Review 1: Junjou Romantica

Art: 6
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 9
Sex: 9

All right, so taking on a big hit like Junjou Romantica for my first review might seem pretty ballsy, but everyone's gotta start somewhere. I've just finished reading up to Chapter 21, so I've got a definite sample to work with, too. (Please note that this is only for Junjou Romantica, and does not include Junjou Egoist or other sections.)

Now, I know I might get some heat for giving this only a 6 in art, but this part is definitely solely based on opinion. I happen to go for the smoother-lined, more typically beautiful artists, such as Asato Eiri and Honami Yukine, or even towards Tateno Makoto. Junjou Romantica's art just doesn't do it for me, so to speak.

Thankfully, the plot makes up for what I call the 'slight shortcoming' in the Art category. While at first it seems relatively sex-driven (who am I kidding, it's yaoi!), the story takes an interesting turn after the first few sexual encounters. We are shown both the difficulties and simple pleasures of a deep relationship, not only the sexual sphere. More than that, we get to see how a man and his lover deal with a mostly-estranged family, which is oddly satisfying the way it's pulled off here. Pair that with some honestly funny moments and a few heart-meltingly bittersweet scenes, and you have the recipe for a plot bordering on a 9.

The plot, of course, would not have been half as great without such deep characters, whose emotions and motives not only make sense but provoke sympathy and curiosity in the reader, something that, quite honestly, rarely happens when reading most yaoi. Our uke, Misaki, is much more than the token dominance-fearing, fluffy bunny uke readers come to expect. Appropriately, his seme, Usagi, has features that extend beyond a gruff, emotionless outlook and a sudden urge to take somebody up the ass (granted, he does seem to have those urges an awful lot). These two have real personalities that affect their actions in every case, and at many points it is very easy to relate to them.
Even the supporting characters have more depth than most main characters in an average yaoi. Haruhiko, Usagi's half-brother, has an odd personality that barely begins to make sense, but I reckon you could psycho-analyze him for an hour or two. Usagi's father is actually one of my favorite characters, because his dialogue is so realistic and can go from creepy-over-protective-warning to charming-fatherly-banter in a minute, showing just how much control he has over the emotions he shows the world.

All right, so I gave the sex a 9. Why? Well, it works out well due to the depth of character in both the seme and uke, which makes the sex specifically tailored to their unique combination of personalities. Extra points for steaminess, of course. Sure, there are some times where you have to think, "Seriously? Again?" but you will keep going back for more. No 10 here due to my slight dislike for the art style, but a 9 is certainly commendable.

Overall, 32.5/40. Not too bad! I'd imagine that people who aren't quite as picky about the art would give this a much higher score, and I can certainly see how this title has skyrocketed in popularity. It has all the best ingredients, and gets pretty close to being a truly amazing read.

Recommendation: Try it! If you're into the sex, you'll like it, and if you're not, you'll probably like the characters and storyline enough to follow it anyway.