“Shoujo manga author discovers his assistant is gay, then pretends to love him for BL story inspiration.”
Joy
JOY
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Shoujo manga author discovers his assistant is gay, then pretends to love him for BL story inspiration.
When shoujo manga author Gou Okazaki barges into his assistant and fellow manga author Yusuke Akune's apartment, he is not expecting to find Akune in bed with another man. Having assumed his assistant was straight, Gou questions why Akune hid his sexuality, but Akune tells him there was simply no reason to bring it up. Though the two continue working together as normal, Gou cannot help but be curious about this new revelation. For the 10th anniversary of Gou's debut, his editor suggests that the manga author challenge himself by creating a boys love series. Gou designs the main characters with Akune's guidance, but the plot is instantly rejected due to a lack of romantic development between the leads. Having never experienced love before, Gou pretends to have a one-sided crush on Akune to get inspiration for the plot. But as Gou continues to keep up the act, his feelings toward Akune become increasingly complicated.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 3 sampled reviews
What 3 readers settled on.
Strong agreement
σ 0.94 · scores cluster tight
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
↓ 1.33
Running avg · Oct 2019 → Jan 2026
- 7 “The dynamic between the two main characters is really sweet, and I found the length to be just right. It never feels dragged out or rushed. Overall, it’s a solid boys’ love manga and an easy...”
- 7 “2023: First BL I've read: cute, wholesome, with a bit of an annoying protagonist in the beggining and the miscommunication trope, which turned me off a bit from it. 2025: This impacted me way more...”
- 9 “A little disclaimer before starting: this is my first time writing a review and English is not my first language. Also, I thought this was a single volume series, but apparently there’s a second...”
Read Order & Related
Explore the Joy universe
Cast
See all →Gallery
See all →If you stay for this, you'll stay for these
See all →The community pairs this with
See all →Publication slate
A Manga Publication
- Format 16 × 2 ch × vol
- Total read 2h 08m approx
- Published Jun 2016 – Jul 2019
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M50150 catalog