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Don't Call Me Dirty #2
Don't Call Me Daddy
Long before the events of Don't Call Me Dirty, Hanao Kaji and Ryuuji Mita were close friends...
When Ryuuji is left to raise his son Shouji as a single father, Hanao steps up to help him out. At first, their family life is happy and content, but Hanao's true feelings for Ryuuji become more and more difficult for him to ignore. The pressure of staying closeted eventually becomes too much to bear; Hanao leaves, choosing to run from his feelings and his fears of somehow "messing up" Shouji's life when he starts getting teased at school for having two dads.
Years later, when he comes home to care for his aging father and ends up advising Shouji on his blossoming relationship with Hama, Hanao realizes it's time to face his own past... and his future.
When Ryuuji is left to raise his son Shouji as a single father, Hanao steps up to help him out. At first, their family life is happy and content, but Hanao's true feelings for Ryuuji become more and more difficult for him to ignore. The pressure of staying closeted eventually becomes too much to bear; Hanao leaves, choosing to run from his feelings and his fears of somehow "messing up" Shouji's life when he starts getting teased at school for having two dads.
Years later, when he comes home to care for his aging father and ends up advising Shouji on his blossoming relationship with Hama, Hanao realizes it's time to face his own past... and his future.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
April 5, 2026
I Love old men yaoi but imagine 20 years wasted because of a misunderstanding im sobbing
January 24, 2025
I absolutely love this spin-off from the first volume!! And how Hanao and Mita’s relationship and storyline developed too was so good! So sweet, it had me smiling so much until the end, definitely recommend!
July 17, 2020
Tokyopop seems to have a bit of a theme with their recent BL releases: it's okay to be who you are and love who you love. I can totally get behind that, and as an added bonus, this volume is a story about older adults - when the actual romance happens, they're in their fifties. That won't work for everyone, certainly, but it's a nice change from the romance novel norm, and also important to the mindset of Hanao, who has convinced himself that being gay is, if not "wrong" than at least "not normal." There's definitely more of him coming to accept himself and his right to be happy than of the actual romance, but this is still a nice change of pace for those looking for BL that's off the beaten path.
Full review eventually appearing on ANN.
Full review eventually appearing on ANN.
September 28, 2021
After reading Don’t Call Me Dirty I was excited to read this manga since it follows Shouji’s father Ryuuji and Ryuuji’s childhood friend Hanao. I feel about the same for this manga as I did the last. The story itself is solid, but the art is still not to my liking.
I actually liked this story more because the main characters are older men in their 50’s. I’ve never read a BL with older men before so it was nice to see. I mean, unrequited love for 20 years ??!! You don’t get that with most BL manga lol.
Also like that the mangaka is able to tell a good story and wrap it up in one volume.
I actually liked this story more because the main characters are older men in their 50’s. I’ve never read a BL with older men before so it was nice to see. I mean, unrequited love for 20 years ??!! You don’t get that with most BL manga lol.
Also like that the mangaka is able to tell a good story and wrap it up in one volume.
October 12, 2020
I'm not crying, you're crying!
This hits so many beats designed to punch me in the feels. Second chance romance, atypical family, generational issues, atypical romantic leads, and generally unexamined problems/byproducts of homophobia.
The doctor was wildly entertaining and I hope he gets his own book. Barring that, I hope he finds the silver daddy he is looking for.
This hits so many beats designed to punch me in the feels. Second chance romance, atypical family, generational issues, atypical romantic leads, and generally unexamined problems/byproducts of homophobia.
The doctor was wildly entertaining and I hope he gets his own book. Barring that, I hope he finds the silver daddy he is looking for.
July 25, 2021
3.5 stars
August 22, 2023
I think these two were drawn in a way that makes them look waaaaay older than 52 & 54.
This needed two volumes I think to really convey the story & emotions. But that scene on the stairs , those 6 panels, just did my heart in.
This needed two volumes I think to really convey the story & emotions. But that scene on the stairs , those 6 panels, just did my heart in.
June 17, 2022
Este me gustó muchísimo más que Don't call me dirty. No solo está mejor construido, también la temática es más interesante.
Acá seguimos a Ryuuji, papá de Shouji, el prota del otro manga y a su vecino y amigo, Hanao. El inicio es este cliché de "ay, me dejaron un bebé y ahora debo criarlo con mi mejor amigo", pero no lo trata como comedia. Al contrario, lleva la premisa más lejos al abordar cómo Hanao oculta sus sentimientos al notar que el pequeño Shouji interpreta su relación como la de un matrimonio. Me parece acertado un diálogo que no sé si dijo en este o en el otro manga respecto a la época y cómo ha cambiado la opinión pública y privada respecto a la homosexualidad.
Después, la historia se centra en ellos ya en sus cincuentas y eso es fascinante porque se reencuentran y finalmente tienen la oportunidad de hablar sobre lo que pasó hace más de veinte años.
Acá seguimos a Ryuuji, papá de Shouji, el prota del otro manga y a su vecino y amigo, Hanao. El inicio es este cliché de "ay, me dejaron un bebé y ahora debo criarlo con mi mejor amigo", pero no lo trata como comedia. Al contrario, lleva la premisa más lejos al abordar cómo Hanao oculta sus sentimientos al notar que el pequeño Shouji interpreta su relación como la de un matrimonio. Me parece acertado un diálogo que no sé si dijo en este o en el otro manga respecto a la época y cómo ha cambiado la opinión pública y privada respecto a la homosexualidad.
Después, la historia se centra en ellos ya en sus cincuentas y eso es fascinante porque se reencuentran y finalmente tienen la oportunidad de hablar sobre lo que pasó hace más de veinte años.
June 16, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a good story. I was very intrigued about the raising of the kid as a single father aspect ad it did now disppoint. I do have to say that the events were quite slow and that I felt quite bored halfway through. I decided to do something else in between and come back to the story later and I"m glad I did because it really got better and much more interesting.
I really like the art style. It's nothing special but it's pleasant to read and you don't need to focus too much on what's going on exactly like some other comics/manga I read.
This is such a good story. I was very intrigued about the raising of the kid as a single father aspect ad it did now disppoint. I do have to say that the events were quite slow and that I felt quite bored halfway through. I decided to do something else in between and come back to the story later and I"m glad I did because it really got better and much more interesting.
I really like the art style. It's nothing special but it's pleasant to read and you don't need to focus too much on what's going on exactly like some other comics/manga I read.
June 15, 2022
I really like this mangaka’s works. This one in particular as the protagonists are 50+, not always one reads bl with older people in them at all. It was so refreshing.
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Great pacing and themes. The art is kind of lazy though in par with everything else but it isn’t bad per se just not the cleanest I guess.
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Great pacing and themes. The art is kind of lazy though in par with everything else but it isn’t bad per se just not the cleanest I guess.
June 4, 2020
I read a nearly illegible ARC version, so I definitely missed some of the nuances here, but what I did manage to read was very sweet. The art is simple and straight forwards. I enjoyed reading about these two friends who meet again after 20 years and finally admit to having feelings for each other.
July 29, 2020
Estoy feliz con este manga, y es que me dio todo lo que pedía como fan de está historia (desde "Dont call me dirty").
Fue maravilloso el desenlace para Ryuuji y Hanao. De verdad este manga me hizo muy muy feliz.
Fue maravilloso el desenlace para Ryuuji y Hanao. De verdad este manga me hizo muy muy feliz.
February 18, 2024
In this follow up to Don't Call Me Dirty (read that first), we get the story of Shouji's dad and his BFF Hanao. The story overlaps with Dirty in the present, but also flashes back 20+ years and we see what happened when Shouji's mom dumped Shouji on dad's doorstep.
Six years later, something happens when Hanao is picking Shouji up from school, and Hanao leaves. I won't say what, cuz spoilers, but the whole situation is way more f'd up and heart wrenching than the blurb here on GR suggests.
Twenty years later, prompted by some of the goings on in Don't Call Me Dirty, Hanao comes to check on his father (who runs the candy store next door to Mita's liquor store) and this time Mita's not letting him run away again.
It's not perfect, it's a bit melodramatic, and it feels a bit messy. Not just in the art, which does make Mita & Hanao look older than their 52 and 54 years. (Hanao's father looks about 900, and also the blurb call's Mita "Ryuuji", but I don't remember seeing that name once in the whole book, so I'm going with Mita.) But structurally it feels a bit messy too. But omg do I love these f'd up characters.
I was mildly disappointed we didn't get to see more of Hama in this volume, and I kind of wish there was a book for the Silver Fox hunting Doc, but at least I do have another unrelated Gorou Kanbe manga to look forward to.
Six years later, something happens when Hanao is picking Shouji up from school, and Hanao leaves. I won't say what, cuz spoilers, but the whole situation is way more f'd up and heart wrenching than the blurb here on GR suggests.
Twenty years later, prompted by some of the goings on in Don't Call Me Dirty, Hanao comes to check on his father (who runs the candy store next door to Mita's liquor store) and this time Mita's not letting him run away again.
It's not perfect, it's a bit melodramatic, and it feels a bit messy. Not just in the art, which does make Mita & Hanao look older than their 52 and 54 years. (Hanao's father looks about 900, and also the blurb call's Mita "Ryuuji", but I don't remember seeing that name once in the whole book, so I'm going with Mita.) But structurally it feels a bit messy too. But omg do I love these f'd up characters.
I was mildly disappointed we didn't get to see more of Hama in this volume, and I kind of wish there was a book for the Silver Fox hunting Doc, but at least I do have another unrelated Gorou Kanbe manga to look forward to.
March 7, 2021
A story of love denied, love unrequited, and love eventually found... What I love here is that the romantic action finally happens when the two main characters are mature men in their 50s, and not pubescent boys. It’s rare for yaoi to deal with honest-to-goodness adults. Elements of the dialog and action seem preposterous to the western reader; this is no surprise. On the whole, a sweet and relatively realistic second-chances rom-com.
May 17, 2026
The name is AWFUL but this is such a good read. I want wholesome, not problematic BL. Is that too much to ask for? NOT IT'S NOT, HERE IS Y'ALL. A love story about two men reconnecting after 20 years, struggling with identity, redemption for past ignorances, and SO MUCH MORE PACKED INTO JUST ONE NEAT LITTLE SINGLE VOLUME. AHHHHH.
Man the name of this is so bad.
Man the name of this is so bad.
July 26, 2021
Sweet and made me teary
I loved this manga. It’s a great continuation of the first book “Don’t Call me Dirty”, but delves into the story of the dad and his best friend. It was a bittersweet love story, filled with lots of confusion and misunderstandings, and also a reminder of the fact that gay couples are still not accepted in many parts of the world. I really loved getting to see this pairing in a couple of older men, as it’s not common, but it is still an important story to tell. Looking forward to more from this author!
I loved this manga. It’s a great continuation of the first book “Don’t Call me Dirty”, but delves into the story of the dad and his best friend. It was a bittersweet love story, filled with lots of confusion and misunderstandings, and also a reminder of the fact that gay couples are still not accepted in many parts of the world. I really loved getting to see this pairing in a couple of older men, as it’s not common, but it is still an important story to tell. Looking forward to more from this author!
January 6, 2021
Cute, important discussion on homophobia, generational gaps and such in current Japanese society. Old boys are good boys.
July 11, 2025
well this is barely a 3 star read tbh
September 6, 2020
Such a wonderful story about who gets to be a family and accepted in society. The sweet romance is more of a backround thing. Just as good as the first one.
June 18, 2020
He tenido la oportunidad de leer la versión en inglés de este manga antes de su fecha original de publicación y la verdad es que superó totalmente mis expectativas.
Es una historia de amor que comienza con unos jóvenes llamados Hanao y Mita, cuidando al hijo de este último. Esto ya lo había leído en otros mangas, lo que no contaba es que ellos se separan y se vuelven a encontrar 20 años después, donde sus sentimientos de ambos salen a flote y comienzan una bonita relación teniendo entre 50-54 años, y sinceramente creo que es lo que me gustó más porque estoy acostumbrada a leer relaciones en donde los personajes tienen entre 20-30 pero este fue la excepción. Ni sé diga del estilo del dibujo porque se me hizo totalmente hermoso. El único pero que le pongo a este manga es que me hubiera gustado ver más a profundidad la relación entre Hanao y Mita, pero en general estoy muy satisfecha con este manga.
I received an e-ARC of this book, so thank you very much to Edelweiss+ for providing it to me.
Es una historia de amor que comienza con unos jóvenes llamados Hanao y Mita, cuidando al hijo de este último. Esto ya lo había leído en otros mangas, lo que no contaba es que ellos se separan y se vuelven a encontrar 20 años después, donde sus sentimientos de ambos salen a flote y comienzan una bonita relación teniendo entre 50-54 años, y sinceramente creo que es lo que me gustó más porque estoy acostumbrada a leer relaciones en donde los personajes tienen entre 20-30 pero este fue la excepción. Ni sé diga del estilo del dibujo porque se me hizo totalmente hermoso. El único pero que le pongo a este manga es que me hubiera gustado ver más a profundidad la relación entre Hanao y Mita, pero en general estoy muy satisfecha con este manga.
I received an e-ARC of this book, so thank you very much to Edelweiss+ for providing it to me.
March 3, 2025
This is a sequel but I felt like it would have been better as a prequel. There are a lot of details explained in this volume that would have solidified the events and relationships in the first volume better. That said, there would be spoilers to volume one as well, so maybe it’s fine as a volume two.
Going into this volume, I knew I would cry because I cried with the first volume too. However, I wasn’t expecting myself to cry uncontrollably throughout each chapter of this volume. I don’t even know how to express my thoughts.
Time never waited for anyone. All these reincarnation and regression stories recently published feel like a blessing. One can go back and redo their life, their relationships and their decisions. But in this story, the characters lived with their decisions and accepted their past, their present and their future.
The story is told from Ryuuji and Hanao’s perspective. I enjoyed how they cared about each other in their own ways. I loved the familial bond they had and how they didn’t forget each other even after many years. It was sad to see them separate and reunite after such a long time, but it was also endearing in its own way.
This manga does a good job in relaying emotions through both the words and the character’s expressions. It also interweaves meaningful flashbacks to build the characters and their backstories. This makes the story more impactful and emotional as it progresses towards its conclusion. The artwork is descriptive with detailed backgrounds, expressive emotions and movements. I also loved how the items and events around the characters were incorporated into the story.
The character designs are interesting and I love how it didn’t shy away from showing older characters that have aged. However, their clothing was lacking and quite repetitive, including their somehow perfect hairstyles. I would have loved a bit of variety in it because it seemed almost perfectly relatable and realistic.
Overall, this was a great story with a meaningful yet emotional message. I probably won’t read it again because I don’t want to look like a red eyed frog, but I’ll always remember to own my decisions, accept my actions and make the most of the present!
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
Going into this volume, I knew I would cry because I cried with the first volume too. However, I wasn’t expecting myself to cry uncontrollably throughout each chapter of this volume. I don’t even know how to express my thoughts.
Time never waited for anyone. All these reincarnation and regression stories recently published feel like a blessing. One can go back and redo their life, their relationships and their decisions. But in this story, the characters lived with their decisions and accepted their past, their present and their future.
The story is told from Ryuuji and Hanao’s perspective. I enjoyed how they cared about each other in their own ways. I loved the familial bond they had and how they didn’t forget each other even after many years. It was sad to see them separate and reunite after such a long time, but it was also endearing in its own way.
This manga does a good job in relaying emotions through both the words and the character’s expressions. It also interweaves meaningful flashbacks to build the characters and their backstories. This makes the story more impactful and emotional as it progresses towards its conclusion. The artwork is descriptive with detailed backgrounds, expressive emotions and movements. I also loved how the items and events around the characters were incorporated into the story.
The character designs are interesting and I love how it didn’t shy away from showing older characters that have aged. However, their clothing was lacking and quite repetitive, including their somehow perfect hairstyles. I would have loved a bit of variety in it because it seemed almost perfectly relatable and realistic.
Overall, this was a great story with a meaningful yet emotional message. I probably won’t read it again because I don’t want to look like a red eyed frog, but I’ll always remember to own my decisions, accept my actions and make the most of the present!
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
June 12, 2020
3 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)
I would recommend reading the first this series "Don't Call Me Dirty" which gives you a bit more background and the stories do overlap at some points. If you are reading this as an e-book the format is still the same as a regular manga, so you need to go to the end of the book to start the story. The story itself was a lot of what was in the first volume but the beginning focuses on the time when Mita's son was very young and what led up to Kaji leaving and getting his own place. This a cute addition to the original story but it's not really necessary.
I would recommend reading the first this series "Don't Call Me Dirty" which gives you a bit more background and the stories do overlap at some points. If you are reading this as an e-book the format is still the same as a regular manga, so you need to go to the end of the book to start the story. The story itself was a lot of what was in the first volume but the beginning focuses on the time when Mita's son was very young and what led up to Kaji leaving and getting his own place. This a cute addition to the original story but it's not really necessary.
October 2, 2024
This book starts 20 years before Don't Call Me Dirty and ends a year after. So it spans 20+ years.
First off this was a Netgalley copy and the quality of the copy was poor. I found parts of it (especially thoughts and asides) difficult to read.
But the story, oh my, it made me sob. Really sob ugly tears. It's has interesting things to say about homophobia in the older generation in Japanese culture and how much of that is internalised.
I had a few issues towards the end of the book, with Mita's abrupt change of heart and sudden acceptance of his own feelings but overall I enjoyed this (once I stopped crying 😢 😭 😅)
If you've not read either book I think I would recommend reading this one first. It would possibly have more impact that way.
Now bought the paperback.
First off this was a Netgalley copy and the quality of the copy was poor. I found parts of it (especially thoughts and asides) difficult to read.
But the story, oh my, it made me sob. Really sob ugly tears. It's has interesting things to say about homophobia in the older generation in Japanese culture and how much of that is internalised.
I had a few issues towards the end of the book, with Mita's abrupt change of heart and sudden acceptance of his own feelings but overall I enjoyed this (once I stopped crying 😢 😭 😅)
If you've not read either book I think I would recommend reading this one first. It would possibly have more impact that way.
Now bought the paperback.
December 23, 2024
This was definitely quite a cute manga. As far as BL goes, this is one of the more wholesome ones. I probably would've given it a higher rating if the ending were better. Although lust is a big part of relationships, I really think this relationship specifically should have lingered more on the emotional side without hopping straight to the sex part. It could've been really good - I have a soft spot for older characters falling in love and I cannot lie - but it fell a bit flat. If it had a bit more time to explore romance, it'd probably be great.
October 8, 2020
3.5 * A better relationship story than the book this was spun from. More thoughtful in its execution and made way better use of its backup characters, but it took a while to get to where it wanted to go by way of repetition, and I’d have liked more of the emotional pang from chapter one present throughout the book. Still, ojisan romance is always a nice change of pace.
January 31, 2021
Started off very promising, but since I had read the first book already, I suspected it wasn't going to be a happy story. It follows the very hetero trope of thinking sex is the end all be all in a relationship and its oddly hemophobic in its character development. Not a fan.
March 28, 2023
Ok, I already loved the first manga in this series and again I can’t put into words how much I loved this one as well.
These are just so good and so unique stories I had to give them all the stars.
These are just so good and so unique stories I had to give them all the stars.
June 28, 2020
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Don't Call Me Daddy, by Gorou Kanbe
★★★★☆
176 Pages
Don't Call Me Daddy is a spin-off from their story Don't Call Me Dirty, which I utterly adored. “Daddy” picks up before, during and after “Dirty”, but I read it this time on its own, and then I'll be following up with a re-read of “Dirty” just because I can.
So, I remember Shouji's father as a kind of distant, drunk, almost-absent father from “Dirty” and I've always been really intrigued to find out where that came from and why it happened. If he'd always been that way, I'm sure Shouji wouldn't be quite so caring and want his approval so much. This story tells me exactly what I wanted to know. I LOVED seeing his father – Mita – as a young, doting, confused, over-worked, chaotic father. I loved that he spent time with Shouji, that he had that family unit with Mita's childhood friend Hanao. I also really loved the whole mini-story of Shouji being in love with his school friend. That was adorable. In fact, EVERY instance of baby-Shouji was adorable.
I actually really loved Mita as a character, this time around. I didn't bond well with Hanao, probably because I just didn't get his behaviour. I know it's realistic and why he was worried, but I never really understood his motivation, or got the sense he was protecting Shouji by leaving. It felt like he was running from who he was, and the potential end of his friendship with Mita, if he found out. Which, actually, was pretty stupid because he ended up losing that friendship by walking away. He didn't bother to keep in touch, which was gutting.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I had a HUGE issue with the formatting and being able to read the text, which is why I can't give it the full 5* rating, but I've got “Dirty” on my paperback wish-list and can now safely add “Daddy” without worrying it wouldn't be as good. Because it is. And now I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Kanbe's work.
Can we please get "Don't Call Me Doctor" next? I'd love to read more about Haba, the cheeky doctor who was so much fun.
* NOTE
While I would LOVE to give it a solid 5* rating, I had a problem with the formatting. In fact, it took me an hour to find a format and app that would read the dash thing. Unfortunately, the file is acsm – which means you have to open it in Adobe. I can't read on my laptop, so I had to convert to Mobi (and PDF and Epub) just to get it onto my Kindle.
No matter what format I tried, everything came out with the image only 50-60% of the page. I was forced to zoom-in on *every* page and some panels had so much text or were so small that it was impossible to read them. So, there are pieces I missed and I hate that, but I think I got about 80% of the story without it.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Don't Call Me Daddy, by Gorou Kanbe
★★★★☆
176 Pages
Don't Call Me Daddy is a spin-off from their story Don't Call Me Dirty, which I utterly adored. “Daddy” picks up before, during and after “Dirty”, but I read it this time on its own, and then I'll be following up with a re-read of “Dirty” just because I can.
So, I remember Shouji's father as a kind of distant, drunk, almost-absent father from “Dirty” and I've always been really intrigued to find out where that came from and why it happened. If he'd always been that way, I'm sure Shouji wouldn't be quite so caring and want his approval so much. This story tells me exactly what I wanted to know. I LOVED seeing his father – Mita – as a young, doting, confused, over-worked, chaotic father. I loved that he spent time with Shouji, that he had that family unit with Mita's childhood friend Hanao. I also really loved the whole mini-story of Shouji being in love with his school friend. That was adorable. In fact, EVERY instance of baby-Shouji was adorable.
I actually really loved Mita as a character, this time around. I didn't bond well with Hanao, probably because I just didn't get his behaviour. I know it's realistic and why he was worried, but I never really understood his motivation, or got the sense he was protecting Shouji by leaving. It felt like he was running from who he was, and the potential end of his friendship with Mita, if he found out. Which, actually, was pretty stupid because he ended up losing that friendship by walking away. He didn't bother to keep in touch, which was gutting.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I had a HUGE issue with the formatting and being able to read the text, which is why I can't give it the full 5* rating, but I've got “Dirty” on my paperback wish-list and can now safely add “Daddy” without worrying it wouldn't be as good. Because it is. And now I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Kanbe's work.
Can we please get "Don't Call Me Doctor" next? I'd love to read more about Haba, the cheeky doctor who was so much fun.
* NOTE
While I would LOVE to give it a solid 5* rating, I had a problem with the formatting. In fact, it took me an hour to find a format and app that would read the dash thing. Unfortunately, the file is acsm – which means you have to open it in Adobe. I can't read on my laptop, so I had to convert to Mobi (and PDF and Epub) just to get it onto my Kindle.
No matter what format I tried, everything came out with the image only 50-60% of the page. I was forced to zoom-in on *every* page and some panels had so much text or were so small that it was impossible to read them. So, there are pieces I missed and I hate that, but I think I got about 80% of the story without it.
March 30, 2022
Art: 3½*
Plot: 4*
Characters: 4*
Overall rating: 4*
Click here for my review of vol 1 Don't Call Me Dirty !
Vol 2, or perhaps better labelled as the spin-off of vol 1, focuses on Shouji's dad, Ryuuji, and his childhood friend, Hanao. The story follows closely the timeline set in Don't Call Me Dirty, which is nice, and shows how the two "dads" of the story overcome their insecurities to be together.
When Shouji was born, Ryuuji had no clue what to do so he relied on his best friend's help in raising the child. Hanao stayed with them and took care of Shouji until the age of 6, when Shouji started displaying signs that he was gay. Frightened that Shouji was being influenced by the adults in his life, Hanao decided to leave the household--and his love--behind in favour of a career in a law firm. Fast forward 20 years, Hanao and Ryuuji are reunited, but Hanao's old feelings for his friend are too much to bear, causing a fresh rift to open up between the friends.
This volume did a lot of things really well. It dealt with the topic of unrequited love in a poignant way, it presented an older couple at the centre of the narrative, and it showed how perceptions of oneself are entirely based upon the opinions of society. Hanao struggled most of his life with his feelings for his friend because of the social stigma attached to loving someone of the same sex, as well as his fear of losing his friendship all together should his friend be suddenly revolted by him.
Hanao's perception is entirely built up through a six-year-old child's innocent outlook on life. When Shouji tells his school friends that Hanao and his dad are "married" and that they all "play together and eat together," this triggers Hanao's fears that what Shouji sees in him will be seen by the outside world. Even though he loves and cares for Shouji, he cannot stand to see himself reflected in the boy and laid bare in front of the society he lives in.
The manga does a great job of showing this tug and pull of Hanao's feelings and the result of his eventual admission is both satisfying and a relief. After everything that Ryuuji and Hanao have been through, they definitely deserve their HEA.
If you liked the first volume, then you should definitely read this one too. Even though we don't see Hama in this one, past and present Shouji make up for it in how he helps Hanao (and his dad) in becoming more honest with himself.
Plot: 4*
Characters: 4*
Overall rating: 4*
Click here for my review of vol 1 Don't Call Me Dirty !
Vol 2, or perhaps better labelled as the spin-off of vol 1, focuses on Shouji's dad, Ryuuji, and his childhood friend, Hanao. The story follows closely the timeline set in Don't Call Me Dirty, which is nice, and shows how the two "dads" of the story overcome their insecurities to be together.
When Shouji was born, Ryuuji had no clue what to do so he relied on his best friend's help in raising the child. Hanao stayed with them and took care of Shouji until the age of 6, when Shouji started displaying signs that he was gay. Frightened that Shouji was being influenced by the adults in his life, Hanao decided to leave the household--and his love--behind in favour of a career in a law firm. Fast forward 20 years, Hanao and Ryuuji are reunited, but Hanao's old feelings for his friend are too much to bear, causing a fresh rift to open up between the friends.
This volume did a lot of things really well. It dealt with the topic of unrequited love in a poignant way, it presented an older couple at the centre of the narrative, and it showed how perceptions of oneself are entirely based upon the opinions of society. Hanao struggled most of his life with his feelings for his friend because of the social stigma attached to loving someone of the same sex, as well as his fear of losing his friendship all together should his friend be suddenly revolted by him.
Hanao's perception is entirely built up through a six-year-old child's innocent outlook on life. When Shouji tells his school friends that Hanao and his dad are "married" and that they all "play together and eat together," this triggers Hanao's fears that what Shouji sees in him will be seen by the outside world. Even though he loves and cares for Shouji, he cannot stand to see himself reflected in the boy and laid bare in front of the society he lives in.
The manga does a great job of showing this tug and pull of Hanao's feelings and the result of his eventual admission is both satisfying and a relief. After everything that Ryuuji and Hanao have been through, they definitely deserve their HEA.
If you liked the first volume, then you should definitely read this one too. Even though we don't see Hama in this one, past and present Shouji make up for it in how he helps Hanao (and his dad) in becoming more honest with himself.
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July 6, 2020This second-chance romance manga is the spin-off story I've asked the universe for after I finished Don't Call Me Dirty last year and OH MY GOD it was Perfect! I was initially put off by the weird layout of the ARC's DRM format, but I remembered how much I enjoyed the first book so I powered through. After a few pages, I forgot about the damn layout bec the story was so gripping (more compelling than the first book, I'd say) and the tropes felt like they were TAILORED to me personally. LOL
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There are two timelines in this story, beginning with scenes set in the past, back when Shouji was still a child; and by the second act, we are taken 20 years later, to present events that coincide with events in Shouji's story. The stakes are not v high in this, but the drama and plot is still v rich, mostly bec Hanao is super fenced in with his feelings, and Mita is so bad at communicating in general. LOL.
I loved that they were in their 50s but are sort of emotionally stunted(?). For Hanao it was bec he was hiding secrets, and for Mita, well, he was mostly a mess of thoughts and feelings to begin with - but he makes up for it really good. It all gets sorted out (after a couple of false starts bec can they be even more messy?? LOL) and when it does, the broody feel of the story is lightened and made more fun. :)
Other highlights for me are Shouji and Hanao’s conversation at the hospital bec it provided some closure for issues I didn't even notice needed it; the ~kilig when Mita asks Hanao to look at the moon *swoons*; and the closed-door sex towards the end that really puts the cherry on top of this amazing cake! I also love how it handled 'heavy' issues on sexuality, with care and without being preachy.
I highly recommend this, and please read the first book first! You'll appreciate all of Hanao X Mita when you already know the person Shouji becomes bec of his unique upbringing.
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*The eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
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