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I never thought a wet pile of laundry, a father who bailed, and a random flower could stir up this much emotion, but Qualia Under the Snow proved me wrong in the best way possible. This single-volume BL manga follows two college age guys who stumble into each other’s lives and wind up sharing a home, a bed (sometimes), some cute kitties, and a boatload of emotional baggage. As a gay man, I’ve read my fair share of BL stories that either shy away from real issues or drown in them, but here Kii Kanna strikes a raw balance between the heartwarming and the downright ... painful truths of being queer and figuring yourself out.

What starts as a slightly distant relationship between our MC, who’s pretty much sworn off romance (or any human closeness, really), and the easygoing Love Interest with a habit of hooking up and running, unfolds itself like an origami being unmade into a beautiful and deeply real story about how trauma effects our relationships, the quirks of dysfunctional families, and the subtle nuances of life that we navigate on a day-to-day basis. One minute you’re laughing at their banter over soggy laundry and the next you’re hit with a sucker punch of childhood memories, estranged parents, and the messy aftermath of being used as someone’s “experiment.” The pacing might be a little weird in places, but it only makes the big emotional moments, like that tearful bed scene or the final confession, hit even harder.