From the back cover: Atsushi Ikeda is your typical "nice guy." He's so nice, he even has this habit of bringing stray cats home. But even he is quite unprepared for what turns up at his doorstep one day... a cut and bloodied young man. The injured boy turns out to be famous violinist, Riya Narukawa. Seeing the frail Riya arouses Atsushi's compassion for wounded creatures. He … [Read more...] about Il Gatto Sul G. 1 by Tooko Miyagi: B+
Boys' Love
On Bended Knee by Ruri Fujikawa: B-
On Bended Knee is a collection of short stories featuring professional adults (pediatricians, chefs, professors, et cetera) linked together by, as the back cover points out, the common theme of learning to accept one’s true feelings for another. Although too brief to achieve greatness, each story is a pleasant enough read and all are free from the nonconsensual scenes that … [Read more...] about On Bended Knee by Ruri Fujikawa: B-
The Loudest Whisper: Uwasa no Futari 1 by Temari Matsumoto: D
The Loudest Whisper tells the wholly unremarkable tale of school friends Aoyama and Akabane as they experiment with acting like a couple (since rumors at school pair them up anyway). There’s nothing distinctive about the characters or the plot, resulting in a shallow and unsatisfying read. Only 67 pages of this volume are devoted to the main series; the other two-thirds is … [Read more...] about The Loudest Whisper: Uwasa no Futari 1 by Temari Matsumoto: D
Brilliant Blue 1 by Saemi Yorita: B+
Shouzo Mita had no intention of going home to the rural town where he grew up, but when his father is hospitalized with a back injury, he returns to temporarily helm the family construction business and “fix things” with his family. Shouzo’s stay is extended when his father manages to reinjure himself, and he gradually relinquishes ties to his life in Tokyo while renewing some … [Read more...] about Brilliant Blue 1 by Saemi Yorita: B+
Future Lovers 1-2 by Saika Kunieda: A
"How close can we get to the rosy, happy ending I dreamt about that night?" As our story begins, Kento Kumagaya, a twenty-five year old chemistry teacher, has just bungled a proposal to his girlfriend. After she storms off, another patron of the bar tells Kento his mistake: he had made it seem like he was only after “a housekeeper and a baby-making machine.” The two guys spend … [Read more...] about Future Lovers 1-2 by Saika Kunieda: A