Let Me See the Real You, Senpai! Vol. 2

先輩、ナカみせて #2

by YUHO OKITA

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

After overcoming the horrors of being exposed and dogpiled online, the pair begin their journey as a couple. Everything seems to be moving along without a hitch…until Haruki starts getting offers from VTuber agencies! How will Yuu-kun feel when Haruki begins connecting with more and more people?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Boys Love, LGBT

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2024

Reviews

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute continuation that showed their growth as individuals and a couple.

My one gripe is that Yu-kun initiated sex sans condom and they never discussed it afterwards. Just felt weird, especially after the public indecency scene.

Solid 3.5 though and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's go jealousy arc

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really hope this series continues for a while. This was another banger I can’t wait for Volume 3❤️💪🏾

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I did get exactly what I asked for in a sequel...Yuu's flaws and selfishness came roaring out in a jealousy arc.

Slightly mixed feelings about that, which could be resolved in the third volume. (Is that the final one? This is a series that really doesn't need to stretch out too far.) While the first volume still felt complete to me as a standalone, I did like seeing a little bit more of Haruki's streaming life post-reveal and otaku outing.

Especially important was his quest to start making more real life friends, outside of his VTuber follower chats and his very clingy relationship with his boyfriend. I do like Haruki and Yuu. I also think it's really crucial for Haruki to build a social life that isn't entirely dependent on one person.

This gets kickstarted by one of Haruki's longtime followers, a popular VTuber named Youzu, proposing that he and his partner, Hakai, be grouped with Haruki and Yuu. It turns out Youzu and Hakai are both otaku and bond quickly with Haruki, who lights up with happiness over finally getting to talk about his interests with other people. Yuu is left out of the conversation for the first time, and starts fighting himself because he's had really bad experiences with jealousy in the past.

I genuinely did not like that elevator scene at all - I thought it was weird and offputting, but it turns out it was actually meant to be. Yuu later equated it to the moment his ex-girlfriend had, in a fit of jealous anger, accidentally broken a cherished family record of his. He started distancing himself from Haruki after that because he was so afraid that if he let himself show any of his ugly, selfish jealousy, he would break something irrevocably as well.

The thing is, he had an important realization from an on-stream dating advice conversation with Hakai...and while I really liked that moment and appreciated the resolution and conversation between him and Haruki, I'm pretty concerned about Haruki's friendship arc. It's difficult because Youzu was actually on a quiet, long game quest to step in and take Haruki for himself, romantically, once Haruki and Yuu broke up. So it wasn't a purely friendship deal. But Haruki really, really, desperately needs friends.

Right now, he's left lonely and sad at home, waiting for Yuu to get back: from work, from drinking with his school friends, from anything that a regular relatively social person does and that Haruki's never experienced.

So while this volume was okay on its own, and I really enjoyed the introduction of the new characters - both Youzu and Hakai were actually really great - I'm a bit concerned about the story arc. Still, with at least one more volume on the way, hopefully the "Haruki gains more confidence in truly being himself" storyline will gain more ground.

[Ben Saylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I either want more porn or better story. It feels like there is no real development (or at least not enough given the page count) with the characters and it’s just about the MC being cartoonishly reclusive. I feel like this might be an issue if American vs Japanese culture as it relates to mental health. If this was an American book, the MC’s boyfriend would be trying to get him into therapy or assisting growth more than just “yay, he has a friend”. And the fact that the only friend is someone equally as awkward and has a stalker ish obsession to the MC is a little weird. I just wish we had more conflict beyond “oh no, people” if we aren’t going to have the characters be healthy about it. If this had more sex scenes, I’d be less annoyed because that would just mean that this should be treated as porn and not a good story, but the sex scenes are just short and infrequent enough that it doesn’t make up for the story. The MC and BF just frustrate me so much.

[Vigorish VT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume two for this series is here and I couldn’t have been more excited!! While this BL is one close to my heart (as a massive VTuber fan), I do have to say that this volume was not as good as the first volume. Do not get me wrong, its longer and drags the plot out a bit more than the first, but the end felt like “Oh thats it? Thats the resolution?”

While not a bad read whatsoever, I am hoping the relationship between Haruki and Yuu develops more with a little bit more umph. Still, a great read if you enjoy the series, and I look forward to the next volume!

[💕Neko in the Library💕 · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) I liked how the story shows how couples can be when one person starts hanging out with other people and the other experiences jealousy for the first time. I usually don’t like miscommunication tropes, but this one is understandable because of both boys’ perspectives. I am a little tired of the “people, I wanna go home” bit, but I can look past it because it’s still new to the MC being in a group setting and having someone other than his boyfriend. Can’t wait to see the next volume!

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually had more fun with this one even than the first one!

[LelandraTheLazyReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

another player has joined the game 🤪😏

[Kerry A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

low 4