Rifle Scope starts off with a bang - no, not like that. We are introduced to our main character, a shady punk who seems to be running from a bunch of guys after he stole an MD player (similar to an ipod). He has trouble shaking them, and, in a completely realistic move, he is kissed by a strange man on the street, thus obscuring him from view and allowing him to escape from his pursuers. The man calls himself the guy's savior and refuses to tell his name. He then leaves, along with the punk's stolen MD player, giving way to a beautiful line ("He got the Panasonic AND my first kiss! I can't believe this!").
In the true course of yaoi, Mr. Savior turns up the next day at the punk - Hiiro's - school as a transfer student. His name is ridiculously hard to remember, which is probably why he didn't bother telling Hiiro in the first place. Anyway, Savior turns out to be a really laid-back guy, and when Hiiro, the hot-tempered uke figure, demands his MD back... well, Hiiro phrases it to sound like his first kiss should have been enough of a reward, so he obviously deserves the stolen MD back. Mr. Savior responds to this by kissing Hiiro a few more times - very comically - and remarking that kissing isn't a big deal and he's just going to keep the MD player, thanks.
Let's just say that the fact that Savior Guy is completely uninterested in Hiiro despite the punk's vehement dislike of him - and obvious crush - makes this both hilarious and refreshing. Also, Savior Guy seems to have no idea of societal standards, as he does some very inappropriate things to Hiiro right in front of his classmates. Wow. Tactless, much?
Recommendation: If you're looking for comedy, give it a try. If you love hotheaded, lovably stubborn ukes, go ahead. Not so much for those who want a fairytale romance, nor for those of you looking for fascinating plots (good luck with that).
3/21/10
Review 13: Kishidou Club
Kishidou Club ("Jockey" Club) is a manga centered around a highly illegal club that bets on which "steed" - man - will win a pseudo boxing match. The one who loses ends up taking it up the - well, you get the idea - from the guy he lost to. Disgustingly rich men apparently own their own steeds and regularly bet in the matches.
Meanwhile, Yuuki is a poor and overworked man who works at a violent bar where he usually ends up getting beat up by unruly customers (this is, in fact, part of his job). One day, a wealthy younger man from the Kishidou Club next door witnesses Yuuki getting beat up right outside the bar. What follows is a cringe-worthy cliche flashback in which the rich guy recalls Yuuki being his partner in judo... as well as a slightly less common hormone driven sexual rampage that ends in the rich guy getting rejected by Yuuki after he tells him they should run away together. Interested yet?
What happens next is pretty disheartening. Katsuragi - rich guy - meets with Yuuki and tells him their mentor from years ago is dying, and the only way to save him is with an organ transplant he can't pay for. Rich guy, of course, introduces Yuuki to the idea of being his "steed". When Yuuki refuses, Katsuragi begins to, you guessed it, BURN MONEY. That's right. He takes wads of I don't wanna know how much yen and lights 'em up! Yuuki, like any sane human being, can't bear to see so much money wasted in such a horrific way, and paired with his desire to save his mentor's life, he is ultimately tied to his fate.
Recommendation: If you like seeing the rougher side of yaoi, this is your slice of cake. If you enjoy knitting baby bunnies and reading pop quizzes with titles such as "Is He the One?" you should consider finding a fluffier read.
Meanwhile, Yuuki is a poor and overworked man who works at a violent bar where he usually ends up getting beat up by unruly customers (this is, in fact, part of his job). One day, a wealthy younger man from the Kishidou Club next door witnesses Yuuki getting beat up right outside the bar. What follows is a cringe-worthy cliche flashback in which the rich guy recalls Yuuki being his partner in judo... as well as a slightly less common hormone driven sexual rampage that ends in the rich guy getting rejected by Yuuki after he tells him they should run away together. Interested yet?
What happens next is pretty disheartening. Katsuragi - rich guy - meets with Yuuki and tells him their mentor from years ago is dying, and the only way to save him is with an organ transplant he can't pay for. Rich guy, of course, introduces Yuuki to the idea of being his "steed". When Yuuki refuses, Katsuragi begins to, you guessed it, BURN MONEY. That's right. He takes wads of I don't wanna know how much yen and lights 'em up! Yuuki, like any sane human being, can't bear to see so much money wasted in such a horrific way, and paired with his desire to save his mentor's life, he is ultimately tied to his fate.
Recommendation: If you like seeing the rougher side of yaoi, this is your slice of cake. If you enjoy knitting baby bunnies and reading pop quizzes with titles such as "Is He the One?" you should consider finding a fluffier read.
Review 12: La Satanica
La Satanica is a story of two good friends (in high school, naturally), Matsushima - the long-haired, tall, popular one - and Shuji [Mashita], his crush since the first year of high-school. The story goes back and forth between their viewpoints, with Shuji being far more insightful and noticing Matsushima's crush with ease. He eventually becomes enamored with his friend and makes a move, taking them to a hasty romance with all sorts of pitfalls.
Oh, my. This one is quite the oddity in a lot of ways. At first I wasn't sure who was supposed to be seme and uke, but I accepted that as nicely realistic for a change. Then there was the almost-sex that happened far too early on and was cut off with, "I will never do that." Hmm... the supposed uke has some issues which later work out to be something close to performance anxiety. At one point I burst out laughing due to his line during a very dramatic scene, which went, "How could you say it so bluntly!? I have my pride as a man!" Yeah. Exactly.
While it does have a lot of ridiculously cliche lines ("I'll give you all of me.") La Satanica does end up being a nice read due to the interesting characters and the lovely sexual tension. It has an art style that is enjoyable to read, as well as a well-defined atmosphere in the important scenes.
Recommendation: This manga is for lovers of the school romance, the developing romance between friends, and the 'first love' cliche. If you're more into hardcore stuff and couldn't care less for the emotional parts of yaoi, or you're looking for something more original and less school-based, try elsewhere.
Oh, my. This one is quite the oddity in a lot of ways. At first I wasn't sure who was supposed to be seme and uke, but I accepted that as nicely realistic for a change. Then there was the almost-sex that happened far too early on and was cut off with, "I will never do that." Hmm... the supposed uke has some issues which later work out to be something close to performance anxiety. At one point I burst out laughing due to his line during a very dramatic scene, which went, "How could you say it so bluntly!? I have my pride as a man!" Yeah. Exactly.
While it does have a lot of ridiculously cliche lines ("I'll give you all of me.") La Satanica does end up being a nice read due to the interesting characters and the lovely sexual tension. It has an art style that is enjoyable to read, as well as a well-defined atmosphere in the important scenes.
Recommendation: This manga is for lovers of the school romance, the developing romance between friends, and the 'first love' cliche. If you're more into hardcore stuff and couldn't care less for the emotional parts of yaoi, or you're looking for something more original and less school-based, try elsewhere.
3/13/10
Review 11: The Art of Loving
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
Sex: 6
'The Art of Loving', as a good deal of yaoi, concerns the fate of two high-school classmates with major differences between them. Yutaka is the elite student and heir to his father's company, but beneath the facade of the perfect son he is constantly suppressing the sexual desires that he has been taught to scorn, with the result that he is practically devoured by them. Tohno is a transfer student who at first seems like the typical blonde delinquent but immediately shows himself to be a cheerful and hardworking guy who has never had a chance to be loved by anyone, passed around to different family members after his father's absence and his mother's death. These backgrounds bring about an almost tangible need to be loved, but the problem is in the fact that Yutaka wears his mask so thoroughly that he can't open himself up to the emotional side of love, leaving only lust as his idea of what 'love' is. In contrast, Tohno seems to have pretty normal views on love and sex, but unlike Yutaka he considers the emotional bond between two people to be the height of love, disregarding lust as almost unnecessary.
These two meet at school and form a fast friendship, but Yutaka's growing desire for Tohno causes him to lose focus on his studies, getting him into hot water with his excellency-obsessed parents. Tohno, who has no idea what Yutaka is doing to him in his mind every day (needless to say, it isn't at all innocent), is simply gratified that Yutaka 'cares' about him so much, oblivious to the fact that much of it is a combination of curiosity and suppressed sexuality.
Then Tohno's aunt and uncle pass away in an accident, leaving him with a large debt, very little money, no home, and no other relatives to take him in. Yutaka takes advantage of this and makes a deal with his father: he will dutifully be the perfect son and grow up to manage the company if his father pays for Tohno's schooling and takes him into the family. His father agrees, and as Tohno is moving in, Yutaka springs his own desperate deal: in return for taking in Tohno, he wants Tohno's body.
The first volume stops here, and the only glimpse into the future we get is in the prologue. In it, Tohno and Yutaka both seem jaded, older and more knowledgeable of the terrible relationship they've put themselves in. Tohno uses Yutaka simply for sex because he is unable to express his emotions, while Tohno has developed a hedonistic streak that results in alcoholic and sexual indulgences to help him forget his situation, chained to Yutaka by both the deal and his tragic and unreturned love for Yutaka that exists outside of the sexual sphere.
The plot is surprisingly moving. Anyone who has ever been in the position of lusting after someone with full knowledge of its impossibility can certainly empathize with Yutaka's dilemma throughout the novel, and anyone who has found themselves bound to another by sheer devotion despite the coldness of that person can identify with Tohno's later situation. The work is, in fact, swarming with emotional turmoil that is very well done and rarely pulled off in yaoi. Such sincere emotion is a true treat here.
The characters are by necessity deep and developed to the point where one can easily sympathize with both central characters. They greatly bolster the plot and make a moving tale out of what otherwise might have gone unnoticed despite the beautiful way this star-crossed love plot is carried out. Yutaka is pitiable in his helplessness, but in the later years of the relationship he is seen in a light that is both flattering and hateful, making readers see the two-sided love-hate feeling that Tohno is bound by. Tohno himself is a very likeable character, and one must sympathize with the luckless life he has lived and continues to live. At the same time, the reader mourns for his forced choice to live with Yutaka when he might have made a free life for himself on his own, regardless of financial problems.
The sex is barely mentionable. With all the conflict between the characters, there really isn't much appetite for it in the first place, and though Yutaka is obsessed with the idea of sex itself, the tortured aspect of their relationship is such that the sex is actually depressing. Taken apart from the plot, it is initially yawn-worthy, and adding in the desolate mood of the story it becomes just sad.
In conclusion, a 24/30.
Recommendation: if you're dealing with any of these situations and long to find characters you can identify with, this is for you! However, if you're looking for a more cheerful read, or a yaoi with steamier sex scenes, you should keep looking.
Characters: 9
Sex: 6
'The Art of Loving', as a good deal of yaoi, concerns the fate of two high-school classmates with major differences between them. Yutaka is the elite student and heir to his father's company, but beneath the facade of the perfect son he is constantly suppressing the sexual desires that he has been taught to scorn, with the result that he is practically devoured by them. Tohno is a transfer student who at first seems like the typical blonde delinquent but immediately shows himself to be a cheerful and hardworking guy who has never had a chance to be loved by anyone, passed around to different family members after his father's absence and his mother's death. These backgrounds bring about an almost tangible need to be loved, but the problem is in the fact that Yutaka wears his mask so thoroughly that he can't open himself up to the emotional side of love, leaving only lust as his idea of what 'love' is. In contrast, Tohno seems to have pretty normal views on love and sex, but unlike Yutaka he considers the emotional bond between two people to be the height of love, disregarding lust as almost unnecessary.
These two meet at school and form a fast friendship, but Yutaka's growing desire for Tohno causes him to lose focus on his studies, getting him into hot water with his excellency-obsessed parents. Tohno, who has no idea what Yutaka is doing to him in his mind every day (needless to say, it isn't at all innocent), is simply gratified that Yutaka 'cares' about him so much, oblivious to the fact that much of it is a combination of curiosity and suppressed sexuality.
Then Tohno's aunt and uncle pass away in an accident, leaving him with a large debt, very little money, no home, and no other relatives to take him in. Yutaka takes advantage of this and makes a deal with his father: he will dutifully be the perfect son and grow up to manage the company if his father pays for Tohno's schooling and takes him into the family. His father agrees, and as Tohno is moving in, Yutaka springs his own desperate deal: in return for taking in Tohno, he wants Tohno's body.
The first volume stops here, and the only glimpse into the future we get is in the prologue. In it, Tohno and Yutaka both seem jaded, older and more knowledgeable of the terrible relationship they've put themselves in. Tohno uses Yutaka simply for sex because he is unable to express his emotions, while Tohno has developed a hedonistic streak that results in alcoholic and sexual indulgences to help him forget his situation, chained to Yutaka by both the deal and his tragic and unreturned love for Yutaka that exists outside of the sexual sphere.
The plot is surprisingly moving. Anyone who has ever been in the position of lusting after someone with full knowledge of its impossibility can certainly empathize with Yutaka's dilemma throughout the novel, and anyone who has found themselves bound to another by sheer devotion despite the coldness of that person can identify with Tohno's later situation. The work is, in fact, swarming with emotional turmoil that is very well done and rarely pulled off in yaoi. Such sincere emotion is a true treat here.
The characters are by necessity deep and developed to the point where one can easily sympathize with both central characters. They greatly bolster the plot and make a moving tale out of what otherwise might have gone unnoticed despite the beautiful way this star-crossed love plot is carried out. Yutaka is pitiable in his helplessness, but in the later years of the relationship he is seen in a light that is both flattering and hateful, making readers see the two-sided love-hate feeling that Tohno is bound by. Tohno himself is a very likeable character, and one must sympathize with the luckless life he has lived and continues to live. At the same time, the reader mourns for his forced choice to live with Yutaka when he might have made a free life for himself on his own, regardless of financial problems.
The sex is barely mentionable. With all the conflict between the characters, there really isn't much appetite for it in the first place, and though Yutaka is obsessed with the idea of sex itself, the tortured aspect of their relationship is such that the sex is actually depressing. Taken apart from the plot, it is initially yawn-worthy, and adding in the desolate mood of the story it becomes just sad.
In conclusion, a 24/30.
Recommendation: if you're dealing with any of these situations and long to find characters you can identify with, this is for you! However, if you're looking for a more cheerful read, or a yaoi with steamier sex scenes, you should keep looking.
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