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There's an almost poignant quality to Fake Fur. Keyword: almost.

Although keeping in line with Yamagata Satomi's exceptional way of mixing physical contact with personal isolation, Fake Fur feels weak compared to her other works.

That is not to say that Fake Fur is not a worthwhile read. On the contrary, it's a good place to start reading her work just so you'll be able to watch how her style matures with the characters.

Going back to the almost poignancy of this work, it's all still very sweet. The characters still have depth and personality because the danger of most yaoi works is for the couple ... to be some generic people. Yamagata Satomi actually handles the story well. It portrays the feeling of first love with enough distance so it's effective and not silly or too saccharine.

Written and illustrated beautifully, Fake Fur is a good introduction to Yamagata Satomi's style. The piece which decides if she's your cup of tea or not.

This one counts as one of my favorite manga. And why is that?

First of all, I like Yamagata Satomi's art. It's very clean and almost reminiscent of Sumomo Yumeka's but more defined with bolder strokes. Admittedly, she draws the uke and the seme in a somewhat traditional manner but hey, it's still a mile away from average.

Kanjo Kairo / Manic Love is quite the pleasant read. I suppose I should mention that it is intended for mature readers not because of it's physical content but perhaps because of the depth with which Yamagata Satomi handles the relationship between the characters.

It captures quite amazingly well ... the simplicity and complexity of liking a person. The manga displays the physical and personal connections within a relationship (whether romantic or platonic)

The characters are all very, very beautifully fleshed out. Even the supporting character, Ogawa, is presented so well that he became my favorite!

Romantic, mature and meaningful. A proof that a yaoi manga has quality.

To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of Ebine Yamaji's art. Although I have come to recognize it as a style all her own, I still have to state that it is quite unappealing.

But having said that, the manga Love My Life is still worth reading. The characters' personalities, especially Ichiko's, was given much thought. Her feelings and her thoughts are well-motivated. Her gradual maturity is interesting to read. Her realizations don't feel like expositions but more of a natural growth for her character.

The slice of life take to the topic of lesbianism and sexuality is perfect in this manga. It avoids romanticism and ... chooses to present how similar a gay relationship is to a straight one.

There are weak spots to this manga but I cannot recall it at the moment. Which just means that the good stuff outweigh the flaws.

Definite thumbs up on this one. Great scenes, great characters.

As one would expect, Sumomo Yumeka / Mizu Sahara once again puts a romantic spin on something as simple as riding a bus.

The various segments involving people in buses, people waiting for buses and people being left behind by buses are once again wonderfully illustrated in a distinct clean style.

Bus Hashiru explores a different side of love. It goes beyond the confession part of love and delves into what happens after feelings are known. It also puts a light on a love beyond the romantic one. The characters are, as always, endearing and appealing.

A very charming and bittersweet collection of stories.

Sumomo Yumeka's strong point is her ability to illustrate and weave together little scenes that seem perfectly ordinary but turns into something sweet and touching.

Same Cell Organism delivers simple little moments of life as lived by any two people. The romance requires no suspension of disbelief and it still makes you smile wryly at the beauty of real people who are really in deep like for each other.

Even the fantasy To Make an Angel carries the sense of quietness that the rest of the manga has. The concept of love is perhaps a bit idealized in these pages but we all need to believe ... in such saccharine moments every now and then.

This is the first work of Sumomo Yumeka that I encountered and I was completely enchanted after reading it.

The story is very simple but quite profound. Despite the short length of the manga, Sumomo Yumeka makes it very easy for readers to appreciate the characters by carefully choosing which scenes to illustrate. The visual style is very clean and blends well with the quiet mood of the story.

Very touching and appealing, particularly for people who like subtle romance.