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A review by wolfiegrrrl
Chéri, My Destiny! by Okoge Mochino
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
There's no point in beating around the bush. Everything was great until chapter 4.
Sure, there was a singular incident where one character kissed another character without asking and that didn't feel too good to read, but it led to a conversation about biphobia and bi acceptance which I felt was pretty solid despite how rushed it was. Honestly, the pacing isn't super great in general, but I was willing to accept that for the first three chapters simply because I can understand the limit to telling a whole story in that short amount of time and what I did get to see caught my interest.
And then chapter 4 starts with a character stating upfront that he doesn't want to consume alcohol. Great! A boundary has been established! But unfortunately, his partner is horny and anyone who is familiar enough with the tropes of the genre knows exactly where this is going. His partner makes the entirely grotesque decision to spike some chocolates with the specific intention of getting him drunk enough to coerce him into sex. That did not have to be the plot of this chapter. They could have had a conversation about it. Heck, if the spiked chocolate had been a mutually consensual part of their foreplay, even that would have been fine! While I can't say that the way this trope was executed here is as bad as other BL my eyes have had the misfortune of seeing, I also can't say it's excusable and it spoiled the experience of an otherwise sweet relationship for me.
Aside from that, the characters are mostly fun and likeable, the art style is very cute, and the sweets really make me wish I could see those pages in color! Even the few side characters we see are pretty enjoyable. My favorite is Miyamori, who seems super invested in his boss' life and well-being. The plot of the first three chapters and the bonus one-shots at the end is cute, mostly sweet, and a good balance of light angst and fluff. It cannot be overstated just how jarring the tonal shift of chapter 4 really is. So, brace yourself... or just skip it and enjoy the lighthearted story beats leading up to and following it like I plan to do upon any further rereads.
Sure, there was a singular incident where one character kissed another character without asking and that didn't feel too good to read, but it led to a conversation about biphobia and bi acceptance which I felt was pretty solid despite how rushed it was. Honestly, the pacing isn't super great in general, but I was willing to accept that for the first three chapters simply because I can understand the limit to telling a whole story in that short amount of time and what I did get to see caught my interest.
And then chapter 4 starts with a character stating upfront that he doesn't want to consume alcohol. Great! A boundary has been established! But unfortunately, his partner is horny and anyone who is familiar enough with the tropes of the genre knows exactly where this is going. His partner makes the entirely grotesque decision to spike some chocolates with the specific intention of getting him drunk enough to coerce him into sex. That did not have to be the plot of this chapter. They could have had a conversation about it. Heck, if the spiked chocolate had been a mutually consensual part of their foreplay, even that would have been fine! While I can't say that the way this trope was executed here is as bad as other BL my eyes have had the misfortune of seeing, I also can't say it's excusable and it spoiled the experience of an otherwise sweet relationship for me.
Aside from that, the characters are mostly fun and likeable, the art style is very cute, and the sweets really make me wish I could see those pages in color! Even the few side characters we see are pretty enjoyable. My favorite is Miyamori, who seems super invested in his boss' life and well-being. The plot of the first three chapters and the bonus one-shots at the end is cute, mostly sweet, and a good balance of light angst and fluff. It cannot be overstated just how jarring the tonal shift of chapter 4 really is. So, brace yourself... or just skip it and enjoy the lighthearted story beats leading up to and following it like I plan to do upon any further rereads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
While I'm pretty sure the use of alcohol to coerce someone into sex counts as rape here, it is framed in a way that really doesn't want you to think it's rape. So, I'm not adding the tag, but just be aware that there is the uncomfy implication that neither character really reacts to because the plot wants the readers to just accept that they were both okay with what happened.