User:ZenForce

Just a comic enthusiast that also writes fiction when my brain is not a chaos of ideas, which is really strange that not happen. -- List of Reviews:
 * Antibunny
 * Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell
 * Syd's World
 * Moonlace (Warning: NSFW)
 * Cigarro & Cerveja
 * Bongo and Luna
 * School Days (Warning: NSFW, or anyone in general)
 * Target Miss (Warning: NSFW, or anyone in general)
 * Boyfriends
 * Parallax

Collaborations:
 * Rascals (Images)

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Rating Summary

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Background
When I was inspecting the page of Bongo and Luna to see if the author updated something, I founded this announcement, so I searched the webcomic and… Look, Alfedro, I don’t know how you not only not improve in you art style, but also get worse at it, but HOLY SHIT!

Downfall
Only by reading the first two pages you will denote the quality downgrade compared to his previous work.

Story and Plot
We follow the relationship of Sigmund Lopez (aka Siggy) and Bellaluna Beatrix, two… aliengirls? disguised like humans, and the misadventures of trying of hide the real nature of the humans and each together… despite both of them known their secret. But none want to ask because they are scared that will reject them.

Bellaluna is there for a reconnaissance mission and Siggy… in fact I don’t know why Siggy is in our planet. The entire story is based in these two going in romantic dates for better disguising in the city, not much else. There are some incidents of humans discovering their nature, a third alien (probably female) enters in the equation, there is a paywalled spin-off comic that is basically the same of this one, but with demons, Bellaluna gets too attached to Siggy and receives an ultimatum from the mothership; but besides that, that is basically all.

Art Review
Well, if you readied the Bongo and Luna review, it's the almost the same in this headland, except for two things: First, that is not as horny like his predecessor, since is more concentrated in the relationship of these two more than do sex jokes; and second, that the art style is slightly worse than the predecessor, in specific in the two principal characters.

I’ll give Manfedro some credit, the real forms of the duo looks like real aliens, and not humanoids with exotics colors of skins. But it doesn’t mean that they are good, in fact an indicative that how bad are the designs are their color scheme, which can be nauseous for some people. Here the samples:



Although the lining is less… gritty and has more shadowing compared with Bongo and Luna, the designs both of the aliens and humans are less cartoony and more deformed and simplified, not in a good way. Especially with the facial expressions, in a long way.

For the last point (and take this point with caution, because I have no real proof of this), I have the feeling that the author wanted to introduce Bongo in the comic in one way or another. Why I think this? Well:


 * Bellaluna itself. Not only she is the only female that almost as titty like her, but also she practically has THE SAME PALLETE COLOR OF HER.Color Comparasion.jpg
 * There is a straight reference of her in a parody of 4chan, in a way that we all recognize her easily.4chan.png

Writing Review
Since it’s a romance type of comic, we will start with the relationship of the principal duo. There are three problems about this. And before you go to the forum to insult me like crazy, the fact that they are lesbians is not one of these problems. The actual problems are: their personalities, why they are hanging out, and the worst part, the situation that the plot navigates the entire comic. We have the classical combo of opposite poles attracts themselves; Siggy is the physical representation of social anxiety itself, and Bellaluna is the calm, distant strange girl. Usually this is a really entertaining chemistry to see, but I don’t know about this one here… there is something, I don’t know, alie- Ooooh, I get it now *Fingerguns*... But seriously now, seeing how Siggy is about to have a heart stroke in any moment and Bellaluna not understanding the situation she is in is not as funny as it should be. I’m not sure why though...

Then we have of why they are in a relationship. Both of them is dating for better mesmerizing between the humanity. That is the spy part of the genre. Bellaluna is doing it for terrain recognition for an invasion (it don’t expressed literally, but implied), and she takes seriously this mission, enough to brainwash anyone that she suspect that knows her secret, consider that his contact is a novice because doubting her methods, and trying to eliminate any other possible threat of her mission. Although I’m not how sure about her efficiency since she suspects at the minimum though of someone, but when she sees a pachinko machine that has toys almost similar to the aspects of her species she don’t suspects of a information leak or something. About Siggy, she trying to blend with the humanity, but I’m not sure why. I’m sure that is not for an alien invasion, since her register do not shows that, so I have no idea what her mission is. This two dynamics lead to the worst part of the plot: the open secret.

The two first pages establish that both of them know that they are aliens, but they don’t tell them because “can ruin the relationship and facade”. The entire plot revolves around this, and it’s so frustrating like it sounds. Look, it’s a common trope in fictional romances that both parts of the couple is secretly in love with the other, but they are too shy or worried with the consequences of confess it to the other; but in this comic is not case, both of them are already dating. It’s like that everyone knows that the town’s baker is a mafia boss but nobody wants to talk about it because “who is gonna sell the bread then?”. Someone has to talk about it eventually, man! This will not a problem if the update rate was constant, but the last updates are really inconsistent and have to be filled with guest comics.

Outside of the plot things is not better, some of the peak moments are: the double brainwash of this guy, leaving him vegetable, I mean he is homophobic, but since the only things he did are ugly gazing, muttering and thinking, it’s not justified that Bellaluna done that (I guess J was right about that thing damages the brain); all the arc of the 4chan girl, it literally ends with a commission art of the duo; all the apparitions of the third alien that the word strange it falls short; the Halloween special spin-off that is paywalled via Patreon. Why you will pay for something that is exactly the same to the original, but with a new hat? You’re no multiplayer game or porn comic to do that; etc.

Author Biography
Go to read the Bongo and Luna’s review to see the biography of Alfredo Morales (CheesyMalfedro)... I will only concentrate in the news of the author here. In first place, I discovered that Twitter’s account of Bongo and Luna is officially abandoned via this tweet. This usually is a signal that you should start to prepare the shovels. Anyways, by this tweet I discovered that Bongo and Luna has a promoter and marketing director, and looking that his description has the words P R O G R E S S I V E P A Y A S O it don’t gives vibes that he is a good one... Also in the author’s twitter account, literally the name of it says Working on 4 comics, although the description only mentions two and one of his comic is in an undefined hiatus. Misleading, to say little...

Coming back to this comic, Malfedro is using his account to announce the updates and retweet art, usually horny ones, but is not the totality of his posts. I discovered that the prices of his commissions can reach $200 via this facebook post. I can tell you that I saw $200 commissions before; this one is not worth $200… Also in his personal Instagram publish some random comics and... *facepalm* judge yourself.

Conclusion
PROS: It’s an interesting premise; the aliens look like aliens; it’s not as horny like Bongo and Luna; has a better lineart.

CONS: Although is a good premise, the execution it leaves much to be desired; the art style simplified for say less, and nauseating to say a lot; all the characters have over-the-top personalities; it’s have a confusing connection with Bongo and Luna, although in an ask in said comic confirms that does not include aliens in their universe; even it has less sexual stuff, it’s still appeals to the horny people; the update rate is really inconsistent.

Verdict: I don’t recommend this comic, unless you are really into the lesbian relationships. If you want a good love story with an alien, stay away from this until the webcomic reach until, I don’t know, to 200 pages and see if the author doesn’t put it in hiatus too. Hell, even in Webtoon there are at least 2 comics with the same premise. They can’t be worse than this one, not?

CheesyManfredo’s Other Comics

 * Bongo and Luna

Links

 * TV Tropes page of the comic
 * CheesyMalfredo's Twitter account
 * The promotor's twitter, I still can't believe that Alfedro has a promotion manager.