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Nov 3, 2010
Shino Yuzuru is a third year high school student who is constantly being judged by his good looks, that are in contrast to his personality. It's not strange that when he hears the story of a junior's weird habit he feels quite curious about it; Seryou Touji is a sophomore that has adopted as a custom accepting any girl, who confesses first on Monday, as his girlfriend during the week. If he doesn't fall in love with them, the relationship ends in that Sunday and, since he is so popular, he is very lucky to get a new girlfriend every Monday, or maybe not so
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lucky. Shino is pondering about all this when, coincidentally, he turns out to be the first person to meet Seryou in that week. His curiosity takes the best of him, so much that he jokingly asks Seryou to be his couple of the week after hearing he would accept anyone. What will happen when Seryou takes his "rule" a bit too seriously...?
Seven Days is presented to us as a boy's love manga, but it's certainly much more than that. This is a romance story with a premise that transcends any genre; the nature of falling in love. We all judge based on appearances, at least until we are able to know more, that's why the concept of seven days to fall in love sounds so compelling and very interesting. From that idea, the plot progresses slowly, instantly taking us to our days of innocent dreams, and creating a sort of magical purity between these teenagers, who wouldn't be able to enjoy such details if they weren't completely unexpected. The week promise is the thread that keeps them together and can definitely separate them at the end of that week.
This manga would probably become only an endearing story, if it weren't for the breathtakingly beautiful way the game is presented to us. A sort of delicate, disheveled and yet beautiful art-style; a very clever way of placing simple words, playing with panel alignment and flashbacks to empower them; and characters with very interesting and quirky personalities. Tachibana Venio's story, combined with Takarai Rihito's art, worked with these details in a way that made Seven Days a light but brilliant piece. There is definitely a lovely harmony between all the elements, each of them enhancing the beauty of the other, until the point you can feel, for example, the tension and tranquility in Yuzuru's archery performance, just as Seryou would picture it.
Character-wise, there is nothing more interesting than realistic, flawed personalities, at least for me. These boys are considered handsome, and they are very popular, but they have a lot of complicated and not so good qualities that people don't like to imagine while looking at them. However, they complement each other nicely, and their bad points can actually become charming once you get to look at them from different angles.
Compared to most fast-paced boy's loves, Seven Days turns out to be very simple and original, in a way that strikes me as slice of life. In fact, every time I read this volume a strange sense of peace overcomes me. I can't help but think that I slowly fell in love too, but with the manga, because it artfully caresses any fiber of romanticist you might have. Shino and Seryou remind us what falling in love is about. Not the I love you since I first saw you or you are so hot/strong/powerful that I can't resist you type. It's the this is the real me, I'm getting to know you, and I really like what I see kind of love. Honestly, this is the sort of romantic development that I would like to see in most romantic stories. For now, they are just getting to know each other (makes me wonder about the 16+ rating, this is not yaoi), but we almost can't wait to see what will come on Friday in one of the best weeks of boy's love. Seven Days would serve as a really heartwarming introduction to boy's love with an unusual and well-thought "game" that leaves us thinking about the reasons we fall in love.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 24, 2010
Love Water is a one volume historical novel, set in the Japanese Meiji period about a servant who has lived in the pleasure quarters since he was born; he can't get out as long as he doesn't pay off his disappeared mother's debt. Misao's desire for freedom is buried under his strong demeanor, until a very important client comes to the brothel for the first time and captivates him with his strange kindness. Misao can't take his attention away from this man, and Masaomi seems to be taking a strange interest in him too. But Misao knows that Masaomi is there only for Ukigumo...
There's a
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certain undeniable charm in romances set in brothels. The forbidden love that will grant salvation to the caged bird is such an appealing concept that we can see it in countless stories. Boy's Love is not an exception to this dark version of a fairy tale, whether in modern or historical settings. The development is predictable most of the times, which is the reason I avoid these stories if I can. I felt tempted to skip this one until I found out that it was written by Tachibana Venio, an author that left me with a very good impression with her BL manga Seven Days. I thought she had an interesting way of creating delicate and light stories that manage to pull your heart-strings, mostly because of its beauty. I'm glad to see that wasn't just an impression caused by Takarai Rihitos's wonderful art; Love Water is another beautiful display of pure feelings. Despite being set in a brothel, this novel manages to exhude the peculiar atmosphere that I loved from her previous work, a soft feeling, like a wind that slowly caresses your hair.
Love Water is not an amazingly clever or surprising story but it is certainly a beautiful piece of writing. Yaoi novels usually don't have much to offer aside from the explicit scenes. I mean, even when one might think that a novel format would bring some deeper/more mature stories, everything revolves around the man-to-man action time, yaoi novels are a fine form of porn. And we tend to love them even knowing their plots are stupid. Fortunately, there are some exceptions to this norm, and there is also a middle point with some nice details, which is where this novel belongs. Through a smooth narration, emotional but subtle, Love Water manages to draw you in and transport you into the pleasure quarters. It probably has a lot to do with the great translation; most of the times I can't get into the story and the absurd or shallow plots can even make me laugh.
The characters were fairly interesting, even secondary ones and that's quite a surprise. Misao was pleasant to hear most of the times, we see the story through his eyes and we can follow his feelings easily. He can be considered quite a delicate flower, with his feminine features and dancing skills. He mesmerizes men as skillfully as any courtesan, but he would never sell his body to pay his debt. He is proud and actually pretty strong. Masaomi was somehow flat, well, more like he needed a some deepening, because being very aware of Misao's deep feelings makes Masaomi's motives mysterious and his actions kind of sudden.
Being a yaoi novel, there has to be some action in it, but in this case is not an excessive amount of scenes. However, the few ones that are offered to us are intense in a very subtle way with their beauty and tension. They are never very explicit, but they are unrealistically perfect. Very fit for the magic of the atmosphere. And they were all consensual, yay!
The illustrations are another nice detail, Tooko Miyagi has a very original style, a bit rough on the edges but certainly detailed and nice to the eye. Surprisingly, I prefer her black/white illustrations more than the colored ones. I still think they should have used the other one as a cover, Misao is dressed as a woman for a very short time...and that cover is confusing.
In the end this turned out to be a very pleasant read and I'm eager to see more of Tachibana Venio soon. I think her works are a nice transition from non-explicit BL and to the sexually explicit type. Besides, her stories leave you feeling happy and moved. Love Water is a truly endearing romance, recommended for all boy's love readers that are looking for light novels worth reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 1, 2010
Yuki Yamamuro has been praised as a natural talent for acting and, even though he was introduced to this career in a rather unexpected way, managed maintain his popularity in the business for a long time. However, it’s a reality that eventually all flowers shall wilt. He became aware of his decaying glory while interacting with the young rising star Mitsuru Sawaki. They were double cast for the same character in a play and it was pretty obvious who did the best interpretation. Now Yuki is feeling so restless that he wants to hinder his opponent’s opportunities. A pretty bad decision for him since the
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youngster turned out to be shrewder than he thought.
Mizutashi Takana and Mamamara Ellie created a story filled with the tension and fighting spirit of the perfect rivals. A nice atmosphere for an intriguing and surprising passion to develop between the characters. Although the actors didn’t actually challenge each other, it feels like they made a tacit arrangement; surely sparks fly when they interact, whether in their personal or professional lives, until the point you can feel the tension. I found that sort of natural but mysterious rivalry enticing.
We see most of the story from Yuki’s point of view, so that might enhance the effect. While Yuki is only trying to sort out his own value and the meaning of his situation, Sawaki’s intentions are not very clear. Yuki is the sort of insecure person to look for reassurance in the form of a petty arrangement with his manager, he needs people to tell him how good he is. Sawaki, on the other hand, stands in his own feet; he seems to really want to annoy or even destroy Yuki, mocking his lack of talent, his withering fame and his weak behavior. Still, in the end, Sawaki’s provocations might prove to be the very best medicine for Yuki’s problems.
Double Cast was surprisingly enjoyable for me. And I say surprisingly because I am not into this type of art. Mamamara Ellie’s style is pretty distinctive, long-limbed characters and marked lips, along with rather squared body forms. Certainly not beautiful for me, and the backgrounds are also kind of lacking. However, it seems that the combination of a rather odd character design with the fairly good story, made their expressions, and even their pouty lips, look sexier than expected. It also added to my favorite presentation in boys love; two sexy alluring and though-acting men being swept by love. It turned into a really pleasant read.
Aside from that nice atmosphere, filled with tension, there was something else that made me appreciate this story a bit more. That is, Sawaki’s poetry comments, or rather his insistence on comparing Yuki to a flower. It was certainly made to infuse an artistic feeling to the story, rather than a tacky one, and the purpose was achieved; I can’t stop thinking about the flower metaphor every time I look to its cover. There are several implications that give a special meaning to Yuki and Sawaki’s connection, giving some depth to their relationship, but it’s better to leave those to the readers.
I would recommend Double Cast to those that want to read something light but not superficial. This manga manages to be enjoyable with little twists, sexy without being explicit (almost shounen-ai) and it leaves you with some small facts of life to consider along the way. However, it certainly needed deepening on the characters' personalities and maybe more sexy interactions between them; there is some potential for more of this sizzling romance. Definitely not a remarkable read but still good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 28, 2010
Love Full of Scars is a compilation of several short stories that gravitate around rough but surprisingly cute men. Of course we also have several bishies here, but it was such a pleasant surprise to find hairy, old and though men acting in such a lovely way.
'Cause I love every bit of you is the first chapter. This is an hilarious story about two high school students that met by chance, Minamibo Yoko and Saito Yukio. Yoko is completely beautiful and seemingly fragile in Saito's eyes. Besides, since he is always sporting some kind of minor injury, Saito feels bothered to the point he starts
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imagining all kind of scenes that seem taken from your average boys love story; Minamibo is sexually abused by almost anyone in these delusions. However, appearances are deceiving, especially with these two boys.
Then we have Driving School Romance were Ishimoto meets the creator of his favorite manga character, Kanaya, in the driving school. They easily become friends, even getting drunk together. Ishimoto is touched by the loneliness of Kanaya to the point of thinking of him as cute. The morning after is a combination of confusion and a completely hilarious train of thought, as Ishimoto realizes he might have done something more than just wrestling with Kanaya.
A Delusional Couple's Romance is a crazy story, more like a comedy with touches of shounen and...well...a bit of incest. Aki is coming back home after 2 years, eager to meet with his cute little brother but, guess what he finds instead? a 13 years old that looks more like an adult tug. Aki's dreams of pampering his younger brother are shattered for a moment, until he realizes Hirofumi is still the same inside. Well, that's when his weird delusions and attempts at brotherly love start, but Hirofumi is now avoiding him, causing things to spiral into an incredibly hilarious nonsense that manages to be very cute.
Love full of scars is the main story for this book, composed by three chapters (and an extra at the end of the manga). Kanda Seishiro and Uesaka Kaname are both school delinquents, you could say they are the toughest guys in there. Since he was defeated for the first time, Uesaka keeps on following Kanda around to fight with him. And, only god knows why, between all that beating, Kanda felt in love with the honorable Ueasaka. However, that doesn't seem to stop his punches and insults; even when Kanda wants to express his love he only manages to do exactly the opposite of what he is thinking. Quite endearing, really, he is like a lovely maiden on the inside and a foul-mouthed violent tug on the outside. Uesaka has my total respect, not only he manages to sort all of that out, he is also resolved to convince Kanda's deamon drag-queen older brother of his good intentions. How amazing is that!
The last one, A Vortex of Love, features the demon brother's side of the story. Kanda Kotaro has been working in a club as a transvestite, called Ruby, for a long time. Ever since their parents death, he has become the only family and support to his little brother Seishiro, until the point that he never thought much about himself. Seeing his brother grow up and find love, Ruby is becoming very lonely. Misato Yuji, a co-worker, is always trying to cheer Ruby up, to offer him his love. The problem is Ruby only thinks that way of someone he hurt deeply in the past, even when he barely remembers that little boy from middle school. To top it all, Misato's kindness only seems to trigger those regretful memories even more.
Honestly, Psyche Delico won me out with only this manga. Because all the stories are amazingly cute, hilarious and touching at the same time, I couldn't help it. They are all very sexy too, without being extremely explicit, in the intimate scenes; the strong, violent and rough appeal of the characters is what provides this effect. The mangaka doesn't shy away from some facial and body hair, not so cute hair styles (really what's up with Hirofumi's hair? That thing is alive!), bashed up faces, oldies and drag queens. Not only that, these characters are full of quirks, sometimes very weird ones, and aren't they lewd with so many delusions? What I liked the most, of course, was the unexpected ways the roles took, not following the usual pattern in BL were you could easily predict the top. All that diversity is very welcomed, especially with the smooth and simple art style that makes all the characters attractive: Love Full of Scars is a bunch of sexy awkward rough men on a plate.
This manga might not be considered a masterpiece, but it's a really nice pick if you want to feel good and get into a story without excessive amounts of drama. The surprising turns, hilarious characters and engaging flow are its outstanding points. I just wish there was more of these one-shots, after all, I love them that crazy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 22, 2010
This manga is composed by two sweet stories, one with the main title and other called Cheeky. Incidentally, they are related by a common feeling; these boys are doing their best to look strong and cheerful on the outside, while they are actually waiting for someone to look closely and notice their inner suffering, someone who can truly understand them.
The first story is called Dash, one where the admiration becomes desire. Akimoto has entered the judo club in his new high school because he was totally enthralled by Saitou’s performance in a contest. He dreamed to see the amazing moves and daring attitude again and
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wanted to become someone as good as his admired sempai. You could say Akimoto has a thing for Saitou, in fact, that’s what everyone says seeing how he has become Saitou’s errand boy. However, that “thing” is not a romantic feeling at all. Well, at least until Akimoto has to ponder about sempai graduating, along with several other details related to the genius judoka’s lazy attitude.
Dash manages to combine comedy, a bit of drama and sports into a totally sweet but serious story. We can see how just like evolves into love when Akimoto becomes aware of all the different sides, even the weak ones, of his admired sempai. He is trying really hard to win Saitou’s heart, without realizing why, and before he can truly think about it, Saitou is starting to get affected by his unrelenting attention. What made me love this story? that happy and shounen-like feeling that
smoothly changes towards serious and sexually tense at the best moments without becoming something really heavy and dramatic. Definitely a nice flow of actions thanks to the well planned words and visuals.
The characters are another special point of this story, they act like their age, and how refreshing is that! They are silly, they joke a lot and they are a mess sometimes. Akimoto is so full of purpose, always straightforward, a little slow, but always endearing. Saitou is the one who wins for me, he is cheeky, sarcastic, cheerful and full of himself. It was predictable but delightful to see him become as flustered as angry, a bottom with the upper hand!!!
Cheeky is a totally different story, that somehow feels really similar to the previous one. Ohyama has reunited with his cousin Yoshirou from whom he harbors really sweet memories as a child. As Yoshirou comes to spend some time at his house, Ohyama is rapidly realizing that the cute kid became a devil; he is not only a perverted man-eater but, also, the kind of person who disregards the whole thing as if it were a game. Ohyama is worried, annoyed and utterly confused at Yoshirou’s approachs. Turns out that he can’t leave the kid alone even when he wanted to, even less when he realizes that Yoshiou’s support in his loneliness was a promise that he made him as a child…
This love story is a bit complicated. I mean, they are cousins and one is a perverted brat that even takes money in exchange of sex! Yoshirou has been feeling lost and Ohyama has become his only salvation, whatever the implications might be. Although this was a mostly funny one, what I can remember the most is the melancholic feeling you get when you realize the true nature of Yoshirou, really well played in my opinion. In spite of that, I am satisfied with the ending, what was supposed to be an erotic scene it suddenly turned into an hilarious one. And it seems that Yoshirou is not only talk; he has a nice weapon of cuteness plus experience.
As I said above, the characters are pretty similar most of the times. Somehow Ohyama felt a bit flat here, maybe because Yoshirou is so amusing and interesting; besides the story is mostly a vision of him through Ohyama’s eyes. He is really not ashamed of anything. I have to give extra points to this one for the bottom being the attacker. That’s not something you see around often.
Isaku Natsume’s art is really likable, pretty fitting for the story; almost a shounen type of art. Big eyes and messy hair, along with really nice smiles. The boys become really cute when they blush and the awkwardness in them is endearing; it’s a really clean and sweet style. Besides that, there are not very explicit scenes here, it’s almost shounen-ai except for certain parts that almost cross the border, focusing more in the humorous nature of being young.
Dash! would make a nice transition from shounen to boys love. It is a refreshing story, with a really distinct style in the genre, a light read with just a bit of drama and lots of hilarious moments. I’d say this is definitely a must read if you are looking for something that is different and makes you feel happy while reading it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 12, 2010
Arashi no Ato -After the Storm- by Hidaka Shouko is a sequel of sorts to Signal, by the same author. However, this time the story is about the really interesting and seemingly obnoxious character we caught only a glimpse of before; the president of an interior design company, and friend of the previous main characters, Sakaki Masahiko.
We would always like to think that we have control over ourselves, especially when it comes to our feelings. Of course, most of the times things don't turn out exactly the way we want them to in that area. There are also those occasions when a conviction takes
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form on its own, completely ignoring the conscious mind, and you can find yourself wondering if there isn't someone else sharing your inner boat. It can be a surprising, refreshing, or even dazzling feeling, to find oneself attracted to someone you are not supposed to; it can be a really bothersome issue too...which is exactly our the case for Sakaki.
Self-centered, prudent and down-to-earth Sakaki finds his peaceful days wrecked by an inner storm when he gets completely attracted to, who he considers the forbidden, a straight man. Well, it doesn't come as a surprise when Okada Kazuki, a dark haired stylish beauty, calls his attention in their first meeting; Okada is truly a jewel in the crowd, and Sakaki is very appreciative of a well-groomed man. Besides, just watching can't do any harm...right. That's true unless you have to keep meeting that person and working together for weeks. More to Sakaki's pain, even if he tries to avoid Okada, the man has an unusual interest in him. It seems to be the sort of professional admiration that can turn into a good friendship. However, Sakaki recognizes some signs that might say otherwise and, even if there seems to be some hope, he is sure that's just a delusion on his part. Could he be mistaken?
Arashi no Ato is a special boys' love manga; even if the story is not uncommon, it was presented in a very different way that made it outstanding. It gives a calm feeling, soothingly pleasant maybe, that makes you love it by its simplicity. It's a combination of interesting and veritable characters, nice art-style and, mainly, a natural flow of actions; the story draws you in while the background plot adds dept to that feeling. After all, we see both characters working, in a major interior designing project, not as a simple excuse for sex behind the scene. Far from that, this is such a well developed setting that it transformed this manga into a slice of life.
Speaking of the characters, Arashi no Ato is mostly focused on Sakaki and the sequel/extra Double Line is more about Okada. Both of them turned out to be pretty appealing men. There is much more to Sakaki's coldness and principles than just prudence, after all, he has been in the same situation before and can't take the excruciating pain of liking someone he can't have anymore. Sakaki wants to get away from it as fast as he can, hoping for the storm to subdue. However, it will not be that easy.
Okada won't take such a harsh rejection without giving a piece of his mind back. He is a bit of a free spirit, in the sense that he likes to do things as he feels them, without thinking too much. Okada isn't what he looks like at all but, somehow, he manages to maintain sort of a distant beauty. Surprisingly, he is not simply a laid-back man and Double Line gives us a better view about his interesting traits. In the end, Sakaki's personality is intense but prudent, Okada's is relaxed but upfront; talk about complementing contradictions.
Hidaka Shoko's art-style is another good point for this manga. Her characters look beautiful and the clothes are stylish, along with nice body proportions and some detailed backgrounds, everything looks great. The colored art and inserts are treats to the eye too. Now, she is not very explicit in her sex scenes, however she manages to make the few we can see pretty erotic. An interesting detail was Sakaki changing glasses along the story, adding even more allure to this sexy character.
I fell in love with this title since the moment I saw its great cover. Their expressions, their calm and composed moods, the expensive sofa from Sakaki's store, the cigarette that makes Okada look so sexy and the clothes that are pretty much the great style along the whole manga. All of it sums to perfection. Top that with their linked hands and there you have it: stylish, sexy, beautiful and subtle but intense romance; Arashi no Ato in a nutshell.
---Queen2408 for the Anti Girly Uke Yaoi Club. You are invited to join and participate in the discussion.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 7, 2010
Teru Chiaki and Miki Terayama are high school students who belong to different years but, somehow, happen to constantly stumble upon each other in some pretty unusual situations. It's not like they are fighting together; since the odds are against them, it's more like they are running from danger together. Chiaki and Miki aren't friends, so they are quite amused finding out that their very best friends are actually brothers. That aside, those very best friends are exactly the reason why these two feel so lonely as to not care if they have to share their hideout anymore. Unexpectedly, Chiaki, the delinquent, and Miki, his
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promiscuous sempai, become buddies in the midst of danger and loneliness. They feel at ease with the other and their time together is the perfect scape from their difficult situations. Soon, in what seems the most logical next step, their games take fooling around to the next step; Miki and Chiaki have become sex buddies.
This story is funny, a bit violent, sexy and sometimes a bit sad. Add to that the fact that this is an equally standing couple, with a manly bottom and probably the shortest top around; now we have the perfect recipe for an unique yaoi. Not only that, there is a fair amount of humor and some fights that throw a shounen feeling to the mix. This is indeed the perfect example of a good delinquent's yaoi; sometimes you are having so much fun that you might forget that there was a pretty steamy sex scene around the corner.
These two are just having fun and enjoying their freedom together. They don't have an explanation to their easy relationship, but it becomes evident that there is more to it than just the spur of the moment feeling. Of course, the dog and the master aren't expecting to fall in love and surely, their best friends are not going to sit with their arms crossed to watch this happen.
These characters are crazy. Well, they might be the least crazy ones from Motoni Modoru, but there is still a spark of absurdity and dark humor in them. It is remarkable how these boys are portrayed as the average teenager boy; they do stupid things, laugh a lot and pick at the other even in the most serious situations. In the end these are just insecure boys trying to get by with whatever life gives to them and struggling to protect their hearts from what they can't handle.
Chiaki might look like a cute, tiny blond-haired puppy, but he is fact the most dangerous stray dog. Like the proper stray he has always been a loner, at least until he got a best friend, but now old days are coming back, since he was 'abandoned' for a girl. Chiaki becomes a restless and distrustful stray. Well, although he has quite the temper and is very violent, he is also quite noble; he is always there for his friends and is very protective of those who matter to him. Never sharing his troubles, always a strong front, Chiaki actually doesn't like to feel lonely.
Miki is the happy owner. He is considered a player... and a bisexual one to boot. Always acting as if everything is a game, even with the most scary people, Miki manages to gain a bit of the stray's trust. He might not look like it, but he is the strongest between them. After all he spends every day trying to overcome very awful situations in his own way. And while he might rely on his friend, nobody has actually got his back; Miki is proud and he has built his own support.
Dog Style's art is quite detailed but blunt. While I really like Motoni Modoru's style, I recognize that it can be a bit to strong at first, especially the eyes. There is a lot of attention to detail, and mostly in humorous situations the character's expressions make you think about seinen art style; we can see very scary and hilarious faces that give a distinctive air of craziness to the story. What was supposed to look cute becomes playful here. Then, these boys are drawn with beautiful toned bodies; contrary to most of BL's art, Motoni Modoru's sexiness resides in the fact that these are strong and young men, not in the delicacy of their features.
Speaking of sex, this title is probably the most explicit one from this mangaka. It is weird that the first and third volume are almost explicit yaoi and the second more like average. So let's say this is an average-to-explicit one. Another interesting point, regarding sex scenes, is that their first encounters are pretty painful for both, since Chiaki is inexperienced with women. Also, we actually get to see some emphasis on protection (at least once), this gives a lot of points to this manga, a bit of reality that's very appreciated. Lastly, it is so funny to see how their body proportions affect the act, like they should; Chiaki is very short so he has some reach problems, the result is some pretty intense images, you wouldn't think that shorty could manage so much.
Dog Style is a really entertaining and unique story. Even if the drama in the last volume might feel a bit twisted and dark, it manages to have a whole feeling as a playful, sexy and crazy one. This is a story about youth energy and love. A type of love that manages to be innocent even after being born in the midst of loneliness, frustration and danger. Totally recommended if you want action and bad boys getting confused by love!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 21, 2010
Two men, that have nothing to do with each other, end up having a one-night stand in a very unlikely situation. Kento is your average straight guy, his dream is to have a perfect wife and loving children, but he wants that future so much that he always overlooks an important detail, love. Thus, his straightforward personality leads him to be dumped by his fiancee when he proposed to her. Heartbroken Kento wants to get drunk and doesn't really care about the company, a man who seems to be just a harmless onlooker and was affected by the ex outburst. Well, it turns out that
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the charming stranger is no less than a very loose homosexual, and, what's more, he's looking for fun. As expected, alcohol, plus broken, heart plus debauchery incarnated in a man, are too much for our ordinary guy to bear, so of course, he just drowns in the sensation, deciding to forget later. What looked like an awful mistake, that should be buried in the depths of his mind, became a really troublesome situation when Akira, the seductive stranger, appears as the new teacher in the school where Kento works.
Future Lovers is a sweet story, there is no denying it. It has such a common plot, but it presents it in a brilliant way: a slice of life/comedy, with a proper flow for each situation. Also, it 's not overly dramatic, even when the characters are so deep, and it doesn't focus on sex, even when it begins with it. In the end, it can make you laugh and even cry with such simplicity.
Kento and Akira end up developing a relationship that wasn't supposed to be, and wasn't even wanted. You could probably say that it is all thanks to a dream of the future that Kento has. Certainly, the memory of the future helped to make things smoother, but in the end what brought these two together was the fact that they are very suited for each other. So, while Kento struggles to get a family and make his grandparents happy, Akira only wants to enjoy and forget his loneliness, no strings attached. They decide to act like total strangers, two ordinary teachers in a high school, but somehow they can't really avoid each other.
These two are truly opposites. Kento is very ordinary and even boring, always following the proper path. Akira only wants to have fun, feel pleasure and do whatever he pleases. Kento looks really plain, Akira is flamboyant!. Kento is very straightforward, sometimes rude, Akira knows how to play with words, he is charming and a good liar. Kento is very considerate while Akira is really spoiled and mean....There is no end to it, but they seem to share something that has only surfaced when they are together: loneliness. Kento and Akira find solace in their relationship, in the way they complement each other and they decide to pursue a dream that goes against their better judgment, to be happy together.
Kunieda Saika's style it's really funny and really weird sometimes. Future Lovers happens to be her less twisted manga, also her most famous one. Well, she used only a bit of her weirdness here (I almost tripped of my chair with that spark of dark humor) and the rest is just hilarious, cute and hilarious.
Even the art is made to work with these mood changes, sometimes very serious and detailed and others a bit messy, with funny expressions. She jumps from one to other with such an ease...one minute we see a very romantic scene with beautiful faces and the other we get the little devils and those tacky kiss marks! I love her art-style, is unique and very appropriate for each situation.
Future Lovers shows us, from the usual problems that a couple has to face, to other more specific situations as the inconveniences of a homosexual relationship. Even so, it is a pretty light manga, every situation is overcame with their love and a fair amount of silliness on the sides. The story is not an excuse for the sex here, in fact this is almost a soft yaoi. Nevertheless, it has a bit of sexiness, mostly in the beautiful art along with Akira's perverted behavior. Well, I have to admit I can't stop laughing at invisible genitals here, but that's fine, the feelings are the focus in these short scenes.
This is a happy story, one of those that lighten your day, even so it strikes me as a mature one...maybe because things seem to be way more normal than how this plot is usually portrayed. Memory of the future is about their encounter and how they deal with it and, the sequel, Kaze no Yukue shows us the ups and downs of their relationship and how they achieve their dream of being together as a family, forever.
Future Lovers is one of the jewels of BL, not a masterpiece, but very outstanding and different. The focus here? Love, just that, there are some complex feelings on the side, but it's the beautiful relationship the one that gets our attention the whole time. And the funny moments too!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 1, 2010
Finder Series is basically an action story. I mean a sexy action yaoi story. And that’s pretty much it. The charm of it resides in the twists, the danger, and the rush. There is no pink here, only some humorous situations; and when you think you are seeing love it is the hard version of it, or the desire to posses. I would strongly disagree with this kind of sadistic and unfeeling relationship if it wasn’t so nicely portrayed, as the perfectly fitting cat and mouse game for these complicated and strong men.
It is only in the later stages of the story that we
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(and the characters) start wondering about the nature of their feelings. Their relationship started like a game of power, then desire and it’s probably evolving to something more after so much near-to-death situations that bring out the things that really matter to surface.
As mentioned above, the plot is action driven, with a rather common abuse at the beginning, and later it develops into a mafia war. Fairly interesting and absorbing, even with a lot of sex scenes it manages to have a story to support most of them and get you interested in it. I think that’s quite an accomplishment, a BL that is not only about the relationship (or sex) but what happens around it too.
Yamano Ayane has a really stylized art, not really uncommon but you can recognize it most of the times; always clean designs, elaborated backgrounds, beautiful characters, detailed clothes/hair, and nice facial expressions. Sometimes you would think that the characters look too “perfect”, with well defined muscles and no hair! I would call it sexy art. The sex scenes can be considered explicit, even when they might seem average most of the times; some feature BDSM, and others have very explicit details like blood. Besides there are some non consensual ones and pretty much all of them go straight to the point. The colored art is great by the way; the mangaka knows how to make really beautiful pieces and has improved significantly over the years, her art books are just great. The funny scenes, on the other hand, change the style a bit, making the characters look cuter.
The characters might seem kind of transparent at the beginning but they get more and more complex as the story progresses. You would think that Akihito is just a simple, cheerful and idealist brat while Asami is a ruthless yakuza boss that has to dominate everything and everyone, but there is even more to it than the eye meets, and that’s only perceived in subtle actions or expressions throughout the story. There are some parts, though, where I truly don’t understand Akihito’s behavior and wish he wasn’t so… Forgiving? Lustful? Makes one doubt about how unique is his relationship with Asami.
On an extra note, this couple is certainly not equally standing from what we can see; Asami would be top of the tops seriously! While Akihito keeps trying really hard to keep his manly pride in front of such a strong man. Besides, we mostly know about Akihito’s personality and just a bit of Asami’s, he doesn’t talk much and he has a lot of secrets; Akihito keeps wondering what’s behind that iron mask and is always trying hard to equal his strength, to surpass him. We will hopefully see more of this in future chapters.
Finder Series is a really exciting story about power, desire and a really complex relationship in a dangerous environment. If you like drama, sexy men with guns and elegant figures with a bit more spice in the explicitness area this should be one of your favorites. We even have a malicious super sexy longhaired Chinese nemesis that almost, just almost, equals Asami in power and presence. A lot of wicked characters and some that are not exactly what they look like.
I don't consider this a masterpiece, rather a must read in this genre, but I even have enjoyed re-reading parts of this story once in a while. It is great to find a manga that has more than two volumes and an interesting plot, besides the extra stories would make other nice mangas on their own; definitely looking forward to the rest of the trip, without a single clue about how these two will manage and how Akihito would grasp his mysterious partner’s heart.
---Queen2408 for the Anti Girly Uke Yaoi Club. You are invited to join and participate in the discussion.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 8, 2009
Doushitemo Furetakunai --I absolutely don't want to touch you-- tells the story about Shima and Togawa, your average company workers. Shima is the new guy, he has a shy and blunt personality; he doesn’t talk unless it’s necessary and when he does he is very incisive. Togawa finds these traits really interesting and, after a really bad first impression, he can’t help but want to tease Shima every time he sees his inexpressive face. This situation could turn out to be a normal boss/employee relationship, or even a good friendship, but, what happens when Togawa accidentally discovers the other side of Shima and becomes even
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more curious about him?
Yoneda Kou is another mangaka that, working with a common plot, can achieve an amazing result that stands out from your usual BL. The greatness of this manga is on the details and the way the story is presented; normal, realistic and focusing in the characters’ feelings. We are allowed to see some pretty painful struggles, bad decisions based on a confused judgment and love as it is most of the times; really complicated and scary.
This story is deep and with a perfect amount of drama that doesn’t go to the point of becoming unnatural. It centers on a major fact of life: in a good or bad way, the sad parts of a person’s past affect their personalities and choices forever. Togawa and Shima represent different ways of dealing with those painful memories; they are polar opposites that wouldn’t have been more than friends if it wasn’t exactly for their difficult pasts.
The flow or direction feels kind of melancholic in a really beautiful way. It’s like an extract of real life moments where every detail, from the dialogue to the illumination, becomes an important part of a whole; each moment is dyed with a particular emotion, along with the characters’ thoughts, and nothing feels off or out of normal. Thanks to that we are able to sympathize with them and to actually go along with the mood in every moment. Certainly, there must be some sort of magic here that brings forth a painfully beautiful story, and even the sex scenes add to that, being so simple and yet so sensual and full of meaning.
The art is beautiful, simple and smooth, soft at some parts darker at others. It’s a nice style that feels good from the very beginning, and later you become aware of the tidiness and the small changes that come along with the mood. Maybe all the faces look similar but their expressions are nicely defined and every character is well designed. Definitely a unique art style that has become one of my favorites already.
The characters are portrayed in such a natural way, like real men with their particular traits; really different from your usual role's presentation. Shima might seem girly at first since he has a shy personality and it's often called cute, far from reality, he has a really sharp tongue, he is really bold most of the times and knows how to take care of himself. What might be out of place here and brings a bit of stereotype is how easily the relationship began, like a straight guy wouldn’t have a problem getting involved with another just for the sake of desire, makes me wonder how open minded had Togawa been raised.
Doushitemo Furetakunai is one of those gems of boys love that are really worth reading several times, you can always enjoy it in different ways. Surely, this is a story a lot of people can identify with, the main trouble for this couple might seem the straight/gay issue but it actually isn’t. Fear of falling too hard and not being able to stand the loss later, that’s it. In the end, the realistic touch of it calls to a deeper reflection; how much risk can we take in order to be happy?
---Queen2408 for the Anti Girly Uke Yaoi Club. You are invited to join and participate in the discussion.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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