Sorai. Volume 1 Cover Art, Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Tokyopop.
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide – Information
Author of Story: Mone Sorai
Chapter Count: 7 volumes, 48 chapters
Status: Completed
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below, only the literary work itself.
- Illness, surgery
- Homophobic dialogue (very minimal)
- Brief depiction of SI
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide – Plot Summary
This lovely manga follows two 29-year old men, Mitsuki Sayama and Asahi Suzumura, who decide to travel the world together. These two, in addition go agreeing to worldwide travel, have decided that they’ll get married once they finish their travels—if they’re still together by the end of the trip.
Throughout this series we see that this couple has some growing to do in their romance, as they seem to have differing values and comfort levels in their relationship—while still clearly having a thing for each other.
In this lovely slice of life BL romance, you’ll get to experience the growth of these two characters both in their relationship and as individuals as they learn more about each other, themselves, and the world around them!
Why You Should Read This Manga Series
Plot:
I started reading this manga on a whim and was completely taken by surprise by not just the detailed art style, but also the level of sweetness and wholesomeness found within this series. Why hadn’t I heard of it before!?
Truly every aspect about this manga is such a breath of fresh air—and not just the fun and sweet opposites-attract romance.
Firstly, the way the couple’s relationship is portrayed and the way it strengthens as they travel feels realistic, raw, and relatable. They bicker here and there like a real couple would, but not in an overly serious or annoying way. They have realistic arguments, but communicate with each other well and have a pleasantly healthy relationship for the most part.
To put it simply, their relationship is not so dramatic that it feels overwhelming, but also not too easygoing to the point that it feels unrealistic. It has a great balance of realism and sweetness!
The romance in Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide is something I feel like I don’t see often in the manga I typically read.
It does have sweet interactions and some physical affection, but a lot of what is shown in this series is what I consider the “real” parts of a relationship… just simply existing and experiencing new things together. Having conversations, eating together, and overcoming little bumps along the way!
Sorai. Volume 6 Cover Art, Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Tokyopop.
Secondly, the topic matter of this series often follows the struggles of gay couples and other LGBTQ individuals in a world that often refuses to normalize all types of love.
Not only do these characters get to see what acceptance and normalcy is like outside of their own country, but they make many lovely friends and couples along the way that help strengthen their romantic relationship. I found these interactions so sweet and so, so wholesome!
Third, the ambience of traveling and discovering new cultures and food is captured well in this series.
It’s not always fun and games, and can actually be quite stressful—but experiencing a new food, new environment, or talking with someone who has had a completely different life experience has such as strong impact; and this manga clearly portrays this world-expanding experience.
I’m someone who has been lucky enough to have a few chances to travel internationally, and I feel like the excitement and atmosphere of that experience is almost tangible in this series.
I especially feel this way while reading this series because of how much focus and detail are put on things like food and scenery for each country!
I do also want to mention that this series has a fun and light form of comedy that usually stems from the characters’ bickering or their surprise at new experiences. I think this helped balance the romance and more serious topics in the series. Overall it’s a fantastic manga that will hopefully leave an impact on you the way it did for me!
Characters:
The main characters in Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide are so fun and adorable. They’re incredibly different, but such a cute match that you’ll quickly start rooting for them.
Firstly we have the easygoing, high energy, food-loving photographer Mitsuki Sayama, and then we also have the more reserved, serious, and mildly high-strung Asahi Suzumura—who, despite these characteristics, has a soft side.
Mitsuki may seem a little too easygoing and happy-go-lucky at times, but I think this is his charm and helps balance Asahi’s more serious personality. Mitsuki is a ball of sunshine with a big smile, but I was happy to see that he can be serious at times too. He’s also a little flirty, which was so funny and cute.
Asahi is a character who seems a bit more negative but in reality he just needed to get outside of his own bubble and see what the world has to offer. He’s got a lot of growing to do as an individual and seeing his emotions grow and spill out more as the story progressed was so heartwarming.
He may not be as outgoing as Mitsuki, but his character is so lovable. He might be a little bit of a tsundere, but he’s not annoyingly mean or quiet—he’s just the perfect representation of someone with a slightly more reserved and anxious personality.
Despite his quieter nature, he still can be honest and have fun, and I really liked his character a lot. He felt realistic and complex, which was fitting for the vibe and overarching theme of this manga.
The next few sentences include a bit of a spoiler, so click at your own risk: These two characters aren’t just different personality-wise. They also have very different feelings about being openly gay. Mitsuki is very unashamed of being in a relationship with a man, and is willing to openly tell anyone about it.
However, Asahi is much more nervous about their relationship, and wants to keep it a secret from their families and even those they meet. There’s a slow growth when it comes to this aspect of Asahi’s personality, and I think it was written very well!
Sorai. Volume 4 Cover Art, Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Tokyopop.
I’ll admit this series made me cry a few times with how sweet and raw the story was, especially when the characters become more honest about their emotions! It was just so heartwarming that I was constantly moved to tears, haha.
Of course I have to mention that these men meet many different people on their trip! They make tons of new friends and learn about the life experiences of all kinds of different people. These side characters really boost the wholesomeness of this series, and I really liked the variety of personalities we got to see.
These characters also play a huge role in supporting the main characters’ individual growth, so they are very important for the plot. („• ᴗ •„)
Art:
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide has an art style that is very beautiful, full of character, and so pleasing to the eye. It’s often got a very impressive level of detail for the various environments and foods that the two characters experience, and the characters themselves feel so alive with their expressions, interactions, and realistic emotions.
I was so impressed by the style even from the first page, as I feel like it’s just so charming and beautiful; and a sort of rougher, more playful style I don’t often see in BL manga. It’s got a lot of detail, but doesn’t feel too clean or polished (in a good way). Overall I really, really liked this manga’s art style!
Any Cons?
I had absolutely no complaints about this series! I truly loved every aspect of it. However, I will warn that this series doesn’t showcase a ton of physical affection, so if you’re looking for that, this read may not be what you need.
Not to say it has none at all, but perhaps a lot less than other romance mangas.
Final Thoughts
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide has easily earned a spot as one of my favorite BL romance mangas. It’s just such an enjoyable reading experience, and I really loved the relationship between Asahi and Mitsuki.
If you’re looking for a wholesome and easygoing (but still meaningful) slice-of-life BL romance, this is the perfect read!
Disclaimer: Many images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Sorai, Mone. Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Tokyopop, 2021.
