Review 56: Un Carnet de Bal

Art: 8.5
Plot: 6
Characters: 7
Sex: 7

When I saw the cover of this, I immediately thought, 'oh, yes!' Elegant men in refined clothing, sitting in front of a vast estate... beautiful. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed with the lackluster storyline, and it left me a little depressed.

The art is very sophisticated. It's just a shame it couldn't have been put to better use...

The plot is saddeningly full of corruption. It follows a young man who teaches ballroom dancing. He uses this ploy to seduce another young nobleman, who naively falls into the trap. This young nobleman is the younger brother of the man controlling the ballroom dancing instructor. So basically, once the older brother returns, the younger brother gets tossed out with the garbage. Poor guy. But the whole thing is so... dark... it even has a depressing narration going, usually with the thoughts of the dancing instructor, who is a complete hedonist (in a bad way).

The characters are not likable. The dancing instructor only wants sex (which he soon gets, and then gets bored of), the naive younger brother is pure but can't see how he's being manipulated, and the older brother is a sadist without any interesting features.

The sex is ruined by the narrations of the dancing instructor, and/or the sadism of the older brother, depending on the scene.

All in all, 28.5. Sigh.

Recommendation: I guess if you're into scandalous ballroom dancing parties and manipulative, conniving characters with no redeeming qualities... then yes, this is a good one.

Review 55: Homemade Vampire

Art: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 7
Sex: 8

This is basically the gay Twilight. So, for those of you who enjoy vampire romances, this is a pretty safe bet. Also, as with Twilight, the plot is extremely simple and therefore easy to follow. The only real difference here is that a) they actually have explicit sex, and b) the characters are slightly, slightly more realistic.

The art is quite nice, which is lucky. The seme does look attractive, though not really that vampirish. The uke could use some work, though... I didn't think he fit the bill.

The plot is very, very simple. The vampire moves in with his uncle (sigh, yes, there is always a catch), who is not so much his real uncle as... kinda the same age? At least, he acts like it. Anyway, they do it pretty shortly into the story. And then the seme tells the uke that he's a vampire, and they live happily ever after (both as vampires, now).

The characters are so-so, up to a point. The scene in the kitchen really brings out the best in them, in my opinion. If that scene hadn't dissolved into a lust-filled orgy, at least. But it was quite cute before that. The real problem with these characters is that they don't seem to have distinguishable personalities. They're just dolls that are being used to act out sex.

Speaking of which, the sex isn't really all that bad. The only problem is that, not having any connection to the characters, one doesn't feel particularly involved in the matter. It's rather like a cheap erotica. Very little substance.

All in all, 28/40. Hrrrrrm.

Recommendation: do the words 'Gay Twilight' mean anything to you?

Review 54: Love Round

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

Love Round has to be the funniest yaoi I've read since Chintsubu (and if you've read that, you'll know this is high praise indeed)! There's a ton of character interaction humor, as well as hilarious expressions and the occasional pun. At the same time, there's a good bit of tension between characters as well.
Komatsuna is the 'uke' with a girly face who just wants to become a manly man. When he meets boxer Kubo, who remarks at Komatsuna's weird name, Komatsuna sends him flying with a supersonic punch! This begins a pattern of Kubo saying things without thinking and Komatsuna knocking 6, 7, 8 meters.
Somehow, Kubo gets Komatsuna to join the boxing club, and suddenly he begins to have feelings for him. But Komatsuna refuses, time and time again... until he realizes that he might actually like Kubo.

The art is great! All the scenes are nicely drawn, and the hilarious expressions on the characters' faces really make the story. The punchout scenes are my favorite, though, hands-down.

The plot is amusing, but not entirely complex.

The characters are the best part of this yaoi. Komatsuna is endearing, especially to those of us who have masculine personalities and feminine appearances. Kubo is also very likable, as he is a genuinely nice guy who simply doesn't know how to talk to people (coughgirlscough).

The sex is eventual, which is good due to the nature of the yaoi's comedy. But it is relatively decent, and well-appreciated by the time it happens. Poor Kubo.

All in all, 34/40. Could this be the top score of the 41-60 bracket?

Recommendation: For anyone who likes their yaoi with a large dose of humor.

Review 53: Intense Rain

Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 8.5

Fufufufu... this is a very good one, for those of us who appreciate comedy and drama mixed into one yaoi. This revolves around a naive uke and a playful seme who both get drunk and have a one-night stand. They end up in a relationship, but the seme neglects the uke after a while to go to parties and the uke walks out on him. Years later, the uke comes back because he's subbing at the school the seme works at. This reopens old wounds, and the end up together again in a very dramatic fashion.

The art is quite nice in this. I particularly like the uke's wavy-ish hair. Very intriguing.

The plot is fairly simple but pleasant. The kitten was a hilarious plot device, and despite being cliche it was just... so cute. In fact, there were tons of usual plot devices used in the expected ways, but somehow they came off as decent compared to other yaoi.

The characters are likable but not superb. The seme is hard to understand, but the uke is more predictable. It was quite touching to see the uke hang onto the apartment key that he had been given, years ago, by the seme... Kinda adorable. They made an interesting match.

The sex was quite nice, except for the one time right before they broke up, which was just sad... But the earlier scenes were very passionate and had the satisfactory amount of panels.

All in all, 33/40. Pretty darn good, for a drama/comedy starting with drunken sex.

Recommendation: Good if you like comedy, good if you like drama. It covers both genres nicely.

Extra Note: Here's a few funny panels that made me laugh. Enjoy!

Review 52: Bokura no Unsei

Art: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 7
Sex: 6

Another sensei-student romance, only this one is really lame and not at all worth reading. The plot can be summed up in a sentence, which is a bad sign. Basically, the student has 'bad luck' and needs a kiss from his teacher every day in order to 'purify' him, so one day when he gets jealous of the female students, he realizes he loves his teacher. Blah, that's it.

The art is okay, but not up to snuff. Could be better.

The plot, as said above, is inane and silly. A sensei-student romance deserves more effort than this thing, really. If you're going to do a cliche, at least do it justice as a cliche.

The characters are predictable and cardboard. The uke is just an uke, and the seme is just... well, a seme. And the uke does not act like a high-school kid, either. He seems to have no moral qualms about the teacher-student thing, to begin with. Neither of them are likeable in the least.

The sex is brief and completely sudden. It happens about one page after the confession of love, which is possibly an all-time low for yaoi manga everywhere (barring the one time that an uke went from fully-clothed to completely naked in the space of one panel).

All in all, 26/40. Terrible, really.

Recommendation: Just don't bother. This one is not worth your time.

Review 51: Kannou Kissaten

Art: 8.5
Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Sex: 7

"Compassionate Coffee-shop" stars an uke who is anything but compassionate. Kuhara works at a coffee-shop, and every day his ex-coworker and frenemy, Fujinami, stops by just to chat. But the two have some scandalous history - they used to drink after work together, and one time Fujinami tired to kiss Kuhara, who slapped him! How theatrical. The two now have a sort of neutral relationship, with Kuhara pretending he barely knows Fujinami, and Fujinami contenting himself with merely seeing Kuhara every day.
And eventually, of course, Kuhara stops denying his attraction to Fujinami, but there's a catch: he wants to take it slowly. And thus, especially for a yaoi, their relationship proceeds at the pace of molasses until one night when Fujinami ambushes a sleepy Kuhara. Checkmate.

The art is quite tasteful in this one. I liked the style a lot, and all the characters were nicely done.

The plot was okay but rather simple. It serves it purpose, however, as a rainy day read.

The characters were amusing and certainly the best part of this yaoi. Kuhara in particular is hilarious because he's unusually hesitant for an uke (at least, in most yaoi). Much like a girl in a shoujo manga, he resists 'too much too fast' because he's scared to rush into things. However, Kuhara's character pulls this off in a way that's more realistic and interesting than stereotypical and girly. Which is extremely fortunate for him. Fujinami is much less interesting, but his patience is certainly to be commended.

The sex was all right but extremely brief and not completely shown. Hrrrmph. But I'll forgive, for now, since the next morning includes Kuhara's hilarious thoughts to the effect of, 'He better say he's sorry for last night. Grrrrr.'

All in all, 32.5/40. Pretty good!

Recommendation: a good read when you're bored and just want something simple and amusing, with plenty of chase in it.

Review 50: Umaimon Kuwasero

Art: 8.5
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Sex: 8

This one is pleasingly food-centric, and centers on two professional chefs - one studying Japanese cuisine, the other French cuisine. Throughout the story, their rivalry spurs them on towards their own success, just as their budding love is realized. Yasaka, the guy on the right, is the 'uke' who studies Japanese cuisine and has always admired/hated Yae, the guy on the left, who practics French cuisine but is also a master of Japanese cuisine. Their heated rivalry makes their romantic scenes even more entertaining, not to mention dramatic.

The art is very consistent and satisfying, and the food is portrayed with great skill. Which is, of course, a necessity of any food-centric manga, yaoi or not.

The plot is decent, with plenty of drama as well as some quieter, romantic moments thrown in there. There are some great 'whoaz' yaoi moments as well. But unfortunately, the story is a little too dramatic and soap opera-ish for me to give it a better score than average.

The sex is amusing on so many levels. I mean, it's all about location. The first scene (all right, half-scene) in the kitchen... and the second one takes place in the private room of a traditional japanese restaurant! Is that classy or what? Honestly, though, it is quite good regardless... if only one can forget exactly where it is taking place.

All in all, 32.5/40. Not bad at all! The food must have helped.

Recommendation: For those of us who share a love of miso soup. Nah, just kidding. But if you're culinarily-inclined, or just like sex scenes where both characters are dressed in kimono... go ahead.

Review 49: Desire Boy

Art: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 7
Sex: 7

Erm, this one kinda creeped me out a bit. It starts with this little kid who lives with his mom and older sisters. Raised by women, the first man he gets close to is the next-door neighbor, a young art teacher. When the kid reaches middle school, he asks the guy - now his close confidant - about 'guy stuff'. In the usual cliche, he thinks he's ill because he doesn't understand what an erection is. The awkward part is when the guy offers to 'teach' him... yeah. That's crossing some boundaries.
Anyway, as the kid gets into high school (I hope... please, please let him at least get to high-school!) he experiences an extremely slutty, stereotype girlfriend who for some reason wants to have sex with him the second time they hang out. Disgusted with the idea of doing it 'with someone I don't like', he refuses. He realizes that he's 'in love' with the art teacher, and only wants to do nasty things with him.
Blah, blah, blah, basically they end up doing it in the next few pages. Wow, what a plot! No pedophilia here, no way! At least the older guy admits it... "I'm the one who's weird... what kind of adult helps a 17-year-old masturbate?" That's gotta take guts.

The art is so-so. Ain't up to my usual standards. Unlike my English, which is flawless as always.

The plot, if you read any of the above, is ridiculous and slightly unnerving. Do not want!

The characters kinda make sense... but the slight realism is overwhelmed by the hint of pedophilia and the very odd/innappropriate relationship that the two share.

The sex is abrupt and rather awkward. At least it's realistically awkward, but still. It's not the kind of steamy, satisfying visual one expects from the average yaoi.

All in all, 27/40. Bleh.

Recommendation: Not really worth reading. Skip it and find something better. Like Shitsuren Mania.

Review 48: A Bird in a Dream

Art: 7

Plot: 6

Characters: 7

Sex: 7

This one's a bit of a rollercoaster. I'm not too fond of it due to its weird mood changes... much like a preteen girl, this story goes from ultra-dramatic to depressive to wacky-funny in a few panels. I can't say I appreciate this absurd pattern, and the plot isn't much to look at, either.

Okay, so Guy #1 gets hit by a car and dies, and his only regret is that he fought with Guy #2, his semi-lover, the day before. He then wakes up two days before his death, with a second chance to make things right with Guy #2. In the end, they avert the crisis, which Guy #1 thought was a death curse cast upon him by a bird he accidentally killed when he was a kid. Oooookay.

The art is a little sub-par.

The plot is just strange... not to mention incredibly depressing at some points. More than that, it's even confusing to read the first time through. I still don't quite understand if this is a timetravel, altnerate universe travel, or dream sequence thing going on... no freakin' idea.

The characters don't make a whole lot of sense, either. Guy #1 wants to make up with Guy #2, so... they have sex. Lots of sex. Wow, that solves everything! And then, the night before he thinks he's going to die, what does he do? Does he tell his lover? Of course not - they just have sex again. And then he breaks up with him to 'spare him the pain'. Riiiiight.

The sex is not terrible, but the timing and the lack of foreplay is pretty saddening. 'Whoa, look at the time! Better get this over with, eh?' Sooooo romantic.

All in all, 28/40. Bleh. No good.

Recommendation: Just don't. I honestly was disappointed to have to read this.

Review 47: Abiru Junjou

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

There needs to be a live-action drama of this. Somebody out there, make it happen! Ahem. Anyhow, this yaoi starts with Yuka (that's a girl's name...) telling how his grandma collapsed and is now in a coma in the hospital. He has no idea what happened to his mother and father, but his grandma had raised him, so at the story's beginning he is living by himself and going to high-school. Fortunately, he meets a charismatic new teacher there - Gotou - who ends up taking him in. Sorta.

The art is really nice. I'm not sure why, but the lines are flowing and graceful and Gotou's hair in particular made me 'ooh' and 'ah' for a while. Seriously.

The plot itself isn't amazing, I suppose, but rather the way in which it is executed... For instance, any yaoi can orchestrate a teacher-student romance due to the absence of parents and the resulting dramatic mood. However, Abiru Junjou ('Soaked with Pure-hearted') pulls this off really well, in contrast to so many other attempts. The scenes have some real emotion, and there were points that I could see in my head, like a movie... *coughlive-actiondramacough*

The characters are very well-done. I don't care for the kid's looks, but the personalities of the two are nicely developed. Yuka is more than just a parentless kid; he's a responsible guy who's experienced a lot of bullying and unfortunate attention in the past. But despite his past, he still manages to make the best of things with his sketchbook and by joining the art club. Gotou is likewise more than the teacher stereotype. While he is continually conscious of the boundary between them, he grows to love Yuka and desires to protect him for all of the bad attention.

The sex(and partial sex)-scenes are quite steamy. Mmmm hmm. And I don't even go for this particular genre, either. I'm impressed.

All in all, 35.5. Wait... is this a new record? Whoa!

Recommendation: If you can take the time to savor the details, you'll love this. It's got everything, as long as you're not just rushing through looking for sex (I know who you are!).

Review 46: Anata no Tonari ni Suwaresete

Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 7
Sex: 7

This is the first yaoi I've read that is focused on a chair. That's right, a chair. The title translates to 'Let me sit next to you' and refers to a chair the main character wanted to purchase before it left the shop. He ends up at the home of the man who made the chair, at which point he finds a prototype of the aforementioned chair. The man tells him that he is free to come over and sit in it anytime (what kind of offer is that?)...

The art is good quality. No surprises here.

The plot has its ups and downs. With all the rollercoaster qualities of a popular soap opera, it gives you a short calm scene before the dramatic outburst and the uke running away crying. Rinse and repeat. Eventually, sex gets into the cycle, but otherwise nothing changes all that much. However, it still gets decent points due to the use of a chair as the main plot device. That takes real skill.

I'm not that fond of the characters. The uke here is much too volatile; his emotions seem always turbulent, to the point that he drinks away his problems at the nearby bar. The seme is one of those tough, quiet types who waits too long to say important things, thereby causing much of the drama of the story. They just aren't that likable to me.

The sex is much too brief. And I was highly disappointed that it did not take place in a chair, considering.

All in all, 30/40. Not terrible, not great.

Recommendation: If you... like... chairs?

Review 45: Dear Gentle Papa

Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 8

This one's really a lot to think about. Thankfully, there's no actual pedophilia (or incest, thankfully) going on here. Oka (blonde kid above) is a high-school guy whose best friend, Misaki, is 'dating' a twelve-year-old by the name of Nao. Nao's father (guy with glasses above) is rarely home due to his work and fully endorses Misaki and Oka hanging out with Nao despite the 5-year age difference. Slowly, Oka begins to fall for Nao's father, even as Misaki is planning out how he's going to date Nao when Nao grows up. Complications are in store!

The art is standard. Once again we see the traditional Minami Haruka style, with some creative additions here and there. Very clean lines, nice expressions, cute ukes.

The plot, as mentioned above, is rather cringe-worthy (he's dating a twelve-year-old!?) but nothing 'bad' actually happens, so it ends up being more humorous than displeasing to the eye. And it is pretty funny...

The characters are amusing and yet they make a lot more sense than stereotypical seme/uke pairs. The father is a heartwarming character in particular, with his sad circumstances and his hardworking nature.

The steamier scenes aren't fully shown (they usually skip sections or cut off early) but what they lack in length, they make up for with mood. The art in these scenes is especially expressive, and it is altogether a tasteful and beautiful repast.

All in all, 32.5/40. Pretty decent!

Recommendation: If you like the 'salaryman' romance, or the older-guy-with-high-school-guy romance, this is a good bet.

Review 44: Steady Study

Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Sex: 7

All righty, so this one centers on Iijima, the bright student of a renowned university. He meets Shinji (the kid with the glasses) while working at a ramen shop after school. Shinji is a 'ronin' student, which means he failed the university entrance exams and is trying again the next year. They get off to a rocky start, but eventually develop a friendship that in turn leads to deeper intimacy. The fun part is that Shinji thinks that Ijima lives on his own and works at the ramen shop, when really he's in a top university... Ijima lets him think that due to the fact that Shinji hasn't gotten into any universities. How sweet.

The art is nice, standard Minami Haruka style pretty much. Clean lines and all that jazz.

The plot, as mentioned above, isn't terribly complex, but it is interesting enough. I dunno why, but I love the ramen shop as a location in manga. Something about liking food too much...

The characters are good, and they even go past the usual stereotypes and feel such human emotions as sincere guilt and complex feelings that aren't so easily described. This is particularly evident in Iijima's shame over lying to Shinji about not being in college, when really he attends the most famous university in the area. Once again, yaoi teaches you that lying, even about simple things, can turn into something horrible if you perpetuate it for a long time.

The sex is abrupt and rather unromantic. And poor Shinji just lays there and takes it. And then he apologizes for not enjoying it more, even though it was forced upon him. Hmmm... this strikes me as unpleasant.

All in all, 32/40. Good plot and characters but the sex isn't entirely consensual... points off!

Recommendation: If you like the glasses-wearing uke, or ramen shops, this is for you. (Eeeee, ramen shops!)

Review 43: April 4th

Art: 8
Plot: 6
Characters: 5
Sex: 5

Ahhhh, nothing sets the mood quite like pedophilia! Ahem, now that my severely sarcastic outburst has started things off, let's get to the story. Or rather, the lack of story. This centers on Nao, the child-like uke of 'April 4th'. His seme, shown above, is the feminine Iori, who apparently was so frustrated at his uke-like looks that he had to find a ten-year-old to top. Clearly, all the other ukes rejected his advances due to his overwhelming girliness.
Jabs aside, the story focuses on Nao recalling the day when Iori more-or-less forced himself on him when they were alone at Nao's house. Nao realizes at some point that he loves Iori 'like that', but he doesn't admit it for a large part of the storyline. What creativity, what brilliance we see here!

The plot's terrible. I've already outlined it, so you should be able to judge that for yourself. Zomg, the uke gets semi-raped by the semi because he's in denial of his feelings, and then he has to come to terms with his newfound love! That's not endearing, that's creepy. What is this, Twilight? (oooh, she said it! Giiiiiiiirl!)

The characters outdo the plot on the scale of awful. When Nao is not playing the easily-raped ten-year-old uke, he apparently shifts to another personality in which he plays the in-denial 'I-just-did-it-with-a-guy-but-how-can-I-be-gay' card. Iori is just as bad, portrayed as a beautiful shemale with all the grace of an elegant uke. Except that he's supposed to be the seme. Lame.
Oddly enough, this ends up reading like a bad Kuroshitsuji Doujinshi. Yeah, I went there!

The sex should not be mentioned. There are some things that cannot be unseen. Ugh. I'll have it be known that I only review these shotacrap because they're on the yaoi list.

All in all, 24/40. Boooooo. Go home!

Recommendation: If you like the aforementioned shotacon, or are writing an M-rated Kuroshitsuji yaoi.

Review 42: Liberty Liberty

Art: 8

Plot: 8

Characters: 9

Sex: 6

All righty, so this one has been in my sights for a while (as I fondly recall reading it) and I'm finally reviewing it! This stars Itaru as the drunken uke who turns up in a dark alleyway just in time to bash in the video-camera of Kouki, who was on a 'stake-out' for the television station he works for. Kouki takes Itaru in so that he can get back the money for a new video-camera, but the two end up becoming much closer. A host of Kouki's friends and the drama of Itaru's tragic past make for a very interesting combination.

The art is pretty standard. Good expressions, clean lines, cute uke, rather dashing bad-boy seme. Check, check, check...

The plot isn't terribly interesting, so it's lucky that the characters more than make up for this shortfall. Most of the plot is simply the progression of the relationship, as with most yaoi.

The characters are well-developed and very easy to sympathize with. There's one point where Itaru tells Kouki about his past, as well as the reason why he stopped writing (his dream) and ran away from his university and everyone he knew. This scene was surprisingly moving, and I found myself much more engaged in the story than I had expected.

The sex was basically nonexistent. All we get is a slightly-steamy scene at the very end, but hey... it's more of a shounen-ai, all in all. Which makes me wonder why I'm reviewing it. Hmmmmmm...

All in all, 31/40. Not too shabby, folks!

Recommendation: Read it if you're in a sappy mood, or if you just wanna read something a little softer than most yaoi.

Review 41: Shinyuu Henjou

Art: 8
Plot: 9
Characters: 8.5

Sex: 8.5

Starting this manga, I admit I wasn't particularly hooked. But it turned out much better than I expected! There's plenty of humor, some of it even lol-worthy, and the art style is pretty. There isn't much of a plot, but the comedic elements make up for it, and the characters are likable enough to buoy it up towards greatness.

The manga revolves around Shino, the thin and feminine uke who appears to be... straight...? He has been friends with Mamoru (ironically, 'to protect' in Japanese) since elementary school, and the two have always been close. When they enter an all-boys high-school together, Mamoru beats off the perverts with a stick - sometimes literally - while Shino obliviously mourns the girl that turned him down in middle-school and worries about mundane things like schoolwork. The comedy really kicks in when one of their dormmates explains that the school is a haven of homos, including a lot of pervert-types, and that the only surefire way to avoid getting 'gang-raped' is to get a boyfriend. Thus, Mamoru pretends to be Shino's boyfriend in order to protect him... or is that really the reason?

The art is decent. The bodies are drawn quite nicely, although Shino looks like he hasn't eaten in a couple weeks. The expressions are particularly humorous, notably Mamoru's when he beats up potential perverts.

The plot is pretty typical but with added interest due to Shino's supposed heterosexuality (did I just use that word on a yaoi blog? What!?)...

The characters, as mentioned above, exceeded my expectations. Mamoru displays the expected 'rawr-I-eat-your-face-off-if-you-even-think-about-talking-to-him' overprotective streak, but his character goes further and even contemplates himself as the enemy. With a depth of character that's unusual for this genre, he struggles with his feelings and gains a guilt associated with becoming exactly what he's trying protect Shino from seeing. Shino isn't nearly as developed - in more ways than one, har har - but he is unique in that he is the Oblivious Uke but at the same time isn't fluffy and sparkly like most of his kind.

The sex is eventual but worth the wait. Standard points given!

All in all, 34/40. Niiice!

Recommendation: If you need a laugh, check this one out. Also good for connoisseurs of the schoolboy romance and the 'childhood friends' romance.

And here's a hilarious excerpt to convince you just how funny this one is. (Shino, btw)

Let's Review

Now that there are twenty more reviews up, let's compare the scores and see who will win this segment's high-score challenge!

Rin! - 34
Sex Pistols - 34
Sweet - 33
Haru wo Daiteita - 32
Bijo to Chinjuu - 31.5
Under Grand Hotel - 31.5
Can't Help Getting Hurt - 31
Who Made Him Such a Man? - 30
Love Hustler - 29.5
Cannot Kiss 24 Hours - 28.5
No Money - 28.5
Lovers Only - 28
Love Prism - 27.5
Flash Boys - 27.5
I'm Falling in Love with Your Magic - 27.5
Lover Seeker - 26
Kimi ni wa Katenai - 26
Hoshi no Yakata - 24
Heart - 24
Sensitive Pornograph - 24

Congratulations to Rin! and Sex Pistols, our tied winners for the second twenty reviews!

Review 40: Bijo to Chinjuu

Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 7

This one is rather uneventful, but it's also kinda... sweet. It revolves around Shuu and Katsuki (the blue-haired one above), who have been lovers for ten years and operate a veterinary clinic together. The story deals with them and the expected road bumps in their relationship. The usual jealousy and past trauma comes into play, as always, but resolves itself in the end for a fluffy last sex scene.

The art is pretty good. All the cats and dogs are well-drawn and rather cute.

The plot is simple but effective. Since I was surprised at one point, I'll give it a decent score.

The characters had varying levels of depth, but I really felt drawn to Katsuki for his caring spirit and the way he wanted to save the black cat so much. Shuu is harder to sympathize with at first, but he shows his true colors towards the end.

The sex is not lust-filled, but it's fluffy and comfortable and makes for a nice ending scene.

All in all, 31.5/40. Pretty good!

Recommendation: read if you like pets, particularly cats, or if you're in the mood for fluffy romance.

Review 39: Can't Help Getting Hurt

Art: 7
Plot: 7
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 8.5

Ah, a love-triangle between high-school students... isn't that an innovation? The interesting bit here is that Honami used to be with Terumi, but Terumi left him, prompting Honami to confess to Shouji. However, when Shouji jealously goes looking for Honami's ex, he is immediately and unavoidably attracted to him. Shouji and Terumi end up hooking up behind Honami's back. Will the two ever admit that they're hooking up for more than their flimsy excuses? Will Honami find out about his boyfriend cheating on him with his ex? Read it and find out!

The art is nothing out of the ordinary. A little below average, maybe.

The plot, as mentioned above, is nothing more than a slightly embellished love triangle. It's predictable, it's simple, it's blah.

The characters are decent, actually. Shouji's unfortunate circumstance of being attracted to his boyfriend's ex is portrayed through his difficult decisions and his tough exterior. Terumi is a more mysterious but just as enigmatic character who eventually makes more sense.

The sex is not bad at all. It's the straighter end of the spectrum (if you can call any yaoi 'straight'), so it's all very masculine. Not a bad thing, but the scenes tend to be more rough and devoid of fluff and/or meaningful interaction.

All in all, 31/40. Adequate.

Recommendation: if you like the more masculine types and the less fluffy stories, try this out!

Review 38: Cannot Kiss 24 Hours

Art: 7.5
Plot: 7
Characters: 6
Sex: 8

This one is a typical teacher/student type deal, with the problem student, Kikusui, initiating sex frequently with his teacher, Erimoto-sensei. Like in most of these manga, the teacher is afraid of what their union could mean for his job and to his family, so he suddenly disappears one day after asking Kikusui if they can call it off. This frustrates Kikusui, and he skips school until finally they are reunited and he learns the truth of his teacher's absence.

The art is decent but without surprises.

The plot is very predictable, to the point that I barely paid any attention to the dialogue in the last chapter. Soooo been there, done that.

The characters are the usual stereotypes - the glasses-wearing, scared uke and the angry, got-too-much-muscle-to-be-sixteen seme. This makes for an even less surprising plot, embarrassingly enough.

The sex is as predictable as everything else in this manga. Wow. Very standard and full of the 'we shouldn't do this!' and 'oh, but we must!' type thinking.

All in all, 28.5/40. Not that great.

Recommendation: if you just love the teacher/student dynamics, go ahead and give this a try.

Review 37: Flash Boys

Art: 8.5
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Sex: 5

Now, before I start, you shouldn't laugh at title because - bahahaha! Who am I kidding? This one's a laugh. Seriously.
Natsui is the main character, a nerdy, shrimpy guy who wears those glasses with the swirlies on them. He is constantly pushed around by everyone, and he ends up seeking out one of the most popular guys in the school to ask him about something for the school festival. The guy is quiet and intimidating, but somehow he and the other popular guy end up helping out in the end. Predictably, Natsui's glasses break at a crucial moment and everyone discovers that he's totally adorable. This makes the quieter popular guy fall for him.
Insert a few typical plot devices (a rape setup in the health room to be recorded and sold, an alternate-universe chapter loosely resembling Cinderella, etc.) and you've got it.

The art is kinda pretty. A little above average, I'd say. Or maybe I'm just in a good mood. But I'm not, so I guess it really is nice art.

The plot, as you can tell, is not much to look at. But the character interactions and whatnot are always good for a laugh or two. There's plenty of humor to be found here, which is its only saving grace.

The characters are bland. Natsui sticks to his role as the uke who lacks confidence and ends up being bullied by everybody, and the two popular guys don't change much throughout the story.

The sex barely takes place, and the only explicit moments are during the staged rape scene. Okaaaay.

All in all, 27.5/40. Whatever.

Recommendation: Try if you're in the mood for something vaguely funny with decent art.

Review 36: Haru wo Daiteita

Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Sex: 8

Having seen the anime, I can at least appreciate this one for what it excels at. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I'll figure it out at some point. Oh! Reversible roles. That's it. This is one of the only yaoi that I've read so far that features truly reversible characters; meaning that either of the guys pictured above can be seme or uke in any given scene. Mostly.
Anyway, this one features AV (adult video) actors who compete for the main role in an upcoming movie. The movie is about two gay lovers, so their audition is to have sex... with each other. As experienced AV actors *coughpornstarscough* they are well-suited to the task, but as rivals there is a notable tension between them that is almost funny to watch. Regardless, they eventually develop an odd sort of love during their interlocking careers.

The art is standard. Nothing to complain about, nice clean lines, all that jazz.

The plot is typically constructed, with dashes of drama here and there for good measure, and a fair number of sex scenes.

The characters are kinda amusing, as their rivalry makes having sex on camera pretty awkward (like it wouldn't be otherwise). But unfortunately, the character development doesn't go that deep, and both men end up with difficult-to-understand motives.

The sex is pretty well-done, actually. But it seems so choreographed... which makes sense, as they are porn stars. I mean AV actors. Right.

All in all, 32/40. Not too shabby.

Recommendation: if you like plenty of sex scenes and muscular men - particularly reversibles - you will enjoy this. But there are no fluffy ukes to be found here, folks.

Review 35: Heart

Art: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 6
Sex: 5

I don't know what to think about this one, but it isn't a good thought, whatever it is. This centers on Kouhei, an underclassman, and the upperclassman idol of the archery club, Akira. They have an odd relationship that works something to the effect of a... bootycall. Whenever Akira wants a little somethin' somethin', he bullies Kouhei into coming over to his house... or his car... or - well, you get the picture. And Kouhei wants to find out why Akira acts so carelessly. He wishes to discover what the 'shadow behind Akira's eyes' came from. Through this, the two have a sickening slave and master relationship that puts Kouhei continuously on the losing side.

The art is meh. Not that great, but not terrible.

The plot is odd and unappealing. I'm sorry, but I'd rather not see an uke being constantly pressured into sex that he doesn't appear to want all that much. Not to mention the disturbing way that Akira manipulates him into doing so.

The characters are just plain bad. Kouhei doesn't have any shred of dignity left, and this is plain when he even submits to a piercing despite being scared silly of the pain and of what his family will think (hint: the piercing isn't located anywhere near his ears). I don't care what kind of past Akira has, it still doesn't excuse him for being no more than a rapist. The whole situation reminds me of "No Money", which is very bad for this manga.

The sex is pretty standard, but is tainted by the fact that it's not entirely consensual, and with all the pressure from Akira, it ends up being just sad. Not attractive at all.

All in all, 24/40. Pretty sad.

Recommendation: I don't even know. Well, try it if you are feeling bold. Wahaha!

Review 34: Hoshi no Yakata

Art: 6
Plot: 6
Characters: 6
Sex: 6

Honestly, if I wasn't dead-set on reviewing every single yaoi manga on Spectrum Nexus and Mangafox... I would never even touch this one. It looks like two women engaging in heavy bdsm. I mean, really.
Moving on, the plot (what plot?) features Sumiya, the 'mistress' who is always requested by the nameless beauty with a mysterious circumstance. Basically, the whole thing is just explicit bondage sex, master and slave dynamics... they're covering all their bases here.

I'm not at all fond of the art, particularly because both males look like... females. And to someone who is as used to seeing effeminate men as I am (...) this means that the characters really look like girls. So it has the appearance of a yuri. Or some sort of futanari business going on, but don't look that up if you don't know already.

I am appalled at the lack of plot.

The characters don't get much development at all. Mostly because the secondary guy is nearly always gagged and unable to say anything. I can't identify with anyone in this story, so the characters are failures.

The sex is difficult to assess in this case. If I was someone interested in the bdsm brand of funsies, I would probably give it a decent score. However, since it is heavy bdsm, and incredibly explicit, it's a definite turn-off to those of us who prefer our yaoi to be more vanilla... or at least not as weighted towards the bdsm side of things.

All in all, 24. Ouch...

Recommendation: if you're interested in bdsm. That is all.

Review 33: Kimi ni wa Katenai

Art: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 7
Sex: 6

I DON'T UNDERSTAND! So, "Kimi ni wa Katenai" ("I won't surrender to you") is centered on a freshman in high-school, Yuuhi, who is given a mountain by his grandfather's will. As it is a prime building location, a chairman of the school board tracks him down and eventually leases the land to create Hide Preparatory School. Yuuhi ends up attending this school, but there are tons of perverts there. I don't even get half the stuff that goes on in this.

The art is kinda dismal. I don't go for this style at all, especially not when the main character looks like a ten-year-old. That's just wrong.

The plot, as I mentioned above, doesn't make sense. The (terrible) summary above may seem straight-forward, but that's only because I left out all the weird stuff that I couldn't explain. How awful.

The characters are either a) "straight" perverts or b) cute-faced ten-year-olds. That's it. That's all ya get.

Should I even have to talk about the sex when you've read what the character line-up consists of!?

All in all, 26/40. Shudder.

Recommendation: Just don't. It's too confusing. I'm not even sure that this is technically yaoi...?

Review 32: Love Hustler

Art: 7.5
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Sex: 6

Takanishi is a 'treasure hunter' who is trying to protect something called the Orichalcum. Kei is a traveling magician performing on a cruise ship. When Takanishi disguises himself as a dealer to get on the cruise ship, the two meet when they fight over the same room. Thus ensues a game of strip poker. Thankfully, an explosion rocks the boat and they escape with the knowledge that Shachi, a rival treasure hunter, has stolen the Orichalcum from under Takanishi's nose. For some reason, Kei decides to follow Takanishi because he apparently doesn't want to be a magician any longer. Fancy that!

The art is a bit below average. Lesser panels are often illustrated in a sloppier style, which is unfortunate because the better panels are pleasantly drawn.

The plot is beyond ridiculous, but at least it's an interesting change of pace. For that, it gets an average score.

The characters are pretty average. Kei is the closed-off and cold uke who doesn't want to believe in romance, while Takanishi is the lust-provoking seme who is out to change his mind.

The sex is virtually nonexistent. The scene is so short and uneventful it might as well have been - well, let's not be too harsh. Anyway, it receives a low score for its brevity.

All in all, 29.5. If it wasn't such a... different... yaoi, it would have scored much lower.

Recommendation: if you're an adventurous spirit who has always wanted to hunt down treasure, maybe this will appeal to you.

Review 31: I'm Falling in Love with Your Magic

Art: 5
Plot: 7
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 7

Tetsuya is the unfortunate "straight" guy who wakes up after a drunken one-night stand... with a guy. He can't remember anything, but the hemorrhaging is enough to convince him that he doesn't want to remember. The next day at his high-school, the most popular guy in the school confesses to him. This guy - Asami - is also a porn star despite being technically underage. The mystery unfolds as Asami relentlessly pursues Tetsuya.

The art is awful. It looks like an amateur doujinshi for the most part, with the 'good' drawings only surfacing in important moments. Is this for real!?

The plot is pretty far-fetched and confusing even for a yaoi. Even when it ends, I can't help wondering if I really understood any of it. Sigh.

The characters are actually pretty well fleshed-out, in terms of personality. Asami's character is amusing in his own way, while Tetsuya is easy to sympathize with. Tetsuya is definitely the deepest character in this yaoi, and his realistic reactions to the whole situation make the manga weird instead of just trashy.

The sex (?) is nothing worth reading. I don't even know if I should call it sex. Half the time it's not entirely consensual, and most times it isn't shown completely anyhow.

All in all, 27.5. Not great... but it's not sitting at the very bottom of the ratings, either.

Recommendation: if you're a sucker for muscular, flashy-smile star semes, go ahead and try this. Otherwise it's just laughable.

Review 30: Love Seeker

Art: 7
Plot: 7
Characters: 6
Sex: 6

Okay, so these guys in the picture aren't actually from the first novel... my bad. Anyway, this first one revolves around Tomura, the glasses-wearing, shy guy at the company, and Miura, the tall and handsome seme-type. Tomura has been nervously waiting to confess his love to one of the women at the company, but he takes off his glasses and accidentally asks out the eligible bachelor Miura instead. This provokes a friendship that quickly leads to more explicit doings.

The art is so-so. I didn't really like how the uke was drawn very much... if you're going to make him small and adorable, at least put some effort into making him cute. Am I shallow?

The plot is laaaame. Boy accidentally confesses to boy, boy still pursues girl, boy gets rejected, boy realizes he loves boy, sex. Seen it all before.

Characters are typical. Tomura is predictable as the shy, nerdy type who always helps people out because he's too afraid to refuse them. Miura is the handsome bachelor who somehow is just a normal guy and doesn't even know that he's attractive. Riiiiight.

The sex is laughable, really. Tomura, who's an obvious virgin, makes no protest whatsoever and seems to have no pain during the entire sex scene. That's believable, yup. I am still flabbergasted as to how Tomura goes from fully-clothed to completely naked in the space on ONE PANEL.

All in all, a 26/40. Not so great.

Recommendation: if you adore the shy, glasses-wearing uke type, go ahead. If not, find something that isn't totally ridiculous.

Review 29: Rin!

Art: 9
Plot: 8
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 8.5

Rin! features a main character - Katsura - who suffers from an anxiety disorder, the only temporary cure for which is a hug from his older brother's best friend, Sou Shibata. Sou reluctantly helps out Katsura whenever he gets a panic attack and needs help calming down, but at some point the hugs stop helping. Why? Because hugging Sou makes Katsura nervous for another reason... hhhrrrrmmmmm.

The art is quite lovely in this one. The lines are smooth and the eyes are beautiful. There's something about the way movement is drawn that seems unusually natural in a manga.

The plot is relatively predictable, and much of the dramatic scenes are frustrating and a tad cliche. But the underlying plot is still slightly interesting, so it gets a basic score.

The characters are very nicely developed, especially Katsura and his childhood memories. His actions and words add to his definition and make him a very likable, realistic character. His older brother is also notable for being a sympathetic character and a support for Katsura. Sou is difficult to decipher at first, but he ends up making some sense later on.

The sexual tension is illustrated remarkably in this manga, and the sex is much more realistic than it is in most yaoi. This lends it extra points for not pulling the usual cliche of the somehow-already-used-to-sex-despite-being-a-blushing-virgin uke. With Rin!, such scenes are given the appropriate awkwardness and level of pain that is, naturally, more realistic.

All in all, 34/40. Pretty good score, especially for a multi-volume series, as they tend to run out of steam.

Recommendation: read if you want something more realistic. Have I mentioned it's realistic? Also great for those into the realistic yaoi. Seriously, though, it's a decent manga regardless.

Review 28: Sensitive Pornograph

Art: 6
Plot: 5
Characters: 6
Sex: 7

All right, so I'm biased on this one because I've seen the anime. Fortunately, the manga is almost exactly the same as the anime. It centers on a young manga artist, Seiji, who falls in love with an older - but younger looking - erotic manga artist named Sono. There is very little dialogue between sex scenes, and even those aren't all that innovative. There's very little actual substance to this manga.

The art is sub-par, which is sad because it's actually decent in the anime. I'm not fond of this art style, so it gets a low score.

The plot is an absolute abomination. In fact, it would be more appropriate to say that there's no plot worth mentioning. Boy meets girl, boy notices that girl is very effeminate guy - they don't even milk this idea for what it's usually worth - and they have sex. And then they have a short conversation, and then sex again. This repeats five or six times, with a disappointingly bland scene for the finale.

The characters might have almost salvaged the plot, but they are so shallow and uninteresting that they do more harm than good.

The sex scenes are all right. They aren't particularly drawn-out or creative.

All in all, 24/40.

Recommendation: Don't read it, get the anime instead. At least the anime's good for a few laughs.

Review 27: Sex Pistols

Art: 7.5
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 9.5
Sex: 8.5

Another oddball, wow! This one centers on Tsuburaya, a guy who got in a motor accident and suddenly started seeing other people as animals. With this 'special ability' came some sort of pheromones that, unfortunately for him, attract perverts and turn his friends into drooling hornballs. Luckily (?) he soon meets Kunimasa, who eventually explains what all this crazy stuff means. I won't give it away here, but basically Kunimasa and Tsuburaya - Norio - are more-or-less made for each other, biologically. Chaos ensues as the willful Tsuburaya holds his own against the violent and apathetic Kunimasa.

The art is a little below-par by my standards, but it doesn't distract from the story. The animals are actually drawn very well, particularly the monkeys.

The plot is totally different, but in a refreshing way. Readers will find themselves drawn into the craziness of the story and curious to find out more about the 'hallucinations' and 'pheromones' Norio suffers from.

The characters are the best part of this series. Norio is just great, because he's able to see through the pheromones Kunimasa gives off and can actually think clearly enough to refuse him. It isn't until Kunimasa stops acting like a complete jerk that Norio appreciates him in return. Kunimasa, meanwhile, is an annoying and yet surprisingly complex character. What appears to be just cruelty at first turns out to be a combination of his lack of words, pride, and habit of not explaining anything very well.

The sex is quite interesting, given that they have... animal... characteristics. That sounds pretty strange, but I'm meaning more of the 'pheromone' stuff than the actual animal designations, which I can't discuss much lest I ruin the story development!

All in all, 34/40. That's pretty darn good!

Recommendation: If you're looking for something refreshingly out-of-the-ordinary, try this! Probably also a safe bet for furries.

Review 26: Under Grand Hotel

Art: 8
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 9
Sex: 6

What can I say... this one really surprised me. It centers on Sen, who is in prison (called "Under Grand Hotel" by its inmates) for murdering his lover's husband. When he arrives at UGH, he immediately is introduced to Swordfish, a former (...) drug dealer and the king of the prison. Sword says he doesn't enjoy doing it with guys, but since there aren't any women around and these prisoners all have life sentences... you can figure the rest out.

The art is kinda blah. But Sword's unique look makes the story stand out a little more than it would've otherwise.

The plot is unexpectedly interesting. I judged it by its cover and thought it would be a nasty prison yaoi, which it still is, but the dynamics between characters are morbidly fascinating.

Speaking of characters, they're the only real reason to read this (if at all). Sword and Sen are both very deep, if formal development doesn't necessarily occur. They are defined amazingly well by their words and actions, and the reader quickly becomes sympathetic to Sen.

The sex is weird. Very, very weird. I guess that's to be expected from prison sex between "straight" guys (yeah, right). I gave it a really low score due to an incident with a mop handle. Let's not say anymore, shall we?

All in all, 31.5. Erm... better than I think it deserves. Oh, well.

Recommendation: for people who have always wondered about prison sex. Ooookay.

Review 25: Who Made Him Such A Man?

Art: 8
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Sex: 8

I don't really know what to make of this one. It begins with Shinpei, a really muscular elementary school teacher, making a house call to the parent of one of his students. He finds that an old flame of his is taking care of the student in order to find where the mother went, because he is a debt collector on a mission to exact payment. Shinpei and Hojime - the old friend - apparently have an odd history of being good friends throughout their young lives, including a drunken one night stand. However, they were torn apart when Hojime's family was too in debt and had to move to escape the debt collectors (irony).
Throughout the story, Shinpei and Hojime come to terms with their newfound attachment to each other, as well as trying to figure out things with Masaru, the student, and his absent mother. All in all, it's quite the oddball.

The art is pretty standard. I didn't notice that it was better or worse than average.

The plot, as mentioned above, was weird but not absolutely terrible. Just... weird.

The characters weren't that easy to understand, as they didn't have a lot of time to develop personalities, but they also weren't stereotypical seme and uke figures, so I suppose they aren't past saving.

The sex was rather manly and without any sort of build-up of interest. Yawwwwwn. Shinpei is really, really muscular. Dunno if I appreciate that.

All in all, 30/40. Not bad, but not great.

Recommendation: Like muscular guys? Enjoy to-the-point sex scenes? Then this is for you.