trope still makes me crazy. this really wasnt as aggravating as some other mangas ive read.

overall it was ok, but i dont think i will read more in this series.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A parte il fatto che il protagonista ripete ogni tre pagine di non essere capace di mostrare le emozioni, la storia mi è piaciuta. Il che è strano per uno yaoi di Takanaga-sensei.

Forse dipende dal fatto che i due, per il momento, hanno una relazione molto equilibrata e non c'è uno che avvelena l'altro.

Le disavventura che capitano ai due sono plausibili e trattate con garbo.

Direi che per il momento ho fatto un ottimo acquisto. Speriamo che si mantenga su questo livello fino alla fine.

[Jane]

Wow, dieses Manga ist 2007 in D erschienen. Das sind jetzt fast 20 Jahre. Der Zeichenstil ist immer noch wunderschön und Satoru ist ein sehr liebenswürdiger Charakter. Mir gefällt wie viel Wert in der Story auf Kommunikation gelegt wird. Das der consent bei der ersten Intimität der beiden Hauptfiguren keine Rolle spielt ("Ta..." - "Nein! Ich werde nicht aufhören!") verleiht dem ganzen leider einen ziemlichen Dämpfer. Was es erträglich macht ist, das wir, die wir Sartorus Gedanken lesen können wissen, dass er tatsächlich Freude an der Intimität mit Tamiya Keigo hat... Trotzdem, nicht gut.

[R E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical BL that grows on you by the last chapter. In this case, the uke is an introvert whose emotions don't show on his face, and whoops difficulty understanding social dynamics. The seme, Keigo, is athletic, sensitive and understanding, but sometimes struggles to interpret what Satoru is feeling. While there are a number of explicit scenes between the two boys, the book also shows them wrestling with and successfully resolving relationship issues.

[Tankii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatsächlich ist die Idee eines Paares wo sich ein Partner nicht ausdrücken kann und der andere schon, eine sehr interessante Idee. Sie ist hier auch erstaunlich gut umgesetzt und ich mag die Plottwists durch die Eifersucht sehr. Außerdem ist es interessant, dass er sich nur durch Sex wirklich gut ausdrücken kann.

[Dada · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bon, c'est la package du BL japonais lycéen de cette époque, ni plus, ni moins donc je vais pas en faire une critique sérieuse car ce serait bien trop redondant :

J'avais envie de secouer le gugus bleu. Je sais pas ce qu'il est censé incarné mais l'attirance du blond est, étonnante ? En mode, petit kink sur les poupées à viande chaude.

[Zian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit boring at first but with the childhood friend involved, I got interested. Overall it wasn’t a bad volume but it wasn’t my favorite either. I’ll still give the second volume a chance though.