Review 5: Dog Style

Art: 6
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Sex: 9

All right, so this was a really difficult one to judge. It's not to my taste, but I have to admit that the gritty realism is an interesting change. Motoni Modoru is known for more serious and often twisted manga, and even in this one - something of a comedy - there's still a palpable seriousness that comes through the pages.

In terms of Art, I honestly don't like this artist's style very much. Of course, considering my taste, you can go ahead and dismiss this section unless you happen to prefer the same artists as I do.

The plot isn't terribly interesting, but it does break away from the over-used Private School Where the Sexiest Guy Immediately Wants the Main Character Despite His Low Status and Complete Obliviousness. With Motoni Modoru, we get a strong sense of what it's like to be one of the bad boys, involved with all sorts of creeps and gang members. This portrayal thankfully gives the rather predictable plot more meaning.

The characters have personalities here, which is refreshing. In fact, the depth of character is remarkable in this manga, as opposed to the typical yaoi. Neither Miki nor Teru can be defined as solely a 'uke' in this one, because regardless of who's on top, the power-play in this relationship is realistically complex, which says good things about characterization.

The sex is not what I'd call 'steamy', but it makes up for that with its rare display of reality. Neither Miki nor Teru take it without hesitation, like the typical ukes who somehow experience ultimate pleasure from a first time that probably would leave them unable to move, never mind walk. It's very real with these two, and though it's clear that they aren't in Fluffy Sparkly Sappy Love, we get instead a much more convincing and gradual connection developing between them.

Overall, this gets a 31/40. This score is greatly skewed by my personal dislike of more realistic art styles, so you can take it however you'd like.

Recommendation: If you're into realism, go for it! If you like reading about the lives of high-school rebels, go ahead. But if you're just looking for a fluff-filled romance to cheer you up, this isn't for you.