Blue Morning 1 by Hidaka Shoko

Rating: 6
Sublime 2013 - Tokuma Shoten 2009
4+ volumes
Translation: Jocelyne Allen

"At only ten years of age, Akihito Kuze suddenly inherits the Kuze viscountship after his father’s death. The family's capable butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, takes over the task of raising the boy, serving as his tutor. However, the handsome and intelligent Katsuragi, well respected even among the aristocracy, remains cool towards his charge. Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, frustrated by the distance between them and driven to discover the reasons why." (Sublime)

Hidaka Shoko has been a consistently popular BL mangaka for the past few years and Blue Morning is one of her most popular works to date. It arrives on western shores on the waves of much hype and enthusiasm from fans in and outside of Japan and, having liked a number of Hidaka's other titles, I've been eager to check this out.

What struck me as I read through this first volume is that the story is intended from the start to be a multi-volume series, which is not the norm in BL manga where the more common practise is for magazines to test the waters with one or two chapters and go from there depending on reader reception. Afforded the luxury of so many chapters to work with, Hidaka really takes the time to set up the plot, flesh out the characters and create a believable period setting for those characters to inhabit. You'd be forgiven for forgetting that you're reading a BL romance since there's hardly any sign of a love story until the last third or so of the book. Instead, the bulk of the story is used to establish the complex relationship between the protagonists as guardian and ward, set against the backdrop of, what I take to be, Taishou-era (1912-1926) aristocratic society.

Hidaka has an easy measured writing style, her characters are intelligent and articulate. The story is serious in tone but never melodramatic. The period setting provides an interesting study of the sociopolitical classes of the time. It's nice to read some plot-driven drama in BL for a change and though the intrigue elements are rather superficial, the story remains engaging throughout. I enjoyed reading this first volume and it shows potential for a good series, however, I was never gripped by the story, and certainly not by the romance, what little of it that is seen near the end.

The story is told mostly from Akihito's point of view but the central figure of interest is undoubtedly the enigmatic Katsuragi. No mere butler, Katsuragi is the acting head of the Kuze house, in charge of the estate's considerable finances as well as being guardian to the young viscount. Katsuragi himself is the third son of a prominent, though untitled, family, taken in by the Kuze household at a young age, for reasons as yet undisclosed. He's a masterful operator in society, well connected and something of a financial whiz. He's also not adverse to using his body in order to curry favour with influential people of both sexes, as Akihito discovers early on after witnessing an intimate scene. Akihito is fascinated by his exceptional butler from their very first meeting and wishes to earn his approval and affection. However, the cool Katsuragi makes it clear from the start that there is to be no such affectionate relationship and maintains a firm distance between them throughout Akihito's youth.

Katsuragi is an interesting character and it's easy to understand Akihito's fascination with him. What is harder to do is to find much in Katsuragi to sympathise with. He creates a bad impression from the start for being so heartless towards a lonely orphaned kid yearning for affection. Yes, he must have his motivations but since they remain shrouded in mystery for the remainder of the volume it's hard to sympathise. He's single-mindedly set on carving out an illustrious political future for Akihito, regardless of Akihito's feelings on the matter. Since we learn little about his past and don't know why he's so driven towards this goal, it's more natural to feel for Akihito who's being railroaded along. Of course, there wouldn't be much of a plot if everything was explained in the first act but in the meantime I, for one, need a bit more to like about the guy. His attitude towards Akihito ranges from strict to outright mean. I feel sorry for Akihito for falling for such a jerk. It's implied that Katsuragi is an alluring man with many admirers but since we're shown only the most fleeting glimpses of that side of him, a tame kiss here, a dishevelled appearance there, I'm nowhere near sold on his appeal yet.

Akihito is an easier character to like, that is, until the romantic thread of the plot kicks in and his frustrations lead him to a desperate act, after which I'm holding off judgement on him until the next volume. The romance, which begins abruptly and very unpromisingly late in this volume, needs considerable work doing to it before it becomes even palatable. At the end of volume one it consists of pathetic one-sided love on Akihito's side and stone-cold indifference on Katsuragi's. It promises to be an angst-ridden relationship though I hope we'll see a kinder side to Katsuragi in coming volumes and better behaviour from Akihito.

I have confidence in Hidaka's writing that the story will improve and so I'm still looking forward to the next volume. Despite my rather negative review, I do consider this a good start to the series and I know sensei is good at writing slow-burning love so I'm hopeful that the next volumes will deliver.

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There are some issues with the translation which I've written about in a separate post: here.

Mr Tiger and Mr Wolf 1 by Haruno Ahiru

Rating: 5
Juné 2011 - Houbunsha 2009
4 volumes
Translation: Jocelyne Allen

When Juné released this in English I remember there was some buzz around it and the first volume sold out fairly quickly. I'd read something else by the mangaka before which didn't impress so this wasn't high on my priority list at the time and passed me by. I recently came across a reasonably priced copy of this and, recalling the positive buzz, decided to check it out. Was it worth the extra few quid a hard-to-find manga demands? Well, not really, not for me. And yet I can see why it has its fans and has spawned 4 volumes plus a spin-off in Japan.

The story is about a wolf who kidnaps an adorable kitten whom he thinks is the perfect candidate for his future wife, only to be shocked when the kitten grows up to be a huge tiger, and male to boot. The character artwork is pretty, the kitten tiger is so cute I would defy anyone not to turn criminal and kidnap him on first sight (despite sporting freakishly thin arms, even for a chibi character), Tiger and Wolf are appealing characters, the sort that I'd usually want to read more about. Wolf is a tsundere type whose standoffish attitude belies his kind nature and his actions easily demonstrate his affection for Tiger despite his grouchiness. Tiger is a tiger in kitten's clothing? His sweet smile masks a possessive passionate personality; he's a typical dominant seme through and through.

So I like all the above and would usually settle in happily for some lighthearted fluff except it all falls apart in the actual story-telling. There's no ongoing plot, which is fine, this is BL romance, plot is not required. What is required are episodes to develop the characters' personalities, bring them closer to one another and further their relationship. The story does do this, though in very short and rather anticlimactic spurts (no sexy pun intended). Each chapter throws in some sort of obstacle or conflict to highlight an aspect of their relationship, there's a disapproving elder brother, there's the matter of the difference in their lifespans, the practicalities of being different species, and so on, but the resolution is always rushed, there's little preamble to the mandatory sex scene, each mini-story always falls rather flat.

The elements are there for a good story but there's little effort made to build suspense or tension or any sort of hook to pull you into the story. Often, it felt more like I was reading a doujinshi than a proper series. I liked the characters but couldn't get interested in the story enough to really care about them much. At four volumes I guess there's enough in the series to keep some people reading but I won't be going further than volume one.