All You Need is Love vol. 1 by Jinko Fuyuno
Title: All You Need is Love vol. 1
Author: Jinko Fuyuno
Illustrator: Noboru Takatsuki
English Publisher: June Manga
Original Publisher: Frontier Works
ISBN: 978-1-56970-610-7
Translator: Karen McGillicuddy
Available At: AkadotRetail
WARNING: ILLUSTRATIONS ARE NOT WORK SAFE (IMAGES MAY/MAY NOT CONTAIN SEX BETWEEN TWO MINORS)
Summary from back of book
After eight years, Junya Sawa has never forgotten his first love.
It was in high school that he'd first met him: Uzuki Kobayakawa, son of a notorious yakuza boss. As a class respresentative, it had become Sawa's responsibility to help this intimidating young man adjust to his new school, where rumors about the gangster spread like wildfire. But as he got to know Kobayakawa, he discovered there was so much more to him than met the eye.
Now, after a chance meeting in Tokyo, Kobayakawa is thrust into Sawa's life once more. he's changed, of course, but Sawa can't deny his feelings, nor refuse Kobayakawa's erotic demands. But does Kobayakawa feel the same way, and can he forgive Sawa for betraying him eight years ago?
My Thoughts
I can't exactly tell if I liked this novel or not. There were parts that I enjoyed, but other parts that just kind of left me going, "What?" So, I'm still kind of sorting through how I feel about this. Ha~
Well, first things first, there wasn't much for me to pick on, in terms of spelling and grammar. There were only two distinct errors that I recall. In one of the later chapters, they mistyped Sawa's name as Toya. For a split second, I thought I was reading The Guilty. Then, in the last chapter, before the extra story, they mention a pubic bathroom when they meant a public bathroom. Call me immature, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing for about ten minutes after I read it. It was, after all, Sawa and Kobayakawa going into the final sex scene of the novel.
At first, I kind of liked the story. It seemed decent enough and Sawa Junya was likable. Unfortunately, right after he met up with Kobayakawa Uzuki again, it was like Junya just turned into a giant hornball or something. My fondness of him became less, as I felt the depth of his character had become more and more shallow. I couldn't really relate to him anymore and his reasoning for allowing Uzuki to do as he pleased didn't entirely sit well with me. I, for one, didn't think it was betrayal on his part at all, but that's what they considered it anyway.
Kobayakawa Uzuki was kind of hard to get to know. Although it was a third person POV story, the story focused on Junya and his side of the story. The only time you kind of got a glimpse of who Uzuki really was, was during the flashback chapters. I didn't entirely like him, but I didn't hate him either. I could be biased, as I compared him to Asami Ryuuichi of Finder Series by Yamane Ayano, being a yakuza boss/leader and all. Uzuki didn't have a seme feel to him at all. I mean, there was a little bit of 'seme' in some of the stuff he did, but he was overly korny in many ways too (kind of reminding me of Kusama Nowaki from Junjou Romantica by Shungiku Nakamura). I didn't think it mixed well together and his development, or lack thereof, just didn't make him feel like one whole character.
My favorite portion of the novel were the flashback chapters. It portrayed Junya and Uzuki actually developing their story and how they got close. But even so, there were time gaps and a lack of in-depth detail on the relationship, making it not as interesting as it could have been too. In one scene, Junya's complaining about how he has to 'take care' of the new kid just because he's the class rep. In the next moment, he's become mesmerized by Uzuki and even though they get into an argument, Junya blissfully decides to share his textbook with Uzuki. Next thing you know, they're best of pals and then sex happens. I just would have liked more detail and a more well rounded plot.
Coming back to the present day, you find out Uzuki knew why everything happened the way it did eight years ago, but he was still a prick about it all. Maybe it's just lack of relativity, but I didn't really understand either Uzuki or Junya's reasoning for playing the whole "You're my bitch so when I call you, you come crawling to me with your legs spread wide open" scenario. Then you find out the man who tried to break them apart actually was never quite against them to begin with anyway. It's like their whole relationship issue was based on a giant misunderstanding and lack of communication. It's fairly disappointing for a yakuza/law-type of story, which, I've come to realize, is my favorite type of y!plot to read.
So, I guess, I didn't entirely like it. It was kind of like reading a novel with two ukes, but with one just slightly more aggressive than the other. Then, once the whole misunderstanding was cleared, it became way too full of korny lines that made my skin crawl. Maybe it's because I like really korny stuff like this only after lots and lots of angst (or because when I think of yakuza related semes, I think of Munechika from S by Aida Saki or Asami Ryuuichi from Finder Series). Either way, it wasn't entirely a bad read, but it could have been plenty better. I sure hope volume two fills us in more (if volume two is to be licensed too).
Story Snippet
Chapter Three Pages 70-71
Kobayakawa didn't say a word until they reached the nurse's office.
"Are you there, sir? It's Sawa, from the senior class."
Sawa tapped on the door, but there was no answer.
"What's up?" The handkerchief pressed against Kobayakawa's mouth muffled his voice.
Sawa searched the office and found a note on the nurse's desk. "It says 'back in thirty minutes.'"
"Then let's go back to class."
"We can't do that. Here, gargle and then spit out all the blood in your mouth."
Kobayakawa obeyed Sawa's instructions for the time being, gargling with the water available in the office. The first time he spat, the water was bright red.
"Wow." Sawa pulled away from the sight quickly and Kobayakawa raised his eyebrows.
"Don't act so grossed out by a little blood." Kobayakawa glared at Sawa pointedly out of the corner of his eyes.
"Yeah, well, you got pretty pale, too, when you saw the blood on the handkerchief," Sawa shot back. "But I can't handle blood..."
Kobayakawa's eyes widened momentarily, then he looked like he was going to burst out laughing, even though he still had water in his mouth.
He managed to spit the water out and then doubled over with laughter. "Don't make me laugh when I've got water in my mouth, man."
Illustration Samples
