If there is anything the fujos love more than BL, it is a BL featuring an appropriate age gap in a workplace setting! (Note: the fujos in question may actually be just me.) First of all, office romances in fiction are always SO FUN! The flirty looks during work hours, the sneaking around, the questioning of your sanity for pursuing something at work?! It’s taboo enough to be thrilling but not enough to be off-putting. And then you have age gap romance! Someone in their 40s/50s losing confidence in themselves, only for a hot 20-something to remind them that they are irresistible? Yes, please!
The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé was written with me in mind. Created by Fumito and published by Kodansha, this manga follows Takanashi, a hot 40-year-old manager at a trading company, who drives all of the ladies crazy. Little do they know, he’s been suffering from erectile dysfunction, and his self-esteem has taken a huge hit. Nonetheless, he continues to be excellent at this job. So much so that he doesn’t realize one of his direct reports, Hiwatari, has taken a liking to him. Now, to be fair, Hiwatari hasn’t let on much to this fact. He’s also stone cold -everyone at the office is scared of him. Yet, when Hiwatari has the opportunity to get close to his dream man-ager, he takes it! (hehehe)
The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé has a lot of funny gags and misunderstandings, not unusual for this type of BL. As per my usual, I found this charming. The funny moments are extremely well done (talking about you, embarrassing meeting moment) and are truly laugh-out-loud funny.
My favorite part so far has been Takanashi’s character. First of all, even though he’s 40 (which is a baby in real life), everyone finds him hot! Most anime and manga treat anyone older than 30 as geriatric patients, so it’s very refreshing to see someone like Takanashi. But on a deeper level, Takanashi is going through some things! He’s a man who, on the surface, has it all, but in reality, is suffering from this sexual issue. And then it turns out he also has a bunch of haters at work due to his success. He’s trying his best in many different areas, and it’s nice to see this setup of events that will challenge him and make him grow.
To the surprise of no one, I also love Hiwatari. An obsessed younger man who’s a little bit delusional?! What’s not to love! We also get the vibe that Hiwatari has been chasing after Takanashi for a very long time. I’m curious to see how that puzzle piece will fit into the story later.
This is such a cute read, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story will play out.
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The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé, Vol 1
Mangaka: Fumito
Translation: Jacqueline Fung
Letterer: Nicole Roderick
Editor: Julia Murphy
Publisher: Kodansha
The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé, Vol 1 is available now here.
Thank you, Kodansha and NetGalley, for an advanced reviewer copy.
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