Fated NOT to Meet, Volume 1

by Ei Eijou

Izumi, the sales ace with excellent grades, good looks and great communication skills, has someone he absolutely cannot lose to.

His name is Sendo, the most unlikable man who took the top spot from Izumi.

Izumi was the top salesman and fan favorite amongst the girls in the office... that is, until Sendo came along.

When a friend recruits him to be a plant for a gay dating app, Izumi agrees, so long as he never has to meet anyone in person. But when he makes a connection with "Kei", the temptation to meet his new friend becomes irresistible. After all, even if they meet, it's not like they actually have to start dating... right?!

Well, turns out "Kei" is none other than Izumi's rival, Sendo! Moreover, what Sendo has in mind for Izumi isn't exactly "dating," and the intense pleasure that awaits them both might just be worth defying fate.

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

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2023

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Workplace rivalry romances are nothing new, but they almost always work for me. This is no exception. These characters are likable and have great chemistry. There's a little bit of angst, but the reconciliation is so well done. The bonus story at the end was adorable too.

[rory (jess' version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

the plot is both of them being hot af and they're so cute together

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I don't really understand why some of these perfectly good one-shots turn into ongoing series. This story feels very much complete in one volume, and I can't figure out what the point of a second one would be.

But I was surprised by how the story went in this one, so perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised by a continuation, too. It was a really interesting and refreshing way of handling a common enough trope.

In particular, the beginning reminded me a lot of Fake Fact Lips , to the extent that I got kind of confused between them during preorders. I definitely liked this one better, at least at this point. (We'll see how both of their sequels go.)

Izumi has that same "my older brother was perfect and my parents adored him so I have an inferiority complex" issue, but he actually approaches it in a relatively healthy way. He knows it's a little bit of a complex, and it does make him anxious when he's not #1 at things, but he's channeled it into productive motivation. He enjoys the thrill of working as hard as he can to be the best, and even when he gets down about losing, he just sulks for a minute before picking himself up and swearing to win the next time.

It's the sort of attitude that makes him so good at his job, and genuinely likable to all the people he's charming on his way to the top. This ends up including his new work rival, a handsome but standoffish salesman named Sendo, who casually accepts their rivalry without ever seeming to have a single negative thought about Izumi.

Sendo is...a little bit of a saint, actually, except that makes him sound too over-the-top, too, because he's never intending to be. He's so interesting. I kept expecting those predictable moments where he would snap or get angry with Izumi, or even hurt, but he's just a run of the mill nice guy who works hard (without investing much personal emotion or pride into it) and casually hooks up with other guys during his free time - also without investing much emotional weight into those relationships.

He's gay, and he's not out at work, but he's not particularly bothered about trying to hide it. So when he finds out that the guy he'd been chatting with on a dating app is Izumi, he's interested in him in the usual way - why not hook up while they've got the chance - but also happy to have someone at work whom he can be himself around. As things progress and they seem to be getting more and more serious, he's a little confused about what it is that he's feeling, but he rolls with it.

Including his relatively easy acceptance of their relationship ending, once he finds out that Izumi was a straight guy who was just working a side job using his incredible people skills to hype guys up on the app and keep them interested enough to keep using it.

You'd think Sendo would be angry about being used and lied to, but he doesn't flip out about any of it. He asks a few questions, and does his best to understand why Izumi would do this. They'd become such good friends while chatting on the app, and then hanging out more in person, that he feels confident that Izumi would never do anything without a solid reason. His first impulse is actually to make sure that Izumi wasn't being hurt - maybe even blackmailed or something - but he's pretty open-minded when Izumi insists that no, it was his choice, he was okay with everything, and it was just a paying job like any other.

Sendo is disappointed and sad, but he moves on. After all, they'd never labeled their relationship as anything, and he'd never had a serious relationship himself, anyway. So they were just two guys who'd had a connected for a while and then parted ways. No big deal, and no grudges held.

Izumi's lie was a little bit stupid, but I liked how it ultimately played out, with his confession - not expecting anything from Sendo, just wanting him to know - and Sendo going into screensaver mode for a little bit while he processed everything and then sorted through his feelings to realize that hey, all those weird, unusual emotions he'd been feeling are what people talk about when they say they're in love. He's never fallen in love with anyone before, so he didn't know why his chest got tight and why he didn't want to meet up with other guys anymore.

So maybe I don't mind a second volume as they each settle more into a relationship neither of them had ever expected.

[Daesy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 almost 5, didn't 5 only bcs there was little plot. But it was consensual, no cheating, uke's first time with a man, uke not girly.

[Bin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ what’s up with these kinds of books not having clear consent!

[Emilee Leister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow this shot up on the thirsty scale of BL manga I have read…

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the manga well enough. It wasn't entirely original, but it had a lot of fun moments and the art was nice.

The story involves colleagues, one of him hates the other because he needs to be the best and on top because of past issues with being compared to his older brother.

They don't realize they get matched on a gay dating app, which one is only helping his friend build, but when they finally meet... well, you can guess.

I did like that Sendo had secretly had feelings for Izumi the whole time, even though Izumi so blatantly hated him.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has got your typical work rivalry dynamic, which I don't really like or dislike. I did enjoy this story, though. The smut was good and I thought the way they built their relationship was kind of sweet. I loved the art. The way the eyes were drawn? Amazing. I'm not a fan of the lying plot and when the conflict happened it was painful, because these motherfuckers are not honest and don't talk it out. Despite all the things I didn't like, this story did work for me. I had a good time with it and I can see myself reading this again at some point.

[river · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked the premise of this, and the characters personalities at work and how they teased each other was entertaining.

sendo is a little pushy, but doesnt do anything really bad. and mostly respects izumi's boundaries etc.

i was a little confused why they got hotel rooms when it was raining instead of just going home tho? do taxis not drive in the rain? and it was too late for the train. (but i think this is just me not knowing about where they live)

i do think i will read others in this series if/when they come out.

this was good overall, and wasnt just all smut there was some plot. and ofc a smidge of angst becaude izumi lied to sendo. but then felt bad about it/thought it over and they got back together of course.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga was WAY better than I expected it would be given the cover and description. Sendo and Izumi actually talk and get to know each other throughout the story. Their relationship isn't just sex. They like each other as people first and then start a relationship. I will admit, I wan't a big fan of how their relationship turned sexual, but I still really liked the story overall.

[☽｡⋆ Shells (jlreads_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rivalry BL romance that was really fast-paced, in my opinion, and downright straightforward towards the plot. There's a little bit of angst almost towards the end, but it was mended quick and really smooth. Overall, this was a fun read.

Thank you, Tokyo Pop, for the review copy 🫶.

[July · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9
very good story, but dubcon threw me off.

[Lucsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started "Fated Not to Meet" because of the pretty cover with the lowest expectations, fearing that synopsis, but this revealed itself to be one of my favourite mangas so far.

This book proves that you don't need to rest on (problematic) stereotypes or cliches to deliver a compelling romance and move the story forward. It is possible to add your original twist to what seemed like a cheesy storyline and say something original and worthwhile.

This is not exactly an enemies-to-lovers because Izumi is the only one competing against and being a gremlin to Sendo, but their work tension and chemistry were really well done.

I loved how they were both accomplished at their jobs and extremely ambitious, and have their own complex personalities and individual struggles without ever being stereotyped by their sexualities or sexual preferences.

Izumi, who's a wild hissing cat of a man who takes out his insecurities on himself and Sendo, is proud to the point of self-destruction. Thankfully, Sendo gave him opportunity after opportunity to be better until he was able to trust himself and their relationship.

Seeing an older character realising they aren't straight and exploring that part of themselves is one of my favourite tropes. I laughed so hard when Izumi stopped saying he was straight when his prostate came into play, but I also really appreciated seeing a male character who had only dated women before, struggling with what it meant to be the one penetrated.

Sendo, on the other hand, knew who he was but struggled with having to be closeted at work and the loneliness of being the only gay person around. It was interesting to see him fall in love when he was so open about never having experienced it before. I personally choose to interpret that as him being part of the ace/aro community, and no one can take that from me.

The spice was spicy;) but never gratuitous, with each scene adding to the storyline, and I really appreciated that there was more than missionary and some realism when it came to contraceptives. And for a Japanese BL manga, the consent wasn't too awful, and I laughed so hard when I noticed that there was a drink called BL.

There were a couple of typos, and the art wasn't exactly my style, but I didn't hate it either. The only detail I didn't like was that the characters named companies as A, B or C instead of simply inventing a name.

I saw there is an upcoming second volume releasing next year, and I hope against all odds that I can get my hands on it too, because this was one of my favourite manga ever, and I want to read anything Ei Eijou gifts us with.

Thank you to Edelweiss, TokyoPop and LoveLove for this DRC.

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.75 read for me.

Okay, I went into this with my eye squinted to avoid the red flags and typical toxic bl tropes and am happy to say there weren't that many. And, if so, they were handled in a nicely done way.

Two employees who are forever in a metaphorical tussle (although it's mostly one employee doing all the mental work) get together based on a lie and while it blows up...it wasn't that bad of a blow up.
I nearly squealed when Sendo said he was flattered that he got Izumi so addicted to him, he had to keep the lie going. Sendo truly has guts of steel.

My only gripe is honestly with Izumi constantly repeating the he isn't gay. There is so much emphasis on "gay" that a lot of characters get pigeon-toed into this one stereotype. Like, he can just be queer, bi, or pan instead of having to be "gay". Dear mangaka's, other identities exist!

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would love a spin off of their shenanigans. Izumi blushing was indeed a treat.

Thanks to LoveLove for the DRC!

[Autumn L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Izumi is the top salesman at his work and everybody’s favor until Sendo came along. They have an ongoing rivalry between each other. But things to get complicated one day one Izumi was asked to go on a gay dating app. And then he started talking to a mysterious person, and that person turned out to be Sendo. And the reason why complicated was because Izumi was not gay. And they started to talk to this app and they realize just how much they have a chemistry with each other. And they have the same interest the same likes. So they decided to meet up and things start to heat up in their relationship. But everything was discovered, and it was going downhill. Until they both talk to each other And they gain better communication skills. That Izumi was able to accept his feelings because he wants Sendo by his side. I did enjoy reading about these two. In the relationship and how much they mean to each other.

[Cassie Renais · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was going great until the main complication turned into the MC just being completely dishonest about his feelings and lying to the ML's face about the reason they'd been seeing each other. Their coincidental meeting through an app only to discover that they're work enemies(?) is a fun trope, and their chemistry felt natural and real. Both characters are three dimensional, and the story progresses at an even pace the whole way through. The ending is satisfying, but it was annoying that the conflict was entirely self-inflicted and didn't do anything except create an artificial barrier to break down a tiny bit later in the story. The art is consistently good, which is also nice.

Overall, a decent story and well delivered, but the big moment of despair that the love story has to overcome feels contrived.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fated NOT to Meet was a pleasing one-shot BL manga. I enjoyed the premise and the setup between the two characters. Their interactions both within the office and without were interesting and you felt both characters evolved as the story progressed. The illustration was good throughout and the action moved at a good pace. This is at the adult/explicit end of BL, so bear that in mind when choosing to read. If you prefer fluffy, sweet romance, this one's not for you. But for fans of the sexier-style stories, I recommend this book for a fun story and generally good content. I am giving it 4.5 stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[FlyingPinkGumball · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was shocked how much I enjoyed this manga. I was worried at how fast it was moving, since I usually have issues with stories that move too fast or feel like they've rushed the characters together. However, I found myself totally charmed by the two main leads. They have good chemistry, and there is time dedicated to them working in the office together. Is it a new an exciting plot? No. But it did it's job well and gave me what I wanted

[estherbookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rivals, office romance, boys love. Sendo actively pursuing Izumi is adorable. He's mature and sure of his sexuality. Might I add respectful and honest. If this is volume 1, I wonder what volume 2 would be about (could always look it up but I like being a bit surprised). Excellent illustrations with girth and oozing with what one can only call substantially necessary to the plot.

CW: nudity, explicit, sexual content, sa, car accident

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like clear consent, skip this one. Their first 2 encounters were uncomfortable. I almost DNF’d.

I got through it, but I did not care for this one. Sendo was boring and had no personality or back story other than being emotionless and pushy to the point of discomfort. The art style also wasn’t my favorite, but that’s more of a petty complaint.

If you want a really good workplace rivalry, I highly recommend Fake Fact Lips over this one.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what, I liked the art. I liked the conflict and both the characters. Nothing in this felt over the top just a lot of acknowledgment of what you feel and who you are. Sendo is a great character. Never ran away, was always willing to listen observe and always worked to meet Izumi where he was. Izumi is clearly sometime good at self reflection and tries to be better but still acknowledges he isn’t.

I don’t think this needs a second volume but I wouldn’t say no to a second one.

[Not Very Extroverted · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much!!!

Not only to see how their chemistry will either work with them or against them, but also the competitiveness between the two (though it's quite one-sided ;)

It's honestly really sweet and all the blushing and "I love you" being thrown around is just a feast to read(*≧ω≦)(*≧ω≦)(*≧ω≦)

Hoping on a volume 2 soon!!

[Sarah Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and the Publisher for the digital review copy!
3.5-4 it depends on the point in the story.

Liked this one a lot, as a fan of rivals to lovers. I hate the lying trope but I understand the use of it.

Loved the characters, loved the journey of self discovery. Would love to see more from Sendo’s perspective?

[Rhiley Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and Tokyopop for the E-copy! This E-copy was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

A pretty average workplace BL story, nothing too unique. The art style was okay and the spicy scenes were good. I wouldn't say I'd want to continue on with the series, but it was an okay read.

[astraea astronomica · Rating 4 out of 5]

picked this up on a whim at barnes and didn't expect much from this but it was actually enjoyable and sweet. the arts good, its uncensored, and cute. will be purchasing the second volume if there is one.

[diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

as always would prefer a BL with more explicit consent, but it appears to be a staple of the genre, or at least all the ones i stumble upon in my Library Misadventures. there was not a single scenario that found me unamused / uncharmed.

3/5 stars

[Alex Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s go gays!

[Jessica Huynh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but I hate when BLs have a miscommunication/conflict plot and don't REALLY talk anything out. Maybe that part isn't on paper but I would at least like to see it idk...

[Jitka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75

[Diana Jiganie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun! Also, it's very hot, pfff.. If it wasn't for the dubious consent, I'd have rated it higher. Anyway, I love boy-loves-boy stories.