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.