Hagiwara Kazuaki, who's living the “normal” life of a working man, is worried by the distance growing between him and his live-in girlfriend. Meanwhile, his co-worker, Nakarai Sei, quietly pines for his male roommate and childhood friend. One day, a misfired email sparks an anonymous exchange between Hagiwara and Nakarai, leading to an odd but comforting friendship built on shared frustrations and anxieties.

At first, anyway. Hagiwara and Nakarai's shared secret soon blossoms into something more: a passion that risks swallowing them both up. If their turbulent feelings are rushing to find an outlet, will they find it in each other—and will it blow up their lives?

When It Rains, It Pours has a story by Michi Ichiho and art by Lala Takemiya. English translation is done by Stephanie Liu with an adaptation by Evangeline Bridges. Published by Seven Seas Entertainment (October 27, 2026).

Content Warning: dubcon, sexual assault

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

The first thing you need to know about this book by the author of Yes, No, or Maybe? is that it involves cheating. Both protagonists are in relationships with other people when they get together. Neither relationship is in a good place (and one is blatantly unhealthy), but cheating romance is a subgenre that turns off some readers. If you're one of them, you may want to give this a miss.

I typically am one of those readers, so what's interesting to me is that my biggest issue wasn't that particular element. Instead, I was put off by the way both protagonists, who are decidedly allosexual, think about their presumably asexual partners. (In point of fact, only one is; the other has other issues that result in him appearing ace.) I fully understand that asexuality is difficult for some allosexual people to understand, or even to grasp. It's also very true that Kaori, the asexual woman Kazuaki is dating, needed to have told him long before the story began. But the way that she's talked about, as if she's “withholding” something Kazuaki has a right to expect, is very off putting to me. It speaks to the ongoing stigma asexuality faces even in a more queer-aware world, and while it perhaps serves that purpose within the book, it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

It's more likely, however, that Kaori's and Kazu's refusal to sleep with Sei and Kazuaki is meant to stand in for the fact that partners really need to talk to each other. That's what brings the two men together, after all – when Kazuaki accidentally sends an email to Sei and then reaches out to apologize, the two begin a texting friendship. Eventually, they realize that they're coworkers, and the relationship moves offline, but the allure of it is always that both of them need someone to talk to…and, more importantly, to listen. They feel alienated by their partners, and sex becomes a symbol of what they're really looking for: someone who will embrace all of them, emotionally and physically.

On that note, this is a very successful romance. Sei and Kazuaki (and yes, there are two Kazus in this story; that's on purpose) both have pasts that are influencing their futures: Sei lost his parents in a car accident and Kazuaki never felt loved growing up. They're both desperately searching for a place to belong, and both initially think they've found it. But Kazu, although he gives every appearance of being good to Sei, is actually alarmingly controlling, while Kaori isn't being honest with Kazuaki about what she needs from their relationship. I'd argue that Kazu is by far the worse partner – Ichiho does a great job slowly revealing his abusive ways, and they are textbook – but the truth is that both men need to move on. They're stuck, and there is a catharsis to them finding what they need with each other.

Despite elements of this making me uncomfortable, I do think it's a good book. Ichiho's writing is very good, and the emotional components come through clearly. Alongside the cheating there is one scene of rape (not involving the romance plot), so do go into this knowing what's in store. It's not for everyone, but if you aren't put off by its less tasteful elements, it's an interesting example of more literary BL.

Lauren Orsini
Rating:

While reading this spicy BL novel, I was reminded of the meme featuring the Normal Rockwell painting “Freedom of Speech,” in which a man stands up in a meetinghouse to say his piece. Based on the reactions of his neighbors, it's clear that he said something controversial yet brave. “Sex is good actually,” is the divisive, incendiary statement he might have said if he were a character in this book. Part social commentary and part porn, When It Rains, It Pours balances a slow burn romance with a nuanced discussion of the dead bedroom epidemic.

Dead bedrooms, a colloquial term for sexless relationships, affect an estimated 15-20 percent of couples worldwide. Still, the embarrassing nature of the problem means few people discuss it. When salesman Kazuaki accidentally sends a text message to the wrong number—and that wrong number replies—he opens up about taboo topics he can't discuss with anybody else. For over a year, Kazuaki's otherwise perfect girlfriend Kaori has refused to have sex with him. As it turns out, Kazuak's new pen pal is dealing with a sexless relationship as well. Even more coincidentally, this pen pal is closer than Kazuaki could have ever predicted. This anonymous recipient turns out to be Kazuaki's aloof colleague Sei, a gay man with an unrequited crush on his childhood friend-turned-roommate. Even after they discover one another's true identities, they can't forget about the secrets they've shared. What are two extremely horny, involuntarily celibate men to do to one another? In a BL book?? You'll never believe what happens next!

I enjoyed this book's achingly slow pace, a gradual build-up that really did make me nearly forget the genre and wonder “will they or won't they?” Sometimes when a BL novel jumps right to the down and dirty, it feels like there isn't enough of an established rapport for the sex to feel sexy. Not so with Kazuaki and Sei, who continue their banter even as things get graphic, making their connection feel emotional as well as libidinal. Their erotic scenes feel almost like fanfiction, in a good way. Great sex is not all this novel has to offer, either. I appreciated meeting all kinds of characters who are experiencing dead bedrooms for all kinds of reasons. A couple who waited until marriage, only to find out the husband is physically unable to have sex. A divorced couple who only had sex to procreate. Kazuaki's girlfriend Kaori, who sees sex as something filthy, only serving to tarnish her pure connection with the man she loves (welcome to the asexual heteroromantic community, Kaori!). And none of these sexually averse people are portrayed as villains either—the book recognizes that not everyone wants to have sex. There's just one moment where the book makes a misstep: a gratuitous rape scene after Sei reveals to his roommate that he finally found a man who will have sex with him. In a book that is otherwise so thoughtful about its portrayals, this rape fantasy feels alarmingly out of place.