Ai no Gebokutachi by Shushushu Sakurai

Title: Ai no Gebokutachi
Author: Shushushu Sakurai
Format: manga

What I thought the manga was going to be like didn't turn out to be after all. Ai no Gebokutachi is a mix of comedy and smut in the world of gay boys. It's also a collection of short stories, starting out with Keigo and Gunji who are both single fathers and old coworkers. They secretly like each other but due to a misunderstanding one night after a social party they separated ways and each found themselves a wife and a son.

Their section of the manga plays on the idea of idiot fathers trying to be both responsible while still pursuing a  homoerotic romance with each other. There's a heavy dose of comedy as the two men stumble and try to work around being parents and lovers at the same time.

The next story that follows is of their kids: Keita and Gunkichi. This is several years in the future, when the boys are in high school. I didn't see any specificity of which grade they are in, but that's hardly important. Like fathers, like sons, the boys find themselves attracted to each other. They have been friends since they were young, and their affection has grown since then.

The next one is about a theatre actor (Seiji Suou) and his devoted fan (Ryoichi Kobayashi). Ryoichi pursues Seiji by becoming a stagehand in the theatre company. One day, Seiji invites Ryoichi home and things get a little hot and steamy between them. In time, they become lovers, but then problems arise which reveals a surprising health problem for Seiji.

The last story is about a journalist (Tetsuya Naruse) and childhood friend (Kousuke). Tetsuya returns to his hometown to work in the local journalist company. After learning Kousuke used to be involved with a gang and thus couldn't get a job because of his bad record, Tetsuya pleads for Kousuke to work in the company as an errand boy.

The compilation of stories in this manga is diverse in the sense that there are different settings for each story. Each one is unique from the other. But despite that and how interesting the synopsis for each short story might be, the story telling is disappointing. I find it hard to connect with the characters. Though this is a comedic sort of manga - and there are definitely funny parts throughout the book - I still feel like I should be able to sympathize with the character(s) a little before the plot dives into sex. Or at least understand them.

Not only that, the way the story was told was too fast for my liking. It felt choppy, and parts I felt were key components to draw the reader in were brushed over too lightly. I found some parts hard to follow, not because I couldn't understand, but the transition from scene to scene was too abrupt. I would have preferred if the author took more time to draw the story out, and perhaps even make a bit more profit in their sales if they stretched it into another volume.

Because each story was all so fast and crammed in a single chapter each, there was much to be desired at the end.

Apart from that, the art did not compel me to keep staring. Some stories may have bad plots but their art will keep you looking at the pages and admiring the delicate lines and effort put into place - regardless the genre of story. This manga did not do that for me. What came out strong in Keigo and Gunji's story seemed to deteriorate as I progressed through the chapters. I don't know if the author was rushed to meet their deadline or lost motivation, but by the end of it all I didn't feel moved to go back and read it through again.

Overall: 3 out of 5