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.