Saezuru Tori Wa Habatakanai (Twittering Birds Never Fly) is a tragic yaoi manga released on March 31, 2008, and it is currently ongoing. The Leader of the Yakuza- Yashiro- knows only love for his rather close friend; however it was only one-sided. That was until his new bodyguard- Doumeki- comes into the picture. Doumeki wishes to get to know Yashiro more and have him feel loved, but Yashiro -living in fear of being too vulnerable- constantly pushes him away.
The manga is rather tragic as it does revolve around the yakuza lifestyle. Not only that, but rape and homophobia play a huge role throughout the entire plot. Because of this, there are moments where the manga itself makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. The romance is also seemingly impossible between Doumeki and Yashiro, so it always has you on the edge of your seat- hoping for something good to happen between both characters to the point where you get slightly impatient.
The manga is very well drawn and the entire atmosphere has you grounded enough to not lose focus while reading it. While it does make you feel uncomfortable and impatient at times, the author makes up for it with some smut between the two characters. I was also sort of hoping that there would be some more romance between the doctor and his boyfriend since that’s the first couple you see during the manga; but since it’s not the main focus of the plot itself, it just sort of goes into the backburner. I also checked to see if the author had at least written a side-story manga for the couple but unfortunately there isn’t one. There is also an anime that will be released soon (at the time that this review is written).
So with that, I give “Twittering Birds Never Fly” 4 paws out of five because of how good the plot is despite there being moments of uneasiness 🐾🐾🐾🐾. If you wish to read it and it’s not triggering for you, go ahead. If you are triggered by themes of rape, violence, and/or homophobia, I don’t think this manga would be for you. Anyways, thank you for reading! Until next time, keep your paws and bowls of ramen up everyone! Nya! 🐾
The Kitten Who Eats Ramen 