you know something is REALLY good when while you're reading it, you actually FEEL your heartstrings being pulled...hard. it's sort of an aching feeling.

what's unique about this manga is how in intimate moments, they have a little or no dialogue...letting the story and the moment happening in the manga flow page by page. yes, the art is 90s, but for a series this good, the art works out just fine. this is a great story about true love, sacrifice...great stuff! just a beautiful storyline and manga - from beginning to the very end.

DON'T MISS THIS ONE! (seriously)

I bawled, like a baby.

Artwork aside, it's such a great manga. That's not to say that it's bad, it was hard to get used to, but I found it unique and appropriate in the end. There were several pages where there are no words/dialogue and I found them very lovely.

Oh the angst! Read it and weep :c

This is such an amazing Yaoi manga that is so much more than your standard sex scenes. Unlike most other reviewers, I thought the art was gorgeous, even in the 90's style, and matched the angsty feel of the manga very well. The way the mangaka drew their eyes conveyed so much emotion, especially when drawn across panels. I had to admit, it was difficult at times to tell which character was who, but you learn to pick it up after the first few chapters.

The love between the characters also came off as very pure. It was very touching, and from the beginning you know it won't be your run-on-the-mill-happily-ever-after ending. The ending caught me by surprise actually and what took place illustrates how strong their love is. I highly recommend this manga. It had been on my wishlist for three years - I wish I would've read this sooner!

... Last updated on May 26th, 2015, 1:01am

This was one heck of a story. In a good way of course. I wouldn't say the characters are promiscuous, but it's true that they did have intercourse with different partners over the span of the story. However, surprisingly, I only came up with this conclusion after having finished reading the whole manga. It seems that I was so engrossed with the story I didn't notice that fact at all. That's when I was suddenly hit with the realisation: The story-telling, character development, plot progress, panelling, everything was done so well in this manga, one wouldn't even have time to look left and right to judge and comment at all. Despite the fact that the issues brought up in the story are quite heavy stuff, they were dealt with under real care and authenticity. I didn't have to cringe or feel sick because of the gore/blood/violence/sexuality like I sometimes do with other series. This truly is a sublime piece of work.

Normally I'd take much consideration about artwork into account, but somehow the mid 90s' style of art in here feels strangely suitable for the story, and it's not like it's horrible in the first place. I used to avoid this mangaka due to my strong dislike for some of her later works, but I gotta say this manga, especially when it was written almost 2 decades ago, is freaking brilliant, not just for its genre but for the whole package.

I found this title highly enjoyable. The story-telling is great, really directional, which is typical of this mangaka (she rocks!). The story goes someplace, and you care about it, you're riveted while you read. Or at least I was. I liked the way she does narrative voice a lot, as well. It's subtle, but it directs the story. And the characters are great- sometimes they are highly unlikable, sometimes they break your heart- definitely complex. Shades of gray. As far as the art goes... yes, sometimes it is a little hard to tell characters apart. And some of her male bodies are a little oddly shaped. However, overall I liked the art. Especially the way the artist provides you with highly realistic backgrounds, and reuses shots (drying laundry from below, anyone? I really liked the way she reused that)
The story is old... it really is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. After the first volume, I found myself thinking, "Wow, this is Romeo and Juliet" only, as I think someone said in a comment, the yaoi version. Or West Side Story. A lot like the yaoi version of West Side Story.
Anyway, overall highly recommended!

I liked the plot a lot. Especially the ending spoil, spoil It was extraordinary. I love unhappy endings as long as they make sense. Rose of Versailles is a perfect example of such nice unhappy endings.
Although the art is not of the best quality (I could not even distinguish the characters most of the time), since the story is so well-established, you should give it a try and read it.
I would like to read a sequel of this series. Yuchin and the little bot who admired him a lot would be an interesting couple. I hope the mangaka works on sth like that.

by the end I'm sobbing nonstop

its so sad!!

but so good never the less

SO READ IT AND CRY!!

i recommend it

Like others have said, this kind of reminds me of Let Dai crossed with Romeo and Juliet in a way....forbidden love, rival gangs, city backdrop -- the art is worse than Let Dai but has that same 80's feel to it. It is very good, very emotional, nicely paced....

It isn't blowing my mind away (yet), but it's a very good story, very well thought out. You grow to respect the mangaka.

One thing that's amusing is that I've just finished volume 2, and it suddenly seems like it's turning into one of those yaoi universes where *surprise surprise* everyone is gay. LOL. It's not contrived, but. Just. Lolz. Also. fuu fuuuu...A good thing about it taking place in gang-controlled Shanghai is that few people make it past 30, so everyone's young and beautiful. ♥♥♥

... Last updated on April 7th, 2009, 1:36am

First of all the art was terrible. To the point where I could barely tell who was who. There was only two people I was always able to tell who it was, and that was only because that person was the only one with that hair style/length.
The story was interesting enough that I put the bad art a side and kept reading, but the only thing that irked me was the only female character. I kept wanting her to die.
Again interesting enough, but to me started flaming out a bit in the end, and was mostly predictable at how the last dramatic scene was going to be.

If you can get pass the bad art, and one annoying character, than give it a shot.

This is the modern Romeo and Juliet for you.

You can feel it. Yes, you can feel it. The pain and the joy of the main characters. The storyline is wonderful. Bitter and sweetness mix together until the end. However, it does have some thing brighter than the classic Romeo and Juliet as it did tell you about a happy possibility (what i doubt that it 's not possible). You better prepare before you read this and for those who had already experienced Banana Fish this is something that may be in the same level.