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Description
Contains 3 short stories:
Story 1 - They'd been drunk. Or more specifically, his boss(Sakamoto) had been drunk. So when Sakamoto jumped him, Kurahashi just went along with it. After all, it was just the alcohol...right? Wrong! At least, that's what his boss thinks...and said boss doesn't have a problem trying out a relationship with a colleague he thinks is in love with him. Unable to gainsay him, Kurahashi is dragged into a relationship he never asked for - and finds himself getting deeper than he ever imagined.
Story 2 - Two childhood friends who abruptly drifted apart years ago are reunited. One of them is now a Buddhist monk...what does his friend feel about this?
Story 3 - The shy, reclusive, bespectacled Egawa confessed to Aoki on high-school graduation day...and was politely turned down. The two unexpectedly re-unite in university; and to Aoki's surprise, Egawa has become a completely different person who is very popular with the girls! But why does this cause strange, conflicting emotions within Aoki?
I really enjoyed this story. It takes place almost entirely in the office setting (or after-work drinking with coworkers), and except for a brief flashback, occurs several months after the couple gets together. I found it to be an interesting chance of pace to the usual. The art style is also refreshing, particularly since I don't usually feel like every panel is an attempt to pose the characters for maximum "bishi" appeal, no matter what they're doing. In fact, the faces were very expressive, without that constant brooding look.
There aren't a lot of BL manga that I would be interested in buying, because of the lack of rereadability and the way so many blur together, but I think I might like to own this one.
The second story (chapter four) is about two childhood friends, one of whom went away without a word several years earlier, and returned as a Buddhist monk. I didn't find it as enjoyable as the rest of the book, mostly because I didn't think there was enough of the story, and I don't know much about Buddhist monks and what that means for the one character.
The third story (fifth chapter) I liked almost as well as the main story. It's about a sempai and kohai from an all-boys high school. The kohai confessed to the sempai on graduation day, and now they're both at the same university, and the kohai has joined the sempai's indoor soccer club. He's had a "college debut" and is now surrounded by girls, but the sempai has strange, conflicting feelings towards the kohai. It's perhaps silly, but I liked the sempai's characterisation in this one, because it didn't really seem like one that I've seen time and again. The story itself has a good pace, too, and the resolution was very satisfying, instead of feeling inevitable or just the usual for a BL manga.
I think one thing that all three stories share is a lack of that cloying feeling that a lot of shoujo manga and BL manga have - they're not overly sweet or saccharine or angsty. And the drawings have strong lines without the cloudy screentones all over the place.
This is a really fun manga. It isn't particularly deep and the plot is definitely unrealistic - maybe even typical - but it's still one of the best romantic comedies I've read.
The characters are amusing, with very likable personalities. It is incredibly refreshing to find a uke who doesn't blush and cringe all the time, and who looks every bit a man as his partner does. Sakamoto is very bossy and strong-willed, and his 'battles' with Kurahashi never failed to have me in stitches!
The third story is good too - both guys are equally strong and endearing; and though the conclusion is predictable, it was very nicely done.
The second I didn't like quite as much. I'm a Buddhist, so while I acknowledge the truth of the fact that Buddhism does not oppose homosexuality (the only thing our religion prohibits is infidelity to your partner - the gender of the partner is not relevant), I must also note that monks are encouraged to remain celibate. The discrepancy in principles is obviously due to the Shinto influences that have tainted Japanese Buddhism, but still...
Though it's quite difficult to explain the whys and the hows, there's something that sets Zantei, Koibito apart from the majority of BL manga out there. If you're looking for a laugh or two in your shounen-ai, this title is a good choice. If you want something serious - then move on and keep searching.
I don't think this mangaka will ever do "serious" or "deep", but it's not plain fluff either. I like the humor in her stories, and even some of the oneshots, make me want to keep reading about the characters. In all honesty, i really wished this one was longer.
This a so-so manga. The art is clean and neat. Fitting facial expressions with the dialogue. Most of the time, I read a completely scanlated manga straight even up to 10 volumes a day. I read this into two installments. The first read bores me and I stopped. The theme is not that interesting enough to engage me all throughout.
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