This story was a little goofy and didn’t fully hit for me but I am excited that the publishing industry in general is producing more stories with older and/or gay characters and I want to encourage that.

I enjoyed this first volume a lot! When I found out a major part of the plot is that the older man has ED, I was a little worried this would be annoyingly raunchy, but it was actually fairly tame and takes the time to develop a relationship between the two men. I'd absolutely continue in this series!

This was a nice and fun read however it just didn’t resonate with me fully. I enjoyed the bulk of the story and I even liked the plot it just didn’t deliver in the way that I thought it would have. I really enjoyed the animation as well

The age gap between the two was okay up until it's revealed that they knew each other when one was a minor and was involved in his life beyond meeting by happenstance once. There's a small bonus scene after the manga where it shows them interacting together around this stage of life that threw me for a loop when it seemed a bit too much considering their ages.

Aside from that, when the book focuses on their present lives, I think the romance is written decently. The romantic moments where Hiwatari is standing up for Takanashi layered his character to be less of this "by-the-books workaholic". He's thoughtful and I can see why they end up trusting each other so quickly. The art is so pretty when they're caught in a moment flustered by the other. I also really liked Takanashi being the friendlier of the two despite his age since it subverts the usual expectation of the old stoic businessman. The business talk in the beginning felt slow to me, but the story felt more interesting once Hiwatari and Takanashi start spending more time together.

Right now, the first volume doesn't have much, so it's a very casual read with more humor and a few sweet moments between the two. The erectile dysfunction plot pushes a lot of the development funnily enough, so I'm curious to see how things develop from there.

I loved the art and the story, however the ML knowing Hiwatari when he was a child and not just a brief meeting but actually being in his life threw me off. I couldn’t really enjoy it because I couldn’t get passed the idea that he knew Hiwatari at 11 when he was 23.

Volume 1 of The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé by Fumito lays a solid foundation for what could become a standout series. I genuinely enjoyed the story and found the artwork stunning—detailed, expressive, and beautifully suited to the tone of the narrative.

Fumito handles the "age gap" trope with surprising finesse, helping readers digest what can sometimes be a polarizing dynamic. The classic "grumpy/sunshine" pairing is used to great effect here, especially with the added layer of well-timed comedic moments. One character, the more cheerful of the two, struggles with erectile dysfunction, while the grumpier lead allows his unspoken crush to cause chaos in his own life—a refreshing inversion of typical romantic dynamics.

One challenge for this kind of slow-burn romance is competing in a market saturated with more sexually explicit titles. Because this volume doesn't include any major romantic or sexual payoff, some readers may find it lacking the “spice” that keeps them hooked early on. Fumito takes a risk by focusing on emotional buildup rather than physical intimacy, which may not work for everyone—but it's a bold and thoughtful choice that could pay off in the long run.

I liked the style in which this was drawn and enjoyed the story in general. It's a lighthearted comedy read.

What attracted me to this story was the age gap and the forbidden aspect of them working in the same office.

What put me off was finding out that the leads met when the youngest was a child (11) and the elder was 23. I couldn't get past that. The storyline surrounding the erectile dysfunction is very prominent, so much so that the story doesn't have much to offer besides that as all situations lead back to the ED and miscommunication, but the jokes didnt land for me. I guess I was hoping for more secret pining and cute (secret) dates and just getting to know both men past who they are in the office.
This story has potential if it moves past the ED storyline and doesn't make it primary for the entire run.

I love how clueless Takanashi is, his protege has been hinting and dancing around and total oblivious. Then again, he was oblivious towards anybody, until....

The funny antics are great. More importantly, I appreciate the translation, which is done well. You have no idea reading a cute BL and the translations doesn't make sense really ruin what sensei is trying to convey with the story.

Thank you NetGalley & Kodansha Comics for the ARC. Hope I get the other volume too, because I have a feeling that this story will be great!

Title: The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protoge Volume 1
Where I Read: e-ARC provided via @netgalley and @kodanshamanga
.
The RayView: ✨✨✨✨
The HeatRay: 🔥
How It Be Spicin’?: 0.5🌶️
.
TW: Erectile Dysfunction. Age Gap.
.
We meet Makoto Takanashi, the second sales division team manager at Itsuboshi Trading Company, who is the 40-year-old knockout taking the office by storm in both performance and looks. Nearly every woman wants him but there’s a problem - Takanashi has erectile dysfunction. In enters Ren Hiwatari, an equally attractive 26-year-old icy man who seems interested in only one thing and that’s work. Secretly, however, he’s Takanashi’s number one fan and after an unexpected evening of spilling drinks and truths he learns his boss’ biggest secret only to prove him wrong! Hiwatari promises Takanashi that he can help solve his boss’ ED problem but will he be able to?
.
Okay. How adorably funny was this novel? All the miscommunicated mishaps had me rolling my eyes and giggling under my breath. I did, however, have to dock it a star. While I have zero issues with an adult age-gap romance, I don’t like that Takanashi knew Hiwatari since he was 11. While, so far anyway, it appears it’s completely one sided on Hiwatari’s side with no inkling that Takanashi ever encouraged such emotion, it’s still 😬 to me. Hopefully it continues to lead in that direction but as I’ve never read more than this novel, time will tell.

4 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌈

A really fun read, and I definitely can't wait to read more.

It's an office story where the two characters are really sweet and silly, and due to a series of misunderstandings, they start spending more time together. I liked the age difference and how respectful they are about that topic.

I can't wait to read more about these two characters and see how ⭐️⭐️⭐️ their relationship develops.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.

This actually made me laugh out loud several times, and I sat there reading it with a big smile on my face. It was super fun and sweet, I loved the artwork, and all of the childish ED puns. I am totally here for Hiwatari being a closet simp.

I found some parts of it a little hard to follow, and not much really happens in this volume, but it definitely sets things up nicely for future instalments and I’ll 100% be reading more when they become available.

This manga was hysterical and I loved every minute of it. The art is crisp and well drawn and the story is hilarious. Takanashi-san has struggled with ED for a year now and Hiwatari-kun has been secretly in love with him for ages. The dynamic between these two is great and feels natural and I honestly cannot wait to read the next volume!

Cute and funny! Takanashi believes he has ED because he hasn't been able to get an erection in a year. Then sometime happens with his fellow employee, that changes everything about what he thinks about his ED and his feelings for Hiwatari. I really enjoyed it. It made me giggle at times and gave me the feels at others. I definitely want to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This was fun but the pacing was a little odd. Both a lot happened and the overarching plot didn't progress that much. Would enjoy reading volume 2 though!

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé tells the story of Makoto Takanashi and Ren Hiwatari. Makoto is our titular zaddy who has been dealing with erectile dysfunction for over a year at this point. Ren, the icy protégé, has had a huge crush on Makoto, his superior at the company they work at, for a long, long time. Coincidence brings them together and from there hilarity and possibly love ensue.

"...another day, another morning without a boner."

This manga was just a whole lot of fun! Romance BL meets gag manga, the plot presented at a high pace. There were some very touching moments and more than once I laughed out loud at not only the antics the characters got up to, but also the seriousness with which the dialogue is presented. The characters are very loveable and I feel they'll have a surprising amount of depth. There are already hints to a much larger backstory in this very first volume.

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé is a fast-paced, addictive read that is perfect for fans of BL and gag manga. As expected from the synopsis, beware that this manga deals with sexual topics and does depict suggestive imagery. This manga is laugh-out-loud funny and contains a big dose of cuteness, which makes for an addictive read. I can't wait till volume 2 gets released!

I enjoyed this story but wish there was a little more depth into the characters lives outside of work so you could be more connected with them but it is just the 1st volume

I would give the story 2.5 stars.

The drawingwas nice but the story just wasn't for me. It didn't keep me interested.

This follows a 40 year old, Takanashi, who believes he’s suffering from ED. He starts spending time with our other main character, 26 year old, Hiwatari, and realizes that maybe that’s not the case anymore.

The art is great, but I didn’t love the story. I felt like the euphemisms for Takanashi’s ED were childish and uncomfortable for me.

I won’t be continuing with this series.

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé is a fun read that I couldn’t put down. The art is amazing. It definitely made me want to read more from this author! The story follows Takanashi, a 40-year-old CEO dealing with erectile dysfunction, and his younger protégé, Ren, who’s been crushing on him for a while. There’s a nice mix of humor and sweet moments as these two get closer, and I liked their banter. The age gap and office romance aspect were fun, though some parts, like the ED subplot, felt a little forced. The thing that threw me off the most was the backstory about Ren knowing Takanashi since childhood. It felt kind of weird and added some unnecessary tension to their romance. But aside from that, their relationship is cute.

This was actually super hilarious and cute. I’m excited for volume 2! The title itself is funny, but seeing the inner thoughts of Hiwatari and Takanashi was a riot!