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!).