Only the Ring Finger Knows 2 by Satoru Kannagi
Title: Only the Ring Finger Knows: The Left Hand Dreams of Him
Author: Satoru Kannagi
Illustrator: Hotaru Odagiri
English Publisher: June Manga
Original Publisher: Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., LTD
ISBN: 1-56970-885-1
Translator: Duane Johnson
Available At: AkadotRetail
Summary from back of book
Now that the model-perfect Yuichi is firmly established as a top student at a prestigious University, his high-school senior boyfriend Wataru cherishes every quiet moment that the two can find amidst the clamor of study schedules and fascinated outsiders. And when Yuichi decides to take the excited Wataru on an exotic getaway, what could be more perfect? Yuichi is forced to find part-time work to afford the much-needed trip...and that's where the trouble begins to brew. Curious co-workers and flaring jealousy soon threaten the lovers, and faint cracks begin to show in the still-new foundation of their young relationship. Do Wataru and Yuichi have a love that's truly built to last? Can they work together to create the future they've always dreamed of, or will their fantasies come crashing down?
Passion builds and tempers flare in The Left Hand Dreams of Him. Wataru and Yuichi may think that the biggest challenges of their new love are far behind them, but no one said they'd be left alone for-good! Even a private vacation getaway is full of meddling intruders who seem to have their sights set on disrupting the careful lovers. Their matching rings unite them in heart and spirit...will the men trust this special bond enough to weather the storms of controversy?
My Thoughts
Unfortunately, this novel was something like slow torture for me to get through. After three failed attempts, I was finally able to force myself to the end of this novel. The first two times, I fell asleep partway through, around page fifty or something. The third time, I lost interest and forgot where I stopped. I suppose you could say I just wasn't really interested in this volume very much at all.
As with many of June Manga's first few novels, this one consisted of several grammatical errors. It was filled to the brim with lots of run-on sentences and worthlessly dashed words (such as the summary above and its high-school and for-good). In many cases, I lost track of who was talking since clarification on that part was close to none, even while three people were converse. Talk about confusing! To make it even worse, the images were completely out of sync with the text. In some cases, they came too early while most of them came a few pages too late.
Plot wise, the first half was an utter bore to me. Yuichi's senior in university, Masanobu Asaka, didn't exactly interest me as much as I would have thought he would (or as much as I had wanted him to). For a third wheel, he was much too kind to both Yuichi and Wataru. I just couldn't exactly figure him out, or either I didn't care to due to lack of interest in him. He also made me come quite close to disliking Wataru a lot, which was simply another reason why I just didn't like him. In short, The Left Hand Dreams of Him was simply boring.
Eternity of the Palm, on the other hand, was far more intriguing. Here, you're introduced to Yuichi's older brother, Shohei Kazuki. He represented an actual obstacle that was actually worth Yuichi and Wataru worrying over (unlike Asaka) and the fact that his interference with their relationship brought about a tougher side of Wataru and Yuichi just made it all the better. Shohei wasn't roundabout like Asaka, nor did he try to get just at Yuichi. Shohei's presence is more dominant and threatening to the pair and it helped make their relationship a lot more fluffy. Although he opposes the pair, I actually quite like him and his outspoken personality.
By the end of this novel, I was actually anxious to read the next volume. When I first began reading this novel, I wanted nothing to do with continuing the series any longer. That was how uninterested I was with just Asaka as their problem (if you can even say he was a problem). The first half was simply misunderstanding after misunderstanding. The repetition of misunderstandings was simply horrifying (and adding in all of the grammatical errors, it became even worse). The second half of this novel makes the whole thing worth reading though. ♥
Any Yuichi and Wataru fan would probably gush with glee over this novel. I have to admit, I'm not particularly that huge of a fan, so I wasn't as interested as others may have been. The first half was that bad for me, but I've definitely read worse.
Story Snippet
Pages 116-117
"You done with work, Kazuki?"
Wataru ran up to him in bounding steps, and Yuichi casually held an umbrella over him. Masanobu came up afterwards, and the two simply nodded at each other.
"Kazuki?"
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I asked Masanobu to contact me if the two of you moved, but I never thought you two'd be walking through the rain. Talk about eccentric."
"You know, you don't have to talk like..."
"Isn't it you who's the eccentric one?"
Masanobu spoke with a smile, interrupting Wataru. Without flinching, Yuichi shifted his gaze to look Masanobu square in the eye.
"Thanks for pinch hitting."
"No, it's my pleasure. Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy talking with Wataru. Hey Kazuki?"
"Yes?"
"Is this all right? Could it have been some kind of peace offering to me?"
His searching gaze was definitely not smiling as much as his mouth. Wataru alone inclined his head, not understanding what this was about, and Yuichi, who until then had a sour look on his face, suddenly returned a smile to Masanobu.
"I don't see you as an enemy."
Illustration Samples
