Boys Next Door Reviews

Rating: ♦♦♦♦

I did not have high expectations for this release. The story seemed a bit silly and I didn’t think that I was going to enjoy the art. Plus, I didn’t recognize the author’s name, which is pretty weird, given the fact that I really like the other release by her that Deux brought over, Say Please. So, I’m very happy that my first impression was proved wrong.

Haruya is a talented writer who is unmotivated to finish any project. He’s happy to just putter around in his small house by the sea, letting life flow around him. His peaceful life is rocked when he meets a troubled young man, Maki. Maki can’t stand to be touched and is trying to escape from an unhappy family situation. Haruya doesn’t quite know what drives him to help Maki, but he finds that Maki becomes something he doesn’t want to live without.

It’s not the easiest relationship–Maki has issues, Haruya has an ex-lover who’s jealous enough to cause some problems and let’s not even get into the age difference. Still, with all those obstacles, they end up being far better together than they are apart and this is what makes this release a fulfilling read.

Add to all of this a cat and I am in heaven. I am a cat person. I like cute drawings of cats. Just like in Love Mode, my enjoyment of the story is increased by the addition of cute cats. Maybe that’s the secret to getting me to like a release–adding a feline.

I’m really looking forward to more from this artist. One thing that I especially enjoyed was her non-stereotypical portrayal of Haruya as a gay male. It’s nice to have a departure from the typical BL rules. Haruya is comfortable with that he is gay–it’s just who he is. There’s none of the typical angsting where he’s trying to come to terms with his feelings for another male. It’s such a nice change from the early days of BL where the guys fall in love with each other despite their gender.

Do I think we will ever see a realistic portrayal of a gay male in BL manga? No. Normally, this fact doesn’t bother me. It’s not supposed to be realistic, but a character like Haruya is a refreshing change.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 4:45 pm and is filed under ♦♦♦♦, Miyamoto, Kano, Two of Hearts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.