夢結び恋結び 1 [Yume Musubi Koi Musubi 1]

夢結び恋結び | Yume Musubi Koi Musubi | Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love #1

by Yaya Sakuragi

High school student Ao has been dreaming about his longtime neighbor Ryomei, a priest at the local Shinto shrine. A little freaked out--and a lot excited--at the prospect of having a relationship with Ryomei, Ao gathers up his courage, confesses his feelings...and gets turned down flat. Luckily, Ao's not the kind to give up easily. Thanks to some creative persistence (and Ryomei's weakening resolve), he finally gets a kiss. But one single kiss won't satisfy him for long!

High school student Ao has been dreaming about his longtime neighbor Ryomei, a priest at the local Shinto shrine. A little freaked out--and a lot excited--at the prospect of having a relationship with Ryomei, Ao gathers up his courage, confesses his feelings...and gets turned down flat. Luckily, Ao's not the kind to give up easily. Thanks to some creative persistence (and Ryomei's weakening resolve), he finally gets a kiss. But one single kiss won't satisfy him for long!

Genres: Manga, Yaoi, Romance, LGBT, M M Romance, Boys Love, Comics

171 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Sakuragi Yaya
Associated Names: 樱城 亚亚, 櫻城 耶也, 浦島, Urashima

Zodiac: Cancer
Name in native language: 桜城やや
Blood Type: A

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this impatiently ever since I heard it was going to get an English release, and today it finally arrived! Yay!

Yaya Sakuragi is among my favourite BL mangaka for a reason - her ukes and semes are always not quite your ordinary ukes and semes. In this case - well, usually I'm not a big fan of stories where there's a huge age difference between the characters, but in this story the younger uke is so charming and fun and very much in charge of the whole thing that I don't mind it at all.

I just love this. And I very much hope that at some point Shunpei will get a love story of his own.

[Joshua Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read manga, let alone this type of manga, but my friend has been reading it and wanted me to read it too. I had no help in picking this book out as she suddenly became completely unhelpful and confused when confronted with helping me pick my first one. So I got this one. It had surprisingly in-depth, well-developed characters that I actually enjoyed reading about, and I want to continue the series.

[Shan( Shans_Shelves) 💜 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute :) The artwork was amazing and I have to say I think Ao is adorable, granted a little crazy but still he's a sweetie. I like how all the characters are in play here and not just the main characters. I'm curious to see what happens.

[Alicia Aringdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! Such wonderful fluffy romance.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Sakuragi's work and can't wait to read the rest of the series. Definitely not for everyone as there is a big age gap. This volume had me laughing out loud.

[Kata · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[Judyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.5/5

[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]

This series has been on my eye for quite a while now, mainly because the covers are so adorable. So when the price dropped for the series, I took the chance given. And now I’m a little surprised by this first book, as it’s rather not what I was expecting.

Firstly, I was worried about the art. Because while it does look nice on the covers, it also seemed like it could be a lot rougher inside. I’m happy to say that it’s not, and that it is still rather nice. Long, sharp chins, a little rougher at times, but definitely not bad to look at.

Second, there isn’t much sex. There was really only one scene near the beginning, and a smaller one in the middle that didn’t go past kissing. I was very surprised by this, and I can’t deny that I was hoping for a little more. I have no doubt that more is coming, though.

I rather liked, and was very surprised by, how open the characters are with each other about sex. Like, Ao has a wet dream and he’s not very embarrassed by it, and talks about it with his friends. There’s talk of masturbating and gay sex rather openly, with no shame, between the characters, and that was refreshing.

Saying that, though—the main couple has not really decided what to do about their attraction, mainly because Ryo is in denial about having any feelings for Ao and gets a little freaked out by it. This was another thing I was surprised by: Ao is very open about his feelings. He decides how he feels and goes right out with it, directly to Ryo, to do something about it.

Which I think is my main surprise. Most of the yaoi I read feature a very similar formula, and this one is not really following it. It’s a little refreshing, and it’s a little odd. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it yet, but am definitely looking forward to finding out.

I’m overall not too sure how I feel about Ao. He’s entertaining and I like his straightforwardness, and he was an adorable little kid, but he’s not quite as cute as I was expecting. Ryo is a little rough and defensive, but is also sweet and has an obvious soft spot for Ao.

We meet quite a few other characters, too. There’s Ryo's family, who all seem very sweet. There’s his friend Shu, who enjoys being entertained, and who seems like he’ll be fun to get to know. Then Ao has two best friends, one a little oblivious and the other smart and with a possible interest in Ao. And his Grandma, who owns a pub, and seems sweet.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the story progresses, given how the romantic couple hasn’t even gotten together yet, and the cliffhanger ending.

[connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really love this art style and the amount of detail put into it, and I think the characters are great. There's a lot of talk about Ao's naivety, but I really don't see that in his character? Maybe it's just interpretation. But the age gap is just *squints* i have a feeling it's around 10-15 years (not after the rain level, thank god) but it's still iffy. Still I'll carry on with the series

[Lör K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to think of this when I first started reading it. It was a strange start to a yaoi and I was a little confused here and there but it wasn't hard to get into this. The characters are well drawn, the plot line is quite well done for a yaoi, and I like how we learn about the characters' past as well as we proceed through the first volume, allowing us to see the characters as three dimensional almost straight away.

The plot line, is basic. A high school kid has a crush on an older guy, has a wet dream about him and wants to do dirty things with him.

It's hard to tell where this is going to go, with the ending of this volume, and I really want to go on to read the second volume straight away. The plot and story is well developed already and it seems very well thought out. It's also nice to come across a yaoi that doesn't go ahead into things such as incestuous tones, rape, incest, etc. It's wonderful to see it, especially as that seems to be the casual trope of yaois now a days.

This is well done and I'm extremely enjoying this already and I highly recommend Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love to any yaoi fan.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo.... I happened upon this manga series randomly one day when I was searching for something to read. I was instantly drawn into it and addicted to its two main characters. I've never read a yaoi manga before and I know that it's probably not everyone's cup of tea. This, however, was a really sweet story about coming of age and all the crazy things you'll do for someone you truly love and not even realize your doing them until it slaps you in the face. It's a story about not living someone for the way they appear on the outside or their sexuality, but for how the way that person soul and energy make you a better person and make you see the world in a different way. About finding love in the last place you ever expected it to be :D

This was a truly amazing series.

[Tanaquil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had low expectations going into this, because most of my fellow readers had given it a meh rating. Maybe having low expectations helped, because I really enjoyed volume 1. I like all the characters: gruff-but-secretly-softhearted Ryoumei, Ao who's not afraid to go for what he wants, single father dude who thinks the whole situation is hilarious, and Shunpei who needs his own story YESTERDAY. Ao's character design is young-looking for my taste, but I can deal. I don't know if subsequent volumes will hold up, but I'm looking forward to more.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little bit iffy on this first volume, because I wasn't sure about the age difference of the main characters. But it's not as bad as I thought it was, and this is now one of my favorite yaoi manga. The story had build throughout, and the side characters were given special thought and attention. And there were girls in this series! That's a dying race in yaoi manga. lol. Overall, a fantastic read that really shows how a relationship has problems and grows and blossoms into something sweet and adorable.

[Bookwatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such lovely couple, in a marvelous draw manga

Ao, and his platonic love. Ryoumei, older and seeing Ao as the little child he helped... How can Ryoumei see the truth? That Ao is not a child any longer?

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I like it. A lot :-)

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series - it's about a highschool student in love with his (older) childhood friend. Ao is a nice change from other ukes - he's the one making the moves. It's also quite funny and has great side characters. Overall it's a really nice read.

[Myka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try to keep my dead tree copy buys to a minimum. But I really wanted to read this after hearing so much fangirling over it from some friends and it was worth the extra $2, waiting for it to arrive in the mail and taking space in my room.

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might have found my new favorite mangaka and series. The art is different but great, Ao is fun, and Ryomei is interesting as well. It's clear from this first volume that the relationship between Ao and Ryomei is going to move slowly, but that's okay. I can't wait to read the second volume!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for these books. And I think Annaliese Christman did an amazing with the lettering. Wow!

[Megan Fretty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. This series. I couldn't stop. Its so cute, so funny, so perfect. I love it. Yaya Sakuragi is amazing.

[Roclaf Alter -Ego · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute M/M romance. The story line of older/younger male, typical of this type of book, is made more interesting by the author's use of dreams.

[Hikaoru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Their relationship is cute despite the huge age gap.
It's fluff I tell you. Fluff.
Shounen ai at its finest.

[M.A. Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Story felt a little disjointed at first, but engaging enough partway through that I need to know what happens next!

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 I remember this series being particularly frustrating, but now, I'm back to square one and in love all over again.

[Shaundra · Rating 4 out of 5]

haha, i have read this before but never could finf the english title!

[Ifka Škrabáková · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yaoi ❤❤

[Stefania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ao and Ryoumei are just tooooo funny and sweet :3
I really enjoy the drawing style!

[TT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this mangaka, need to read the rest of this series!

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Manga, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I wish it was a little longer, but I guess that’s why there are currently 4 volumes. Can’t wait to read the others.

[Marianna Rainolter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione scritta per il sito Nerd Pool e che potete trovare qui sotto e al seguente link: https://www.nerdpool.it/2022/09/17/le...

Quando era bambino Ao si recava di nascosto ad un tempio a pregare per la salute di sua nonna. Una sera viene scoperto da Ryomei, il giovane sacerdote di quel tempio. Sono passati ormai 10 anni da quel giorno e Ao ha mantenuto i rapporti con Ryomei tanto da non poter andare a scuola senza prima fare un saluto al tempio. Ma ultimamente inizia ad avere degli strani sogni con protagonista Ryomei… Sogni erotici ovviamente. Nella sua ingenuità Al lo confessa a Ryomei, che lo vede ancora come un bambino e non ha alcun interesse verso di lui. Ma un bacio potrebbe concederlo proprio perché non ha alcun significato. O forse no?

Legami d’amore è una divertente commedia BL con due protagonisti diversi ma subito ben definiti. Ao è un liceale ingenuo sull’amore e infatti all’inizio non comprende appieno quei sogni dove viene toccato e baciato da Ryomei. Ma piano piano capisce che il ragazzo non gli è indifferente e si trova a riflettere sui suoi sentimenti grazie anche al suo compagno di classe Shunpei. Ha dei dubbi se forse prova ammirazione per Ryomei invece che amore, ma questo non lo ferma a voler fare cose sconce per togliere ogni dubbio!

Dal canto suo Ryomei dietro il suo aspetto burbero ha il cuore tenero. Per questo si avvicina ad Ao per la prima volta vedendolo spaventato, e nel corso degli anni gli sta accanto perché è un bambino solo e ingenuo. Nella sua testa Ao è ancora piccolo e gli risulta difficile vederlo cresciuto e che vuole fare esperienze! Ma dall’altra non riesce a non essere protettivo, a volere la sua felicità, e anche a provare un certo fastidio se qualcuno sta accanto ad Ao…

Oltre ai personaggi principali troviamo un interessante cast di contorno: la sorella e la nipote di Ryomei con la loro pasticceria, e il suo amico Shu con la figlia Chi; poi troviamo il già citato Shunpei come compagno di classe e amico di Ao e la nonna (viva!) che gestisce un piccolo locale dove lavora ogni tanto anche il ragazzo – per incontrare Ryomei che si rilassa con una bevuta…

Questo primo volume di Legami d’amore è molto divertente, i due protagonisti e le loro interazioni sono fantastiche. Non mancano piccoli momenti piccanti, ma possiamo aspettarcene altre nei volumi successivi di questa serie. Ci sono buone premesse per uno sviluppo del rapporto tra Ao e Ryomei, da una parte divertente dall’altra affrontando le tematiche diverse come ammirazione, amicizia, amore, anche l’age gap, senza però risultare pesante. E personalmente non vedo l’ora di proseguire la lettura e vedere che cosa accadrà.

[Elaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G. I loved this!
I came across it, completely by fluke, and I'm so glad I did. Ao is priceless. He has absolutely no filter, is unashamed, forward and open with his feelings. He's completely uncaring of sexuality, and isn't afraid to go after what he wants. Ryomei, on the other hand, has been taking care of Ao since he was little and has never thought about him romantically. But, there is still the hint/suggestion that he'snot entirely unaffected by his advances/interest.
I LOVED the in-depth backstory and flashbacks that gave us so much chemistry, meaning, and basis for Ao's feelings. They really set the scene, and showed us that Ao and Ryomei have a history of deep affection with one another, even if Ryomei's seemed grudging, at the time.
The two best friends Shunpei and Shuji are brilliant, sneaky characters. There's a brief hint from Shunpei that there might be an attraction between them, and I can't wait to find out if there is, in the next volumes. I'll admit, I was so hooked by the concept and cover-art that I instantly bought all 4 volumes at once. Now, I'm glad I did.
This entire volume had me giggling like a kid.

Themes: Shinto priest, friendship, gay, age gap, confident gay, gay panic, high school, humour

Favourite Quote:
"Think of it like being licked by a dog."

[Veronica Pappolla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Io... Lo amo. Okay, non c'è nulla da fare. Sarà che sono di parte, è stato uno dei primi yaoi che ho letto, ma mi piace un sacco. Bei disegni, adoro i personaggi come Ryomei, adoro il fatto che tutto parte dal bottom e non viceversa e adoro anche il fatto che si parli in maniera schietta e diretta della sessualità come lo fare un ragazzino qualunque.

Ha anche dei difetti, nessuno è perfetto (tipo il clicchè del H/C della febbre. E il fatto che ogni of sembra essere disegnato come un'altro di una serie famosa differente ahahah)