Three Wolves Mountain

Here's the thing about this manga: it begins with a screech. That's how it felt! It was like something was grating my brain! I was all, "What happened to Naono sensei!? Give me back my beloved mangaka! I want Renai Nenrei back!" But I guess she was just testing us to see if we are truly Naono lovers (:D) because by the second chapter it's back to the usual Naono awesomeness of hot (old) men, cute lovers, huge age gaps and adorable comedic situations. Oh, and let's not forget the smutty parts, ha? The characters really annoyed me at the beginning. I thought Susugi-san was just anindifferent hermit who couldn't give one way or another; Jiro came off as flaky and, I don't know, overly young (is that a thing?); and though Tarou was the only one I could stand, he was sort of bland. But I think the best characters are the ones that the writer manages to get us to fall in love with after she made us completely hate them. Which is what this mangaka does with Three Wolves Mountain (cute name). As the story progresses, we discover Susugi's past, and his true nature. And though he's slightly self-centered, who isn't? it's okay, he feels real. His trauma and story feels real. Tarou isn't as nice and easygoing as he first appeared. Actually, he's kind of dark and violent. And finally, Jiro's innocence is nothing but a mask. Of course, I found some faults in this manga (I'm such a stick in the mud sometimes). There's a lot of substance, themes and pretty gritty topics all stuffed into 6 chapters. I think she could have turned it into at least 2 volumes. Also, there's a heterosexual relationship in my BOYS LOVE manga! What's going on here?! Conspiracy! :D The way she added that in is actually pretty sweet.