Book description: The six romantic, sensual shorts in The Gentleman and the Lady reveal that love is often surprising and always unavoidable. There may be more to a friendship than meets the eye, as true love is sometimes hidden where a girl least expects it. This endearing collection by Kazumi Tohno opens with the title story, introducing the "chummy threesome": Kotoko, … [Read more...] about The Gentleman and the Lady by Kazumi Tohno: B+
Short Stories
A, A’ by Moto Hagio: B+
Back in the late ’90s, Viz dabbled in this weird thing called “shojo manga” and released a few one-shot volumes. A, A’ (A, A Prime), a collection of science fiction stories, was among these, and (lamentably) represents the largest chunk of material from Moto Hagio available in this country. Hagio, along with many other women who were pioneers of shojo manga, was born in 1949. … [Read more...] about A, A’ by Moto Hagio: B+
Lovers and Souls by Kano Miyamoto: B-
Lovers and Souls is comprised of the 100-page title story, two additional shorter stories relating to it, and two stories about a different couple. “Lovers and Souls” was my favorite of the bunch. It’s the story of Shinomiya, a beautiful art student with a fondness for cash and an ambivalent attitude about what happens to his body, and Matsuoka, an openly gay photographer who … [Read more...] about Lovers and Souls by Kano Miyamoto: B-
FreshMen by Yuuya: C+
In the title story, Takeyuki Saito and Hitoshi Sato are both studying art at the same university. At the entrance ceremony, Saito, who’d been up drinking the night before, momentarily slumps into Sato’s arms, giving the impression that he’s weak and needs looking after. In the weeks that follow, Saito takes advantage of Sato’s kindness to some degree, and eventually realizes … [Read more...] about FreshMen by Yuuya: C+
Red Blinds the Foolish by est em: A-
From the back cover: Rafita is the young, rising star of the bullfighting world known as "The Red Matador." He has never feared facing a bull since his first kill at the age of twelve. But when he falls in love with Mauro, a butcher who rends the bulls that Rafita kills, his confidence begins to waver. In the matador's dreams, Mauro (who, like a bull, is colorblind) is, … [Read more...] about Red Blinds the Foolish by est em: A-