Approx length: The series is still ongoing (and estimated to wrap up after the next volume), but there are currently 4 volumes available in both Japanese and English, with 2 more untranslated chapters released in Japan.
What is it, in summary?: Yuujin and Takara are both small theatre troupe actors in their 30s dreaming of their big break, but Yuujin sees so much potential in Takara, he'll do whatever it takes to get him there, even if it means his own fledgling career is leaning more towards being Takara's stage double. But when Takara does finally grab the attention of an agent and starts to separate from Yuujin professionally, how will their relationship change?
What do you love about it?: Stories about performers behind the scenes always have a certain appeal to me personally, but the intense relationship between Yuujin and Takara is the most appealing part of this series. Takara relies on Yuujin for so much in both his personal and professional life, and how they navigate that in the face of changing circumstances is absolutely fascinating.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Outsider povs of Takara and Yuujin's relationship, as well as individual character-centric fics, would be high on my list. I'm also interested in a lot of the side characters, like Takara's coworker turned romantic fling, and how they interact with the leads.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Canon is fairly short and the character and relationship developments span all of what's available, so it's best to read all of it.
Content warnings: A heavy dose of codependency between the leads and some sexual content (kept generally nonexplicit), as well as some method acting taken a little too far into misogyny.
Double (Ayako Noda)
Media: Manga
Approx length: The series is still ongoing (and estimated to wrap up after the next volume), but there are currently 4 volumes available in both Japanese and English, with 2 more untranslated chapters released in Japan.
Where to find it: the English release is widely available in bookstores both in print and in digital: https://www.tokyopop.com/book-catalogue-new-titles/double-vol-1. The original Japanese release is a web manga and available here: https://viewer.heros-web.com/episode/10834108156642488617
What is it, in summary?: Yuujin and Takara are both small theatre troupe actors in their 30s dreaming of their big break, but Yuujin sees so much potential in Takara, he'll do whatever it takes to get him there, even if it means his own fledgling career is leaning more towards being Takara's stage double. But when Takara does finally grab the attention of an agent and starts to separate from Yuujin professionally, how will their relationship change?
What do you love about it?: Stories about performers behind the scenes always have a certain appeal to me personally, but the intense relationship between Yuujin and Takara is the most appealing part of this series. Takara relies on Yuujin for so much in both his personal and professional life, and how they navigate that in the face of changing circumstances is absolutely fascinating.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Outsider povs of Takara and Yuujin's relationship, as well as individual character-centric fics, would be high on my list. I'm also interested in a lot of the side characters, like Takara's coworker turned romantic fling, and how they interact with the leads.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Canon is fairly short and the character and relationship developments span all of what's available, so it's best to read all of it.
Content warnings: A heavy dose of codependency between the leads and some sexual content (kept generally nonexplicit), as well as some method acting taken a little too far into misogyny.