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Author Archive for Shannon Fay

Review: How To Control A Sidecar

By Shannon Fay on Tuesday, May 11, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Makoto Tateno
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: May 2010

Synopsis: “Naive and easy-going Kousaka is a bartender at a local popular hangout place. One night, a couple–a young mischievous, spirited guy and a rich, handsome and well-groomed man walk in. Kousaka noticed that they seemed a bit odd being together-but little did he know, they weren’t there for happy hour drinks! They were there to approach Kousaka and to be a part of their 3-way relationship. When he finally realizes that he is wanted by the two-Kousaka finds himself embroiled in a messy love triangle! Now what will he do?”

Some boys’ love manga can only be enjoyed by stretching your disbelief. For example, in How to Control a Sidecar, one of the characters goes through a horrible trauma, only to brush it off. In real life no one would react the way this guy reacts, but, this isn’t the real world. It’s still a little disconcerting to see a manga casually wave off something like rape, especially since otherwise How to Control a Sidecar is a fun manga.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Doki Doki, Makoto Tateno, Manga

Review: Physical Attraction

By Shannon Fay on Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Tatsumi Kaiya
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: January 2010

Synopsis: “I first met the cool and handsome Narusawa in college. Interested, I approached and said to him half-jokingly,”Let me do you next time.” …that very same day, he was the one who ended up doing me! Then, just when I thought I’d talked myself into believing ours was a purely physical relationship, I came to a sudden realization-I was in love with Narusawa! But I’m always the one calling to see him, and never the other way around. The booty-call has been our only connection-so how can I tell him,”I love you,” now…?! –Kurata”

Physical Attraction is a series of short yaoi stories, ranging from college love to work place drama to a bit of political intrigue. Most of the stories use some kind of boys love cliché as a starting point, but even when the stories are unoriginal they are still solidly told.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Manga

Review: Keeping Luke’s Secret

By Shannon Fay on Saturday, April 3, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Author: Carole Mortimer
Manga-ka: Hinoto Mori
Publisher: Harlequin K.K./SOFTBANK Creative Corp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Synopsis: “Out of the blue, Leonie is asked by Rachel, a renowned actress, to write her biography. Although she has published a biography once before, she has no idea why Rachel chose her as the author. Her doubts about the job deepen with Rachel’s son, Luke, who for some reason relentlessly intimidates her. As Rachel was unmarried when giving birth to Luke, it was one of the biggest scandals at the time. While being aware of his hostile attitude, Leonie is drawn to his cold green eyes, and she decides to accept the job…”

I’ve read a few Harlequin romance manga before and wasn’t that impressed, so I admit I went into Keeping Luke’s Secret with a bit of a bias against it. To the manga’s credit, it managed to hook me from page one and keep me reading until the end. While there are several gaping holes in the plot, I was more concerned with what would happen next when I was reading rather than the inconsistency in each reveal.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: DMP, Manga

Review: La Satanica

By Shannon Fay on Thursday, March 25, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Momoko Tenzen
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: September 2009

Synopsis: “Even though Mashita and Matsushima have known each other for years, they’re having trouble admitting their true feelings. If the two are in love, then what’s holding them back? Mashita likes to play games with Matsushima’s head and heart, forcing Matsushima to try and figure out what he can do to make Mashita happy. But when the real fooling around starts, will they allow their relationship to take off, or will there be hell to pay? The heat goes up as Mashita and Matsushima come to realize that love isn’t just about fun and games. Momoko Tenzen (Seven, Unsophisticated and Rude) shows how twisted romance can be, and how devilish love always is, in this full-length, high school romance!”

Oh my goodness, childhood friends who want to be something more? Why that’s…just like a dozen other yaoi manga out there. Well, sometimes amazing art can lift up a bland story. That’s not the case here: the art is cute, but hardly mind-blowing. And yet despite having a fairly standard story and serviceable art, La Satanica still manages to be entertaining, ending up as something greater than the sum of its parts.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Manga

Review: Otodama – Voice From The Dead (Vol. 01)

By Shannon Fay on Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Youka Nitta
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: February 2010

Synopsis: “Kaname Otonashi is gifted with a super-hearing ability, so much so that he can even hear voices from the “other side”. Having once worked as a top notch detective specializing in Sound Engineering Investigation, Otonashi resigned to work as a private investigator. His partner, Yasuhide, aka Hide, collaborates with the police department to take on unsolved and mysterious cases. Surrounded by a string of mysterious deaths, the police turn to Kaname’s findings to identify suspects…but can Kaname handle the non-stop screaming of the dead?”

Youka Nitta is famous for creating landmark yaoi manga like the popular Embracing Love and The Prime Minister’s Secret Diplomacy. Not knowing anything about Otodama except for the manga-ka when I started reading it, I was expecting more of the same. I couldn’t have been more surprised. Otodama isn’t a yaoi series (or even shounen-ai), but instead a smart police-thriller with supernatural elements. What it does have in common with Nitta’s other work is fantastic art and a gripping story.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Doki Doki, Manga

Review: Dog x Cat

By Shannon Fay on Monday, March 8, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Yoshimi Amasaki
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “All Atsu has ever wanted is a dog of his own… and all Junya has ever wanted is Atsu! After being friends since childhood, dog-like Junya and cat-like Atsu now attend college together. One day, Junya finally drops a bomb: he’s in love with Atsu and wants to have a sexual relationship with him! Even though Atsu agrees, he doesn’t tell Junya if his feelings are returned. Aren’t they both supposed to be in love? What’s more, aren’t dogs and cats supposed to be natural enemies? With lots of training, perhaps Atsu will come to learn that having Junya is even better than having his own pet!”

Dog x Cat is a strange animal. On one hand, it’s extremely cute and funny. One the other hand, it has some of the dirtiest sex scenes I’ve seen in awhile. For some people, this would be a great case of getting to have your cake and eat it too. For me, I found the two extremes a little disconcerting. Still, once I got used to the mix, I started to enjoy it.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: 801Media, Boys' Love/Yaoi, Manga

Review: Ciao Ciao Bambino

By Shannon Fay on Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Momoko Tenzen
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: October 2009

Synopsis: “Soon after taking a part-time job as a cram-school lecturer, Yoh meets Yuta, a boy of peerless beauty. While Yoh thinks it’s cute how Yuta pines for him, why is it that when Yuta acts so manly from time to time it makes Yoh’s heart beat faster…? Another airy love story from Momoko Tenzen.”

Ciao Ciao Bambino’s cover jumps right at you screaming “cute!” – not only are there two pretty boys, but flowers and stars fall around them as they embrace. Since cuteness is my kryptonite, I had to read this. You shouldn’t judge a book by a cover, but in the end that’s part of the reason covers are there.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Manga

Review: Crazy Star

By Shannon Fay on Sunday, February 14, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Sakurako Hanafubuki
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: May 2009

Synopsis: “After a bittersweet separation from the showbiz industry and experiencing an accident, Ayukawa has lost his memory of the two years he spent working as a pop idol. The only clue he has is a feeling that he must meet the most popular actor in Japan—Koji Mizuhara—no matter what! But, a crazy fate seems to be haunting Ayukawa. A videotape is circulating throughout the showbiz industry. It’s entitled “Crazy Star” and stars Ayukawa himself—being forced upon. The people who care about Ayukawa are trying desperately to round up all the tapes. But just who is hiding the final copy? And what does the video have to do with Ayukawa’s accident?”

Crazy Star is the third volume in Sakurako Hanafubuki’s series following actors Kyo Ayukawa and Koji Mizuhara, but like the volumes before it can be read as a stand-alone. This is both the series’ greatest strength and weakness. While it does mean you can pick up any book and read it, it also means there’s not a lot of momentum book to book. Because each volume tries to be new-reader friendly, the story and characters don’t really get a chance to grow or become any more complex.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June, Manga

Review: Sand Chronicles (Vol. 07)

By Shannon Fay on Monday, January 25, 2010

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Hinako Ashihara
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: January 2009

Synopsis: “Ann’s junior high school reunion is coming up, and she hasn’t seen Daigo in two years. How will their reunion go? Then, finally, the story behind Ann’s engagement. Who is her fiancé…?”

One thing that impresses me about Sand Chronicles, especially in this volume, is how consistent that tone has been throughout. Ann might grow older and her life change, but the series always maintains its bittersweet atmosphere. It really is a slice-of-life drama – the characters go through good times and bad, and a happy ending isn’t guaranteed.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Manga, Viz Media

Review: Boys Love

By Shannon Fay on Saturday, November 28, 2009

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Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Kaim Tachibana
Publisher: Doki Doki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “Magazine editor Mamiya meets popular high school model Noeru Kisaragi for a story Mamiya’s working on. When Noeru suddenly tries to go down on Mamiya and makes sexual advances at him, Mamiya turns him down flat. But Mamiya’s loneliness starts to get to him and he decides to try starting over with Noeru on equal footing. Mamiya’s sincerity causes Noeru to open his heart as well, and before long the two begin to form a deep emotional connection, but…”

One problem I have with many yaoi manga is the sense they give that if a relationship isn’t some earth-shattering love-story to end all love stories, then it’s just not worth it. Not every couple has to be soul mates destined to be together forever and ever. This may make me sound like a cynical, unromantic grouch, but some love stories could really be helped by dialling back the melodrama. Boys Love is a good example of this.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Doki Doki, Manga