Chocolate Surprise

Review by Kris

Kakiuchi is the hottest guy in class and has devised a game where there is a bag of chocolates (some spiked with an aphrodisiac), a group of girls, and the possibility of sleeping with Kakiuchi. The rules are whichever girl picks the spiked chocolate gets to sleep with Kakiuchi. One day Ogasawara, a guy, is invited to join in on the fun but they amend the rule that if Ogasawara chooses the spiked chocolate he can choose whichever girl he wants to (at least that’s playing the Mix Chocolate game.) When it turns out that Ogasawara picks the chocolate, he allows Kakiuchi to help him out. Is this the beginning of love?

Chocolate Surprise is a collection of sexy stories created by Lily Hoshino. Whatever you enjoy chances are Hoshino-sensei has covered here in Chocolate Surprise. I enjoyed most of the stories. There was one that I wasn’t too fond of, A Condition for Love, but the rest were rather enjoyable. The reason why I didn’t like A Condition for Love is because one guy confessed, the other guy said he’d only go out with someone experienced and offered to help the poor guy out with no intention of really continuing the relationship. Of course it gets the happily ever after moment, but it’s not really a story line I enjoy. The rest of the stories are much more enjoyable, at least in my opinion.
One thing I found somewhat exciting is in My Only King, published by Juné, continues the story between Ogasawara and Kakiuchi. It seems that Kakiuchi may have had a thing for Ogasawara long before either of them knew it.

Hoshino-sensei is a mangaka that has the tendency to grow on you. When I first started reading yaoi I wanted my men to look like men (I still feel that way but I’ve expanded my horizons a bit). In the case of sensei’s few titles on the market had very girly ukes on the front. I immediately judged her work without reading it and ended up eating my words (mmm…they’re tasty too). Yes, I will admit that her ukes can be a little bit on the feminine side but she is a very talented artist. When I finally read through my first title of hers (Love Quest published by Yen Press) I immediately fell in love with her apple-cheeked, dewy-lipped boys.

If you haven’t checked out any of Hoshino-sensei’s titles I think that Chocolate Surprise is a great starter book. It is on the graphic side of things so if you have issue with detailed art in intimate moments, be aware. The stories are short but are fulfilling, unlike so many one-shot collections out there. And not all of them are smutty either. A couple of the adorable stories that I love aren’t graphic at all. They’re just sweet!

Deux Press has knocked another one out of the park with this release. Not only is it a great collection of stories but they’ve done a great job. The translation seems smooth and I didn’t catch any editorial errors. They also did a bang up job on the cleanup. This is definitely one of their greatest achievements!

Future Lovers vol. 2

Review by Kris

Since we last left Kento Kumagaya and Akira Kazuki the two had been dating for almost a year. In this volume the two continue their relationship but instead of the emphasis being on the joy of falling in love it focuses on their continuing relationship and the struggles they face. We have the opportunity to meet Akira’s mom and the man who inspired Akira to become an art teacher, Kento’s more serious side shows up in a few stories, and there are a couple more light-hearted stories that tackle some serious issues.

Akira’s mom doesn’t know he’s gay (or so we assume) so when the two are introduced Akira introduces them as colleagues. Kento is none too pleased to find out that Akira hasn’t shared this info with him. Akira knows all kinds of things about Kento but Kento knows so little about Akira. Can Kento catch a glimpse of the real Akira behind the mask?

If the description of the plot is so sketchy, I apologize. But the book covers their relationship by showing it to us in several vignettes. The two have been together for over a year now and have to deal with the problems that pop up in relationships. Not only do they have to deal with the ups and downs of continuing their affair but they also have to deal with the fallout that comes with being gay in a society that is not as accepting. It covers such things as how they introduce one another to family, friends, and acquaintances, how to keep things fresh in their relationship, dealing with family members who wish things worked out differently, and looking at their long-term relationship (and we even get a glimpse into the future!)

I really love this series. The art is sketchy and not as smooth as you normally see but because of the comedic aspects of this manga it works really well. Akira is gorgeous but kind of a slob and we caught a glimpse of his bizarro fashion sense in the first volume. If you thought his fashion was out of this world crazy in that volume, then you won’t be disappointed. Akira’s shirts are as crazy as ever! That is one reason why I love this series. Akira marches to the beat of his own drummer and is proud of that fact! Kento on the other hand is so stiff that it’s amazing that these two got together. Yet another reason why this is a great series to pick up. The sex is plenty, just like you want, but is tastefully done and really quite attractive.

Like all Deux Press releases, the publishing quality is top notch. The pages are crisp and clean and they use a higher quality paper that really showcases the artwork. The books are flexible and easy to open and hold. They did a great job on the translation and clean up. Banzai!

I highly recommend this book. Of course reading the first volume will help you keep the characters straight and introduce you to these characters. Read this series, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how great it is!

Other review links you may enjoy:
Future Lovers vol. 1 by Kris
Future Lovers vol. 1 by Linda Yau.

Naughty But Nice

Review by Kris

Mr. Wakasa is Kakeru Kiba’s homeroom teacher. Everyone loves Mr. Wakasa, he’s handsome and kind. But Kakeru is a bit of a klutz. Because of this weakness of his he learns that Wakasa is not the kind teacher he sees at school but is actually a bit of a jerk. What happened was Kakeru was out running errands for his mom when he saw someone that looked like his teacher being threatened by thugs. But this man was drunk and rather rude, so how could it be Wakasa? Just as the thugs go to punch out Wakasa Kakeru ends up distracting everyone, slips on a can, and pushes Wakasa into a river. Oops!

Feeling guilty, Kakeru takes Wakasa to his home. Once Wakasa wakes up he seems to be suffering from amnesia. Since Kakeru knows who he is Wakasa takes advantage of the situation by preying on that guilt and makes Kakeru take care of him. But once Wakasa’s memory comes back he’s still a jerk towards Kakeru. It seems that he behaves the way he does is because he had to be on his best behavior around his step-brother, but he’s really a jerk in sheep’s clothing (I know that’s not the metaphor but this describes him the best.) Kakeru is the only one who gets to see the Wakasa behind the mask. Because of this Wakasa is determined to make the moves on Kakeru and he doesn’t know how to deal with this!

Also included in Naughty But Nice is a one shot called Bouquet of Love. It is a sweet tale of a building owner who falls in love with a florist that works in a shop in one of the buildings that his family owns. There’s one downfall to falling for a florist though, the owner is allergic to flowers.

There are a few things that define Naughty But Nice as typical Naduki Koujima. First, it’s the art. Her ukes always have ginormous eyes that take up half of their face, but are well defined. She stated that she spends a lot of time working on the eyes to really bring out the emotion (I read that in one of the authors note sections at the end of one of her books…I think). Next is when her ukes are protesting they seem to grow fangs and look like adorable small, threatened animals. And trust me she has nailed the protesting uke and has turned it into her thing. Which brings me to my final point. It seems that in almost every Koujima-sensei title that I’ve read contains a very forceful seme and a loud, somewhat annoying, contradicting uke. I wonder if sensei is trying to corner the market on the “tsundere” character. She’s definitely mastered the “Your mouth is saying no but your dick is saying yes” type of story. Out of the two stories in the book Bouquet of Love is the better story. It’s a bit more believable and the relationship starts out more normally. Plus we don’t get the rape=love story line.

Naughty But Nice is the first of three in a series so there is always the hope that things will improve. For another insight into the story be sure to read April Kimm’s review!

Live for Love

Review by April Kimm

Jun Mayama is the mangaka of “Love Pheromone,” “Kono Akuma Me!,” “Furueru Hana,” “Kuchibiru Kara Knife,” “Karei ni Shite Rifujin,” “Sexy Effect 96,” “Love Sexual,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” “Live for Love” is a yaoi manga with five chapters of the one continuous story.

The two main characters are Yasuie Kiryuuin, who runs his own detective agency, and his assistant Yoshiyuki Nomura, who started working for him on a whim seven years ago. At the time, Yocchin had left his position in the Ministry of Finance after graduating from Tokyo University, and his girlfriend had broken up with him. When he was staring at the coin lockers where he was abandoned as a baby, Yasu offered him employment. The Nomuras had adopted Yocchin when he was 12 for his good grades, but he felt alienated after they had their own son when he was 16. For the first time, he felt that Yasu offered him a place where he belonged.

Unfortunately for their livelihood, Yasu accepts too many cases pro bono and even pays the fees, so they are constantly broke, he can’t even pay Yocchin on time, and he is delinquent on his rent and utilities. The only paying jobs Yasu accepts are menial ones like pet retrieval and pet washing. One day, Yocchin gets a call from his mother, who informed him that his father collapsed. When he visited him in the hospital, they wanted him to go to an omai with the daughter of a co-worker of his father’s latest client and take a position at his father’s firm. Although his father was discharged in a week, he wanted Yocchin to come back home to take care of his mother and his little brother Ruuichi, who is still in junior high school. At the office, the landlady threatens to evict Yasu if he doesn’t pay his back rent, and it turns out that the yakusa are cracking down on the landlords during the tough economy. Knowing how much the detective agency means to him, Yocchin decides to accept his father’s request in exchange for a donation to Yasu’s detective agency.

While browsing the internet for part-time jobs to pay for Yasu’s salary, Yasu accidentally finds Yocchin’s omai photos in a file on his desk. When he asks Yocchin about it, Yocchin tells him that it’s none of his business, which makes him snap. Yasu ends up forcing Yocchin and confessing his love, which makes Yocchin angry and confused. Yasu regrets his actions and calls him to apologize, but his signal is rejected. When he goes back home, Yocchin feels uncomfortable around his family and remembers his time with Yasu. When Yocchin sees someone who looks like him from behind, he rushes to him but has mistaken someone else for Yasu. Meanwhile, Yocchin finds out from the landlady that Yocchin paid his delinquent rent as well as six months in advance. When he checks, it turns out that Yocchin’s father deposited money into his bank account as well. During their time apart, Yocchin realizes his feelings for Yasu. Although he isn’t gay, he isn’t upset that Yasu forced him; rather, he’s upset that Yasu didn’t tell him how he felt beforehand. Worried that he sold himself for the money, Yasu interrupts Yocchin’s omai and pleads for him to come back. Under the pretext that he’s upset about the embarrassing scene, Yocchin rejects the omai and goes back to the detective agency with Yasu. A smut scene ensues, and Yocchin finally admits his feelings to him.

“Live for Love” is the first time that the mangaka illustrated someone else’s story. As far as the mangaka’s own works, “Love Pheromone” is much better, but she also has others that are not as good as this manga. Although some of you may be uncomfortable with non-consensual scenes, the first scene isn’t your usual non-con scene with the uke rationalizing his lust afterwards. During it, Yasu pleads with Yocchin to stay with him and is careful to hurt him as little as possible, as Yocchin has no experience with men. Before and afterwards, Yocchin has flashbacks of his lonely childhood compared to his past seven years with Yasu and grapples with his feelings for him against the duty to his adoptive parents. Yocchin is an intellectual and serious uke who has feelings of insecurity and unease in a society and family where he feels his only use is in his performance either at school or later at work and isn’t very honest with his feelings. Yasu, on the other hand, is a laid back seme who is very open about his feelings and lives how he wants to fulfill his own dream. Their interaction is at times serious and at times comedic, but at all times, they show a level of comfort for each other that can only be had when you truly care about the other person.

Idol Pleasures

Review by April Kimm

Fuhri Misasagi is the mangaka of “Curse Project,” “Kichiku Megane,” “Oyaji Kairou e Youkoso,” “The Next Door I Moved To,” “Beasts,” “Kimi ga Nokoshita Kimochi,” “Kimi to Kare to Watashi,” “Kimi wo Dakishimeru Ryouude,” “Kimi to Ayumu Nichijou,” “Yajuu Shugi,” “Ameiro no Ibasho,” “Cross Light,” “Gobousei no Saku Kisetsu,” “AB Motion,” and “Love Miracle.” “Idol Pleasures” is a manga with five chapters and an afterword by the author. It’s shonen-ai with implied soft yaoi.

The main characters are popular idol Koju Yagihashi and his new manager Hisaya Amagi. Amagi’s older sister, the president of an entertainment company, ropes him into becoming Koju’s manager in order to set him up on a blind date with a divorced actress. Amagi has been divorced for two years and has a daughter. Due to the circumstances of his last case as a detective, he has been unemployed since he quit, which was around the time of his divorce. Because of Koju’s aloof personality, he’s unable to get close to people, and all his previous managers had trouble working with him. Koju collects teddy bears, because his father gave him one before he left him as a child. When Amagi tells Koju that his lonely eyes remind him of his daughter’s, Koju takes a liking to him. Like Koju’s father, Amagi also gave his daughter a teddy bear when he got divorced, but she ended up not liking it. Unlike other people, Amagi accepts Koju for who he is instead of mistaking him for his cool image.

Rito Matsuyuki is Koju’s costar and has a crush on him. She confesses, but Koju only thinks of her as a friend. Nevertheless, she encourages him to go after Amagi after he gets depressed over his rejection. When Koju interrupts Amagi’s blind date with Namiko Isozaki, the divorced actress that his sister set him up with, Amagi gets annoyed enough to French kiss him to teach him a lesson, because he could tell that Koju was a virgin from his previous innocent kisses. Amagi’s sister orders him to get Koju to do a CD and tells him that she accepts his gay relationship. Koju reluctantly does so after Amagi wagers his kisses if he lands a number one album for his debut.

The past finally catches up with Amagi when Hinosaka attempts to rape him for giving the order to fire shots at a criminal, which resulted in the death of Hinosaka’s criminal friend back when Amagi was a detective. Fortunately, Koju hits Hinosaka on the head with a rock to save him. Koju had waited until they were in a compromising position in order to take embarrassing pictures to blackmail Hinosaka into leaving Amagi alone.

Fuhri Misasagi is a hit or miss type of mangaka. If you don’t like “Idol Pleasures,” she has better manga. In this manga, the shorter oyagi is the cool seme and the younger one is the innocent and aggressive uke. Do not expect any decent smut scenes or any depth to make up for it. It’s not a bad shonen-ai manga- just a pleasant, forgettable read without any excitement.

Naughty but Nice

Review by April Kimm

Naduki Koujima is the mangaka of this manga’s sequels “Spicy but Sweet” and “Kinky but Kind” both also licensed by Deux, the “Selfish Love” series licensed by Be Beautiful, the “Great Place High School” series licensed by June Manga, the “Our Kingdom” series licensed by June Manga, “Otona to Kodomo no Kyoukaisen,” “Suki to Kirai no Kyoukaisen,” “Sunao ni Nare!,” “Shiawase no Level,” “Brother Complex,” “Fuuki no Okite,” “Otona no Oso Kodomo no Honki,” “Mamoru-san no Yuutsu,” “Shinshikyoutei wo Musubou!,” “Boys Life,” “Shounika Byoutou wa Osawagi,” “Amaimono ni wa Goyoujin!,” one of the authors of “J-Boy by Biblos” licensed by June Manga, and the illustrator of the novel “Little Darling” licensed by June Manga. “Naughty but Nice” is composed of three chapters of the main story and two chapters of “Bouquet of Love,” an unrelated two-shot. The three chapters of the main story and the first chapter of the two-shot are shonen-ai, and the second chapter of the two-shot is light yaoi.

“Naughty but Nice” has two main characters, Kakeru and his homeroom teacher Wakasa. Although Wakasa has the reputation of being a nice teacher, one day Kakeru sees him drunk and fighting a group of delinquents. Then Kakeru trips and pushes Wakasa over the bridge and into the river. Kakeru brings him home, but Wakasa wakes up with amnesia. As it was his fault, Kakeru’s parents force him to take care of Wakasa. When Kakeru accompanies him back to his apartment, he finds out that Wakasa’s little half-brother died in a coma after he borrowed Wakasa’s motorcycle and got into an accident. Wakasa has a nice façade from growing up in a household where he didn’t get along with his stepmother, who asked his father to tell him to be nice to his half-brother. Wakasa offers to house Kakeru for the month their restaurant is closed for repairs and his parents work at separates places. Then a new art teacher from Wakasa’s past starts working at school. The story continues in “Spicy but Sweet” and “Kinky but Kind,” both also licensed by Deux.

“Bouquet of Love” is a two-shot about Kazuki Yamaguchi, who works at his mother’s flower shop, and Mamoru Eto, a customer who’s allergic to pollen. They run into each other again at the hospital, when Kazuki visits his mother, who got into a car accident, and Eto visits his grandmother. When he finds out that Kazuki’s worried about feeding himself while his mother recuperates in the hospital, Eto offers to take Kazuki out to eat in order to thank him for helping him with the flowers. At dinner, Kazuki confesses that he’s worried about the future of the flower shop, since the new landlord wants to demolish it in favor of an apartment complex. Eto asks Kazuki to take care of the flowers he bought earlier for his grandmother, because they’ve wilted in his care. Later in the hospital, Kazuki overhears Eto arguing with his grandmother, the previous landlady of the flower shop, over the future of the land. Eto follows Kazuki to apologize and give him the deed to the property, because he wanted to see Kazuki run the flower shop.

Eto starts to visit the flower shop on a daily basis. When Eto forgets an envelope there, Kazuki returns it to his real estate company, where Eto is president. The receptionists ask Kazuki if there is a pretty girl working at the flower shop, since Eto has suddenly started giving flowers to the girls at work, and he hates flowers. Thinking he’s also misunderstood Eto’s intentions, Kazuki visits him at his home. They confess their feelings, and the only smut scene in the manga ensues.

If you like Naduki Koujima’s other shonen-ai, you’ll probably like “Naughty but Nice,” because it’s shonen-ai that goes nowhere with a seme who spends his time chasing a wishy-washy, whiney uke. If you don’t like Naduki Koujima’s shonen-ai, her yaoi is better. Accordingly, “Bouquet of Flowers” is the better of the two stories in this manga, but her other yaoi is much better.

Love Round!!

Review by Kris

Kaoru Komatsuna is very sensitive. He has a feminine name and has soft feminine features. Everyone knows that this is a hot button issue with him and not to approach it. Well, all but one person. Junya Kubo happened to pick up Komatsuna’s student notebook and made the mistake of commenting on his name. Next thing Kubo knows is that some adorable shrimp knocked him out, which is a shocking thing in and of itself. Why, you ask? Well Kubo is a boxer who is in training to become a pro.

Once Kubo has come to he decides that he needs to convince Komatsuna to train to become a boxer at his gym. Komatsuna thinks that boxing is the ultimate in manly sports and decides to take a whack at it. One thing that Kubo and Komatsuna didn’t expect is for Kubo to fall in love. Will Kubo’s determination be able to win over Komatsuna, who can only punch out Kubo every time Kubo makes a move?

Hinako Takanaga-sensei has a wonderful ability to write madcap comedy with the best of them. Love Round!! is definitely like a yaoi manga version of a Three Stooges episode. OK, bizarre comparison but I hope you get what I mean. Komatsuna consistently knocks Kubo out and Takanaga-sensei is kind enough to keep count for us (a total of 18 knockouts) just in case you weren’t keeping track for yourself. Another thing about the knock out scenes is there are always girls in the background screaming, if it wasn’t crazy enough that a kid half the size of the boxing champ is able to knock him out with just one punch. But that’s Komatsuna for you.

Takanaga-sensei has an interesting art style and is rather popular here in the states. She has some very dedicated fans. You’re able to recognize her work from a mile away. It’s sketchy and sparse but adorable nonetheless. Not only is Takanaga-sensei capable of drawing adorable schoolboys but she’s able to create some of the sexiest adult characters as well (but none of those appear in this title). Takanaga-sensei’s art compliment her story lines perfectly. In the case of Love Round!! there’s plenty of blushing and embarrassment to go around and makes for the perfect one-two punch (sorry for the pun, it’s pretty lame, I know).

Kubo and Komatsuna make an interesting couple but it seems to work well. If you are looking for a fluffy fun romance with a different feel to it I suggest picking up a copy of Love Round!! I enjoyed it.

Take Me To Heaven

Review by Kris

Fumiya has a special gift; he sees dead people and one of his ghosts that he can see must have been a math teacher because he can’t seem to get his homework done without the ghost interfering. This is how Take Me to Heaven starts. When Fumiya was a kid they moved into a house next to a Buddhist temple and his bedroom happens to be right next to the graveyard. Thanks to that he’s now become sensitive to ghosts. Shogo is the only son of the priest and ever since Fumiya was little, offered his services – for a price. The two have always had this very weird friendship. Fumiya always turns to Shogo when he’s being bothered by a ghost and Shogo in turn teases and bullies Fumiya, but still seems to calm Fumiya anyway. Now in high school, the students in the Occult Research Club scout out Fumiya and Shogo to join. Fumiya is not really keen on the idea but Shogo joins and convinces Fumiya to do the same.

Fumiya is frustrated with the fact that Shogo is uber popular with the girls and that it wasn’t too long ago that Fumiya was the popular one and Shogo was the goofy one. But alas Shogo is ultra good looking and super cool and Fumiya is unable to get away from Shogo long enough to make a name for himself. While in the Occult Research Club Shogo and Fumiya have many adventures with the supernatural and thanks to Fumiya it seems that things are going well. Will Shogo get serious and will Fumiya realize why he feels comfortable turning to Shogo?

I knew almost immediately that I would like Take Me to Heaven. I am a huge fan of Nase Yamato-sensei. This has shot to the top of my yaoi manga one must read list. It is hilarious. I was immediately hooked by the fact that the ghost of a math teacher that was interred at the temple was tutoring Fumiya. You can’t help but laugh out loud at that premise. Yamato-sensei has a sense of humor that I really relate to. She’s sarcastic and snarky and it really makes the manga that much more interesting. Not only does the humor create a great manga, but Yamato-sensei’s art is spectacular. From her use of screen tone and shading, to her clean lines and extreme detail, the story leaps off the page. Not only are the normal drawings phenomenal but her use of chibis and how adorable they are you can’t help but love them.

There are a few things that people might complain about (but as for me I don’t take issue). If you are looking for hot and sweaty sex you won’t find it here. The sex is at the end (like it is in many yaoi titles) and it is very brief. For someone who might not want a lot of sex or aren’t familiar with yaoi this is a great title to pick up. The story is another thing that people might complain against. It isn’t a very deep plot and you can pretty much figure out how things will work out. But pick it up if you are looking for a light distraction from life. It’s definitely worth it! Bravo Deux Press!

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I Shall Never Return vol. 5

Review by Kris

We find out what happens with Ken, Ritsuro, Moeko, and Kazuyoshi in this final volume of I Shall Never Return. I’m going to apologize for divulging any spoilers from here because volume 5 wraps everything up.

Ken is currently taking photographs with his stepfather J in India while Ritsuro is still in Osaka preparing for his college entrance exams. Ken and J were able to walk away from the auto accident with a few bruises and scrapes but nothing too serious. Ken wants to get J to a hospital to get him checked out because he’s having dizzy spells but J really wants Ken to see the Himalayas. Kazuyoshi still isn’t speaking to Ritsuro because he’s still heart broken. But there are some storm clouds blowing in because of Ken and Kazuyoshi’s past. Because of this past and the thugs they used to hang out with Ritsuro gets caught up in the middle of it. Thankfully the cops show up but also because of this incident Ritsuro’s parents find out about the nature of Ken and Ritsuro’s relationship.

Meanwhile in India, Ken’s mom hadn’t heard from J and Ken so she decides to go look for them. While she’s tracing their steps Ken and J are at the base of the Himalayas when J passes out. Once he comes to we find out he’s gone blind. Also it turns out that Ken’s mom is pregnant so things are all topsy-turvy in Ken’s life too. How will things all wrap up?

I Shall Never Return is a series that I was surprised at how good it was. Even though it was written in the mid-90′s story wise it still holds up well and you are able to overlook the outdated fashions. The characters all change and grow and become much more interesting. The most compelling character in the book, in my opinion, would be Moeko. Usually when women are portrayed in yaoi they are usually jealous shrews. But Moeko rises above that stereotype and is really the most amazing character in the series. She has a boyfriend but ends up sleeping with her boyfriend’s boyfriend (confused yet?), she can’t seem to seal the deal with her boyfriend, she gets into an accident and ends up losing her boyfriend to another guy, she still harbors feelings for her ex, her homeroom teacher hits on her, and on and on and on. The girl has moxie. She was able to pick herself up from this experience and grow. Plus she was able to create a lasting friendship with both Ritsuro (the boyfriend) and Ken (the guy who stole her man). She also seemed to be the conscience of the story as well. She is a yaoi heroine we can all admire and appreciate because you don’t see amazing female characters like her all that often.

Kazuyoshi is also another interesting character. He softens up to the point that he is able to stand tall and be proud of who he is and what he has become. He’s changed from a strung out party kid to a smart guy headed to Tokyo. We have Ritsuro to thank for that.

Obviously the story is centered on Ritsuro and Ken and their relationship. It starts out as one filled with lust and sex but morphs into one of love, respect, and need. Ken’s parents are a little more understanding and accepting of their relationship whereas Ritsuro’s parents act exactly how you would expect them to act.

I initially had no desire to read this series but I have been put in my place. It is filled to the brim with angst and sex but there is an actual compelling story there. Often times when it comes to the sex in yaoi manga you have one character who is the uke and one who is the seme. But with this series the two characters switch so neither character is the designated uke or seme. The art started out as interesting but Uchida-sensei’s style grew on me (it also helped that she’s the sister of one of my favorite manga-ka, Shiuko Kano-sama), the art also became more polished, more detailed (if that was even possible), and more beautiful as the series progressed. I have to give my props to Deux Press for taking a huge chance in licensing a title that wouldn’t have made it to our shores otherwise.

I recommend this title highly. Of course you want to make sure you read the entire series and I’m pretty sure once you pick up volume one you won’t be able to stop until you’ve read all five, in one sitting!

Here are the links to my reviews of the previous volumes of I Shall Never Return:
Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four.

Oh My God! Volume 2

Review by Jilly Gee

I’m beginning to have doubts that any couple at all will come out of this series in the end, let alone Jade and Yuto.  Nothing has changed between them from the first volume to the end of this one, no closer to each other than they were before.  Individually, however, they have come to realize some things.  More than just the clingy puppy from the previous volume, Jade purposely tries to get Yuto to handle some things on his own, to test his theory that the boy does indeed have powers himself and maybe even to boost Yuto’s defenses.  Yuto, however, is a bit slower to catch on; while he did realize rather quickly how to purify the ball, he still wonders why it is that he is able to do so.  They had both better speed up their grand revelations a bit, seeing as how the mysterious enemy has realized that something is out there disrupting their plans and the minions have started menacingly throwing their muscle around.

Aside from the mysterious enemy characters, another character is introduced, a mysterious and handsome stranger.  This stranger knows more about the gods freeloading off of Yuto’s family, wondering why he would be with Yuto, but being reassured seeing Rin there at the same time.  While Jade and Rin continue trying to one up each other in the bid for Yuto’s attention, the handsome stranger is in the background, reminding readers that there is much more to the story than just gods that argue with each other and a teenage boy to keep them in line.

Despite my disappointment that nothing has advanced romance-wise, it’s still a fun read; after all, it’s still only the second book in an unfinished series, and plot-wise, it’s advancing quite well, adding some worthwile antagonists.  Oh My God! still has the sweetness and fluffiness that is its charm, with Rin and Jade worrying immensely whenever Yuto is in trouble and Yuto wishing for Jade by his side whenever trouble does occur.  Anyone looking for declarations of love, kissing, and things like that will have to be very patient; anyone looking for sex will probably not find it in this series at all.

Oh My God! Vol. 1 review by Kris
Oh My God! Vol. 2 review by Kris

Mister Mistress, vol. 2

Review by Jilly Gee

While the first book in the series had Rei simultaneously torturing and pleasuring Fujimaru for the seemingly selfish reason of feeding himself the sexual energy he needs as an incubus and Fujimaru loudly proclaiming the injustice of having to do these things with another man, the second book has Fujimaru saddened that he is seemingly just food and nothing more to the incubus, and Rei actually looking at Fujimaru with concern and trying to find out what the boy is feeling.  More is revealed about Rei’s relationship with Fujimaru’s grandfather when Fujimarau, a little jealously, questions Rei about it.  Not only is their relationship getting delved into, so is the fantastical side of the plot as a succubus comes into the picture and reveals more of Rei’s past and threatens his future.

The second volume of Mister Mistress goes much deeper than the first, with Fujimaru admitting, even if just for a moment, that he maybe wouldn’t like it if Rei wasn’t around anymore and Rei actually worrying about and caring for Fujimaru.  Although the level of absurdity in this volume is lower than what was found in the first, the series is still hilarious (the exorcism preparation killed me) and with a little less absurdity comes a little more sweetness, which Rei claims Fujimaru exudes.

I still maintain that it’s the classic case of uke-in-denial with a unique and fantastical incubus twist, which should give an idea of exactly what kind of character Fujimaru is.  Depending on how long a series is, there are some stages to being this uke:  denial, less denial, and then acceptance.  At this point, while I would like to think that he’s reached "acceptance", I will probably find in the future that the third book starts with Fujimaru still trying to get rid of Rei; I’ve learned my lesson, having been tricked by those super sweet chapter endings in other stories before.

Mister Mistress, vol. 2 review by Kris

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