Boys Next Door Reviews

Rating: ♦♦♦♦

To enjoy any of Asami Tojo’s work you need to let go of reality, accept that this is total crack and is not going to make any sense if you look at it logically. You just have to kind of hang on and enjoy the ride.

One of the things that was making me cranky about Asami Tojo is that unlike most artists who’s work improves over time, her work seems to be declining. Her boys used to be slumpy, messy and perfect; now they’re more stylized and her penises can start to look like caution cones in their exaggerated hugeness. Her work is still lovely, but it’s just not what I originally fell in love with. That being said, I still enjoy her work. I just kind of take the inconsistencies with a grain of salt.

We finally have Natsui and Ritsu consummating their relationship. Poor Ritsu. I think I would have smacked Natsui by now. There is a happy ending for everyone. A little anti-climatic after five books, but it’s still pretty nice.

In all honesty, I enjoyed the extra stories that had nothing to do with Denkou Sekka Boys that were included at the end of the book more than I enjoyed the main story. One revolved around the cliched prostitute with a heart of gold, who was just looking for someone who was going to be able to love him. I don’t know why I’m so insanely attracted to stories like that, but I am, and found this one very satisfying.

All in all, I guess I’m just sad to have the end of the story be so anti-climatic. Going by her earlier work, I expected so much more from Asami Tojo. Here’s to hoping that any other new work from her goes back and captures the magic that was present in her earlier works.

Rating: ♦♦♦♦

If you’re thinking about picking up this series, do yourself a favor and go check out the scanlations of the first three books in the series. The Japanese title is Denkou Sekka Boys. I don’t often run out and tell people to get scanlations, but not only is this one of my all-time favorite series, but this release doesn’t make any sense whatsoever if you haven’t read the books that came before it.

Are we all clear on that? Good.

This is a wonderfully sweet series, filled with everything I could ask for. Pretty boys, angst, smut, Asami Tojo’s gorgeous artwork… it’s really quite wonderful.

In the first three books, we’re introduced to Natsui. He’s your typical geek, complete with coke-bottle glasses. Everyone in school picks on him, except for Ritsu. Ritsu is an up-and-coming model/idol/general pretty person in a band. Ritsu has a crush on Natsui.

Eventually, Natsui loses his glasses and everyone can see just how gorgeous he is. Natsui and Ritsu keep tiptoeing around their feelings for each other. They do mess around a bit, eventually, and someone takes photos of them frolicking and then releases them to the public. This is where we come in at book four.

So, in this book we’ve got the boys going off to modeling school. Natsui is worried that he’s not going to be able to keep up with the other boys, both in looks and in talent, but he’s bound and determined to make a go of it. Hell, he just doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Ritsu.

I’ve got my normal complaints with Kitty Media and their production quality, including a double-printed page in this release, but I’m still happy to have my Denkou Sekka Boys available in this country, even in this butchered form.