Due to being very busy with work, it took me longer than I wanted to finish reading the second volume of Koimonogatari. I also started reading it undeDue to being very busy with work, it took me longer than I wanted to finish reading the second volume of Koimonogatari. I also started reading it under the impression that it'd be the closing volume of a two-part manga, but it turned out to be just the mid-instalment of what will ultimately become a trilogy.
I feel a bit sorry about not realising that sooner because I've become totally invested in the characters and their stories by now and the wait will be tough. I suppose, however, that it'll give me the perfect excuse to re-read the whole thing from the beginning once the last volume is published.
After this long preamble, the manga itself is truly solid and well written. The characters grow page after page and their inner and outer turmoils are presented with such nuance and delicacy of touch that it's a real pleasure to accompany them along their journey of (self-)discovery.
The artwork (that at first I thought was not the strongest aspect of this manga) has grown on me and I've found myself really taken by the clever page layout and convincing drawings.
Overall, this is a truly strong example of how BL can tell deep, complex and clever stories and I cannot wait to be able to read the final volume. [image]...more
A wonderful edition (in Italian) of Yuu Watase's masterpiece skirting the lines between BL, gothic and historical novel.
The subject matter can be distA wonderful edition (in Italian) of Yuu Watase's masterpiece skirting the lines between BL, gothic and historical novel.
The subject matter can be disturbing and contains a number of triggers (incest, sexual abuse, suicide, abandonement etc.) but Watase manages to construct a story that resonates for its beauty and humanity.
Misunderstood and alone, Masataka and Soma have a bond that goes beyond that of master/servant and of a traditional love story. They seem to be connected by an invisible thread that unifies past and present and two family histories marked by sadness and strife.
The art - especially on the large pages of this wonderful, hefty volume - is both luminous and disturbing, very nuanced but also at times hard to bear due to the sheer horrors narrated in the story.
Truly moving and beautiful, just like the delicate and resilient sakura flowers.
I've enjoyed reading my first novel by Marie Sexton.
The drab and depressing atmosphere of Warren, Wyoming - with its fading economy, class divides andI've enjoyed reading my first novel by Marie Sexton.
The drab and depressing atmosphere of Warren, Wyoming - with its fading economy, class divides and broken families - is very well evocated by the author. I especially liked the way Sexton combines that with the garish and vivid pop culture one normally associates with the 1980s and with the sinister threat of the AIDS epidemic that was at the time spreading throughout America.
Cody and Nate are two lovely characters. Their story, built on the backbone of the poor boy meets rich boy narrative, is well constructed, with the right amount of angst and setbacks thrown in. It'd be really hard to not feel sad for Cody's sad life and for the way he seems ready to absorb all the punches without even attempting to react. Nate, optimistic and strong-willed, is the perfect counterpart and their story feels relatable and one to root for.
There are a few things that didn't convince me entirely - the end, for instance, felt a bit abrupt and resolved in a manner that didn't feel in line with the rest of the novel. Overall, though, this book made me hurt and made me hope in equal measures and it's definitely a very good read.
As someone who has grown up worshipping Riyoko Ikeda's work for The Rose of Versailles finally being able to read her Claudine has been an enormouAs someone who has grown up worshipping Riyoko Ikeda's work for The Rose of Versailles finally being able to read her Claudine has been an enormous joy.
Despite the issues of misgendering and a generalised old sensitivity to questions of gender, the story is beautiful and heartbreaking and confirms Ikeda-sensei's talent in constructing complex characters that inhabit a world that is often hostile and uncomprehending.
A classic manga written and drawn by Moto Hagio, one of the founders of the Year 24 group and by many considered amongst the initiators of shōnen-ai mA classic manga written and drawn by Moto Hagio, one of the founders of the Year 24 group and by many considered amongst the initiators of shōnen-ai manga, トーマの心臓 is a delicate and intense story set in an all-boys school in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century.
Reprising atmospheres that somehow made me think of Musil's The Confusions of Young Törless, the manga follows four main characters - Juli, Eric, Oscar and the now-deceased Thomas - as they try to come to terms with various forms of grief and abandonment.
Opening with the last letter left by Thomas to Juli:
To Juli, one last time This is my love This is the sound of my heart Surely you must understand
the story tries to shed light on Thomas' sudden death and on the relationship that linked him with the cold and detached Juli.
Full of religious undertones and a creeping sense of violence and prevarication within the school's walls that although not as shocking as the one depicted in Keiko Takemiya's Kaze to Ki no Uta still manages to leave the readers wary of what might happen chapter after chapter, トーマの心臓 is a very engaging and moving read, populated by beautifully-portrayed characters, nuanced and rich with depth.
Eric - similar to Thomas in all but personality - finds himself at the centre of the events set in motion by Thomas' death whilst at the same time having to deal with his family issues and his increasing sense of frustration and confusion becomes the underlying thread of the story.
The plot is rich with twists and turns, changes of allegiance and secrets hiding in the libraries and corridors of the school that are truly worth discovering.
Moto Hagio's drawing style is typical of the 1970s in its richness and almost Baroque attention to details. Symbolism, especially of a religious nature, makes the pages a feast for the eyes.
A mention to J-Pop that produced a wonderful translation into Italian.
I love everything Taylor writes. Fact. And I always find her writing style, the pace and depth, the little detail that magnifies a feeling or a situatI love everything Taylor writes. Fact. And I always find her writing style, the pace and depth, the little detail that magnifies a feeling or a situation making you go "wow!" so peculiarly hers that I think I'd recognise it anywhere.
The interaction between the "prickly porcupine" and the "labrador retriever" (thanks, Xia!) works perfectly in her hands, and Coming in First Place is no exception.
David Chapman is difficult and isolated, enclosed in a world made of parental rejection, sneering teammates, and a desire to prove himself that burns him from within.
Jake Lourdes is pretty much his opposite - well-loved by family and friends, popular, attractive, and full of enthusiasm.
Their clash is inevitable (although one could argue that the clash is entirely in David's head) and when Jake shows him no hidden agendas, no second-guessing, but only genuine interest and attraction, David is "thrown off the ice" (apologies, but I had to do it!), so out of his carefully-measured depths that we see him scrambling desperately for something to hold on to. That something happens to be Jake.
The tentative HFN that closes this first volume of this trilogy left me wanting for much more and I'm looking forward to seeing where Taylor will take Chaps and Lourdy. Plus, Mike Brouwer is a character here (and every time he’s on page my heart melts a little).
A very quiet, tender and sweet tale of first love blossoming between two shy teenagers.
As underlined by the mangaka in the Postface, this is Hagi's fiA very quiet, tender and sweet tale of first love blossoming between two shy teenagers.
As underlined by the mangaka in the Postface, this is Hagi's first BL and it skirts some of the most obvious tropes of the genre in favour of a more intimate story.
I really enjoyed the two main characters and the art is absolutely beautiful!
Just finished the first volume of Keiko Takemiya's Kaze to ki no uta in the beautiful Italian translation published by J-Pop and I'm rather stunned.Just finished the first volume of Keiko Takemiya's Kaze to ki no uta in the beautiful Italian translation published by J-Pop and I'm rather stunned.
This series of ten volumes, released in the late 1970s, is the Ur-BL story, fierce and graphic, inhabited by incredible characters and set in a detailed, if slightly (and willingly) anachronistic, Provençal setting towards the end of the 1800s.
The first volume was a fabulous introduction to the story and its characters. As I usually prefer, I'll write a review of the whole series after reading volume 10.
The beautiful impression I had from reading the first volume in the series has been confirmed by this second instalment.
The story is gaining momentum The beautiful impression I had from reading the first volume in the series has been confirmed by this second instalment.
The story is gaining momentum and the characters are growing and becoming more complex. Gilbert is infuriating and heartbreaking in equal measure and Serge is torn between the moral repulsion he feels for his roommate's reckless behaviour and the growing attraction/attachment he feels for him.
The introduction of the character of Auguste Beau, Gilbert's uncle, towards the end of the volume opened up a series of very troubling scenarios that I expect to be developed in volume 3.
As expected, the third volume of Kaze ki no uta presents Gilbert's backstory in all its disturbing and heartwrenching details.
TMild spoilers ahead.
As expected, the third volume of Kaze ki no uta presents Gilbert's backstory in all its disturbing and heartwrenching details.
The volume focuses on the abuses (both physical and emotional) to which Gilbert is subjected from a very young age by his uncle Auguste and various other men.
It's a far from easy or comfortable read and its trigger warnings should be kept well in mind.
From a purely literary quality, I'm loving the way Takemiya is going back and forth in time to add layers of understanding to the story and its characters.
The artwork is simply amazing - evocative and rich. The visual representation of Gilbert's desperation is certainly amongst the most impressive things I've ever seen.
The fourth volume of Kaze to Ki no Uta takes a step back from the present and continues with following Gilbert's tragic childhood and, in its secondThe fourth volume of Kaze to Ki no Uta takes a step back from the present and continues with following Gilbert's tragic childhood and, in its second part, the story of Aslan Battour, Serge's father.
The emotional content of these volumes is astonishing - each page adds a new layer, a new insight into the soul of the protagonists, even the ones who appear to be irremediably mean and repulsive.
It's really the subtlety and complexity of the story that really stands out for me as I proceed in my reading of this amazing manga.
This is such a moving volume in the series! The story of Serge's parents and their struggle to find happiness is nuanced and heartbreaking and provideThis is such a moving volume in the series! The story of Serge's parents and their struggle to find happiness is nuanced and heartbreaking and provides a lot of insight into Serge's character as a young man.
After a long flashback to shed light on Gilbert and Serge's past, volume 6 return to the present and to the fraught but growing attachment between theAfter a long flashback to shed light on Gilbert and Serge's past, volume 6 return to the present and to the fraught but growing attachment between the two main characters.
Gilbert's ruthlessness and cruelty at the expense of Serge are at the centre of the volume's second half.
The power play between them is quickly reaching its rupture point.
And so I've reached the last page of Keiko Takemiya's Kaze to ki no Uta - The Poem of Wind and Trees ***THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SOME MILD SPOILERS***
And so I've reached the last page of Keiko Takemiya's Kaze to ki no Uta - The Poem of Wind and Trees that I've read in the wonderfully-curated Italian translation published by J-Pop.
The almost legendary fame of this ten-book saga is truly well deserved. Rightly considered by many as the forefather of yaoi/BL manga, Kaze to ki no Uta brings together historical fiction, formation novels, 19th-century feuilleton and the tragic tones of operas such as La Bohème, and turns them into an emotional rollercoaster that spares no punches. Trigger warnings are many and important to keep in mind before deciding to read the story. From abuse (psychological and sexual) to bullying, from stark depictions of alcoholism, drug use and prostitution to loss and grief, this manga is not for the faint-hearted and is a product of its time. Don't read it if you expect to find in it a 21st-century sensitivity to such matters.
Should you decide to give it a go, though, you'll be rewarded with one of the most intense and heartbreaking reading experiences ever.
The plot focuses on Gilbert Cocteau and Serge Battour. Gilbert is a young aristocrat raised by his mean and abusive uncle into believing that sex, love and acceptance are one and the same. Gilbert's willingness to give away his body to anyone who craves him is one of the main aspects of the story and marks an important point in the relationship he starts creating with Serge. Coming from another aristocratic family with a stormy past, Serge seems to be the only person who looks at Gilbert and sees a lonely, scared boy rather than a little, insatiable monster.
The way these two strong-willed but tragic boys try to carve out a bit of happiness by relying on each other is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measures.
Gilbert often appears incapable to compromise and adapt to the new life offered by Serge. He's like a bird with a broken wing, who'd like to fly away without ever managing to do it. On the contrary, Serge is immediately willing to sacrifice everything for Gilbert and his moments of doubts and despair only contribute to make him more human and not just an empty saintly figure.
The cast of secondary characters is rich and varied. Serge and Gilbert's schoolmates provide support and violence in equal measures and the grown-up world comes across, with only a few exceptions, as incredibly willing to exploit and ravage youth and inner/outer beauty.
The flashbacks into Gilbert's childhood and Serge's family history are seamlessly inserted into the main narrative and provide a lot of background on the story and on the main character's evolution and motivations.
The famously tragic finale - but could there ever be a non-tragic one? - is so raw and still so shocking that even the last image in the manga, apparently so quiet and fulfilling, is capable of shattering the reader's coolness (or at least, it was capable of shattering this reader's coolness).
The art, just like the story, is very much a product of its time. The pages are rich and brimming with details and symbols, flights of fancy, characters turned into birds, gods and plants. Their layout is often very complex and at times, it resembles Art Nouveau's ex-libris or stained glass windows. I'm purely and simply in love with it.
It's hard to say right now if I'll ever have the courage to reread the whole story or not, but the pull towards it is certainly very strong and I'd be surprised not to find myself picking up the volumes to dive back into the world conjured up by Takemiya.
I'll probably cry again (a lot!) but it'll be worth it.
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