Cantata on the Ruled Line

getou Dec 11, 2021

10

Like always this was another heartfelt work from the author and it made me feel so warm inside. Fair warning the manga is slow paced and atmospheric (it kind of needs to savoured) so if you're looking for a quick read this isn't it. Also the timeline is a bit confusing bc it goes back and forth from when they met to when they were in college to them getting a job, chapter by chapter I'd suggest you check out the last page from the extra chapter before reading. Trigger warning for self harm, it's not graphic but it's something you can look out for. I really like the way the topic of self harm was handled though, in a perfect world everyone would be able to seek out mental health counseling as easily as we do for physical health but reality is different, I really liked the way the manga portrayed the compassion and understanding for a partner who self harms and how it brought a positive change in that person's life, it's so rare to see that in media especially in Mangas so kudos to author for this especially. 

nyanlu Oct 31, 2023

9

Despite the amount of BL that I read, it doesn't happen often that I finish reading a BL story and think "wow that was good" and, yet, upon reading the last page of Cantata on the Ruled Line I couldn't help but think "wow that was good".  Cantata on the Ruled Line is a story of two couples. A(n aspiring) mangaka and his college senior in gloves, and an artist and a fic writer - both fans of the aformentioned mangaka's work. So, while the two couple don't know each other, there's a connection (which i appreciate so much!!!!). The lovestories are told in turns. Each time from a different perspective, which was refreshing and gave us a lot of insight into the characters. The characters were varied and flawed and so full of love. I absolutely loved it. The art was good, it had a fair bit of detail to it but wasn't too over the top. I loved all the different faces the characters made and the emotions they portayed. However, the real star of this manga was the story. It was equal amounts funny and angsty, cute and rough. In my opinion, this manga was really well-written and clearly thought-through, making it an exceptionally enjoyable read.  To sum it up, wow, that was good.