Castle Mango

Living in a love hotel doesn't give other people the best impression of you, especially when your aspirations are to succeed the management of that hotel. But it's not until the gay AV director, Togame, enters the scene that things become especially problematic for Yorozu. Watching Togame hang around his younger brother Satoru, he decides to take advantage of an opportunity and manipulates Togame into keeping his distance from Satoru. But Yorozu may have bit off a little more than he can chew. Although the premise may seem a little extraordinary, Castle Mango is a delightful because it makes itself so realistic and believable. The romanticdevelopment is subtle and sweet, and along the way it develops the main characters, explores them, and fleshes out their backgrounds. For how short it is, it manages to use each scene effectively. The only disservice it does to itself is its length—the ending felt like it came too soon when everything prior had been properly paced. That said, it's worth every moment spent reading it. Yorozu is a peculiar person who might be described by relatives as unfriendly, unapproachable, and uncooperative. In comparison his brother is cheerful, easy-going and light-hearted. The appreciation and almost preferential treatment that Satoru receives gives Yorozu a particular complex about himself, as well as the mistaken belief that everyone prefers Satoru over him. This has made him stubbornly independent and unwilling to rely on others. Togame, in comparison, seems cold and distant at first, yet he has a gentle kindness about him. Contrary to Yorozu's initial impression, he's actually quite discerning about other people and his motives for approaching Satoru are far less conspicuous and shady than it might at first seem. The development of the two as separate characters, as well as the romantic development between the two is so satisfying. Castle Mango recycles typical tropes and uses them innovatively as motivation for the characters to learn some lessons that they desperately need—communicating effectively with other people, relying upon other people, and cherishing that which is important to you. Although not the masterpiece it could have perhaps been, had it been lengthened enough to provide a more satisfactory ending between the two after such incredible build-up, Castle Mango stands as something of a diamond in the rough in yaoi genre.