Just so you know, 14 is not prepubescent, in fact it is the middle of puberty. This is not shota by any stretch of the imagination, as that would mean that Senju was under 13, which he is not.

As for the manga, I give it a solid 8 for many reasons. First, because I just adore Heian period pieces and this manga delivers. The art in this manga was superb and highly detailed. Second, I felt the subject matter was dealt with in an appropriate manner. I reject those who are complaining about the relationship; this was a different time and a different place. There is no reason why we must forbid any portrayals of it just because people frown on it today. That being said, I am a little peeved that they couldn't have made Senju look a little more boyish without loosing the beauty. Seriously, you can look male and still be breathtakingly beautiful.

I thought the smut was ok. I really appreciated the sensitivity and sensuality, but I did not appreciate the ghost penis and how rushed in some places it seemed. I not saying you have to outright go Hentai, but at least give the penis a little more definition. Lastly, maybe it was the translation, but I felt that too many anachronisms crept into places which made no sense at all. I hate to nitpick, but some of the mannerisms that were displayed would not have existed back then. Also, I spotted some simplified kanji, which would not have existed either.

i am a fan of okane ga nai. the characters in this manga are almost as the same age as the characters in okane ga nai. so why is this one shota and okane ga nai is not? anyway i liked this manga very much. 10/10 stars

Let's put it this way. Shota. Is definitely not my thing. However, as I wanted to try the top rated in each genre, I sucked it up and read it. The mangaka places a tastefully placed leg over the boy's manhood, which was VERY appreciated. The political stuff bored me near the end, but the happy ending for the couple made up for it, while the ending for the side character was bittersweet.

The main young guy whom which I can't remember this name well as his name is-- oh wait. It was like Sen-something. ANYWAYS, typical uke and he's quite girly. And beautiful. Total eye candy, albiet underage which can totally turn you off. Otherwise, interesting manga. Of course, it's not like I'll read it again because it was just mediocre. But MAN, there were some hot scenes between the -illegal?- couple..

Normally shota totally grosses me out, and I can't remember why I decided to give this a try (I think because I like stories in this time period), but I am so glad I read this. The art is wonderful and the story totally drew me in. True the uke does look like a girl (he's like a 14 year old pre-pubescent - kind of gave me the heebie jeebies at first in the BL scenes), but he's actually a pretty strong character - stubborn, but also quite brave and very loyal to his friends and especially his seme. The seme was the typical "head over heels" for his uke, but I found it sweet (yes, an overused word but I really can't think of a better description in this case because they were so lovey dovey) how he was so very attached to his little uke (who I think was 14 so this is a true shota - ugh).

I just wish the mangaka had written a little more about Narahiri (I think that's how his name is spelled - he's the seme's best friend and was quite amusing) - actually, it would be nice if that character had his own manga.

I was a little sad to see that the manga had ended, but I'm looking forward to seeing what the mangaka will be coming out w/in the future.

This manga is only good if you're really into shota, or you'll get sick of it by vol 2. At first I found it quite interesting, but gradually the same plot going on and on and on threw me off. Senju is no more than a girl-in-disguise, to be frank i see no reason to make him a boy. Perhaps it would look more natural if he were a girl (though I hate shoujo) . And as a kid Senju doesn't know anything and couldn't do anything. A princess indeed. He ruins my yaoi taste.
But . as I said above, he would be perfect for shota lovers

... Last updated on April 9th, 2009, 10:38am

I have already read many yaoi manga, but I really like this one. It has a really great plot and it is not only focused on a physical relationship like too many other yaoi manga. I am unpatiently waiting for the next chapter to come out!^^

i fully agree with the previous comment. the art is so georgeous, as well as the smex-scene, which was very touching (unexpected for me, since i also read a lot of yaoi). a highly recommended read! ^^

wow i wasn't epecting much as i've read so many yaoi already i thought it would be same as usual, but I am really getting into this story, the plot is great so far (vol2 c6) I am anticipating the next release.