Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Vol. 1

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon #1

by Shio Usui, Jenny McKeon (Translator)

A YURI ROMANCE FOR THE MODERN CAREER WOMAN!

Uno Hinako throws herself into makeup, fashion, and falling in love, hoping that will make her seem "normal" to the other people at her job. But no matter how hard she tries, she's a self-doubting mess inside, and her attempts at "normal" romance with men just keep failing. When she starts to think she might be alone forever, a new normal presents itself—in the form of her relationship with Asahi Sato, a level-headed woman who works at her company, which starts as respect until it becomes far more intimate.

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer, Yuri, Graphic Novels

172 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2020

Reviews

[literarylesbian · Rating 5 out of 5]

my fellow d¥kes weren’t lying this is amazing

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh what the heck!!! This was so cute. This manga really came for my throat with how relatable this protagonist is. I related a lot to what she said about wanting to make other people happy and trying to fit into a certain box because that’s what people expect from you. And how she beats herself up for not wanting a ‘good guy’ and doesn’t feel normal, I felt very seen by this main character! 😭

This is one of the first (if not the first) girl love manga I’ve read and it was soooo freaking cute, I can’t wait to read more! 🥹

[Medusa :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT THE FREAKING HECK THIS IS SO CUTE!! Not only is it cute and wholesome, but it also talks about very real issues that women deal with. The art is so so stunning, like I wanna put some of the panels on my wall cause they’re so pretty. And both of the characters are adults with their own struggles and I just think this is absolutely amazing!

[Jan]

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon is a yuri manga series:

A. About adults,
B. Where no one is cheating,
C. No looks like they are trapped in a porn film on the cover,
D. No one dies,
E. And is a really sweet story with likeable characters.

[not my high · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10, przyjemna, slow burn, jestem ciekawa jak się rozwinie

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the word "toxic" gets overused nowadays, but maybe there's a reason. In the case of Uno, one of the heroines of this manga, a heteronormative world is forcing toxic values on her, telling her that she's "wrong" because she keeps turning down men and "bad" because she thinks she needs to keep trying to find one, even as she rejects one after another. The world has made Uno hate herself, its toxic views poisoning her from the outside in, and I really, really wish that was less relateable.

I almost (almost!) don't even care if she ends up with Satou in the end. The person I want Uno to learn to love is herself.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Office ladies in love?? I'm sold!!

For my detailed thoughts, check out this video: https://youtu.be/hBu7ZIpFEDY

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but frustrating because the pacing of the story depends on the obliviousness of the main character: Why can't I ever find a guy I want to date? Why can't they be as nice and attentive as my female co-worker? Why did my heart skip a beat when she smiled? Welp, time for another group date with a bunch of guys!

Still, she seems to be working through her confusion as part of figuring out what she's doing with her life. And the co-worker isn't as sensible and together as she first appears and has a humorous relationship with her little sister that helps move things along.

I'm pretty much hooked and asking my library to buy the next volume.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 3 out of 5]

prob won’t continue (sorry)

i relate to the main character a lot but this was just sooo fluffy i found myself getting a bit bored, im sorry.

[౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

crying then giggling every 2 seconds

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!
Hinako and Asahi's budding friendship is such a delight to watch, and I appreciate the slow-burn attraction because both characters are thoroughly explored and developed as individuals prior to pairing them.

But also, personally, so painful!
Hinako's struggles with self-worth and self-love, and where she fits in with society (and its torturous norms) resonate so much with me that I was left gasping.

[a · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was really cute!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

cuteeeeee ahhh

[makayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

LESBIANS.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You’re crying. You hate yourself too, I think, and honestly? I’m a little relieved.”

Ha sido una historia extremadamente linda y trata temas bastante importantes, no lo voy a negar, sin embargo, creo que me esperaba otro tipo de desarrollo y más “chicha”. Esto si fuera un BL sería el doble y el triple de intenso. Esto es algo que no entiendo. No sé si será algo cultural.

“When things get to be too much. It’s Good to take a little break.”

[Kesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

How come I just read it now? This story doesn't seem forced it feels quite real. Hinako's struggles are the ones I can resonate with. You shouldn't force yourself into trying to live up to what the people around you think is right and appropriate for you.
I can see that Shio Usui gave Asahi and Hinako some depth in a realistic manner. Want to keep on reading about their relationship but there are only three volumes out ..

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting this to be sweet and adorable -- I was not expecting it to be such an accurate (at least from my experience) portrayal of anxious, neurodivergent experience with comp het. Can't wait for volume 2!

(Note: they don't say explicitly anyone's sexuality or label any neurodivergencies -- that's my interpretation of her behavior)

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐
I hope they fall in love!

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

slowwwwww burn so far but i’m intrigued. i like how it portrays comphet, and emotional insecurities related to not being in love. Although I hope the main two don’t get to codependent in that regard, I often have mixed feelings about romance where one of the characters has deeply low self esteem and the other has to reassure them constantly, ya know? But we’ll see how it turns out!

[rorysstar]

my sillies

[Katarzyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If they don't smooch in the 4th volume I'll stop believing in Love

[Patile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me kicking my feet 😭 Love a good existential crisis mixed in with romance 🤪

It seems like their relationship is going to develop very naturally, which I love.

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read much yuri manga, so this was a nice change. I enjoyed this and am curious to see how these two manage to get together and also see how they change separately as well.

[naviya · Rating 4 out of 5]

CUTE!
- definitely not tropey
- the pacing is a lil weird and the younger sister so far just seems to be driving the plot but still
-lots of real feelings and questions and it was heartwarming

[wasteland baby]

a yuri romance for the modern career woman >> is about a girl working a boring-ass desk job who feels like she has no control over her life

no star rating on this one bcs i don't think i'm the intended audience? number one, this was my first manga and apparently i can't read manga for shit bcs it took me like a third of this thing to figure out how to read right to left lmao (thanks for the gift tho, anagord!! every day is a school day and i *did* acquire a new skill after finishing this <3).
number two, in the author's note panel(??) the author jokingly remarked that these MCs seem kinda like teens and like,,,,yeah. not that i dislike YA romance per se, it's just that i didn't go into it with the correct expectations (ahem, "for the modern career woman"), so the protagonist's immaturity kinda threw me off. i mean, maybe immaturity is not the right word - the heroine struggles with compulsory heterosexuality and god knows it's not just teens who internalize that shit (i for one felt uncomfortably seen by the whole "finding a man(tm) makes u normal in the eyes of the world/being femme is armour that keeps u safe from judgement" twin brain-weasels). but her whole journey of "so i *don't* have to spend all my time pleasing others and performing normative unthreatening femininity??", while an important message, was conveyed very...unsubtly? this is actually reminding me of a convo we had in the Romance Salon the other day about what makes YA lit distinct and a few people said sth along the lines of "big emotions, expressed in clear language". and while that is great, i am a grown-ass woman who does not need to be reading a fictional girlie saying "You're defective. You can't fall in love. There's something wrong with you. You'll never be normal." to herself, like girl follow the Ace Dad Advice insta or some shit, Marie Condo that nonsense out of your brain!! but then again i can only say this bcs i am a grown-ass woman and not a girlie who is currently in the trenches.

either way i did get to read the word senpai printed on paper with my own two eyes, so that's something!!

[Aisling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Make up is my armour, my protection and I too am defective.

-BB

[Klaudia (Czytelniczka z Księżyca) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nawet w mangach będzie mnie niszczarka nękać po pracy XD

[Pielgrzym Ołówkowy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE ITT

[Cristina Patón · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good so far

[Devin Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

super cute!