ANNCast is always a must-listen for me over at AnimeNewsNetwork but they’re most recent two shows have been especially interesting for manga readers. I highly recommend listening to both:

ANNCast – Tarboxed and Feathered

“Justin and Zac shoot the breeze about some ANN business, and then it’s all awful blurays and the winter 2011 movie season. Then our guest shows up – longtime industry veteran Jonathan “Jake” Tarbox tells the story of his career up to this point, including his stint at Raijin Comics and DC Comics’ short-lived manga imprint CMX, and then takes your questions via Twitter. You can’t go wrong! “

ANNCast – Guy Kiley

“Former Senior Vice President of Tokyopop Mike Kiley is our special guest this week, and he runs us through his long and storied career at the shuttered publisher. We cover it all – the heady early days, the not so heady later days and the company’s untimely downfall. You’ve been waiting for this one!”

The manner in which DC handled choosing licenses for CMX was both fascinating and terrifying. It says a lot about the problems they faced over their years as a manga publisher and makes me more thankful than ever for the great titles we did get from them, some I know we’d never have gotten from anyone else (Key to the Kingdom – I love it, but really?). Knowing it was mostly done via a method akin to a dartboard shows how lucky we were for some. You could really tell things were tightening up over at CMX in its final year for selection and marketing though. It’s so unfortunate it was the beginning of the end.

This week’s ANNCast has Zac and Justin sit down to talk to Mike Kiley, Senior Vice President of the now no-longer-publishing-manga-until-I-see-otherwise, Tokyopop. He shares a lot about his experience with the company from the day it began up until his final days in their office. He’s a terrific guest and speaks very well with a lot of interesting info to offer. I was especially interested in hearing which series sold well and reasons for others not continuing, such as Kino no Tabi. I regret no one, myself included, thought to ask about Tokyopop’s boys’ love imprint, BLU, but it’s a minor quip in an otherwise great look at TP’s life start to finish.

Author: Narise Konohara
Manga-ka: Nanao Saikawa
Publisher: June Manga
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: February 2011

Synopsis: “Tohru lost his most of his memory in an accident. He can’t remember anything that happened from the past six years. Struggles, but with time, he slowly recovers his memory. He feels as if he is a different person now, and he hates “the other guy” – the “himself” from six years ago… And thinking, Fujishima was his friend, felt like he was being watched over like a guardian angel but in the end he’s betrayed. Miserable and emotionally drained, Tohru is trying not to relive in the shadow of his past. He is trying to move on with his new life… but harder he tries, he finds himself being pulled in by Fujishima.”

“I wanted to make sure this book had real impact. I wanted to portray a couple who were in love but not happy.” – This is a quote from the author in her afterward, and there is no doubt she has accomplished her goal with Cold Fever. This was a very hard book to read.

Fascinating and difficult are words that describe this story. So many times I wanted to set it aside because it is very full of ugliness and struggle. I found it heartbreaking to watch the turn around of Toru, a character I had come to love in the first two books. As he regressed to his old self and slowly fell apart, it seemed like there would be no one to hold him together or pick up the pieces.

Equally distressing to see was the pain as Fujishima endured a deep hatred from the man he loved, all the while thinking he deserved nothing better. That he believed he deserved what Toru put him through was truly unsettling. I wished he received better treatment, showed more strength to resist the abuse, or even just left.

Instead, Narise Konohara drove both characters to their limits and completely broke what readers expect out of a romance. In fact, this could well be called a festival of abuse, anger, fear and hatred for much of its length. But in the end, these two men have had so much stripped away they cannot deny who they are, or what they ultimately want. When love and hate are so closely intertwined the one thing there is no room for is indifference, and that is definitely one thing I cannot imagine anyone feeling about this book. Not everyone will like it. Many people might hate it. No one will read it and be able to ignore its power.

I found the shorter works at the end added a nice counterpoint to visceral main story. Although it continued to showcase unhappy love, it showed a gentler, more generous side to the theme.

As with the first two books, I loved how the art depicted additional moments from the story that were not always deeply explored in the prose.

In the end, I felt the need to make sure I could re-read this story at will, and I’ve already purchased my hard copies of both Cold Ever and Cold Sleep. It’s a shame one book, Cold Light, is astronomically expensive. I can only assume that means it is out of print. What a disappointment – I would have liked to own the complete set.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Digital copy provided by eManga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Satoru Kannagi (Author), Hotaru Odagiri (Artist)
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: July 2006

Synopsis: “After all the studying he did for his exams, sacrificing time with his boyfriend Yuichi, Wataru gets a measly C-average on his summer prep test. Yuichi’s college classmate Asaka offers to tutor him, and he eagerly accepts. Wataru finds Asaka’s cool beauty and attitude strikingly similar to that of Yuichi’s, and subconsciously becomes vulnerable to his advances. For the first time in their relationship, Yuichi becomes enraged. Will they be able to overcome this new obstacle?”

When I started out reading this second volume of Only the Ring Finger Knows, I expected more tension between Asaka and Yuichi. Throughout the story, I kept expecting Asaka to step up and try to win Wataru’s affections. It seemed so obvious this is where the author was headed with this story. Instead, she spends a great deal of the book endearing Asaka not only to Wataru, but to her readers as well.

It’s so hard not to like the older boy – you almost miss how he manipulates events to his advantage. There were a few plot points I had to question, as far as Yuichi’s strange amount of trust in Asaka though. I’m still trying to figure that part out. Maybe book three will give more insight. Asaka’s character is so hard to figure out.

The series continues to be written with a fresh, bold use of English in a very straightforward and almost breezy way that seems to suit the story itself so well. It’s not what I’m used to, but I find I liked the simplicity of it more and more as I read. Perhaps there was less of the awkwardness I noticed in the first book, or maybe I just got used to it.

Once again, those rings prove the stumbling point in the relationship. Both men want to emphasize the importance of their symbolism, yet every time they turn around, the rings are getting them into uncomfortable situations. Taking a stand for their relationship seems the next logical place to go, but as soon as they do, Yuichi’s older brother takes exception. My favourite part of the entire book was Wataru standing up to the older man. Ordinarily he might seem on the outside, but in fact, I get the impression he’s really the stronger of the two.

Like in the first book, the art is very sweet and I found myself lingering over the drawings. I just wish there were more of them. I would have liked to see more of those intense moments between Wataru and Yuichi depicted, but even still, I enjoyed what there was.

I’m definitely interested to read the third book and see where this new obstacle of Yuichi’s older brother takes the pair. One thing is for certain, the author has done a good job of depicting a young, uncertain relationship and instilling some doubt as to whether these young men are capable of going the distance. It makes me far more interested in reading more Only The Ring Finger Knows than I might otherwise be.

Review written March 9, 2011 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Thursday again already? Where does the time fly! Under a few feet of snow in some places it seems. We got a good blizzard here but not as much snow as some places, that’s for sure. None the less it was a great time to settle back with some good books and I was happy to finally get an Amazon order with just that in it.

While I haven’t gotten to pick up this week’s new manga releases yet, I nabbed a few titles on my ‘must-have’ backorder list thanks to Amazon.ca. First to be pulled from the box was the eleventh and final volume of One Thousand and One Nights. I love this series so the fact it’s taken so long to get the last book still boggles my mind; perhaps I was just avoiding the end! I adore the cover on it, that dress-vest and collared shirt looks fantastic on Sehara.

Also criss-crossing time and fashion-space is the second book of the light novel series, The Twelve Kingdoms. The first book blew me away as a detailed and believable fantasy story about a girl ripped from her world and dropped into one of demons, Gods and people hatched from egg-fruit.

Lastly, I bought the first two volumes of Ayano Yamane’s Finder series. I have what was released in English already by BeBeautiful but I’d heard too many good things about Digital Manga‘s version to pass up a revisit. While I like to think I’d care enough to check the differences between the two editions, I’m sure I’ll just be enjoying the eye-candy and the shiny new design work on the covers.

Oh, and though not a new volume of anything, I did finally purchase a one-year Got Anime? membership. A couple purchases a year from RightStuf at at least $150 a piece and it seems more than worth it to me.

Author: Satoru Kannagi
Manga-ka: Hotaru Odagiri
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: March 2006

Synopsis: “It’s the ultimate expression of love to wear matching rings with your significant other, showing the world that you are a couple. High school student, Wataru Fujii, also wears one even though he is single. When he accidentally switches rings with a popular and handsome senior, Yuichi Kazuki, they discover that their rings pair up! Since that moment, Kazuki – who is known for being kind to all – becomes strangely harsh to Wataru. They alternate between hot and cold, as in between clashes they begin to sort their feelings for one another. Are Wataru and Kazuki the worst of enemies or are they actually soulmates?”

This is most assuredly your typical boys’ love high school romance, with the harsh seme protecting his feelings by trying hard to hide them and the confused uke denying he even has them. What isn’t typical about Only the Ring Finger Knows is the way in which Kazuki secretly falls for Wataru and all out stalks him long before they ever even meet.

To Wataru, Kazuki is simply a respectable, popular upperclassman who doesn’t figure much on his radar otherwise. It never occurs to him that an older boy might have feelings for him. The issue of the two boys discovering how they feel and coming to terms with it is dealt with in an uncommonly sensitive manner in the story, and that appealed to me a great deal. It wasn’t a angst-ridden fest of self-loathing or a candies and popcorn, flower-strewn love either. It was realistic and honest, and in the midst of an otherwise ordinary story, that was a fresh take.

The ring featured in the series’ title proves to be an elusive bond between them, and I felt true authenticity in the naive importance the boys put on the physical object. It sweetened their fumbling first steps into love, reminding me of some of the silly things people do in high school.

I’m not sure if the translation or the original Japanese text is the source of the sometimes awkward phrasing in this story, but I did notice sometimes the wording seemed stiff. However, I also noticed some very simple and straightforward use of description that added to the sweet feeling of the whole story over all.

The illistrations I found quite sweet as well. There is a marked difference in the way the artist depicts Kazuki, being the older boy, from the wide-eyed uke, Wataru. I know this is a common technique, but I was impressed with the consistency of the character details. Some really lovely illustrations in this book helped made it a pleasure overall.

Review written January 31, 2011 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Though news of Viz Media’s license-rescue of Tenjo Tenge stole the spotlight from yesterday’s press release, there was some other new titles slotted in there as well.

Blue Excorist and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan confirmed licenses previously revealed with more solid release dates while Natsume Ono’s La Quinta Camera is a fresh license from the creator of previous Viz Signature series, not simple and House of Five Leaves:

“A charming suite of linked stories from the acclaimed author of not simple and House of Five Leaves, set in an apartment in Italy. In four of the rooms live four single men with singular personalities. Into this peculiar ménage steps an exchange student, the new tenant of the fifth room. Brought together by chance, friends by choice, they pursue their dreams together as the days drift gently by.”

Icing on the cake of these licenses comes the reveal that Viz Media will be releasing the Vampire Knight artbook in English, similar to its previous art book releases for series such as Angel Sanctuary and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The book will be hardcover and presumably have the same large cut size as Viz Media’s previous art book releases.

There’s also some new releases to see on retail sites this week. Under Viz Media’s sci-fi novel imprint, Haikasoru, are two new books – Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights (src: AAAAnime) and Cage of Zeus (src: AAAAnime). They’re also listing the novel edition of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot (src: AAAAnime)

Also listing on said-retail sites are several more Shonen Jump series getting the omnibus treatment: Bleach, Naruto and Kekkaishi. Viz Media has already re-released several of its popular series in omnibus format, typically being 3-in-1, including One Piece, Dragonball and Fushigi Yugi. Each book will cost $14.99 putting the content at a fraction of buying them individually. I can speak from personal experience to say these are perfect for those looking to start these series from the beginning but are intimidated by the high book counts. (src: AAAAnime 1/2/3)

On the omnibus note, I continue to find it exciting just how many publishers are embracing omnibus editions – Viz Media, Tokyopop, Yen Press, Dark Horse, Vertical, DelRey (RIP), Seven Seas, Digital Manga – nearly the entire crew! It was near-exactly a year ago today we were contemplating their role in the future of manga and here we are now with such a strong mix of the two printed formats. While sometimes carrying a 600+ page book around isn’t the most feasible thing in the world, saving half-off the cost of buying them separately and getting triple the content still garners no complaints from me.

Author/Manga-ka: Narise Konohara
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2010

Synopsis: “Fujishima’s wound he suffered from protecting Tooru has healed and he’s finally been released from the hospital. Their life together starts again once more. Tooru wants them to live together as lovers, but Fujishima refuses, saying “I have no intentions of loving you.” Is Fujishima afraid of Tooru remembering something in particular if he regains his memories? The bonds of the past are finally becoming clearer…”

Konohara has taken a lot of chances in this second book of the Cold Sleep series. She might easily have stepped over a line with her character, Fujishima. This book is written entirely from his point of view, detailing his past and how he knows Tohru. There are not many pleasant memories in this poor man’s past, let me tell you. He is deprived of a father’s love, smothered in reprehensible and down right abusive ways by his overbearing and frightening mother, and reviled by Tohru for things he did that he shouldn’t have.

All Konohara has is the long forgotten love of a small boy to remind him that good can happen, and that he can’t just give up. In his adult life, however, he’s kept so many secrets and is plagued by so much guilt, it’s a wonder he’s as stable as he is. His one grace, as he sees it, is his care of the man he wishes he hadn’t hurt, and the love he has for him that he doesn’t dare express.

I can understand his wish that Tohru never remember his past, and his fear that once the man does, he’ll want nothing more to do with his benefactor. That leaves Fujishima with a dilemma: continue to lie and keep secrets and deny them both a love that might actually heal them, or tell the whole truth and risk his heart breaking forever.

This is more a story about a man finding the will and the strength to forgive and redeem himself than it is a love story. It’s very, very powerful, and in the end, it’s a lot like real life. There are no guarantees. One can only do one’s best and hope for a happy, beneficial conclusion. Some people might be disappointed with this ending, but for me, it was satisfying, because it didn’t contrive to make everything okay. It told the truth, which, really, is what this story is all about in first place.

The illustrations, for my taste, were too few and too far between, but that could be because I craved a bit of something at times, to break up the angst and sadness of poor Fujishima’s life. Plus, Konohara does very nice work, and like in book one, she picked moments to illustrate that obviously meant something to her. It also gave us a bit of insight into some of the characters that shaped this man’s life but maybe didn’t get as much page time as she might have wanted. Very nice, indeed.

So while it was hard to read in places, I’m very, very glad I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Cold Light is definitely worth reading for anyone who craves a little more than fluff to go with those pretty boys.

Review written October 12, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Digital copy provided by eManga for review purposes

Author/Artist: Narise Konohara
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2006

Synopsis: “After losing his memory in a car accident, Tohru Takahisa is taken in by Fujishima, an older man who claims to be his friend. But the taciturn Fujishima refuses to reveal anything about Tohru’s past! Despite the gulf between them, a strange and awkward tenderness grows, even as they are held apart by the tragic events of Tohru’s forgotten past! Dramatic, heart-wrenching romance and tragedy combine in a gripping story where the past and present are intricately entwined.”

Cold Sleep is a different sort of yaoi novel. It delves a deeper into the psyche of the characters and, though we still have just the typical one point of view, the lead isn’t your run-of-the mill yaoi character. He’s a blank slate, sure, but still a thinking feeling man who isn’t afraid to go after the answers he needs.

I personally am not too concerned with the realistic likelihood of the main character’s medical dilemma. That isn’t why I read yaoi novels. I read them for their distinctly streamlined look into the characters’ minds and hearts. Without a lifetime of baggage to weigh him down, Tohru has a unique chance to build a new life and concentrate on the one man who has done everything to help him do just that. It isn’t until he delves into his past that he realizes what a prize he has in his present and understands what he wants his future to look like.

I had a lot of chances to get frustrated with Fujishima, however, with no real insight into why his actions and his words don’t agree. He went far out of his way to help Tohru, and then maintains he doesn’t want him. It made no sense, and it frustrated me to no end. But I couldn’t dislike this character, because he just never let Tohru down. Between these two characters, a strange kind of tenderness grows as they learn to listen and respond to one another, and give what the other will be willing to accept. (Even if Tohru needs a bit of a kick from his friend to figure out how to reach Fujishima at first.)

If I have a complaint, it would be that the book kind of ended in uncertainty. If I didn’t already know there is a second book, that might have made me very hesitant to pick up another of Konohara’s books. It was a lot of angst and heartache to go through on both characters’ behalf to have the ending be so far from a sure thing.

As for the art pages, I really liked the careful attention to detail and I kind of wish there were more illustrations. I thought it was nice to see a few of the other characters given face time in the illustrations that were there though. It’s a nice change to see some different moments from the story other than the sex scenes. It gave me a great insight into the moments and character interactions that meant something to the author.

A nice surprise also came in the form of the two short stories at the end of this book. I wasn’t expecting this bonus, so it was great to get the double treat of “Class Reunion” and “The One I Love”, both short stories feature the love affair between Kurokawa and Taniguchi, two men who knew each other during high school. The stories are written at the beginning of their re-association and at the beginning of their love affair. They are both very sweet and touching in the way these two very different men find each other and learn about each other, and make the decision to love. As much as I liked Cold Sleep, these two little gems at the end really made me smile.

Review written September 28, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Digital copy provided by eManga for review purposes

Author: Arika Kuga
Manga-ka: Taishi Zaou
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “On the night of the year-end party, in high spirits and under the influence of the party’s free-flowing alcohol, Satori ends up sleeping with Asou. Since then, every day that Asou comes over, he does nothing beyond kiss Satori over and over, and as much as it perplexes him, Satori is unable to resist his advances. But one day Satori hears a nasty rumor that Asou has a girlfriend!”

This is the first boys’ love novel I’ve read that isn’t a June publication, though it is published by another Digital Manga imprint, Doki Doki. I enjoyed it – for some reason, it had a different feel to the prose. It maybe sounded a little less like it had been translated from Japanese than the June novels tend to do, and a little more like the English you might expect from a native speaker. I don’t know that either style is necessary better, or even that I like one or the other better. They’re just different.

The characters in this book are well rounded. The uke, Satori, from who’s point of view the book is written, is studious, smart, and generally a good student, but I like that those aspects are just a part of who he is. He doesn’t come off as a geek or someone who doesn’t know his own worth. He may wonder what the hottest guy in school sees in him, but he doesn’t think of himself as a mouse or shadow; just an ordinary guy with ordinary friends and an ordinary life.

Asou, on the other hand, is extraordinary, but if you read between the lines when he’s in the scene, you can see that he doesn’t necessarily think he’s all that like the other students do. He has a past he doesn’t like to talk about, and it colours his impression of himself. It makes him act more aloof than he really feels inside, and the author has done a good job of letting us see this, even through the eyes of Satori, who doesn’t see it at all at first. I liked the way the author’s created characters who are a lot deeper than what even they themselves see.

The complication (so often used to get reluctant ukes to see how much they really want their semes) is that of the rumoured girlfriend, giving an added twist to the story. It’s Asou’s own doing though. He sets Satori up to think there’s a girl in his life so Satori will be shocked into realizing how he really feels about Asou. It’s perfect, showing just how unsure of himself Asou really is. Usually, this device turns out to be just a misunderstanding, but in this case, the fact that Asou connives to trick Satori is just another facet to his personality that makes him a real character, and not just another pushy seme.

For a story that isn’t actually that long, (just 68 pages), the plot has a surprising number of little twists and hiccups to keep the lovers apart but not so far apart you get overly frustrated with them. There’s a lot of internal dialogue so you’re never left wondering what’s on Satori’s mind. By the time he gets to the point of knowing he can’t be with Asou, even though he’s figured out he loves him, you want to cry with him. I found him an emotionally strong, satisfying character and well able to carry the story.

The book’s ‘bonus’ story, Hold Me Tighter, is actually longer than the title story, at 84 pages, but it reads so fast I didn’t even notice. Now that the characters are introduced, and there’s no need to go into quite so much depth (though I did notice there were brief explanations about how the boys had got to this point, ie: very short summaries of Fevered Kisses here and there), there’s more room for plot and actual story. And a lot more glimpses into Satori’s head where we get to see him in all his neurotic glory. I did get a bit frustrated with him in this story, but only a bit. The introduction of Asou’s past, including an old hook up, gave Satori lots of reason to angst.

As for Asou, he was actually absent for a lot of the story, present only through Satori thinking about him, missing him, wanting him, searching for him, and ultimately, deciding to love him no matter what. This was very much Satori’s story, and he undergoes a lot of growth throughout the tale.

The illustrations in this book were fantastic, and I can see why fellow-reviewer Lissa mentioned this is one of her favourite manga-ka. There is a lovely amount of detail in the drawings, especially in the clothing and expressions, although, there are a disconcerting number of pictures in which Satori looks a little stunned. What’s nice is that the manga-ka doesn’t skimp on background, and that finishes the illustrations off making them look more complete. I do have to say my favourite is the very first within the story itself. Although it’s one of the images in which Satori looks a little stunned, it also shows off a bit of his nice little ass. The best part is the gentle, almost hopeful expression on Asou’s face. I love that picture.

I would definitely recommend Fevered Kiss to anyone who likes that extra bit of introspection in their stories, and the illustrations have whetted my appetite for more of this artist’s work, for sure.

Review written June 28 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Author: Hikaru Masaki
Manga-ka: Masara Minase
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: March 2009

Synopsis: “Minami has gotten a hot start as a young interior designer. In fact, he’s just been chosen as the primary designer of a new luxury hotel. When Minami enthusiastically goes out to meet his client, Asakura, the hotel owner turns out to be a dazzling, sexy man. On top of that, the overwhelmed Minami finds his contract is actually for a love hotel! Seeing as how Minami lacks experience in this particular area, Asakura promises to show him the ropes. But is it really necessary to try out ALL the beds…?!”

To start off with, I have to share a bit of a personal preference. I’m not a huge fan of forced ‘seduction’. I know, it’s an often-used device in uaoi, and a legitimate plot within the genre – it’s just not one of my favourites. So, that said, now let’s now put my personal preference aside and talk about the book… it’s good.

Asakura is not just a pushy, egotistical rich brat bent of instant self-gratification- that’s just how he first appears. He’s actually a much deeper man, and his hidden vulnerabilities are what make him likeable, even though I could have really disliked the story. Those hidden depths are what Minamin finally falls for too, though he does spend a great deal of the book resisting both Asakura and his feelings for the older man.

One thing that never happens in this book – Asakura never changes his selfish, demanding ways. Minami just accepts that’s the way he is and goes from there. It’s refreshing when so often, the characters are required to transform themselves from what they are to what readers think they should be, to deserve love. I like that this book is about both characters loving and accepting each other for who they are, whether they deserve it or not. It’s a much more realistic look at what love really is.

The sex scenes in this book are frequent enough that they could have become repetitive, but the author escaped that trap by focusing on Minami’s emotional growth. It was fun to watch him evolve from inexperienced and frightened to just plain exasperated, and still, he retained enough uncertainty that Asakura never quite gets to relapse completely into selfishness. If he wants to reassure Minami that they are meant to stay together, he`s forced to be honest about his own feelings. They turn out to be a good compliment for one another.

The writing and translation of this book are pretty decent, too. I didn`t encounter that many typoes that I remember, and the prose flowed very smoothly. There was a nice amount of description, and I guess that`s a good reflection on the fact one of the characters is, essentially, an artist. It was a nice parallel.

The drawings make me happy. For starters there were plenty of them, and the character expressions, especially Minami’s, are fantastic. The detail in her work is fascinating, and makes me want to go looking for all kinds of manga from her. I hope I can find some in English! If not, I`ll have t just enjoy the pretty pictures here in The Lonely Egotist.

So, all in all, while this book pushed a certain bad personal button for me in terms of the strong aggressive behaviour of the seme, I found the uke managed to hold his own in the end, and the writing and art let me enjoy it well enough anyway. At the very least if the idea of forced seduction is one that works for you, then I whole-heartedly recommend this book.

Review written April 22, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Author: Siira Gou
Manga-ka: Sato Tomoe
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: December 2008

Synopsis: “Nearly a hundred years ago, a spurned lover ended Tomoe’s life. Madame had given him new life, but this gift was not without its limitations. Living again in Japan after an extended time abroad, Tomoe was on the prowl for a new lover. But he may have gotten more than he hoped for in young Taichi Yamagami. Influenced by the ebb and flow of the moon, he could be a sweet, naive intellectual, or a rough, demanding lover. Tomoe has never had a lover quite like this…”

This is by far one of the most interesting yaoi light novels I’ve read. Both characters are flawed, fascinating creatures with at once super human abilities and very human foibles. Tomoe has known too much loss in his life. The idea that he could lose this newfound love he’s discovered leads him to make poor choices. It’s natural that those choices could end up turning Taichi away from him anyway.

Over a hundred years ago, Viscount Akihiro Sanders Tomoe made a mistake. He betrayed his lover, and paid the ultimate price for his indiscretion. A Madame had pity on him, and gave him a new life. Now, as a half-breed vampire, Tomoe has had lifetimes to make up for his mistake, and he’s finding, as time goes on, it’s getting harder and harder to live his lonely existence, watching one lover after another die or move on.

One night, after moving back to Japan in a move to hide his identity, he happens across an alley altercation at the center of which is a young man with glowing red eyes and superhuman strength. Tomoe rescues the young man, Taichi Yamagami, and spirits him away to his bed where Taichi proves himself Tomoe’s match and more. Now, Tomoe is faced with a choice: teach his newfound young companion how to survive in the city, and risk his feelings growing stronger, or let him go, and continue his lonely existence.

One of the best parts is Taichi’s strange transformation from shy intellectual young man to completely, impolite wild man when the moon shines on him. He’s a fantastic character with almost two personalities, and a boatload of insecurities over which version of himself Tomoe likes better. It takes a very special kind of character to be jealous of himself.

This story is a very different take on vampirism, and a new but at the same time old look at werewolves. I found it interesting to see how the different circumstances of these two men’s lives changed what we would expect of them, and gave the author more scope to toss in a few extra twists. She managed to give both men flaws and also the means to ease each other’s difficulties.

What I thought was the best bit of all was the ever-changing power dynamic. Not only did she re-define vampires and werewolves for us, but she gave us a new and fresh look at what it means to be seme and uke. Nothing about these characters is cookie cutter expected, and that kept me interested in the book right to the end. Even the sex scenes are never one sided. Both characters strive to be in charge and struggle not to reveal their vulnerabilities.

The detailed art is lovely. The front colour plate is romantic and pin up worthy, as far as I’m concerned. I confess to having gone back and looked at it more than a few times.

Really, I think my biggest problem with this book is that it’s over. I loved these characters, and I had a great time watching them dance around who was leading who, who was in control, and who wanted to be lead. It was fascinating. If you’re looking for a new take on a lot of old ideas, Secret Moon is a great place to find them.

Review written April 25, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Author: Jinko Fuyuno
Manga-ka: Yamimaru Enjin
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “Masaki Ashizawa is hired by a restaurant mogul to find a world-class chef for his new French restaurant. He finds the perfect candidate in Shuichiro Tsubaki, the gruff master chef of a small restaurant. But the proud Tsubaki is happy calling the shots in his own restaurant and Ashizawa must go to all new lengths to convince him to accept the offer. What will it take for Ashizawa to clinch the deal? And what secret form his past is Tsubaki keeping form Ashizawa?”

Jinko Fuyuno has created a great cast of characters in this book. So much yaoi relies on pre-fab character constructs but here the author has dared to take those constructs and flip them inside out. She’s still written the book from the uke’s (the “bottom”) point-of-view, but Ashizawa is no wallflower or a timid man unsure of his desires. He has a successful life he’s created for himself with hard work and determination. He doesn’t take no for an answer, or back down from a challenge, even when the challenge requires a lot of self-examination. This attitude of moving forward makes him the perfect candidate to head up the Grand Maison Master Chef’s plan to open a new kind of restaurant. Ashizawa’s first duty—find the best chef for the job.

The minute Ashizawa tastes Tsubaki’s food at Individu, Ashizawa is convinced his efforts have met with the same success he’s used to. The food is brilliant, not just tasty and beautiful to look at, but it fills Ashizawa with a warm sense of perfection and care. These are just the qualities he’s sure his employer wants in the new restaurant. It isn’t until he makes the offer to Tsubaki that he realizes he’s going to have a much tougher time convincing the chef to leave Individu and join the team.

It takes a lot of effort, even joining the staff at Indivdu, to show his sincerity, but Ashizawa is convinced there’s no other candidate for the restaurant, or, as he slowly realizes, for himself. Of course it takes Tsubaki to make the definitive move that finally opens Ashizawa’s eyes and heart to what he really wants. That’s the seme’s job after all.

What I liked most about this book was that Ashizawa is a strong, self-assured uke who isn’t afraid to change his world view, learn something new about himself or to accept that he’s fallen in love, and then apply his characteristic determination to make that realization reality. And Tsubaki isn’t your average smooth, bossy, take-control seme without a doubt in his mind that he can take Ashizawa. He’s so vulnerable and frightened, it takes Ashizawa’s self-confident acceptance to convince him he can be happy. That role reversal, the exchange of emotional power, made this book one of the best yaoi novels I’ve read.

It doesn’t hurt that the secondary characters have great personalities, and all carry the potential to be main characters in their own stories. There are no flat, uninteresting characters in this book.

The writing is also top notch with just the right balance of internal emotion, atmosphere and character interaction to make it flow. I was at the end of the book before I knew it.

If I have on complaint about the plot, it might be the incongruity of the almost-force of the couple’s first encounter. I’m not sure why it had to be such a battle. If there was a reason Tsubaki felt he had to use force, or why Ashizawa thought he needed to resist, I didn’t get it.

There is so much lovely art in this, book, too. Aside from all the bishie-ness, Yamimaru Enjin has captured so much in just a few lines around the characters’ eyes and lips. Her ability to draw the emotions in such beautiful detail with just a facial expression gives her version of Fuyno’s characters so much life. I think my favourite illustration is probably the one with Masatsuka glaring sternly at a grinning Takagi. They may be just minor characters, but she managed to create a whole atmosphere of potential for any true yaoi fan to read into with just that one illustration. Or, that could be me and my predisposition to see all the guys happily paired up….

There seemed to be a bit of a printing issue with my copy. It had a loose spine, and some of the pages were cropped crooked, almost losing some of the print off the outer edge of the page. It’s the first time I’ve run into this issue with this publisher, so I’m sure it was just an unfortunate printing error.

Overall, I enjoyed Eat or Be Eaten a great deal. The well-rounded characters with their realistic emotions and conflicts, the believable plot, and an ending that promises to give the characters their happily-ever-after without making it so easy on them that their lives become boring. All the pretty pictures didn’t hurt either. I hope I get to read more from this author.

Review written March 17, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Author: Maki Kazumi
Manga-ka: Yukine Honami
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: January 2009

Synopsis: “I wonder why, when I look at you, I get turned on.” With a few simple words uttered by his best friend Ryoji-Toru’s world flips upside down. It doesn’t help that Toru has secretly been in love with Ryoji for some time. But whereas Ryoji wants a purely physical relationship to satisfy his curiosity-Toru wants more. Can the two ever come to terms with how they really feel about each other?

I must be getting used to the different writing style, because I don’t mind saying I had a lot less time to notice the writing in this book, as I was so taken with the story and the characters. As I think back, I’m not sure exactly what it was that caught my attention so thoroughly, but I will say that I was reading on the bus and I missed my stop – twice! The story line is pretty run of the mill – best friends and unrequited love is not new to the genre, nor is the push and pull of unspoken feelings and poor communication. Seems boys just don’t tend to talk to each other.

In this case, the point of view character, Toru – once again the uke – doesn’t think he can tell the object of his affections his true feelings, because how do you tell your best friend you’re in love with him? So when Ryoji wonders out loud why he’s physically excited just from looking at Toru, then suggests they have sex just to see what it’s like, Toru is completely off balance and more sure than ever that he can’t confess his true feelings. So he agrees to the sex, and soon finds himself with a broken heart and his other best friend, Tadashi, warning him not to rely on Ryoji. That’s when things really get complicated, and Toru turns to his art to speak for him.

Ryoji isn’t any better. When it’s clear he’s changing his mind about how he feels for Toru, he doesn’t say a word, and even wonders if he’s worthy of Toru. As a reader, I couldn’t help but feel for both of them and wonder if they were ever going to get what they deserved; Toru his true love, and Ryoji faith in himself.

There are two things that stand out for me in this book, outside of the main plot and characters. First, the acknowledgement of gay love being okay is nice, and not always present in these stories. I found it refreshing not needing to wade through a lot of angst over the but-he-s-another-guy dilemma. There is some, but it isn’t the focus of what keeps the boys apart. Their struggle is much more personal than that, and Toru’s fear of losing what little of Ryoji’s attention he has is well depicted, as is Ryoji’s worry that Toru will never trust him.

The other thing that stood out was the treatment of the secondary characters. They were given enough page time to really flesh them out. I can see why the artist wanted to draw Keigo, even if he isn’t one of the main characters. He does play an important role in the love story, and he isn’t just a flat prop for the main characters to move around to suit their story. He’s been given enough personality to carry a story all his own, and enough emotional depth to make a reader hope he finds his own happy ending. (Not that that’s a nudge to the author, or anything…)

The best friend Tadashi is another character that isn’t passed over as an unimportant element. He’s quite charming, and his nudges to get Ryoji to see the error of his ways make him a loveable character in his own right.

The art itself is very understated, with simple lines and just the right amount of detail. I wish there had been a few more illustrations to enjoy, but what there is makes a nice, simplistic and gentle counterpoint to the heavy emotional content of the story. The emotions of the characters are distilled down into very delicate drawings that are more mood than content, and that’s tricky to do. I especially love the very last line drawing of the boys enjoying their newfound security in each other. Very well done.

All in all, none of the characters were short changed in this book, and that’s what made it so enjoyable for me. I always love character driven stories, and much of Yaoi is just that, but occasionally, you come across one that goes that extra step, and this is one of those times. Over all, Desire: Dangerous Feelings was a great read because whether or not the plot was particularly original, the characters really carried the story and held my interest because they were real, their dilemmas were believable, and they reacted in honest and understandable ways. As a bonus if you like speculating on where the secondary characters go from here, there is tons of fodder for that in this book.

Review written February 26, 2009 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Author: Haruhi Tono
Manga-ka: Ai Hasukawai
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: August 2009

Synopsis: “In his young life, Takeyuki has never really known hardship. The youngest son of a wealthy family, he has never had any difficulty getting anything he desired. Now, though, Takeyuki is enjoying his last month of freedom before he begins working at his father’s import company in Tokyo, and he has decided to spend that time with his brother and his sister-in-law in Cassina, a small country in the Middle East. Little does Takeyuki know that his prideful manner will soon land him in hot water! In Cassina, some dangers are very real and some people are not who they seem. For example, who exactly is the charming, majestic man who won’t stop staring at Takeyuki during their flight to Cassina, and why do his blue eyes make Takeyuki feel like his chest will burst?”

This story was enjoyable to read. Despite the fact that the main character, Takeyuki, was a bit of a brat, and almost terminally foolish, he still had a likeability factor that made me sympathise with him. He’s a caring man, though he’s seldom had opportunity or reason to show it. When he finally gets past himself to see the world around him, and think about the people who have helped and cared for him, he turns out to be quite a likeable guy.

The story’s twist was pretty predictable, but the way the author managed to make the story about Takeyuki’s ability to get past his pampered, spoiled upbringing to see the truth the audience already knows is quite well done. There’s an emotional connection to Takeyuki that I wasn’t expecting.

Takeyuki’s prince is the perfect, mysterious white knight, complete with nefarious reputation and big black horse; just the kind of bad-boy hero you can’t help but like. And when he stops to let Takeyuki bath, and sits down to read (in plain view of Takeyuki’s skinny dipping) you have to admire his brazen declaration of desire without ever speaking a word. That’s the sort of moment in a book that makes me want to look up an author again.

The writing for this story was engaging. There were a few typos, missing words and the like, but on the whole, the writing was much better than some I’ve read.

The one sex scene, as graphic as it is, is also emotionally charged, if, perhaps, slightly over-written. The colourful language doesn’t diminish the sentiment, though, and the final chapter closes off the story nicely.

I enjoyed the illustrations as well, especially those of the mysterious hero. All of the illustrations are very good, but I like the looser feel of those depicting very emotional moments in the story. However Ai Hasukawa achieved that feeling, it makes for a couple of very memorable images. The colour palette on the front of this book might be my favourite picture I’ve seen in a long time. A good kiss is always sexy.

As far as yaoi translations go, I would really recommend The Aristocrat and the Desert Prince to anyone who likes a good, cool, really heroic hero.

Review written February 7, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Author: Hikaru Yura
Manga-ka: Hirotaka Kisaragi
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “Tomoki Naruse has the strangest dreams. Every night, he finds himself waiting for a phantom lover – whom he has never seen. Unraveling the mystery of Tomoki’s dream lover leads him to discover the Depths of Dreams, a shadowy world hidden within the darkness, and the realization that he is one of the mythical Dark Walkers – a human born with the ability to “fall” from the Real World into the Depths of Dreams with his mind and body intact. Dark Walker is the sensual story of two boys who discover love in the midst of great danger.”

Tomoki has no idea what to make of these dreams he’s been having. He does know they aren’t something to be shared with his ribald classmates, though. No telling what they’d say to make fun of him if they knew. Strangely, he doesn’t seem to have the same worries about the new guy in class – handsome, tall, and flirtatious, Yugo. In fact, Tomoki is pretty sure his reaction to Yugo isn’t quite what he’s come to expect as ‘normal’.

Tomoki Naruse has just started his freshman year in high school, and as with all healthy, young men at his age, he’s been dreaming of sex. But Tomoki isn’t having normal wet dreams like his classmates! In his nightmares, err… dreams… his partner is a man – and to make things worse, Tomoki is on the bottom! Aside from Tomoki’s unsettling dreams, high school life is fun – especially with his new, handsome, best friend Yugo Oda. But Yugo is no ordinary freshman – he’s involved in mysterious activities that Tomoki can’t even begin to imagine!

This story is nice, focusing a bit on Tomoki’s coming out, mostly to himself, and admitting he’s interested in Yugo as more than just a friend. Finding out Yugo is the one he’s been dreaming about and that Yugo is actually entering his dreams is something else again, though.

I like Tomoki, even if he is a little stubborn in seeing the truth and then in admitting it. Once he does, though, he’s loyal and fierce in protecting his lover. It’s heart-warming to see and heartbreaking to watch what he has to go through, and what he must sacrifice to do it.

I’m finding out with many of these light novels that there’s not enough insight into the seme’s point of view. I like semes, and I’d like to know what’s going through their pretty heads, but maybe that’s me. In this instance, there seems to be a lot of sadness in Yugo’s past that he doesn’t really share with Tomoki, but it does explain his caution and patience. Maybe he’s afraid to push Tomoki too hard, afraid to push him away.

Some of the illustrations in this book are less expressive than I’d like, but the mid-story black and white drawing – where Kisaragi shows her version of Tomoki saving Yugo from becoming a demon – is absolutely gorgeous. The desperation in Yugo’s expression and the sweet acceptance in Tomoki’s are so perfect. I kept going back to look at it again. Her depiction of the villain is also so vivid; it gives a great sense of his cold cruelty and beauty, which she later softens to something almost loving in the last image of him.

His relationship with his slave is what I have the most problem with. I guess I’m just not a fan of violence paired with sex, which is different from D/s and BDSM. This was a little extreme for my taste.

As for the writing itself, I’m not sure. There’s a lot of clunky prose, and as I’ve mentioned in other reviews, not sure if that’s a function of the original Japanese text or of the translation, or of an English translator with less writing experience. I’ve no idea what it takes to translate from one language to another effectively, so all I can speak to is the fact that the writing was not as immediate as I like. There is a lot of “he felt his body grow hot and sweaty.” and “Tomoki was running around…” which puts an extra bit of stumbling words between reader and action. Could be lost in translation, could be the original Japanese is stilted. I only know I wish the writing to be a bit cleaner. That’s probably the writer in me coming out.

All in all, I did like the story line, and the twists thrown in gave the overall story an emotional edge that reconciled a lot of the difficulties I had with it. For fans of yaoi willing to overlook the technical flaws, there’s a lot of emotion, lots of action and a fantastic twist here in Dark Walkers. And, of course, some lovely sex scenes between the main characters.

Review written January 29, 2010 by Jaime Samms
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes