Toumei na Ai no Utsuwa (The Vessel of a Transparent Love)

Add to My List

Add to Favorites

Alternative Titles

Synonyms: The Transparent Vessel of Love

Japanese: 透明な愛のうつわ

More titles

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 1

Chapters: 7

Status: Finished

Published: Oct 24, 2020 to Feb 25, 2022

Genres: Boys Love, Supernatural

Serialization: onBLUE

Authors: hitomi (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.95¹ (scored by 635 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #998²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #14246

Members: 1,390

Favorites: 12

7.95

Ranked #998Popularity #14246Members 1,390

MangaonBLUEhitomi (Story & Art)

Add to My List

Volumes: /1

Chapters: /7

Edit
Synopsis

Miki Donoue has been plagued by bad luck since childhood... Then, one evening, he encounters a mysterious, semi-transparent man who claims to live by consuming other people's emotions. Is this merely a dangerous deception, or could this intriguing stranger change the direction of Miki's life?

(Source: Hero Scans)

Edit

BackgroundToumei na Ai no Utsuwa was published digitally in English as The Vessel of a Transparent Love by Shodensha through MangaPlaza.

More characters
Characters

Shiro

Main

Donoue, Miki

Main

Hara

Supporting

Shinozaki

Supporting

Reviews

Feb 21, 2024

Fujoshi4Evs

Recommended

There isn't much I could say that Pande91 didn't say, and more eloquently than I can even attempt.

The artwork in this manga is one of the best I've seen, in the first few chapters. The story was unique (to me) and while fairly short, it was satisfying on all sides. Character depth and growth, history, and relationship development. This was an amazing story.

Although the art style changes towards the end which was disappointing.
On top of that it seemed like Miki became thinner suddenly. Like he was starving himself, but it wasn't addressed in the manga. Which makes me wonder if it was intentional or not. ...

Open

Gift

Nov 16, 2023

Pande91

Recommended

The older I get, the more I appreciate mangaka who put more thought into storytelling than the bare minimum, who go beyond the level of effort expected of their genre. Their stories are not always complex — the best ones I've come across, in fact, have few characters, and a plot that is fairly easy to follow and could be described in two sentences — but it's immediately obvious when they were crafted with care.

'Toumei na Ai no Utsuwa' is one such story, and I wrote most of this before I even finished reading it.

Writing characters that are detached from humanity is tricky; how far ...

Open

Gift

Jun 6, 2025

Alessandro_99

Recommended

Spoiler

Miki is a 25-year-old office worker living a dull, solitary life, plagued by bad luck, insecurity, and difficulty connecting with others. One day, he encounters an Akashibito, a semi-ghost spirit that feeds on the emotional energy released by humans. To allow the spirit to survive, Miki forms a contract with it: from that moment on, the spirit takes the name Shiro.

At first, Shiro immediately attempts a sexual approach with Miki, trying to gain nourishment more easily through physical intimacy. But Miki, though affected by the contact, rejects him. He is still a virgin, has never had romantic experiences, and even just physical contact with Shiro ... deeply destabilizes him.

Meanwhile, at work, Miki continues to be harassed by Hara due to his slowness. During a particularly harsh episode, the boss — Shinozaki — intervenes, calms Hara, and encourages Miki to be more patient and resilient. It seems like a kind gesture, but it hides a more ambiguous dynamic.

At home, Shiro prepares a warm, simple, yet thoughtful dinner for Miki. For Miki, it's a touching moment: after so long, someone is kindly taking care of him. Shiro, however, is also marked by a difficult past. He's surprised that Miki doesn't take advantage of their bond for physical pleasure: for the first time, he experiences sincere affection, without ulterior motives.

During a work lunch, Miki is described by his boss as more audacious and sociable — a clear sign of improvement since Shiro entered his life. Back home, Miki opens up to Shiro: he talks about his vulnerabilities, how he always hid his pain until it turned into fear, but admits that today he has managed to accept his vulnerability.

Shiro, however, acknowledges that Miki's change is thanks to Miki himself, not anyone else — and refuses to take credit. Meanwhile, he starts working as a waiter to contribute financially and alleviate the burden on Miki's shoulders.

Over time, Shiro declares his feelings. A kiss full of meaning arises between the two. Miki, however, begins to worry about Shiro: he's receiving little nourishment and risks weakening. In parallel, Shinozaki includes Miki in a new work project, giving him a chance for growth and, apparently, showing trust in him.

But Shinozaki's true intentions are revealed shortly after: when he meets Shiro, he tries to drive him away from Miki, calling him an empty being and insinuating that he could be harmful. It turns out that the reason Shinozaki helped Miki at work was just a pretext to get closer to Shiro again and regain control over him, exploiting the past that tied them together.

The contract between Miki and Shiro, however, can no longer contain the depth of the feelings that unite them. The two choose to stay together without needing external rules or constraints, despite the risk: if Shiro were forgotten, he would vanish completely. But Shiro decides to face that danger because, for the first time, he has found authentic love. Finally, Shinozaki definitively gives up on trying to manipulate Shiro, who is now free to choose and chooses Miki.