Reviews written by vampireunicorn

To be honest, considering all the clichés involved, I'm surprised that there aren't more prison yaoi's out there. This is the only one that I have stumbled across, and I have read a lot of yaoi mangas.

Sadahiro Mika Takes the prison setting, and turns it on its head by writing a love story; the two protagonists, Sen and Sword, are originally drawn together for purely practical purposes; Sen needs protection and Sword wants to get laid. However, the development of their relationship, and the strength of the feelings involved is what makes this manga so special.

I found the artwork a little hard to get into after all the bishounen school boys I had been saturated with. Sadahiro Mika draws men, not boys, and the sex scenes are frequent, graphic, and hot. But this is by no means one of those sex-fest yaois that you can sometimes stumble across. The ongoing story line is compelling, as are the characters, and the supporting characters are also well developed.

And as I said earlier, this is a love story; set in a harsh, unforgiving environment, still, the growing love between Sen and Sword hooks you in. This is one of those mangas that I will read again and again.

Complex is a multi-volume slice of life yaoi that pulls you in and pushes all the right buttons. Firstly, I will say do not be put off by the shota tag. I do not like shota, and avoided this manga because of it for a long time. only two chapters are shotacon. The first is important, and non-graphic; the second can be skipped if you don't like shota, as it has no relevance to the ongoing plot.

Complex follows the lives of two boys, Tatsuya and Junichi, and their love for each other, from childhood into old age. Each chapter focuses on a point in their lives. This manga is by turns heart-warming, funny, sad, and deeply moving. The story and concept is very simple, but the way it is written is simply enchanting.

The characters are well developed and sympathetic. Even the girl who gets in the way of the two main characters (cause you've always got to have one of them) is likeable and sympathetic.

This is one of those mangas that I became completely caught up in. I cried several times whilst reading it, both times. The only negative thing I have to say about it is the artwork, which is fairly average. However, I will take a great story over pretty pictures any day.

Complex is a wonderful story of love and friendship that spans several generations, and it is one that will stay with you for a long time after reading it.

Ah, for me the epitome of all yaoi sub genres; vampire Yaoi. I purchased this manga purely because it was a yaoi with vampires in it. Now, I don't know if my standards are too high, but I have never yet read a vampire yaoi that has made me go: wow! I had always thought that the two should be synonymous; vampire and yaoi, they just go so well together. In theory.

Necratoholic, like the other vampire yaoi's I have read, does not quite reach that peak of brilliance that I expect from the genre. however, it makes a good attempt at scaling it. The story revolves around the cat-and-mouse relationship of Sakuya, who is a vampire, and Atsumi, who is a vampire hunter. The character designs are attractive, although I find the character's themselves a little under-developed. It is a single volume manga, which suits it just fine. Any longer and it would start to struggle.

The sex scenes are not graphic, but some of the blood play is erotic. all in all, it is very much an almost manga. I enjoyed reading it, and I will read it again. I certainly do not regret purchasing it. It just does not captivate me in the way that other mangas that I have read do. The artwork is by far the best part of this manga, and the storyline is sweet and funny. There are very few vampire mangas out there, and I would still say that this is one of the better ones.

Okane Ga Nai is what I like to refer to as "the marmite manga", because you either love it or hate it. I'm on the love side, but I can see why many people cannot stand it.

Firstly, it is probably the most clichéd manga I have ever read. Ayase is the epitome of uke, and seems to emit strange pheromones that make every straight guy who come into contact with him want to rape him. (none of the gay characters in the manga seem particularly interested). Kanou could only be out-seme'd by Iason from Ai no Kusabi, and even then, it would be a close run thing. The story line tends to revolve around Ayase getting into trouble by being completely unaware of the people around him and their reaction to him, almost getting raped, getting rescued by Kanou, and then having the obligatory hot sex scene (and yes, it is hot, and very graphic). Oh, and both Ayase and Kanou are definitely NOT gay.

Okane Ga Nai, on first glance, is everything that I would normally avoid; rape, shota looking uke (he is 19, allegedly) repetitive storyline, and the romance moves at a snail’s pace. However, what I like about it is that the manga does not take itself too seriously. It plays on the yaoi clichés that it uses, and takes sadistic delight in doing so.

Ayase and Kanou, as main characters are both completely clueless; neither understands the other. Which is just as well, because if they actually sat down and talked to each other, everything would be resolved, and the manga would be over. The supporting cast are colourful, particularly Someya, the catty transvestite, and the Kuba twins. And the extras that are included in each volume are hilarious. My favourite is definitely the rpg retelling of the story.

Do not read this manga expecting a great literary work, or meaningful plot development, as you will be disappointed. Okane Ga Nai is pure entertainment; it takes the clichés predominant in yaoi, and plays with them; I enjoyed it, read it and see for yourself.

I first discovered Mizushiro Setona's work through her shoujou manga. Then I discovered that she also wrote yaoi, which is how I discovered this manga, and it's prequel "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese". Crazy titles aside, I have only found a handful of mangas where the story telling has moved me as much as this one has.

The story picks up where "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese" left off; Kyouichi has given into the stalkerish advances of Imagase, and the two are now a couple. However, as invariably happens, a happy ending is not necessarily on the cards. Enter female-character-with-a-crush-on-the-originally-straight-one.

O.K, as far as yaoi mangas go, the story is not particularly original. What is is the way the story is written and the characters, who are both controlled by their own insecurities. I like the artwork and the character designs, and there are plenty of fairly graphic sex scenes, but what really sways this manga for me is the emotional content. Yes, it is angsty, but the angst feels real, and painful. I don't want to give away any spoilers, suffice to say that the predictable event in chapter 3, which I have seen occur in so many yaoi mangas, has never effected me as much as it did in this one.

Read "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese", then follow it with this manga. Cliché has never been so raw and beautiful.

I love all of Miyamoto Kano's works equally, or at least, mostly equally. Hydra is the exception, as it is my favourite. There are several reasons why this manga stands out for me. One of the main ones is the simple, yet moving story that is told. Hydra is very character driven; the story follows the three main characters, Hitomi, Ryuu and Hikaru from when they first become friends in high school. The main focus is the relationships between the three boys, and how they change and develop.

The artwork is stunning; Miyamoto Kano's style is unique, and does not pander to the normal high school yaoi stereotypes. One thing in particular that I like about this, and all her other works, is that the characters' appearance changes as they age. Too many manga characters are epitomised by their hair style or outfit. Miyamoto Kano regularly plays hairdresser with her characters.

This is a manga that has made me laugh and cry every time I read it. You get caught up in the characters; the love triangle that develops is not clichéd or predictable, and the ending...well, I don't want to give anything away, but there were lots of tears.

Hydra; my favourite manga by my favourite manga-ka; it's touching, painful, heart-warming. I would recommend this to anyone.

Mirai no Kioku, or Future Lovers, to give it its English name, is a sweet, funny slice of life yaoi story that engages and entertains.

The two main characters, the conservative and practical Kento, and the flamboyant and fragile Akira, are likeable, and their story is incredibly compelling, as we follow them from a drunken one night stand into a fully blown relationship. As is often the case, though, the path to true love is never easy, and the obstacles that these two have to overcome, the biggest being their own preconceived ideas about how life should be makes for an entertaining and at times touching read.

One of the main things that I liked about this manga is the colourful supporting cast, from Akira's flamboyant, many times married mother, to Kento's disapproving grandparents. So often, you see one dimensional stereotypical supporting characters. In this manga, every character is larger than life, and adds to the enjoyment of the story.

The artwork, while not amongst the best I have seen is by no means the worst; the sex scenes are always well done, and some of Akira's sulks are hilariously illustrated.

I am a big fan of slice of life yaoi, especially the sort that tracks the progress of an actual relationship. This manga ticks all the boxes for me; sweet, funny, touching. It's one that I read again and again

I stumbled across the summery to this manga several times, and was instantly put off by the ridiculous storyline. Talking penises? It sounded ecchi for the sake of it, and completely insane. Eventually, though, I decided, warily, to give it a try. Best decision I ever made. Yes, the manga is completely barking, it is full of penis puns, and weird situations. It is also the funniest manga I have ever read, and surprisingly engaging and touching.

The main characters are comprised of two "couples" Ayase and Toride, who realise their feelings for each other after an accident, where Toride's spirit is transferred into Ayase's penis, and Kamiya and Iwabuchi, who are polar opposites whose penises are switched and become sentient in the same accident. The story follows the trials and tribulations of the four boys as they try to come to terms with their new situation. The penises (they are referred to as chinkos in the manga) are actually incredibly cute, and have their own personalities that are a reflection of their owners. The artwork, as is expected of Yamato Nase, is lovely, with beautiful character designs. Despite the fact that chinkos appear in almost every frame, the sex scenes aren’t that graphic, don't go any further than masturbation, and succeed in not being crude or crass.

For me, though, the best part of the manga is the growing relationship between Iwabuchi and Kamiya. This development is very skilfully handled, and there are quite a few "awww" moments.

Beautiful artwork, engaging characters, and hilariously funny; I love this manga, and I have read it several times. Don't make the mistake I did and judge it on the silly summary. If you do, you will be missing out on something special.

I first read this manga after watching the ova, and I'm glad that I did. Rape and violence are often standard fare in yaoi mangas, but I have never seen it handled in the way that Inariya Fusanosuke does in Hyakujitsu no Bara. This is a story of violent love, obsession and devotion, the story of two men who are up against society, although not in the way normally encountered in a yaoi manga.

The tempestuous relationship between Taki and Klaus is echoed by the war torn setting, a strangely familiar parallel world, where young boys are sent out fight. The themes of beauty, purity, and destruction are echoed throughout the story; in the broken hands of a sword smith forced to fight, the holy land defiled and turned into a mass grave, and the violent yet tender love between the two protagonists.

Inariya Fusanosuke uses a series of flashbacks interspersed within the main story to tell us of Taki and Klaus's past, an approach which adds increasing layers of depth to the story. The characters are complex, loving each other, yet neither really being able to understand the other.

I find the story totally compelling, and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. The characters are engaging, and the artwork beautiful. Read this manga, you will not be disappointed

Miyamoto Kano is one of those rare manga-ka's who can make you laugh, cry, and occasionally feel like you've been kicked in the gut. Not/Love is one of my favourite mangas, precisely for this reason.

The Story follows Daisuke, a detective with a scarred past, and Bun, an 18 year old who prostitutes himself to men, and their relationship. The artwork is beautiful, and more realistic than a lot of yaoi mangas; no big eyed, childish ukes here. The storyline is simple, but heartrending, and the characters are well developed, likeable despite their flaws. The sex scenes are not graphic, and the focus is far more on the emotional relationship than the physical.

The story itself covers several years, and we follow the main characters as they act in different ways to deal with their fear of losing love. Miyamoto Kano is very good at creating empathy, and you feel for and with the characters. The high points left me feeling warm and fuzzy, and the low points produced tears.

I cannot recommend this manga enough, Bun's story is continued in Heat, and several other Doujinshis, all of which are as thoughtfully written, and if you like this, I would definitely recommend that you read those, too.