Manga-ka: Tokiya Shimazaki
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: March 2008

Synopsis: “Mizuki really wasn’t expecting the cool and reserved class representative, Azuma, to suddenly declare his love for him, yet now they’re an official couple. But Mizuki and Azuma aren’t the only happy couple. Izumi & Akira sneak off to the student council room for a quickie every chance they get! Stormy winds are coming for ours two loveable ukes. With the school festival quickly approaching, their respective semes aren’t getting the tender, loving care that they require…”

It’s more of what readers’ve come to expect from Tokiya Shimazaki as the semes of the story just cannot get enough loving from their respective bottoms. An old friend of Mizuki returns for a visit while fellow classmates prepare for the upcoming student festival. It’s haunted houses, late night bush tumbling and more Izumi & Akira page-time in this fourth volume of Love Is Like A Hurricane.

As I’ve mentioned in a review for a previous volume, I find Love Is Like A Hurricane to be the manga-ka’s attempt to fit nearly every classic boys’ love fetish-staple in one series. There’s already been some bondage, sex toys, shota, puppy boys and, of course, sex wherever and whenever Mizuki’s lover, Azuma, can manage. This volume continues the traditions by tossing in an old friend and some cross dressing, as Mizuki finds himself wearing a frilly maid’s outfit for the school festival.

I’ve found the first three volumes to be entertaining reads and generally smooth ones. Things get a little bumpier quality-wise here though in the fourth and, for whatever reason, I didn’t find it nearly as charming. The series was always meant to be cute, fun and full of sex, but it seems the lack of substance and sheer absence of character depth is getting to me at last. And really, how long can Mizuki’s ‘just being stubborn’ last? It’d be nice to get past this semi-resistant stage because it’s long since left a perverbial bad taste in my mouth. The sudden appearance of Mizuki’s old friend was also disappointedly short lived, and though funny, he didn’t make much of an addition to the story.

Overall, fans of Love Is Like A Hurricane up until now will still do well to pick up this volume, as there remains a decent amount of positive traits, amidst the cons, leftover from past instalments (including 801Media’s attractive release work). Some readers, like me, may not find it a very strong addition to the series, however, as this book’s just missing that certain something that made the last ones fun to read.

Review written September 16, 2008 by Lissa Pattillo.
Book purchased from vendor at Fan Expo 2008

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About the Author: Lissa Pattillo

Lissa Pattillo is the owner and editor of Kuriousity.ca. Residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia she takes great joy in collecting all manners of manga genres, regretting that there's never enough time in the day to review or share them all. Along with reviews, Lissa is responsible for all the news postings to the website and works full time as a web and graphic designer.