Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon

A short and sweet story about love in more forms than just one. I personally highly enjoy the approach the manga takes, emphasizing that in order to fall in love, you need to love yourself first. The way this series depicts intrusive thoughts and declining self esteem feels very genuine and realistic. Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy, having this voice deep inside your head that you aren't worthy of love or that you're terrible and undeserving of the people around you. It's very rewarding to see Hinako slowly realize that she deserves to be happy and that she isn't a burden to thosewho care about her. Another aspect of her character that I find well thought out is how she sees herself as "not normal" and desperately wanting to fit in, to be seen as normal. Hinako often exclaims that she feels gross with herself for not being perfect and that people around her could even spend time with her. The way she sees prettying herself up as armor, so the world can see her just as a basic "nice young lady" putting on a fake smile at work. All of that also plays quite well into the comphet angle, which I think ultimately is done competently. Understanding that she is her own person also helps her find her own identity in the make up she's been using to cover up her real self, now using it to emphasize her true nature. Asahi's point of view is also quite well portrayed, with how she prioritizes the happiness of her sister, rather than her own. I think the manga presented that experience rather gracefully as well. Same with the character of Fuuka, who tackled the trope of a love rival in a way that's also very genuine, understanding that she isn't a bad person either, for wanting affection and love. There is a subtle theme of asexuality, but I can't say it plays a big part in the story. It was quite often brought up, that Hinako is not interested in physicality at all, so she doesn't want to kiss Asahi. While I think it is completely fine, I wish the series would find a way to give them their big romantic moment at the end of the story. You know, the moment where the characters say their feelings for each other and kiss with a lovely background. The manga kinda lacked that final "oomph" for me, as it ended on them just holding hands, the same way they did plenty of times before, not even with more detail to emphasize the finality of the moment. It is a quite lovely slow burn, but it does speed up quite a lot in the last volume. I feel like the story could've used either a bit more time or a bit more of a steady pace, to fully deliver the ending. It might feel a bit unrealistic, for a series so focused on realistic depictions of mental struggles, that everything just worked out for them without any issues, but I do think that only further plays into the main theme of presenting one's own insecurity as their biggest enemy.

Wow, what a read this was! It’s one of those series where you read the first few chapters and just know you’re experiencing something special. I think it also carries a great message about self-love and the importance of communication. All 20 chapters bring something to the table—not a single one feels insignificant. The progress of the main couple is so tastefully slow, yet steady and consistent. Most of their struggles are resolved fairly quickly, but never in a way that feels rushed or cheap. The pacing hits that perfect sweet spot. The side characters also felt very complete, and most of them played crucial rolesin the story rather than just being background noise. This beautiful and sweet story is backed by lovely art, with each character having unique features that make them instantly recognizable. I'm honestly regretting not picking this up sooner. I'd absolutely recommend it to any fan of the genre, and I'll definitely be checking out the author's other work. 10/10 – Masterpiece

This GL manga series has a lot going for it. The main characters are compelling and each have their own internal conflict to work through. The relationship that develops between them is very sweet, and the way they get to know each other feels very natural. What was frustrating, however, was the introduction of a love triangle-esque situation. This series already had enough going on without that, especially because both main characters are both clearly coded as being on the aro and ace spectrums, and they already have a hard time understanding their feelings for each other. Seeing them figure out what love looked likefor both of them individually was definitely the highlight of the series. Overall, this series was fine and definitely worth reading, but it had some plot developments that were very frustrating, which made it less enjoyable for me overall.