Escape Journey Vol. 1 manga review

Naoto and Taichi’s first try at love during their high school days crashed and burned. Years later the two unexpectedly reunite on their first day of college. Tumultuous love often burns hot, and the glowing embers of their previous relationship reignite into a second try at love!

By Tanaka Ogeretsu

series Escape Journey 

volume #1

genre Yaoi

age rating 18+    

publisher SuBLime

CW Assault, rape, toxic relationship

Rating ★★☆☆☆

my review

I recently picked up this manga because a friend had recommended to me as one of their favorites. So my expectations were quite high! The first few chapters were fine—and the artwork was great. I was genuinely enjoying it... until a certain point .

TW This manga includes a scene involving rape and assault. It caught me off guard, and frankly, it turned me off from the story entirely. Despite the story being okay and the art being very nice- I found it difficult to overlook this scene. What made it worse was that the assault was never addressed again, almost as if it were a passing event with no lasting impact on the characters or the plot, it was really disappointing. 

While some might describe their interactions as playful bickering, to me, it just seemed like they were incompatible and the unhealthy behavior was masked as humor or an excuse for some smut scenes. So, for those who enjoy smutty content, this manga might still be appealing. However, for me, the dark turn and the unhealthy relationship dynamics were hard to get past. Unfortunately, I had already purchased volumes two and three in a deal before finishing the first one, so I'll finish those as well. Who knows, maybe the story will redeem itself later on!