Weekend Citron

I've heard of people looking like their pets, but have you ever fallen in love with someone because THEY look like your beloved pet? Me neither. Weekend Citron is an interesting BL that tries very hard to be sweet, but kind of forgets to build up much of a relationship between the characters beyond "oh, he's pretty" and "oh, he looks like my dog and lets me pet his hair", which is unfortunate because there is a lot of potential here. A pâtissier whose passion for baking comes from his connection to his grandmother, ultimately evolving into the only method he had for communicating with theworld outside of his small familial bubble, is a fantastic concept that isn't explored deeply enough. In part, the short length of the series hinders a lot of that development, so it's only expected that certain aspects would fall to the wayside in favor of pushing the main leads together as quickly as possible. Not even acknowledging the fact that we know nothing about his love interest, there are unfortunately other problems that develop from this lack of in-depth characterization. Jin's sad backstory explains why he is so closed off and awkward around others, but the story seems to almost infantilize him in the process. This becomes a problem during two scenes: one in which he is kissed without consent while passed out drunk and another in which our eyes are jumpscared with surprise smut. At the very least, that kiss does get addressed as a wrong that has been committed... but the writing gives off the distinct impression that we, as readers, should be romanticizing Souichi's constant guilt over it. This all comes to a head during the chapter 4 smut scene where he starts seeing Jin as someone too pure and innocent for first kisses and sex. And yet, that doesn't stop him from forcing himself on Jin even though Jin tells him to stop. This still isn't the worst non-con I've seen from a BL, but it was definitely an uncomfortable escalation from the very sweet buildup to that moment. The bonus chapter is a welcome breath of fresh air that introduces how the relationship between Ai and Makoto developed through the years. Unfortunately, it brings out the "remove glasses, braces, and baby fat to become hot" trope, which has become so old and worn by this point that all I can muster is a disappointed sigh in response. Other than that, it's cute and I wish I could have seen more of them being adorable together! Overall, there are some really great moments in between the scenes that leave a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, chapter 4 can't just be skipped if you want to understand some important details from Jin's backstory, so brace yourself for the uncomfortable smut or commit yourself to skimming it like I did if the rest of the manga's concept intrigues you. Thankfully, the smut section is short enough.