There's a lot of stress in the office of manga artist Joe Igarashi. Short-staffed and on a deadline, he and his team are forced to work overtime, and he can't even go home to his wife. One assistant sees this as a golden opportunity to make herself available to take care of any and all of Joe's needs.

Manifest Divinity/Finding My Divine Calling has story and art by Yumekawa Dododochan. English translation is done by Chad O, and lettering by Sandra Deguer. Published by Irodori (December 13, 2025). Rated M.

Lucas DeRuyter
Rating:

Yumekawa Dododochan's Manifest Divinity is aggressively fine. For every positive element of the work that I can think of, I can also list a negative quality or issue. In this way, its middling status is somewhat unique in that it's not that the work doesn't feel half-baked, but rather that it has some elements that work very well for me and others that worsened the experience for me specifically.

To start with the positives, I really appreciated Manifest Divinity's rounder, almost bubbly art style. The art direction of a lot of adult-oriented doujinshi tends to blend, and I appreciate Yumekawa Dododochan completely breaking this mold with a more unique direction. This art style also benefits the leading lady's charm points. Every part of Non's design is circular and lovably squishy, and this art direction makes her look even softer and cuter.

I also appreciate how both Non and the male lead, Joe, have decidedly grounded proportions within this story. These aren't supermodels going at each other. They're regular people, and the little touches that make them look like hairy, sweaty, real people make their sex scenes feel even more intimate. Like we're peeking in on secret moments with two people who are actually having an affair, and we get to share these forbidden moments with them.

That's where my compliments for Manifest Divinity end, though, and the complaints begin. While this NTR doujinshi does revel in how hot it is for two people to have sex while risking discovery, it papers over the motivations and consequences of this affair. Joe wants to have sex with his assistant Non because he's overworked and she's willing, and Non wants to have sex with Joe because his work is meaningful to her. That's pretty much the entirety of their motivations and dynamic, and I would have liked it if these elements were expanded in any capacity. I'm not given enough to care about these characters. While I can appreciate the sex displayed here, the lack of any real internal or external conflict makes this work feel unmotivated or self-indulgent for the author.

That being said, if cheating stories with less elevated characters in a fun art style is your jam, you'll probably appreciate Yumekawa Dododochan's Manifest Divinity more than I did. It's a chill and breezy read that fans of light taboo smut will probably enjoy more than I did. I wish there were more here, but I can't fault anyone for wanting a popcorn read either.

Bolts
Rating:

The life of a manga creator can be very hard. The hours can be unforgiving, the deadlines can feel tight and sometimes you have to compromise with very uncomfortable sleeping situations. I've heard horror stories about how some manga creators have had to spend days at their office for all nighters, just for the sake of hitting those deadlines. Naturally, that accumulates a lot of stress and oftentimes where there is stress, there is the need for relief. Divine Calling is a story about finding that relief where you least expected. In this case, it's in the unassuming assistant who is arguably part of the reason why you are pulling that all nighter.

It's always interesting reading a story where somebody clearly wants physical intimacy yet presents it as some kind of retribution for making a mistake. Divine Calling is about a married mangaka, who ends up having an affair with their bumbling assistant. The actual appeal is in the taboo of the affair mixed with the desperation for that stress relief. I like how the presentation makes it very clear that a lot of the sexual encounters are happening in very tight, enclosed spaces like a bathroom or crowded office. It really leans into that desire to give into that temptation. The story is short, but it does cover a solid amount of groundwork and I personally liked that disheveled look of both of our main characters. Honestly, it kind of made it feel a bit more real. I can definitely recommend this to anybody that is also looking for a quick little bit of stress relief.