Twittering Birds Never Fly is the series that many know mangaka Kou Yoneda.
I didn’t read Twittering Birds Never Fly until many years later after I read NightS.
NightS is comprised of three short stories. Reply is my favorite.
Reply takes place in a car dealership and it explores a budding friendship between a salesman and a mechanic.
Seki is a mechanic and Takami is a salesman, let’s dig in!
It begins with Seki displaying his disdain for the sales team. Seki feels that the sales team lacks consideration.
Seki and Takami have a brief encounter and we get some background on Takami. Takami is enigmatic and Seki is intrigued. This is the foundation of their friendship.
Finding depth in bl manga can be difficult. Tropes can be fun but finding something substantive is always more pleasurable. Kou Yoneda creates characters with dimension and complexities.
Their friendship properly kicks off when Takami makes a request for roadside assistance and Seki answers the call. This is the moment where Seki sees another side of Takami. He’s compassionate and values his clients. Seki didn’t expect that and begins to lower is walls.
The twosome have dinner and Seki realizes something afterwards. He’s falling for Takami.
Takami is strange, but the people around him can see his changed behavior when he’s with Seki.
Seki is fully aware of his feelings and he decides it’s best for them to no longer spend time together. With Takami’s possible transfer looming ahead he wanted to make a clean break and confesses.
Seki purged all his feelings and Takami was left bewildered. Once the confession sets in Takami begins to recall their past moments together.
Takami is transferred, but he still thinks about Seki. His assistant gives him a nudge to try to reconnect with Seki. He fails horribly and their fracture seems permanent.
Throughout the process of Takami trying to mend his friendship with Seki, we can see how much he misses him. His assistant tells him, “He’s the only one you’re nice to.”
The light bulb was turned on and Takami went to see Seki.
Takami is looking for assurance and he gets a blushing Seki telling him they can’t go back to be being friends.
Takami wants more than just friendship and he kisses him and confesses his true feelings.
The ending is very satisfying because the buildup was meaty. There is a Reply to a Reply, taking place three months in their relationship. Things get a little steamy, but they are so cute!
Reply is a light and substantive BL short you will enjoy!
Buy NightS
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂