BL MEME - Day FIVE (BL Manga to recommend to everyone)
After Chisa's shout-out on Blush Boys, I've decided to continue the meme, BUT...being totally childish and only answering the ones I can come up with an answer to! ^__^
So, here goes Day #5 (a million days later)!!!
The one BL Manga I think EVERY fangirl should read is:
HARU WO DIATEITA or EMBRACING LOVE
As you could probably tell from a previous post, I absolutely adore this series. What I love about it?
The Characters: Iwaki and Kouta make such an interesting couple. Despite their difference in both age and personality, they manage to create a strong relationship that lasts despite the various obstacles they face throughout the course of the plot.Iwaki is the cold older lover who rebuffed Katou's advance at first. Despite his outworld appearance, Iwaki is very sensitive and many times takes the submissive role in their relationship. That's not to say he's a push over. Iwaki is NOTHING like th doe-eyes, fragile ukes you see populating so many yaoi manga, he has an inner strength that allows him to eventually become confident and trusting in his love for Katou and Katou's love for him. Katou is the playful, often times immature of the two. From the very beginning, he is the type who knows what they want and is young enough to believe that he'll get it. IN Iwaki's case, it works but without a whole lot of work in his part. Unlike Iwaki, Katou is never shy about expressing his love and affection for Iwaki to the chagrin of Iwaki many times in the series. While both Iwaki and Katou are likeable on their own, as a reader you truly fall head first for these two when you see them together and the way they interact with one another. Nitta-sensei did an amazing job of telling the moving story of two very different men and how they overcome everything in order to love one another unconditional.
The Artwork: I love Nitta-sensei's artwork, though it took a while to get use to because like I mentioned before I was use to seeing doe-eyed bunny-looking ukes. The men in Nitta-sensei's works are just that--real men. Yes, Iwaki is a beautiful man, and when Nitta-sensei draws in the throes of passion, one cannot help but sigh at said beauty, but he is still a man. I also liked that though Iwaki is mostly the uke in this relationship there are times in which he does indeed take the dominant role--and Katou loves it! hehe I very much like the realism in Nitta-sensei's works.
The Plot: The story line of Haru wo Daiteita is very interesting and engaging. You follow the story of two AV(adult-video i.e. porn) actors who as the title suggests, embrace love despite their gender and differences and all of the many obstacles that get in the way of them being together. From volume 1 to 14, you see Iwaki and Katou overcome and deal with their own insecurities, problems in their careers, family and societal acceptance. What I love most about this series and how realistic it is. So many yaoi stories are like fairytales in which everyone gets a happy ending no other how improbable it would be in real life. Iwaki and Katou are a real gay couple and so they are face with the same real issues and problems that a gay couple would face in real life and still, they have their happy ending. This series, despite being fiction, gives you hope that despite everything, gays can and will be able to love freely in our own societies.
Final Comments: This is an amazing series that has everything you look for a good work: lovable characters, interesting plot, realism, beautiful artwork and a most romantic love story of all!!! If you haven't read it, you must. If you have...read it again!!! There are also two Ovas for the main story series and 3 Ovas for the side story Fuyu no Semi. The first OVA doesn't do the manga justice in terms of art, but the side story Ova does a pretty good job.
Until next time, guys!!!
Haru Fan Out!
So, here goes Day #5 (a million days later)!!!
The one BL Manga I think EVERY fangirl should read is:
HARU WO DIATEITA or EMBRACING LOVE
As you could probably tell from a previous post, I absolutely adore this series. What I love about it?
The Characters: Iwaki and Kouta make such an interesting couple. Despite their difference in both age and personality, they manage to create a strong relationship that lasts despite the various obstacles they face throughout the course of the plot.Iwaki is the cold older lover who rebuffed Katou's advance at first. Despite his outworld appearance, Iwaki is very sensitive and many times takes the submissive role in their relationship. That's not to say he's a push over. Iwaki is NOTHING like th doe-eyes, fragile ukes you see populating so many yaoi manga, he has an inner strength that allows him to eventually become confident and trusting in his love for Katou and Katou's love for him. Katou is the playful, often times immature of the two. From the very beginning, he is the type who knows what they want and is young enough to believe that he'll get it. IN Iwaki's case, it works but without a whole lot of work in his part. Unlike Iwaki, Katou is never shy about expressing his love and affection for Iwaki to the chagrin of Iwaki many times in the series. While both Iwaki and Katou are likeable on their own, as a reader you truly fall head first for these two when you see them together and the way they interact with one another. Nitta-sensei did an amazing job of telling the moving story of two very different men and how they overcome everything in order to love one another unconditional.
The Artwork: I love Nitta-sensei's artwork, though it took a while to get use to because like I mentioned before I was use to seeing doe-eyed bunny-looking ukes. The men in Nitta-sensei's works are just that--real men. Yes, Iwaki is a beautiful man, and when Nitta-sensei draws in the throes of passion, one cannot help but sigh at said beauty, but he is still a man. I also liked that though Iwaki is mostly the uke in this relationship there are times in which he does indeed take the dominant role--and Katou loves it! hehe I very much like the realism in Nitta-sensei's works.
The Plot: The story line of Haru wo Daiteita is very interesting and engaging. You follow the story of two AV(adult-video i.e. porn) actors who as the title suggests, embrace love despite their gender and differences and all of the many obstacles that get in the way of them being together. From volume 1 to 14, you see Iwaki and Katou overcome and deal with their own insecurities, problems in their careers, family and societal acceptance. What I love most about this series and how realistic it is. So many yaoi stories are like fairytales in which everyone gets a happy ending no other how improbable it would be in real life. Iwaki and Katou are a real gay couple and so they are face with the same real issues and problems that a gay couple would face in real life and still, they have their happy ending. This series, despite being fiction, gives you hope that despite everything, gays can and will be able to love freely in our own societies.
Final Comments: This is an amazing series that has everything you look for a good work: lovable characters, interesting plot, realism, beautiful artwork and a most romantic love story of all!!! If you haven't read it, you must. If you have...read it again!!! There are also two Ovas for the main story series and 3 Ovas for the side story Fuyu no Semi. The first OVA doesn't do the manga justice in terms of art, but the side story Ova does a pretty good job.
Until next time, guys!!!
Haru Fan Out!