Read on Renta!:
A Lonesome Wolf As Sweet As Honey by Dozaki
Japanese:
はちみつとオオカミ
Hachimitsu to Ookami
Links:
Dozaki Twitter
Tulle Twitter (Publishing line)
One day in the Renta! office, my colleague was excited to share that they were working on a very sweet and fluffy BL. Because it had been a while since I read a wholesome BL manga, my curiosity was piqued, and I just HAD to find some pockets of time between tasks to find out what all the BUZZ🐝 (bees… honey… get it?) was all about. And, as you might’ve expected, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this beautiful story.
This BL is the epitome of cuteness overload. I felt a light tugging at my heart with every chapter. Not only are the characters’ emotions depicted with subtlety, the story also struck a chord for me as someone who found himself quite lonely in high school due to his sexuality. So, if you’re looking for a series that features the themes of loneliness, friendship, and romance, read on.
Before we dive into the story, here’s a quick note regarding the title of the manga. The title consists of a wordplay from the two main characters’ names: Mitsuru and Jiro. Mitsuru’s name contains the word mitsu, which means honey, and Jiro’s name written in kanji is 慈狼, of which the second character means wolf. These two motifs are quite central to the characterization and the mood of the storyline that center around loneliness and the sweet moments experienced by the MCs.
Meet Mitsuru, a student who keeps to himself and usually doesn’t hang around the popular type. Having entered high school recently, he’s terrified of one thing: others finding out that he’s gay. He also has a goal he wants to achieve while he’s a high schooler, which is to find himself a boyfriend. However, things seem to take a wrong turn for Mitsuru one day, when his classmate accidentally finds out that he’s browsing guys on a dating app. The classmate in question is none other than Jiro, the tall and seemingly-flashy guy who’s the polar opposite of Mitsuru. Understandably, Mitsuru spends that night concerned and scared that the word about his sexuality would be out at school, curtailing his peaceful school life.
The following day, Jiro approaches Mitsuru and asks him if they can have a chat. To Mitsuru’s surprise, Jiro not only hasn’t told anyone about Mitsuru, but also comes out to him as gay and asks if they could be friends. At first, this doesn’t sit well with Mitsuru; after all, isn’t it possible that Jiro’s just lying and plans to blackmail him? In addition, back in elementary school, Mitsuru’s been made fun of for acting “cute” and thinking that was a compliment. That incident left an emotional scar for him, driving him to stay within his shell and avoid opening up to others.
While Mitsuru’s backstory didn’t exactly happen within the timeframe of the actual story, it somehow felt very real. Sure, elementary school kids say a whole bunch of stuff without intending any harm, and for them, light banter and picking on each other can be pretty much a daily occurrence. But, that doesn’t undermine the profound effect seemingly-small comments can have on you, especially when those comments relate to your identity. And, with Mitsuru learning early in life that keeping distance from those around himself is a coping method (regardless of whether it’s healthy or not), change can indeed be terrifying. No wonder why he’s got his guard up against Jiro.
But, Mitsuru’s hesitations lead to an unexpected outcome. Jiro approaches him a second time later on, apologizing for assuming Mitsuru’s willing to form a friendship with him just because they have the same sexual orientation. Jiro goes on to open up: that he doesn’t have anyone he can show his true self around, that he can’t really relate to his other friends, that he in fact feels lonely. Mitsuru, seeing Jiro’s sincerity and recognizing how much courage it must’ve taken for Jiro to open up, goes on to agree to his ask. He also realizes that he and Jiro may not be so different, after all. And thus, they agree to become friends, and Jiro reassures Mitsuru that he isn’t interested in him in a romantic way (I mean… as BL fans, we all know what’s gonna happen amirite…).
I have to say, this story may feel like a bit of a slow-burn for some readers. However, that’s exactly where the appeal lies in this manga. Dozaki’s depiction of Mitsuru and Jiro’s interactions is delicate, reflecting the mixture of comfort and uncertainty that comes along with having a first REAL friend who you can share secrets with. Combine this with the fact that it’s also their first time meeting someone who they could be mutually attracted to—someone who perhaps could reciprocate their romantic feelings. Dozaki takes all these into account when portraying both the sense of genuine excitement and the fear of ruining an important friendship through a series of internal monologues and open conversations. Just how much can close friends confide in each other? How are you supposed to feel when you realize your heart is beating a little faster than it should be after receiving a friendly hug? How much would it hurt to lose the ONE friend who you can truly be yourself around? Is pursuing something more than friendship worth that potential risk? Because these are all extremely realistic (and relatable) concerns, I found myself really enjoying the pacing of the storytelling and invested in each and every interaction between the main characters.
That’s all for this review! Thanks for reading, and Yomogi, out👋
rentaBLog 