EN Title: Worst Soulmate Ever
JP Title: 運命の番がお前だなんて / 運命の番に求婚（プロポーズ）だなんて
Romaji: Unmei no Tsugai ga Omae da Nante / Unmei no Tsugai ni Kyuukon (Propose) da Nante
Author/Artist: Haruta
Publisher: SuBLime
Publisher Rating: Mature
Status: Complete (2 Volumes, second volume is titled Worst Soulmate Ever: Proposal)

Content Notes: Sexual content

Story Overview
Yu Shishikura struggles with romantic relationships but is desperate to find his true mate. Being an omega makes is more difficult too. After participating in a soulmate consulting service, he finds out his perfect match is alpha Haruto Kotani, his coworker and former classmate who has been holding a grudge against Shishikura since… middle school?! Kotani may have helped Shishikura through a heat once, but he doesn’t believe in the result! But after having sex again, his thoughts are full of Kotani, who also has a nicer side to him…

In the sequel Worst Soulamate Ever: Proposal, Shishikura and Kotani have admitted their feelings for each other and have become a couple. Shishikura is finally one step closer to his dream of marrying his soulmate! Kotani, on the other hand states he has no plans to legally marry. Shishikura then has to decide on if he wants to stay with Kotani or his dream of marriage. When another man hits on him, both have to decide on the future of their relationship.

Review
I like to say that I’m not the biggest fan of the bickering couple trope, but every time I read a story with one, I eat it up anyways! (In Japanese, these couples are known as ケンカップル (kenkappuru). From the beginning I had to laugh at the story’s set up, especially for Kotani’s long and really petty grudge. And when the steamy scenes came around, Haruta showed the chemistry well! Story wise, their judgments and pride preventing them from admitting their feelings is one I feel is a classic story line in BL, yet I still kept flipping through. I really enjoyed the moments where Kotani was caring toward Shishikura and also seeing him realize he was falling for him. The comic didn’t have much of his perspective, so I was curious to know more about him. The story ended happily with them recognizing their feelings, but I do wish there was more development between the two. There were still were a lot of loose ends as well! Even if the feelings were now reciprocal, what about becoming mates? Luckily, there’s the sequel.

Worst Soulmate Ever: Proposal starts out with what I assume is an extra story where the two going on a hot spring date, giving more insight on their new relationship. Overall it was really funny, as they try to exorcise a ghost by having sex at the hot springs. As for the main story itself, it gave a little more insight into Kotani’s character and feelings on bonding and marriage, which I had been looking forward to seeing. His reactions to Shishikura talking positively about his family shows Kotani mostly had the opposite. And when his family past is revealed, he finally tells his honest fears and concerns about marrying. The rest of the story was sweet as Kotani makes peace with the past and marries. I found it funny his brother got in the way for two chapters, only to quickly disappear after that until the wedding. I thought he’d also maybe get involved with helping Kotani and Shishikura with the father afterwards, but then again it makes sense he didn’t? But his little appearance was really quick. Regardless, the sequel wrapped up the story nicely, and I’m glad to see the two get their happy ending!

I enjoy the omegaverse setting, though I like stories that are more unconventional, whether through different gender pairings or a deeper exploration of the setting. But I still had a lot of fun reading Worst Soulmate Ever! There were glimpses to some of the worldbuilding and how people view omegas, which I always enjoy seeing. This is my first time reviewing an omegaverse story, so for those unfamiliar with this setting: it was originally a fanfiction trope that eventually made its way into fanworks and original BL in Asia. The books contain brief information on the setting for unfamiliar readers, which I find is a good practice! Worst Soulmate Ever was overall light and fun, so I’d recommend it for mature readers who want something more steamy and comedic, maybe to wind down after a stressful day!

Thanks to SuBLime and Edelweiss Plus for the review copies! I ended up getting the books myself afterwards since I had fun reading~

BL featuring men in their forties and above (sometimes includes late thirties too haha) is a subset of the BL genre, sometimes called “ojisan BL” (おじさんBL) or “oyaji BL” (やBL), from what I’ve see on ebook sites and social media. Depending on the person, ojisan BL can include a story between an age-gap couple between a younger and older man. For others, they must both be middle-aged or older men. While not as popular in Japan, it’s much loved by English-speaking fans. In English, the equivalent term is “old man yaoi”, which has gone viral online. I am very much a fan of this sub-genre, and I find Old-Fashioned Cupcake to be a great story to introduce it.

Synopsis
At work, many admire the popular and reliable Nozue. Approaching forty, he remains unmarried and lives a simple and routine life and has no plans of changing it. Togawa, his subordinate who is ten years younger, one day convinces him to try something different: to hang out like teenage girls. So the two begin to visit various spots popular with young women. As they become closer and closer, their conversations become more personal. When Nozue learns Togawa likes someone, the atmosphere changes and Nozue becomes aware of his changes. Togawa eventually admits the one he’s in love with is Nozue, who too recognizes and eventually accepts his own feelings. In with Cappuccino, the two have been happily dating for six months. But when Nozue’s friend and coworker recognizes Togawa wearing one of Nozue’s old ties, the Nozue begins to fear for their relationship. He especially worries about what would happen to Togawa if others learned about the two. He puts distance between them, but he learns how his one-sided decisions hurt Togawa. Togawa also wishes to find a solution, and he eventually decides to take a new job in order to grow. The two reconcile their thoughts on a trip, and they move together in the end.

Review
Old-Fashioned Cupcake wonderfully tells the story of a man who slowly learns to embrace new changes in his life. In the beginning, Nozue is resigned to live his routine life, believing himself too old for things like romance. His self-deprecating attitude makes him resist both his growing attraction to Togawa and realization that he himself is Togawa’s crush, seen in his thoughts. But in the panels, Sagan Sagan hints at Nozue’s true feelings through his expressions until Nozue finally admits it to himself. One of my favorite things about comics as a medium is the way artists can stretch or crunch time within a page and give feeling through its visuals. I also love the use of close ups and overall flow of the pages Sagan Sagan creates.

The story itself is also oh so sweet in the way they fall for each other over their dates. They had inspired each other to live and enjoy their lives, leaving deep changes on each other. They’re not drastic in the sense they become completely different people, but enough to find the courage to accept their feelings. Both of Togawa and Nozue’s confessions to each other were a delight, but Nozue’s was especially adorable. Togawa’s response is one of my favorites.

Togawa: I don’t want to be just “a part” of my life. I want you to be all of it.

With Cappuccino is a strong sequel continuing on with their relationship. In a way, it calls back to the end of the first volume, where Togawa hopes they argue and make up more in the future. It may feel like Nozue is regressing in his development as he gets caught up in his thoughts again, but it doesn’t feel like an exact repeat of the first volume. I’m reminded of the scene near the end, on their way to the onsen. Nozue still worries about Togawa changing their jobs. They talk as they walk, until Nozue wants to stop. Togawa once again has a sweet reply. (Thank you Adrienne Beck for the translation of both volumes!)

Nozue: I don’t want to ruin our vacation by fighting.
Togawa: Nozue… What’s wrong with it? Fights are fine. Life isn’t like the movies. Problems don’t end with one solution. You wrestle with them again and again.

Old-Fashioned Cupcake and with Cappuccino, for me, is a love story that isn’t like the movies. It’s not a glamorous romance that sweeps readers off their feet. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore BL like that, but I also love stories grounded in the everyday.

I originally read this story in Japanese and didn’t read it in English until now. Thank you to SuBLime and Edelweiss for the DRC for the first volume! I ended up getting my own copies so now I have both the Japanese tankobon and English translation of the story haha.