Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love by Sakuragi Yaya

Rating: 7
Sublime 2012 - Kadokawa Shoten 2008
4 volumes
Translation: Satsuki Yamashita

Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love is an enjoyable easy read that I can readily recommend to any BL fan, as long as you're not expecting anything different from the norm. While it is generic through and through from its setup to its pairing (no prizes for guessing who's uke and who's seme from the cover illustration) it is a solid, well-written series that avoids cheesiness and clichéd dialogue. A polished romantic comedy from a veteran of the BL scene, it's the sort of bread and butter series that keeps the industry going.

Ao is a refreshingly proactive uke, no emo suffering for him. A carefree horny teenager who doesn't think too deeply about his actions, when he starts having wet dreams about his childhood friend, Ryoumei, it doesn't take long for him to blurt out, "I want to do dirty things with you".  Ryoumei, who's around ten years or so older than Ao and has always seen him as a little kid, is understandably freaked out. And so begins Ao's optimistic courtship (?) and Ryoumei's pointless resistance. 

Ao and Ryoumei are a likeable comedy duo, Ao the one coming out with outrageous lines and Ryoumei playing the straight man with his shocked responses. I like Ao for not being one to dwell on the negatives, for although he suffers setbacks he doesn't prolong the moping around but soon decides on a course of action, even when the decision is to take a step back from the relationship. Ryoumei is a tsundere type who's the sweetest kindest guy who's always gone out of his way to help Ao but likes to maintain a cool grownup image in front of him. It takes him a while to come to terms with the fact that Ao is no longer a child and his flustered reactions along the way are cute and funny to see.

Four volumes gives the story time to progress leisurely and for the relationship to develop naturally to fruition. It's a really easy manga to get into quickly and zip through without distraction. I don't know how much of it is down to the author or editor but this strikes me as a well-edited series; the layout and flow of the panels effortlessly draw you in and along, and the pacing is handled so smoothly I'm at the end of each volume before I know it. There's a decent cast of supporting characters populating the story. The best of them is undoubtedly Ryoumei's deadpan best friend, Shuji, who gets kicks from teasing Ryoumei the 'cradle robber'. Shuji is a character so well-liked that he gets his own spin-off series, also licensed by Sublime and soon to be released as Hide and Seek.

I like authors who cling on to their characters, even the supporting ones, it shows the affection they hold for their creations and this is something that you can feel in this series, there's a genuine warmth throughout. I bet Sakuragi had fun coming up with unexpected lines and antics for Ao to torment Ryoumei with. I certainly had plenty of fun reading and it's a series I know I'll dip into again in the future when I want some fuss-free lighthearted entertainment.

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.

~~~~~

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.

Caramel by Okuyama Puku

Rating: 6
Juné 2012 - Taiyoh Tosho 2012
1 volume
Translation: Jocelyne Allen

Caramel is a sweet, cute and happy story that's utterly harmless. It's generic in its setup, character types and plot but Okuyama has a cute quirky style to her art that gives the story a refreshing unique feel and sets it apart from the myriad of BL manga that use similar storylines.

Iori is off to Tokyo to start university and needs to find a place to live. He sees an advert for a free room in exchange for doing all housework and, used to looking after the house and caring for his three young siblings, decides it's the deal for him. Things get off to a rocky start when he meets his roommate, 28 year old wealthy businessman Roku, who is decidedly strange. Roku is abrupt, bossy and likes to tease Iori. He insists on Iori cooking him a meal as soon as he arrives, later Iori discovers that Roku has forgotten to buy any furniture for his room, and to top if off, in the middle of the night Iori wakes up to find that Roku has crawled in to sleep beside him on the sofa. As much as Roku infuriates him, Iori can't turn his back on him when he sees Roku happily eating his cooking and snuggling up to Iori in sleep like a trusting child.

Iori is an adorable, caring, innocent, bubbly soul and Roku is the more worldly, crotchety, egocentric grown-up. They play off each other as a decent comedic duo and, though there's not much depth to their characters, they're both very likeable and carry the story well. Iori is often drawn in cute chibi form, usually to comically illustrate his disbelieving reactions to Roku's antics, whom he views as a big kid he has to take care of, one that's less well-behaved than his own younger brothers and sister. For Roku, who has been living the lonely bachelor life, Iori brings the warmth and affection into his life that he hadn't known he'd been missing.

Nothing much of dramatic significance happens in the story, it's mainly about the two getting to know each other and gradually falling in love. The pace is unhurried, the relationship is given time to develop and, unlike a previous Okuyama title I read, there's a nice satisfactory ending where they have some sexy time after mutual declaration of their love. There are no surprises and not much in the way of originality but all in all, it's a very nice manga that's pleasant to read with just enough offbeat individuality to stamp it as an Okuyama title.

Ninth Life Love by Kojima Lalako

Rating: 5
Juné 2012 - Taiyoh Tosho 2011
1 volume
Translation: Jocelyne Allen

Happy, sweet, mellow, Ninth Life Love is a very 'nice' manga, and delivers pretty much what you would expect it to from its soft and pretty cover illustration. It's a pleasant leisurely read, the artwork is pretty in its fluttery gentle way, the character illustrations are expressive and have a natural feel to them, and for some people this is exactly the sort of thing they look for in BL manga. Me, I need, I don't know, a bit of ugly in my manga? Which you certainly won't find in this book, everything's just too nice. There's nothing ostensibly wrong with it but then there's nothing remarkable about it either, it's an easy read for whiling away an hour or two but otherwise forgettable.

There are four stories in the book with the main story, Ninth Life Love (what a tongue-twister), taking up half of the volume and three additional one-shots. The main story, about a boy whose dead cat comes back to life as a human (with cat ears and a tail), is actually pretty good. The condition God gave to the cat was that he couldn't have sex otherwise he'd turn to foam and disappear, a rather strange condition if you ask me but this is BL so whatever. So although the couple are overjoyed at reuniting, the danger of the cat-boy disappearing is a constant cloud over their heads, a setup which gives the story a bittersweet taste throughout as the reader wonders whether they'll get a happy ending.

When I say this is an easy read, I mean that the story quickly pulls me in with little effort, I become absorbed in the feelings of the characters and the pace of the story guides me to the end without my attention waning. This is something the manga accomplishes easily. What it fails to effect is any deep or lasting impression. The characters in all the stories lack personality, there's not enough depth to the stories, not enough exploration of feelings nor themes. I think the premise of the main story offers a wealth of themes to explore, like the concept of a second chance at life, the transience of life and feelings, the constancy of love, none of which was really touched on by the mangaka. This could possibly be due to the limited number of pages she had to work with, the ending was certainly rushed, but whatever the reasons, I felt that there was a lot of potential to the story that was unrealised.

In the afterword, referring to the last one-shot the mangaka says, "I get told that my story feels like uke x uke, just because they're sweet guys who love flowers..." I think the uke x uke comment applies to most of the couples in the volume, the characters are all a bit wishy-washy sweet, which is part of the reason I didn't personally care much for any of them since I prefer a manlier man myself. Of course there are many readers who do like these types of characters and this style of story so I'm not surprised that there are fans of this manga out there (it made the top 20 of the popularity poll Kono BL ga Yabai! 2012); so although not one for me, there's still enough good about it to recommend it as a one-off read to readers whose tastes lean this way.

Starting with a Kiss 1-2 by Nitta Youka

Rating: 6
Sublime 2012 - Libre 2011
 2+ volumes
Translation: Adrienne Beck

I should start by saying that Nitta's modern classic Haru wo Daiteita (to be published by Sublime later this year, whoop!) is probably my all-time favourite BL manga, which colours my opinion of her other work, though not necessarily in a bad way; if anything, I'm more critical than a nonpartisan reader since I will always be making comparisons with her biggest hit and inevitably nothing can compare. Starting with a Kiss is no exception though it's a solid enough series from Nitta, displaying many of her signature elements including proud hot-blooded men, lashings of sex, an involving story, and a love for which the course never runs smooth.

It's a yakuza story and, surprisingly, is actually Nitta's first yakuza story, as we learn in the afterword. Why she held off for so long in writing one I don't know because the yakuza world suits her type of characters perfectly: strong prideful men with hidden agendas. Tohru is the son of a yakuza boss and Mutsumi is the son of the gang's second-in-command. When a gang feud threatens to erupt, the two are packed off to a remote island to keep them out of harm's way. Two young horny guys alone on an island in a BL story, what could possibly happen? Sure enough, serious studious Mutsumi is immediately attracted to the beautiful fiery and impetuous Tohru and the pair are soon going at it like bunnies. However, because this is Nitta writing, things are never as straightforward as they seem.

Tohru was charged by his father to persuade Mutsumi, an elite Tokyo University student, to join the gang. When Tohru sees that Mutsumi is falling for him he is conflicted on a couple of fronts. First and foremost, his pride as a man coupled with the insecurity he's always had over his effeminate looks make him doubt Mutsumi's feelings and wonder if he's merely using Tohru as a woman-substitute. If Mutsumi's love is real then Tohru doesn't want him to join the gang just for Tohru's sake. Mutsumi, ready to swear his life to Tohru, wants to join the gang exactly for this reason.

The first volume explores these complicated feelings and sets up the beginning of an interesting relationship between the two. In volume two the pair are back in Tokyo and a proper tale of yakuza drama and intrigue unfolds, centered around a battle for power and succession rights. The yakuza narrative alone is enough to keep me reading, which is good because I find that I'm not that into this couple. While I find their personal conflicts interesting I'm not particularly rooting for them as a couple and I think this is mostly because of Tohru's personality. On the one hand he doesn't want to tie down Mutsumi to the gang just because of love but on the other he can't get enough of his dick and still has sex with Mutsumi. Mutsumi has to be stoic and accept whatever Tohru gives. There's an inconsistency to Tohru's character, whether intentional or not, that doesn't agree with me.

I hope that Tohru improves with future volumes and that I'll come to like him more. There's no question that I'll continue with the series, even with its problems Nitta's intelligent compelling writing ensures that it's still more interesting than the majority of BL titles out there.

Ze by Shimizu Yuki

Rating: 9
801 Media 2009 - Shinshokan 2004
11 volumes
Translation: Leona Wong (v1-6), Laura Russell (v7)

If you've never gotten around to reading Ze, now's a good time to do so; most of the series was out of print for a long time but recently DMP have reprinted several volumes so at time of writing volumes 1-5 are available. For me, it's easily a must-read BL manga, extremely popular in and outside of Japan, it's a modern-day fantasy drama featuring a variety of different couples and chances are that you'll like at least one of them and become a smitten fan like so many others before.

The story revolves around the Mitou family whose members have the supernatural ability to use 'kotodama' - the power to create reality with words, an ability the 'kotodama-sama' (kotodama-master) can use to cause injury to a person and even death. The power comes with a price, each time they use it they incur an injury on their own body with the stronger the spell, the heavier the injury. To counteract this they use 'kami', living dolls made out of paper that look and act exactly like humans, to take on the injuries on their behalf; there are two methods of doing so, either by transferring injuries with a spell or by exchange of bodily fluids. Since it is tradition for the master-doll pair to be of the same sex, that's where all the BL shenanigans come in.

The story begins with what is probably the weakest couple in the series, however, get past their story and thankfully there are more interesting characters lying in wait. Left homeless after the death of his beloved grandmother, teenager Raizou takes up a job as a live-in housekeeper at the Mitou house. Raizou is a normal human and through his eyes the reader discovers the mysterious world of the Mitous. Raizou soon falls for his roommate, Kon, a kami with no master. Raizou, a cheerful good-boy type of guy is a decent enough character but Kon, an expressionless inscrutable type, has about as much personality as a plank of wood. Kon aside, the story is written solidly enough and the world of the kotodamas is interesting enough to tide you over to the next couple, Genma and Himi, who feature in volumes three and four. While there is a touch of drama in the Raizou/Kon story, the tone of their story is mostly upbeat, heartwarming and lightened with comedic moments, a reflection of Raizou's optimistic outlook on life; in the Genma/Hibi arc, the drama comes to the fore and poignant drama is really what Shimizu excels at.

Genma, a brooding irascible man, inherits the kami, Himi, from his father after his death. Genma hated his father when he was alive and as soon as he inherits his kami he forces Himi into a sexual relationship. Himi, who is by nature reserved and proper, is deeply embarrassed and doesn't know what to make of Genma's attitude, and so begins their troubled relationship as master and doll. This couple is probably the most popular amongst fans, something which I suspect has to do with all the sex they have; Genma wants it all the time and Shimizu is not shy on delivering. The relationship between Raizou and Kon is one of sweet puppy love but in stark contrast the one between Genma and Himi is adult (explicitly so) and angst-ridden, which evidently appeals to a majority of readers.

For those who like their drama even more tragic and raw, there's Moriya and Ryusei in volumes five and six. This is the darkest and most despairing of the arcs in the series. Ryusei is a kotodama-sama who has stopped using kotodama because of tragic incidents in his past. Moriya is a kami who, after the death of his previous master, needs to persuade Ryusei to become a proper kotodama-sama and his new master so that Moriya does not suffer the fate of masterless kami, which is to be destroyed. The Moriya/Ryusei arc is emotionally brutal and, as someone who prefers romantic fluff, I found it quite hard to read, but of course this is manna for some and the couple have a solid faction of supporters within the fandom.

My favourite couple are Konoe and Kotoha who, although introduced in volume one, don't feature until volumes seven and eight. The story of the couple after them, Shoui and Asari, brought me to the verge of tears. It was after reading the arcs of these two couples that the series was bumped up from being 'pretty good' to 'excellent' in my mind. Different people will have different preferences but there is enough variety to go around and the plot and characters are consistently strong so that every arc is engrossing.

Through the various stories of the characters we learn more about the Mitou family and the burdens that their supernatural powers place on them. The fundamental problem for each couple is that the relationship is one between human and kami, which poses all sorts of difficulties, especially when the lifespans of the two can be very different. With Ze Shimizu creates an intriguing world which she explores through fascinating characters. Few BL series last more than a few volumes but the world created in Ze provides a rich source for stories. To fans familiar with Shimizu's earlier work, I'd say that Ze is even better than her other multi-volume series Love Mode, the art certainly so.

If you've not tried this series yet, you're missing out. The premise and scope of the series instantly makes it more ambitious than the majority of BL out there. Ze is a good example of a fantasy series done straight and done well, BL or otherwise. The supernatural elements are fascinating in and of themselves but it is where they're used to explore human nature and emotion that the story really draws its strengths. The power of the Mitous is thought of more as a curse by its members and the series has an underlying forlorn atmosphere throughout yet the ability the characters have to overcome their bleak circumstances deliver touching moments one after another. Shimizu has created a truly memorable series with a cast of individual charismatic characters; at times heartbreaking, often funny, and at other times moving, it is a series that I think will stand the test of time and captivate new readers for years to come.