Art: 9
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 8
Sex: 9
In Mede Shireru Yoru no Junjou (something like 'Pure Love Evening') Kichou and Kagerou are male geishas - considered crossdressing, I suppose - in Neo-Japan, where prostitution has been made legal. They argue and have their little cat fights to feel like there's something interesting in their lives of sex-for-money. But one day, Kagerou trips and his earring leaves a cut on Kichou's face, which is a terrible thing for a geisha. To 'pay' for it, Kichou visits Kagerou that night, and a forbidden romance between crossdressing male geishas commences.
... Yeah, even I can't really take this seriously. It's not actually comedy, really.
The art is quite beautiful. With all of the flowing kimonos and the graceful visages of the male geishas, it's very easy on the eyes. Not to mention that Kishou manages to be gorgeous as a female and a male, which is difficult to think about at some points.
The plot is fascinating. Their relationship appears, on the surface, to be yuri due to their crossdressing, but underneath it all they're still both men. This gives the yaoi a whole new world to express itself in, and is extra fun if you like reading both yuri and yaoi. Bonus points?
The characters are pretty flat, but at least they have backgrounds (somewhat) in the form of flashbacks. And they're very nice looking. That always helps!
The sex is partially amusing, partially steamy. It's an odd combination that somehow works in this particular yaoi. It appears more seductive than comical, luckily, and even becomes rather giggle-inducing at times.
All in all, 34.5/40. Well done!
Recommendation: If you like gender-benders and fun lesbian overtones to your yaoi, give this a try! And if you like seeing beautiful men in women's kimonos, all the better.
5/2/10
Review 19: Mr. Convenience
Art: 7.5
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Sex: 8.5
Mr. Convenience is about a man who works at a place where they basically take requests to do all sorts of things, from gardening to babysitting to chauffeuring to escorts to... what Shiba Takashi ends up doing, which is listening to a cute guy talk about how lonely and disappointed he is at his father's company. This becomes a regular occurrence, but it's strictly business - when the clock stops, he gets kicked out politely. And when he sees Aki in public, he isn't allowed to even look at him because their sessions are confidential. It's tough when Shiba ends up in love with Aki.
My favorite line from this one was, "Someone help me, I'm so happy~"
The art is not that great. It isn't horrible to look at, but I've seen so many stunning works that just make it pale in comparison. It doesn't even measure up to the standard 8 of Makoto Tateno's clean-lined works.
The characters are interesting, at least. Shiba is easy to sympathize with, and Aki is just plain weird, if fascinating. They hold the reader's attention for long enough.
The sex is actually pretty decent. In fact, it's better than I expected (somehow I feel odd saying all that... hope no one sees this out of context). Even though Shiba and Aki's personalities aren't all that inventive, it's still carried out interestingly enough.
All in all, 32/40. Not bad, really. Which makes me wonder if I did those calculations wrong...
Recommendation: Yep, another rainy day read. But this one has a bit more to it than the others I've reviewed lately.
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Sex: 8.5
Mr. Convenience is about a man who works at a place where they basically take requests to do all sorts of things, from gardening to babysitting to chauffeuring to escorts to... what Shiba Takashi ends up doing, which is listening to a cute guy talk about how lonely and disappointed he is at his father's company. This becomes a regular occurrence, but it's strictly business - when the clock stops, he gets kicked out politely. And when he sees Aki in public, he isn't allowed to even look at him because their sessions are confidential. It's tough when Shiba ends up in love with Aki.
My favorite line from this one was, "Someone help me, I'm so happy~"
The art is not that great. It isn't horrible to look at, but I've seen so many stunning works that just make it pale in comparison. It doesn't even measure up to the standard 8 of Makoto Tateno's clean-lined works.
The characters are interesting, at least. Shiba is easy to sympathize with, and Aki is just plain weird, if fascinating. They hold the reader's attention for long enough.
The sex is actually pretty decent. In fact, it's better than I expected (somehow I feel odd saying all that... hope no one sees this out of context). Even though Shiba and Aki's personalities aren't all that inventive, it's still carried out interestingly enough.
All in all, 32/40. Not bad, really. Which makes me wonder if I did those calculations wrong...
Recommendation: Yep, another rainy day read. But this one has a bit more to it than the others I've reviewed lately.
5/1/10
Review 18: Oujisama Game
Art: 8.5
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 6
Sex: 7.5
Oujisama Game ("Prince Game") is a compilation of four different stories, each involving a prince. The first is about a prince who is approached by a slave and at first shuns him, but then he discovers that the slave is the same man who tutored him when he was a child (and the tutor not much older, thank goodness). The second is about a prince who is attacked by an assassin and overpowers him; the assassin wants to commit suicide, but the prince is amused by him as say that he'll take him as his official consort and give him a chance every day to kill him - and for every day he fails, he has to spend the night in the arms of the prince. The third story is about a man (the 'minister of the right') who is obsessed with the prince from the second story, but ends up realizing that the person he really loves is his associate, the 'minister of the left'. The fourth story is about a prince who has a (mostly, or there wouldn't be a story) unrequited love for a mercenary.
The art is pretty nice; it's not awe-inspiring but it is tasteful and rather pretty at some points.
The plots vary from downright lame (stories number one and three) to intriguing (story number two) to comical (story number four).
The characters, despite the different stories, are always easy to predict and stereotypical 'types' that one sees all the time in yaoi. None of them present any surprises, sadly.
The sex is just a little sub-par, mostly due to its brevity and the fact that most of it is left out of the actual drawings. Oh, well.
All in all, a 30.5/40. Not that great, but hey, it's a risk with these gamble-compilations. Could be good, could be totally nasty.
Recommendation: Another semi-decent rainy day read, but don't try it if you want any kind of substance.
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 6
Sex: 7.5
Oujisama Game ("Prince Game") is a compilation of four different stories, each involving a prince. The first is about a prince who is approached by a slave and at first shuns him, but then he discovers that the slave is the same man who tutored him when he was a child (and the tutor not much older, thank goodness). The second is about a prince who is attacked by an assassin and overpowers him; the assassin wants to commit suicide, but the prince is amused by him as say that he'll take him as his official consort and give him a chance every day to kill him - and for every day he fails, he has to spend the night in the arms of the prince. The third story is about a man (the 'minister of the right') who is obsessed with the prince from the second story, but ends up realizing that the person he really loves is his associate, the 'minister of the left'. The fourth story is about a prince who has a (mostly, or there wouldn't be a story) unrequited love for a mercenary.
The art is pretty nice; it's not awe-inspiring but it is tasteful and rather pretty at some points.
The plots vary from downright lame (stories number one and three) to intriguing (story number two) to comical (story number four).
The characters, despite the different stories, are always easy to predict and stereotypical 'types' that one sees all the time in yaoi. None of them present any surprises, sadly.
The sex is just a little sub-par, mostly due to its brevity and the fact that most of it is left out of the actual drawings. Oh, well.
All in all, a 30.5/40. Not that great, but hey, it's a risk with these gamble-compilations. Could be good, could be totally nasty.
Recommendation: Another semi-decent rainy day read, but don't try it if you want any kind of substance.
A Short Note on Yaoi as a Genre
This blog was made to critique yaoi. Naturally, the definition of 'yaoi' is very important to me, and when I see so many people misusing it... well, I figure it has to be set right again. There are many, many posts from others like me, correcting those who use the term incorrectly, but it still happens.
If you're interested in the etymology, read on (if not, skip to the next paragraph). The term 'yaoi' is actually an acronym that comes from the Japanese phrase, 山 なし、 おち なし、 いみ なし。 [YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi], which translates roughly to 'no plot, no resolution, no point'. It has been joked about, however, to have come from a different phrase, 止めて、 お尻 が 痛い！。 [YAmete, Oshiri ga Itai!], or 'stop, my ass hurts!' I find them both equally amusing.
'Yaoi' is classified as explicit and sexual romance between two males. 'Shounen-ai' is used to describe male-male romance that doesn't involve sex. 'Slash' is a word that means male-male relationships in a broad way and doesn't define any specific parameters. There are many other definitions related to these, but I think the ones here are sufficient for now.
Maybe I'll make a habit of this. Definitions of the Week, anyone?
If you're interested in the etymology, read on (if not, skip to the next paragraph). The term 'yaoi' is actually an acronym that comes from the Japanese phrase, 山 なし、 おち なし、 いみ なし。 [YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi], which translates roughly to 'no plot, no resolution, no point'. It has been joked about, however, to have come from a different phrase, 止めて、 お尻 が 痛い！。 [YAmete, Oshiri ga Itai!], or 'stop, my ass hurts!' I find them both equally amusing.
'Yaoi' is classified as explicit and sexual romance between two males. 'Shounen-ai' is used to describe male-male romance that doesn't involve sex. 'Slash' is a word that means male-male relationships in a broad way and doesn't define any specific parameters. There are many other definitions related to these, but I think the ones here are sufficient for now.
Maybe I'll make a habit of this. Definitions of the Week, anyone?
Review 17: Tenshi no Tamagoryouri
Art: 8
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Sex: 8
Tenshi no Tamagoryouri ("Scramble Angel Egg" ... what?) is another yaoi with three main characters. Eiji is a chef at a culinary school who longs to meet another person who can create 'delicacies' but is too withdrawn because his lover left him years ago. His problem student, Taki, is a cute child-like guy who is constantly wreaking havoc in the classroom. OH. It appears that Taki is actually as young as he looks... fifteen. Scratch child-like, then. He IS a child (is this legal?). Luckily, they aren't the relationship in this yaoi (phew), as we find out when Taki reveals that the reason he's trying so hard to learn to cook is because his father has been widowed and they keep hiring new cooks. Taki doesn't feel comfortable with 'strange women' in the house, so he wants to learn to cook for his father to preserve some traces of family life.
Of course, since the father needs someone to cook for him, and the teacher is single and longs to be appreciated (in a culinary way), Eiji ends up cooking for Taki and his father. But there's a catch - Taki's father is the man who left Eiji all those years ago, and this just got real complicated.
And I just have to mention this quote because it made my laugh when I read it, especially out of context. "Women are not just tools for preparing meals." Good one, Taki.
The art is standard, nothing much to say.
The plot, as explained earlier, is decent but much too soap-opera-y for my liking. There isn't much depth to it, and the many coincidences aren't that believable.
The characters are all right, but it feels like Eiji changes between chapters. At first he's cold and aloof, and then suddenly he turns around and offers to cook for Taki and his father. It can't be from an ulterior motive because he doesn't even know Taki's father's identity at that point. Weird...
The sex is meh. It's okay, but it's only just on par with any other yaoi you could pick off the shelves (sites?).
All in all, 30/40. It's decent but not enthralling.
Recommendation: A good rainy day read!
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Sex: 8
Tenshi no Tamagoryouri ("Scramble Angel Egg" ... what?) is another yaoi with three main characters. Eiji is a chef at a culinary school who longs to meet another person who can create 'delicacies' but is too withdrawn because his lover left him years ago. His problem student, Taki, is a cute child-like guy who is constantly wreaking havoc in the classroom. OH. It appears that Taki is actually as young as he looks... fifteen. Scratch child-like, then. He IS a child (is this legal?). Luckily, they aren't the relationship in this yaoi (phew), as we find out when Taki reveals that the reason he's trying so hard to learn to cook is because his father has been widowed and they keep hiring new cooks. Taki doesn't feel comfortable with 'strange women' in the house, so he wants to learn to cook for his father to preserve some traces of family life.
Of course, since the father needs someone to cook for him, and the teacher is single and longs to be appreciated (in a culinary way), Eiji ends up cooking for Taki and his father. But there's a catch - Taki's father is the man who left Eiji all those years ago, and this just got real complicated.
And I just have to mention this quote because it made my laugh when I read it, especially out of context. "Women are not just tools for preparing meals." Good one, Taki.
The art is standard, nothing much to say.
The plot, as explained earlier, is decent but much too soap-opera-y for my liking. There isn't much depth to it, and the many coincidences aren't that believable.
The characters are all right, but it feels like Eiji changes between chapters. At first he's cold and aloof, and then suddenly he turns around and offers to cook for Taki and his father. It can't be from an ulterior motive because he doesn't even know Taki's father's identity at that point. Weird...
The sex is meh. It's okay, but it's only just on par with any other yaoi you could pick off the shelves (sites?).
All in all, 30/40. It's decent but not enthralling.
Recommendation: A good rainy day read!
Review 16: Junjou to Furachi
Art: 7
Plot: 7
Characters: 8
Sex: 7
Junjou to Furachi ("Naive and Innocent") revolves around two high-school basketball players, Nakajima and Satoshi, who are childhood friends and neighbors. The conflict, however, is focused on a third guy, the basketball star of their school - upperclassman Nao. See, one night when Nakajima got smashed and passed out at a party, Nao took him up to a bedroom and began to take advantage of him (despite being the 'uke' of the pair). But Nakajima woke up, and since he already had a crush on Nao they ended up doing it without much thought. Nao, however, said to "just forget about it", and Nakajima has been uncomfortable since.
This brings us to the beginning of the story, where Satoshi tells his bff, Nakajima, that he likes Nao. Nakajima's reaction is something along the lines of, "But you date girls!" But really, he's most shocked because, "Why did it have to be Nao he was crushing on?"
This love triangle-ish thing is pretty intense. Nakajima and Satoshi have a strong bond of friendship. Nao definitely likes Nakajima, and Nakajima did like Nao before they literally screwed things over for themselves. Satoshi likes Nao, but Nao doesn't seem to be interested in Satoshi as anything but a way to get to Nakajima again. Fun stuff, right?
The real kicker is when Satoshi and Nao, having been on a date, both text Nakajima at the same time. Nao says, "I want to see you", while Satoshi says, "Can I come over? I need some comforting." What does Nakajima choose? Oh, suspense!
The art is rather disappointing in this one. It isn't terrible, but it isn't the smooth lined, well-sculpted look we've come to expect (I blame Makoto Tateno's numerous works). Of course, if you like the slightly rougher appearance, the more scattered lining and such, it won't bother you.
The plot isn't all that special, but it does have a realistic confusion to it that many readers can sympathize with, particularly those who are in a triangle situation like this one. I did, however, have a major problem with the ending... poor Satoshi is discarded from the story in a shameless fashion, while Nakajima gets the guy. Bros before hoes, man. Not cool.
The characters are interesting, but not star material. Enough realism in thrown into them to make them believable, but not quite enough to truly engage readers. Perhaps in a different light, or a different mood, they'd seem more appealing.
The sex is pretty standard for a yaoi, but it's limited to only one brief scene, and they're both drunk. Disappointing much?
All in all, a 29/40. Ouch... that doesn't sound very good, and it isn't. Not going to spare any hearts on this one.
Recommendation: If you're going through a similar crisis to Nakajima's, perhaps reading this might help you think things through (though I wouldn't advise following his behavior). But this really isn't a very absorbing read for anyone else, sadly.
Plot: 7
Characters: 8
Sex: 7
Junjou to Furachi ("Naive and Innocent") revolves around two high-school basketball players, Nakajima and Satoshi, who are childhood friends and neighbors. The conflict, however, is focused on a third guy, the basketball star of their school - upperclassman Nao. See, one night when Nakajima got smashed and passed out at a party, Nao took him up to a bedroom and began to take advantage of him (despite being the 'uke' of the pair). But Nakajima woke up, and since he already had a crush on Nao they ended up doing it without much thought. Nao, however, said to "just forget about it", and Nakajima has been uncomfortable since.
This brings us to the beginning of the story, where Satoshi tells his bff, Nakajima, that he likes Nao. Nakajima's reaction is something along the lines of, "But you date girls!" But really, he's most shocked because, "Why did it have to be Nao he was crushing on?"
This love triangle-ish thing is pretty intense. Nakajima and Satoshi have a strong bond of friendship. Nao definitely likes Nakajima, and Nakajima did like Nao before they literally screwed things over for themselves. Satoshi likes Nao, but Nao doesn't seem to be interested in Satoshi as anything but a way to get to Nakajima again. Fun stuff, right?
The real kicker is when Satoshi and Nao, having been on a date, both text Nakajima at the same time. Nao says, "I want to see you", while Satoshi says, "Can I come over? I need some comforting." What does Nakajima choose? Oh, suspense!
The art is rather disappointing in this one. It isn't terrible, but it isn't the smooth lined, well-sculpted look we've come to expect (I blame Makoto Tateno's numerous works). Of course, if you like the slightly rougher appearance, the more scattered lining and such, it won't bother you.
The plot isn't all that special, but it does have a realistic confusion to it that many readers can sympathize with, particularly those who are in a triangle situation like this one. I did, however, have a major problem with the ending... poor Satoshi is discarded from the story in a shameless fashion, while Nakajima gets the guy. Bros before hoes, man. Not cool.
The characters are interesting, but not star material. Enough realism in thrown into them to make them believable, but not quite enough to truly engage readers. Perhaps in a different light, or a different mood, they'd seem more appealing.
The sex is pretty standard for a yaoi, but it's limited to only one brief scene, and they're both drunk. Disappointing much?
All in all, a 29/40. Ouch... that doesn't sound very good, and it isn't. Not going to spare any hearts on this one.
Recommendation: If you're going through a similar crisis to Nakajima's, perhaps reading this might help you think things through (though I wouldn't advise following his behavior). But this really isn't a very absorbing read for anyone else, sadly.
4/30/10
Review 15: Love Life
Art: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Sex: 6
I stumbled onto this one thinking it would be a typical 'guy-next-door' type deal, and I was right. Our main character is Satoru, a comically useless guy who has moved into his first apartment (room). His neighbor is Izumi, a member of a small-time acting troup as well as a competent adult and role model. Satoru's consistent failure to take care of himself allows Izumi to end up fixing things all the time, with the result that they soon forge a tentative bond of friendship.
After a while, an old friend of Izumi's shows up and gets Satoru jealous, especially when the acting troupe has a gay scene that involves Izumi and his friend, and Satoru walks in on them 'practicing'. Needless to say, Izumi and Satoru's relationship is filled with tension due to various reasons - Satoru's fear that he won't be able to be successful as an independent person, Izumi's confusion over what to make of Satoru's situation, and of course, Satoru's fear over his budding feelings for Izumi.
The art is pretty standard for yaoi, reminiscent of many June publications ('From Up Above', 'Love Recipe', and 'Rin' to name a few). It is pleasing to the eye, and the chibi characters are particularly amusing.
The plot isn't exactly original - the whole 'neighbor at the boarding house' thing is way overused in manga in general - but the actual dialogue can be rewardingly deep at times, such as when Satoru finally breaks down and tells Izumi how pathetic he feels, revealing his aimlessness in life and his desire to have a purpose.
The characters are really the only part that makes this worth reading. Despite Satoru being the overdone can't-take-care-of-himself, too-cute-to-function little uke, he has more to him than most of those stereotypes. His depressing past, his future ("like a blank paper"), and his very realistic fear of becoming attached to Izumi all make him far more likable than I had expected. He is a character who is remarkably easy to sympathize with, in fact.
Izumi is also more complex than I had expected. At first he appears to be aloof and just a tiny bit sadistic ("Let's see how long you last here."), but by the third chapter he evolves into a doting caretaker, and in the second volume he really shows how much he worries about Satoru. His natural charisma as an actor, his simple ways of taking care of Satoru, and his frustration with trying to understand Satoru all add up to Izumi's complicated character.
The sex is almost non-existent. The sexual tension is nice in a few scenes, but not particularly lust-filled. It is a sacrifice of explicit sex for added realism and emotion. The story focuses much, much more on feelings and situations than on physical satisfaction.
And this gets a 31/40. Not that bad considering the lack of sex and the standard art.
Recommendation: Read this if you're longing for a slower, realistic romance that could (almost) occur in real life. If you're looking for some steamy scenes, however, check out something else (like 'I Want to be Naughty').
Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Sex: 6
I stumbled onto this one thinking it would be a typical 'guy-next-door' type deal, and I was right. Our main character is Satoru, a comically useless guy who has moved into his first apartment (room). His neighbor is Izumi, a member of a small-time acting troup as well as a competent adult and role model. Satoru's consistent failure to take care of himself allows Izumi to end up fixing things all the time, with the result that they soon forge a tentative bond of friendship.
After a while, an old friend of Izumi's shows up and gets Satoru jealous, especially when the acting troupe has a gay scene that involves Izumi and his friend, and Satoru walks in on them 'practicing'. Needless to say, Izumi and Satoru's relationship is filled with tension due to various reasons - Satoru's fear that he won't be able to be successful as an independent person, Izumi's confusion over what to make of Satoru's situation, and of course, Satoru's fear over his budding feelings for Izumi.
The art is pretty standard for yaoi, reminiscent of many June publications ('From Up Above', 'Love Recipe', and 'Rin' to name a few). It is pleasing to the eye, and the chibi characters are particularly amusing.
The plot isn't exactly original - the whole 'neighbor at the boarding house' thing is way overused in manga in general - but the actual dialogue can be rewardingly deep at times, such as when Satoru finally breaks down and tells Izumi how pathetic he feels, revealing his aimlessness in life and his desire to have a purpose.
The characters are really the only part that makes this worth reading. Despite Satoru being the overdone can't-take-care-of-himself, too-cute-to-function little uke, he has more to him than most of those stereotypes. His depressing past, his future ("like a blank paper"), and his very realistic fear of becoming attached to Izumi all make him far more likable than I had expected. He is a character who is remarkably easy to sympathize with, in fact.
Izumi is also more complex than I had expected. At first he appears to be aloof and just a tiny bit sadistic ("Let's see how long you last here."), but by the third chapter he evolves into a doting caretaker, and in the second volume he really shows how much he worries about Satoru. His natural charisma as an actor, his simple ways of taking care of Satoru, and his frustration with trying to understand Satoru all add up to Izumi's complicated character.
The sex is almost non-existent. The sexual tension is nice in a few scenes, but not particularly lust-filled. It is a sacrifice of explicit sex for added realism and emotion. The story focuses much, much more on feelings and situations than on physical satisfaction.
And this gets a 31/40. Not that bad considering the lack of sex and the standard art.
Recommendation: Read this if you're longing for a slower, realistic romance that could (almost) occur in real life. If you're looking for some steamy scenes, however, check out something else (like 'I Want to be Naughty').
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