Fox-Colored Jealousy
Author: Machi Suehiro
Illustrator: Machi Suehiro
Publishers: Yen Press
Age Group: Mature
Genre: LGBTQ+, BL, Romance
Type: Manga
Content Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content
Spoilers ahead
Plot
What could be worse than getting a random boner? Having fox ears and tail pop out whenever you get flustered.
Akiha Konno is a cute guy possessed with a fox spirit that he can’t control. So sometimes he sprouts canine ears and a tail against his will, which is exactly what happened when he meets Yukuri Takahashi, the cute nice guy who saves him from a pervert groping him on the train. That’s right….a boy being groped. It’s not Akiha’s fault he’s as adorable as a demur girl.
Since that day, the fox spirit wants nothing more than to take control because it likes Yukuri, too. Yukuri in turn likes Akiha—ears and tail included. Could Yukuri be just the person to fix his random transformation problems and help Akiha keep his fox in check?
Character Development
I must say it’s refreshing to see two personalities where you can’t tell who’s the uke and seme (dom and sub) from the get-go. The reason for this is because we have some great duality in both Akiha and Yukuri’s personalities (albiet Akiha’s is the fox, but still).
Akiha is introverted in the extreme due to his possession. He just wants a normal life and moves in with very distant relatives, who are a lineage of priests, while he tries the normal college life. He’s very shy and perhaps even ashamed he has feelings for Yukuri. He doesn’t want to cause any problems. Unfortunately, this mindset makes him a great target for creeps. On the flip side we have the fox spirit, which is blunt, knows exactly what it wants, and goes for it. This includes telling Yukuri how Akiha feels since Akiha doesn’t seem to want to say it, and the fox wants Yukuri and Akiha to get together.
Yukuri is very forward but he’s also too nice for his own good. This kindness he extends to everyone has been a problem in the past. So obviously, Akiha is going to question as well since Yukuri watches over him like a mother hen. This creates a lot of emotional tension and growth for both characters.
World-building
The world-building is set in a contemporary setting but with people that are possessed with animal spirits. Akiha is not the only one we know of in the book. What happens when a wolf becomes interested in our timid fox? This part creates further world-building because it tells us that those that have control over their animal spirit can tell other animal possessed from the common populace. That’s a scary thought when we know Akiha tries to hide his ears and tail.
We also know that people with great spiritual power attract animals. This is another reason the fox spirit likes Yukuri. It’s like the fox can’t help it.
I really like that the reader knows when the change between Akiha’s spirit and the fox taking over happens. His eyes change. What’s even better is that Yukuri also figures it out so it’s part of the world that can be interacted with for the characters, not just something thrown in for the reader to notice. This is important information because it shows a reason for all the panels showing the change in Akiha’s eyes. It’s not for our benefit alone.
Themes
It’s okay to pursue your dreams even if it means asking for help.
Observations & Predictions
I hope we get to see more of Akiha and Yukuri’s relationship as this is the beginning of a very sweet romance that can become spicy very fast. Not only that, but adding in a search to rid Akiha of the fox spirit could be an interesting storyline to pursue.
I am sad that throughout the entire book we are only teased here and there with a good time. We don’t get any real smutty payoff until the very end. Even then, while it’s a sweet ending it just leaves us craving for more.
In my opinion, this makes the plot a lot thinner. The main problem is solved early on. The focus switches to this emotional turmoil throughout the rest of the book without anything concrete to hold the world around the characters together.
If you want something light and quick to read, this BL is great. If you want something a bit deeper and spicier, best look elsewhere.
Did I enjoy this? Yes, as a cute distraction, it does its job. I’d want more volumes and more smut. I want to love Yukuri and Akiha deeply but a one-off doesn’t do that. More volumes would be needed.
Recommendations
Unfortunately, there aren’t planned future volumes of Akiha and Yukuri. The author does have another book in the same universe. Remember the wolf? That’s right! He’s got his own BL.
Kind of a Wolf By: Machi Suehiro
Sweet and Spicy BL:
The Dangerous Convenience Store
By: 945
Reincarnated into Demon King Evelogia’s World
By: Io Kaziwara
Note: manga can be found online on Coolmic
More Sweet:
Sasaki & Miyano
By: Shou Harusono
Given
By: Natsuki Kizu
More Comedy & smut:
Yarichin Bitch Club
By: Ogeretsu Tamaka
