Author: Satosumi Takaguchi
Manga-ka: Yukine Honami
Publisher: eManga
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: March 2008

Synopsis: “Shuuiku Academy’s students are leaving for summer vacation, but Yuuhi-kun is stuck in the dorm. It doesn’t matter that home lies on the same backwoods country property as the school campus – his house is being remodeled, so Yuuhi’s got nowhere else to go! Likewise, Sango-san will be staying behind to keep an eye on things, leaving the two of them all alone with nothing but time on their hands. Will being away from prying eyes lead Sango to temptation?”

This volume threw me for a loop. I completely did not get the whole dream sequence until the very end of that section, so while I was reading it, while it was kind of entertaining, it was also just a bit…odd. Once I realized it was a dream, it made more sense though.

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Author: Satosumi Takaguchi
Manga-ka: Yukine Honami
Publisher: eManga
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2007

Synopsis: “When class president Sango Tsutsui and the other student administrators end up sequestered away at a director’s meeting, Yuuhi-kun is left back at the school, alone and defenseless. Will Yuuhi’s naive, country ways make him fair game for the Ezaki trio? Or will Tsutsui-san return in the nick of time to save him? Could it be that absence truly makes the heart grow fonder – are Yuuhi and Sango ready to take their strange relationship to (gasp!)… the next level?!”

Now this was an interesting instalment. I liked this second volume of Can’t Win With You for the most part, because Hayate and Kanya are by far my favourite couple in this series so far and there was a lot of development in their story. This strikes me as slightly odd, since the story is about (or is supposed to be about) Yuuhi, and, by extension, Sango. It makes me wonder a little just exactly which story the author wanted to tell.

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Author: Satosumi Takaguchi
Manga-ka: Yukine Honami
Publisher: eManga
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: August 2007

Synopsis: “Yuuhi-kun planned to build a soccer field on the piece of mountain land that was his inheritance, but when his brother’s elite Shuuiku Academy needed a new campus, Yuuhi was forced to reconsider. Now he finds himself both the landlord, and a student at the school! Needless to say, the other students are none too happy about being shipped out to the boonies, so Yuuhi – AKA “chicken-head” – has become the object of their collective ire. But there’s something about the country bumpkin that has many students eyeing Yuuhi in a different way…a way that makes him very uncomfortable. Seems there’s a lot more than “book-learnin’” going on at this school, and Yuuhi’s about to get a whole ‘nuther kind of education!”

I used to think I was not a fan of the school boy stories, however, I keep reading them, so I guess I must see something in them after all. This one uses the typical excuse of a school full of hormonal boys to explain why they are constantly all over each other.

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Author: Yamila Abraham
Artist: M.A. Sambre
Publisher: Yaoi Prose
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: April 2010

Synopsis: “An enticing new-comer has arrived in King Jereth’s court. Moors has invented electricity in the Middle Ages, and has quite a high opinion of his accomplishment. When he’s installed as the kingdom’s Royal Alchemist he begins to make outrageous demands, and then throws tantrums when those demands aren’t met. King Jereth is amused with the attractive upstart at first, but then finds his spoiled attitude tedious. No matter how brilliant the man is Jereth will not tolerate disrespect. When Moors accidentally hits Jereth’s bottom with a sharp piece of metal he reaches his limit. Moors is thrown over his knee and spanked. Despite being spurred by anger, the act has an unusual effect on both king and vassal. It gave Jereth a thrill he didn’t expect, and Moors became subdued and aroused. A most unconventional romance has begun!”

This story is just a thinly veiled excuse for a bit of a spanking fantasy – not that there’s anything wrong with that. I enjoyed Moors’ characterization. He was no shrinking violet, and had every reason to resist the king’s advances based on his previous experiences at the hands of a capricious monarch. Plus, being a genius is tough enough without the distraction of a groping king to worry about. His resistance is believable in its source, at least, and the king’s tenacity is truly epic. Whether the spanking as punishment would hold up in a true D/s situation is debatable, but it is fun to watch, and interesting to see how Moors manages to retain his independent, belligerent streak despite his inner desire to actually submit, and his fear surrounding giving up that independence.

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Author: Arika Kuga
Manga-ka: Taishi Zaou
Publisher: DokiDoki
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: November 2009

Synopsis: “On the night of the year-end party, in high spirits and under the influence of the party’s free-flowing alcohol, Satori ends up sleeping with Asou. Since then, every day that Asou comes over, he does nothing beyond kiss Satori over and over, and as much as it perplexes him, Satori is unable to resist his advances. But one day Satori hears a nasty rumor that Asou has a girlfriend!”

This is the first boys’ love novel I’ve read that isn’t a June publication, though it is published by another Digital Manga imprint, Doki Doki. I enjoyed it – for some reason, it had a different feel to the prose. It maybe sounded a little less like it had been translated from Japanese than the June novels tend to do, and a little more like the English you might expect from a native speaker. I don’t know that either style is necessary better, or even that I like one or the other better. They’re just different.

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Author: Hikaru Masaki
Manga-ka: Masara Minase
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: March 2009

Synopsis: “Minami has gotten a hot start as a young interior designer. In fact, he’s just been chosen as the primary designer of a new luxury hotel. When Minami enthusiastically goes out to meet his client, Asakura, the hotel owner turns out to be a dazzling, sexy man. On top of that, the overwhelmed Minami finds his contract is actually for a love hotel! Seeing as how Minami lacks experience in this particular area, Asakura promises to show him the ropes. But is it really necessary to try out ALL the beds…?!”

To start off with, I have to share a bit of a personal preference. I’m not a huge fan of forced ‘seduction’. I know, it’s an often-used device in uaoi, and a legitimate plot within the genre – it’s just not one of my favourites. So, that said, now let’s now put my personal preference aside and talk about the book… it’s good.

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Author: Siira Gou
Manga-ka: Sato Tomoe
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: December 2008

Synopsis: “Nearly a hundred years ago, a spurned lover ended Tomoe’s life. Madame had given him new life, but this gift was not without its limitations. Living again in Japan after an extended time abroad, Tomoe was on the prowl for a new lover. But he may have gotten more than he hoped for in young Taichi Yamagami. Influenced by the ebb and flow of the moon, he could be a sweet, naive intellectual, or a rough, demanding lover. Tomoe has never had a lover quite like this…”

This is by far one of the most interesting yaoi light novels I’ve read. Both characters are flawed, fascinating creatures with at once super human abilities and very human foibles. Tomoe has known too much loss in his life. The idea that he could lose this newfound love he’s discovered leads him to make poor choices. It’s natural that those choices could end up turning Taichi away from him anyway.

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Author: Jinko Fuyuno
Manga-ka: Yamimaru Enjin
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “Masaki Ashizawa is hired by a restaurant mogul to find a world-class chef for his new French restaurant. He finds the perfect candidate in Shuichiro Tsubaki, the gruff master chef of a small restaurant. But the proud Tsubaki is happy calling the shots in his own restaurant and Ashizawa must go to all new lengths to convince him to accept the offer. What will it take for Ashizawa to clinch the deal? And what secret form his past is Tsubaki keeping form Ashizawa?”

Jinko Fuyuno has created a great cast of characters in this book. So much yaoi relies on pre-fab character constructs but here the author has dared to take those constructs and flip them inside out. She’s still written the book from the uke’s (the “bottom”) point-of-view, but Ashizawa is no wallflower or a timid man unsure of his desires. He has a successful life he’s created for himself with hard work and determination. He doesn’t take no for an answer, or back down from a challenge, even when the challenge requires a lot of self-examination. This attitude of moving forward makes him the perfect candidate to head up the Grand Maison Master Chef’s plan to open a new kind of restaurant. Ashizawa’s first duty—find the best chef for the job.

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Author: Maki Kazumi
Manga-ka: Yukine Honami
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: January 2009

Synopsis: “I wonder why, when I look at you, I get turned on.” With a few simple words uttered by his best friend Ryoji-Toru’s world flips upside down. It doesn’t help that Toru has secretly been in love with Ryoji for some time. But whereas Ryoji wants a purely physical relationship to satisfy his curiosity-Toru wants more. Can the two ever come to terms with how they really feel about each other?

I must be getting used to the different writing style, because I don’t mind saying I had a lot less time to notice the writing in this book, as I was so taken with the story and the characters. As I think back, I’m not sure exactly what it was that caught my attention so thoroughly, but I will say that I was reading on the bus and I missed my stop – twice! The story line is pretty run of the mill – best friends and unrequited love is not new to the genre, nor is the push and pull of unspoken feelings and poor communication. Seems boys just don’t tend to talk to each other.

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Author: Haruhi Tono
Manga-ka: Ai Hasukawai
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: August 2009

Synopsis: “In his young life, Takeyuki has never really known hardship. The youngest son of a wealthy family, he has never had any difficulty getting anything he desired. Now, though, Takeyuki is enjoying his last month of freedom before he begins working at his father’s import company in Tokyo, and he has decided to spend that time with his brother and his sister-in-law in Cassina, a small country in the Middle East. Little does Takeyuki know that his prideful manner will soon land him in hot water! In Cassina, some dangers are very real and some people are not who they seem. For example, who exactly is the charming, majestic man who won’t stop staring at Takeyuki during their flight to Cassina, and why do his blue eyes make Takeyuki feel like his chest will burst?”

This story was enjoyable to read. Despite the fact that the main character, Takeyuki, was a bit of a brat, and almost terminally foolish, he still had a likeability factor that made me sympathise with him. He’s a caring man, though he’s seldom had opportunity or reason to show it. When he finally gets past himself to see the world around him, and think about the people who have helped and cared for him, he turns out to be quite a likeable guy.

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Author: Hikaru Yura
Manga-ka: Hirotaka Kisaragi
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “Tomoki Naruse has the strangest dreams. Every night, he finds himself waiting for a phantom lover – whom he has never seen. Unraveling the mystery of Tomoki’s dream lover leads him to discover the Depths of Dreams, a shadowy world hidden within the darkness, and the realization that he is one of the mythical Dark Walkers – a human born with the ability to “fall” from the Real World into the Depths of Dreams with his mind and body intact. Dark Walker is the sensual story of two boys who discover love in the midst of great danger.”

Tomoki has no idea what to make of these dreams he’s been having. He does know they aren’t something to be shared with his ribald classmates, though. No telling what they’d say to make fun of him if they knew. Strangely, he doesn’t seem to have the same worries about the new guy in class – handsome, tall, and flirtatious, Yugo. In fact, Tomoki is pretty sure his reaction to Yugo isn’t quite what he’s come to expect as ‘normal’.

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Author: You Shiizaki
Manga-ka: Kumiko Sasaki
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: July 2008

Synopsis: “Amateur painter Itsuki Hashimoto and up-and-coming sculptor Masatsugu Tokiwa became friends through their love for art. But a few years later, family circumstances force Itsuki to cut Tokiwa off of his life. Now, Itsuki is living a confined life as the “human pet” of Yamabe-sensei, Tokiwa’s former teacher. Can Tokiwa help Itsuki break free of his cage?”

It has to be noted, at least by me as a writer of m/m romance from a western perspective, that had this book fallen into any romance category other than yaoi, there’s a good chance it might never have been published. Tokiwa’s ‘seduction’ of Itsuki is not gentle, and really, non-consensual. At least not at first, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that. Knowing the genre, I’m well aware this is a common trope, but I have reservations about it nonetheless. Lots of people who love the genre aren’t really bothered by it. Still, as far as the execution of the much-used plot device goes, in this book it is at least rather well done.

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Author: Yuiko Takamura
Manga-ka: An Kanae
Publisher: June
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: April 2008

Synopsis: “Tsukasa Shinozaki is a dutiful secretary, performing above and beyond the call of duty. Yes, Tsukasa has fallen into that time-honored trap of a secretary falling for the boss. When Tsubasa’s boss dumps him for a marriage of status, Tsubasa hooks up with a mysterious man at a bar-under the rule that he not reveal his name. Will Tsubasa ever truly know his Prince Charming?”

After being dumped by his lover and boss in favour of the company president’s daughter, Tsukasa Shinozaki is convinced he has no taste or discretion when it comes to men. When a beautiful stranger hits on him in a hotel bar, Tsukasa can’t help but take the invitation, only to find his new mystery man refuses to reveal his identity. Despite this, he decides to continue the illicit relationship and tries to make himself believe he isn’t falling for his secretive lover. It isn’t until the man makes a surprise appearance at Tsukasa’s job that he finally has to admit he’s fallen. But now that the mystery is over, the relationship doomed to end as well, and Tsukasa resigns himself to another broken heart.

Read more…

Note Regarding Comments: All comments are screened and must be approved before appearing on posts. This is because of high spam counts. I check my site frequently to approve comments, however sometimes I’m unable to check the site for a little while. Don’t worry if your comment takes a little time to appear, chances are I just haven’t been able to click approve yet :)

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WHAT IS KURI-OUSITY.COM?

This site is entirely non-profit and hobby-based,  a website about my interest in manga and anime. Manga reviews I’ve written makes up a large portion of the site updates, along with news posts and press releases with information I think my site visitors would find interesting. I’ve recently been joined by some great regular reviewers who’ve brought some great fantastic diversity to the site.

In regards to the naming choice, Kuri is a nickname I was given years ago online, compliments of one of my first big anime attachments – Akira Toriyama’s Dragonball). Many friends and acquaintances online still knew me by the name so already having a strong online connection with it, it seemed the right thing to use. Kuri + curiousity = Kuriousity. The site was initially begun as more of a portfolio than a manga-centric website but despite having since focused in, I’m still very attached to the name and think it suits the site well – a tribute to my online presence, an enjoyment of looking into new things and the Canadian perspective.

BOOK OF THE MONTH - Book of the Month are books that I’ve reviewed and thought were something extra special and deserve some extra special attention! It won’t be books that have exclusively come out in the month they’re featured, but are books that I’m showcasing for the duration of the month.

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REVIEWERS

My name’s Lissa Pattillo, owner and editor of Kuriousity. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and have dealt with my manga obsession for over ten years (and have quite enjoyed it).

I started this website as a way to have my manga collection serve a purpose past hours of entertainment. I post near-daily reviews that I have written from books both purchased by me and supplied by publishers, in order to share my thoughts with fellow readers on both the good and the bad. I enjoy all sorts of genres, from seinen to shoujo to boys’ love and I like to offer this variety through my reviews.

Though having recently graduated from college with a diploma for Digital Animation, my career goal is to make my way into the publishing industry and I currently offer artwork, graphic design and websites on a commission basis.

Along with my reviews here on Kuriousity, I’ve written manga book reviews for Manga Jouhou, Boys on Boys on Film, Manga Village and BENT Magazine. I’m currently writing manga reviews for AnimeNewsNetwork and have a personal portfolio at LissaPattillo.com.

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Hi there, Marsha Reid here (also known as Kagami Hanei). As you might have guessed by my review, I’m a manhwa nut – it’s my not so guilty pleasure and my one true love. Lissa is kind enough to enlist my help once in a while, when the manga mountains get a little to high, by tossing some lovely Korean art my way. We used to be room mates and at the time numbered about seven hundred books between us, by now that has grown to much, much more. Naturally when someone has that much of something they learn to share it with the world, and she’s really done a super job with that.

Other then digging Lissa out of a manga pile I have a group called Anime at Large, which has become much like a full time job to go along with my full time job at the theater. Random facts about me; I like fluffy animals (even though I’m allergic), manga/manhwa, anime, and make Lolita costumes in my spare time. Yay me!

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I’ve never been huge on writing stuff like this, mostly because I never have any sweet clue what to write when I do! Whatever the case, I’m going to give it a go anyhow. So my name is Shevaun Morrison. Online, I usually go by Gizmo. Given that if Gizmo is taken, I am likely to just use Shevmo. If they’re both gone…I think of something.

I’m easily distracted, and usually rather excitable. I don’t really have a favorite type of anime or manga, and will read or watch just about anything. Although I do have a tendency to like things that are extra shiny And/or have a punk/gothic look to it. I am a role-play nerd, and love RPG video games too, and board games. Oh yeah, I play D&D. And have LARPed. I’m also a huge fan of cosplay, even if I haven’t actually managed to make a costume yet. I’m working on it, though!

Currently I am going to school so that I can learn to become a pastry chef. Because some day, I’m going to have a cute little café of my own! To serve teas and pastries and all sorts of delicious things.

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Hi there, my name’s Shannon Fay. I’ve been an anime and manga fan ever since junior high when a friend showed me a raw VHS tape of ‘Sailor Moon Stars.’ After watching it, I knew I didn’t want to live in a world that didn’t include magical transvestites and alien boy bands. In the end, I settled for reading about them in manga.

I recently got a journalism degree (and a really nice frame to go with it). Aside from manga and comics, I’m a big radio nerd and listen to various CBC programs in my spare time. As far as manga goes, I’m a sucker for well done romantic-comedies. I’m really happy to be able to help out Lissa by reviewing books for Kuri-ousity.

*Along with her reviews on Kuriousity, Shannon Fay has also written manga reviews for Manga Life and (the now offline) Anime Fringe. She is also a freelance manga adapter and is currently working with the manga licensor Seven Seas.

See all reviews written by Shannon Fay

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Hi, I’m André, a long time comics and animation fan who draws assorted webcomics like Jeepers, and designed the mascots for Animaritime. I have a scary anime collection, about 900 dvd’s and tapes, and have been reading comics for 15 years. Somewhere in there I got an English degree, but spend most of my time now reading [strike]junk[/strike] comics and fantasy novels. I mostly tend to like cheesy anime, Disney, X-men stuff, Transformers, and CLAMP.

View all reviews written by Andre

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Hi! I’m Jaime Samms, also known as dontkickmycane in live journal land. I’ve been writing gay romance and fiction for quite some time now, and reviewing it for almost as long, since I tend to have lots of opinions. I’m published with e-publishers Freya’s Bower, Lovyoudivine Alterotica and soon, Total e-Bound and Drollerie Press. Writing is quite a passion for me. I’ve been asked many times why write about love affairs between men, when I clearly am not one, and really, it feels right to me. Not a terribly informative answer, but there it is.

I live a little west of the others here. Ok, by a few provinces, in Ontario, but details. I’m married with two kids. We home school them, and serve a host of feline royalty. Between hubs and I, we can grow just about anything that will grow in this climate (and a few things that really don’t, but we’re stubborn) and we were doing DIY projects way before it became fashionable. At heart, we’re just a bunch of hippies.

I’ve got a diploma in Fine Arts, which means I officially know how to draw stuff. Actually, I majored in textile art, but indulge in all kinds of creative endeavours. Once in a while, I am actually gainfully employed, though I do try to keep my time working out of the house to a minimum. My love for all things Yaoi is what brought me here, and I’m so pleased to join the team. I have no complaints about all the reading I’ll have to do, either!

See all reviews written by Jaime Samms

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CONTACT
Anyone wishing to get in contact with me with questions, kind hellos or requests to have their book(s) reviewed here on Kuriousity can feel free to send me an e-mail at lissa (a) kuri-ousity.com or use this handy e-mail form.