Unlike other incest story when they just mentioned it and let it go, the mangaka actually focuses on the emotions of this forbidden relationship. It makes you really want them together.

... Last updated on March 18th, 2013, 9:01am

I really need the next chapter. I rarely find incest theme focus on emotional bond rather than physical one. So I'm really please with this story.
I hope it get scanlated soon TT__TT

i must say Tagura Tohru-sensei really did her best in this manga.
the feeling of the brothers are really intense though it's not a yaoi manga.
i cannot deny their feeling to each other.
actually, i hate (or dislike) mangas with incest-theme because they tend to be non-sense. but this manga is a real delicacy in sense of that.

Haikei, Niisan-sama is a true gem, from beginning to end. Though it may appear at first a light reading, it is by no means devoid of significance, insight and heartfelt, pungent moments. Against the song of cicadas and the sweet scent of summer, it is an intense, if silent, turmoil of emotions that we pay witness to as these two brothers learn how to cope with their feelings of affection towards one another, both as siblings and as each other's own individual self.

Finally we have a piece of work that tries to deal with incest as it should be done: Tagura-sensei does not gloss over the conflicting implications of desire between blood-brothers, but rather incorporates it into a beautifully crafted narrative of tender if forbidden love that will ultimately lead us to the rewarding finale of a life of endless possibilities. Indeed, there's no grand prospect of the happily ever after: the whole volume is only a prelude to that greater story.

The manga is not without its faults. For instance, I too agree that the side characters were too accepting of the incestuous relationship. However, I do feel that it is possible to read around those small details in order to fully grasp the core of the story, which is not something that happens easily with other manga of the sort.

I really liked it.

... Last updated on January 31st, 2015, 7:09am

this one got me good. damn you sensei.

as a BL fan i saw the tension between them and i want them to say "fuck everything" and get down to business. but then the mangaka really makes their bond as brothers deep and believable and poignant. they WILL lose that if they throw caution to the wind and become involved. which would be the larger tragedy? im so happy they made the right decisions but also so SO sad the tension was basically unresolved.

UGH. now i need to go read some unbelievable dark brother story where they dont care about anything ;_;

edit: I've reread this series and I'm going to share my interpretation of the ending since others seem to be confused.

The unrequited love expressed in this manga is truly heart wrenching. It really is a powerful emotion to try and forget someone and move on only to be confronted with the fact that you truly love them and could never forget those feelings. I really wished for Yutaka to be able to express his feelings, even if it was in vain. I'd love a sequel where Yutaka grows older and is able to choose his brother as an adult with a better understanding of his feelings. Sensei please write this sequel!

... Last updated on November 9th, 2017, 2:29pm

This is rather a huge step from Cello Mellow that the mangaka had made. Her skills in everything have improved, from the setting, story telling, panelling, drawing etc., I must say I'm deeply impressed. The characters are so loveable that it's impossible not to want to root for them, and while the story isn't exactly new, it's how the author had executed it that had elevated the manga to a whole new level.

I love how she deals with the issue in the manga in small steps one by one, creating an authentic feel and most of all persuading readers to believe in the story, although it's not completely realistic if we actually break it down. And I also especially love the fact that the two brothers don't just magically end up together in the end for granted; there are trials and obstacles (mostly within themselves) that they need to overcome together.

From beginning to end, there's this gentle manner in which the mangaka had handled the characters and their stories with care, yet the manga's still very impactful and effective in evoking emotions. It's a really hard thing to describe. And the book's beautiful to look at as well (though I wish the cover art was just a little bit better). I'm definitely looking forward to sensei's future works, with all the best wishes from me.

... Last updated on August 2nd, 2014, 11:25am

God dammit. I don't think I understand this manga. I've finished it, but...I don't understand the open ending. What do they decide on, being just brothers or moving on to a different type of love? It's unclear and that makes me really upset. I wanted so much to like it, as I read some of the reviews before reading it, which is something I rarely do.
However, it's funny how each person perceives things differently. Reading the reviews one more time, I was halfway through finishing my own review when I realized I was about to write the exact opposite of what most people had written. I, for one, thought the dialogue was really confusing at some parts. It didn't seem like the first and second half of one's sentence was connected. I thought it was because of translation, but apparently it's like this anywhere you read it. And then the characters' train of thoughts was really off at some parts, to the point of being incomprehensible. On top of that, some parts were Yutaka thinking and some other parts it was Minoru, which made it even more difficult to understand who was thinking what.
It was also really confusing how they fell in love - they did, right? At this point I'm not even sure anymore if I got it right or if it was just brotherly love. Through the letters? Or the first time they saw each other again? Or was it even before the got separated? It's hard for me to accept they would have fallen in love through the letters because Yutaka was SIX when the started exchanging them.
I also feel like the content of those letters was essential to understand the story, and though the mangaka knew what was written in them, we, readers, did not. Yutaka says everything he wanted to say to Minoru was in those letters. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I didn't get to see what was in them. It also took me a while to realize why they were exchanging letters in the first place. Nowhere in the manga it says they were in 1993, except on the very last page. I was thinking through the whole chapter "why can't they just call each other? Or text?".

At the same time, for some reason, thing manga isn't angsy at all! I cry with just about anything and didn't even shed a tear for this one, it had a very light and easygoing feeling, even though it was such a complex theme - which I don't think is a problem on its own...
I didn't think either of the characters were really well developed, but in this particular case, I don't think it matters, as their feelings were, and that was the most important part of the story.
Th only redeeming point is that there is a girl and she is't annoying. Momoka seems to understand more about the characters than they do themselves. I quite like her.
With all that being said, I don't think it is fair of me to rate this manga, as I would give it a bad rating for lack of...information, perhaps? Resolution? I don't know.
My only advice is: don't read this if you don't like open, unresolved endings - which is my case

... Last updated on June 8th, 2016, 12:31am

This is possibly one of the best stories I have read. The romance is gradual and the emotions in this really make me, I don't know, it just really touches me. I can't get this manga out of my head. With a bittersweet theme of forbidden love, this is a story everybody who loves a bit of melancholy and romance should read. The characters are rather realistic in their thinking unlike other typical incest yaois. Please, you have to read this. I hope the translators don't drop it. This has been my highlight of this month, it gave me so much emotions. It just grabs at you. Its a masterpiece I'll never forget.

I didn't know how to rate this considering it was about incest between two brothers. Before reading it I assumed it would just be about brothers who weren't actually blood related or some kind of kink manga, and I was fully ready to give it a low rating. It really is about two brothers realizing their feelings are slightly different from the typical brotherly love and therefore having difficulty staying apart from each other. I can't give it a bad review because the mangaka took the topic seriously and wrote something that was actually quite beautiful and pure. I agree with some of the other reviews that the side characters were unrealistically accepting of the situation. Considering that most people in the world, and especially in Japan, find incest taboo. But then that got me thinking about why this particular case is taboo considering that they're both men and have no chance of inbreeding. Anyways, I thought it was interesting to read, and the art was okay. If you're one of those who are repulsed by incest regardless of the circumstance then don't assume this will be any different for you. It really is about blood related siblings so read at your own discretion.

I totally agree with mtmt1311. I'm quite open-minded and dont find fictional incest themes offensive, but I hate the way mangas and novels usually treat them too light-hearted as if they don't matter at all (many even started with a r*pe, WTH??). This manga is very different. The story progresses slowly and focuses more on the brothers' feelings, you know how much they struggled to get out of this strange relationship. I just pray that the scanlation group will not desert the series and we will get to know the final chapter.

By the way, does the person tagging this "platonic love" really understand what that means? O__o' I really want to delete it but can't. As I as I understand, this is indeed shounen-ai, they do have sexual desire (at least they kissed right?) and therefore by no means it can be called "platonic".

... Last updated on September 18th, 2013, 3:32pm