Cute but not cute
Story and Art: Senmu Sakishita
Publisher: tokyopop (print & digital)
Imprint: Lovelove
Translation: Dylan Jekyll
Retouching and Lettering: A Vibrant Publishing Studio
Publication date: July 15, 2025
Rating: Mature 18+ (Uncensored)
Genre: Manga, Boy Love, Mature Romance
Hozumi has got everything his heart wants for his life. He was born with great looks, great charm and even greater success. But the truth is, he is incredibly codependent, a bit of a baby, completely lacking the ability to be self-sufficient. Without his college friend (and current personal assistant), Ibuki, Hozumi’s life would be in ruins. Ibuki may be the only person who found Hozumi’s less neat traits cute. He keeps quiet for years until the fateful night when Hozumi needs someone in bed…and Ibuki is there to take the initiative.
(c)2025 Tokyopop
Hozumi will be the element of making or breaking this BL manga for readers, and he barely made it work for me. The title of the manga says it’s a little, but it’s necessary to give him a lot of room to make the story and relationship “cute” rather than “cute” and make the little baby a little baby to him.
(c)2025 Tokyopop
The problem with Hozumi is his lack of self-sufficiency and his codependent tendency. It is hard to believe he was very successful in college when he was very successful in college and as the CEO of the current company, when he cannot sleep with him in another body without another body, or when his assistant Ibuki has to wake him up and dress him up. It is clear that Hozumi will not be able to do his job as CEO without doing absolutely basic things for him, and as a reader, he cannot see evidence of Hozumi’s abilities, and appears to suffer on one side of Ibuki and Hozumi’s relationship. Ibuki has been a pinned eight years for a long time, and it’s hard to see what Ibuki breaks out of the partnership when Ibuki does much more work than Hozumi.
(c)2025 Tokyopop
While there are flashbacks in college, shedding more light on Hozumi and Ibuki’s relationship, he doesn’t answer many questions about the current situation and interaction. In fact, I was wondering how it turned from point A to point B when the obstacles were present all along. Maybe it was designed to show some of Hozumi (his celibacy and cannot be given up) suitable for the CEO’s life, or to show Ibuki is slowly open…but revisit their college life.
All this is said, but I was still enjoying myself. The character design is unique even while the lead and background characters are portrayed as gorgeous, and the sex scenes are sultry and fully explained. With everything that focuses on how beautiful everyone is, especially on our male leads, there are still moments when the character turns into Chibis, or when Hozumi takes on the frightened rabbit persona.
(c)2025 Tokyopop
This manga is intended to be fun and entertaining, and is a reminder that it can sometimes be a bit ridiculous. Perhaps it’s the best way to read that cute but not cute. Make this a romantic comedy, not a serious romance, give Hozumi a blessing (you need Kiddo). You’ll have a fun time.
What’s cute but not cute is available digitally through prints from Tokyopop and various retailers.
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