1) Romance hidden in the leaves
This was a cute story. I enjoyed it.

2) The road through dreams
Again this was cute.

3) Sign of a world's love
This had an attempted rape....though it was a sexual assault to me...still unsure about this.

4) Odoru Awa ni Tama no Hada
Here's another one like #3. Again unsure about it.

5) Gentle Darkness
This was a weird one. It just rubbed me the wrong way I guess.

6) Shirayuki no Sono Mune ni - Romance hidden in the leaves (1) Omake (deals mainly in the second couple in the story).
This was cute.

I gave it an 8 for the art and for #3 and #4 and #5. 1,2, and 6 are the better ones in my opinion.

The first and last chapters have strongest chemistries in this manga. The second has a sad ending, or so I thought bc those pairings may already knew. The third and fourth have things in common, including weak points, attempted gang rape, and the ukes soften up with the semes. The fifth chapter is pretty brutal. I thought the author is the son of the characters in the book he wrote.

... Last updated on April 2nd, 2020, 5:28pm

Three things I really love about Shin Mizukami that most yaoi mangaka don't do: 1)Historical stories, if for no other excuse than to draw beautiful flowing clothing & long hair. 2)Half the time, the Uke is the one who initiates the romance, & 3)the uke almost always wears the pants in the relationship, having the Seme completely wrapped around his finger & at his mercy (It's a shame she's never done any BDSM manga like Tori Maya).

... Last updated on February 28th, 2014, 2:31am

At least in one point!!! The fifth one was the better, you're right... Mizukami is quite a good sordid storyteller, i love her twisted forms of loving!! They are exactlly like me XD... and sex was *blush* freaking hot: i mean, pin up in a tree sounds more delicious and forbidden than any consensual rape!!!!!!! However i couldnt give less attention to the other stories: The western-japanese one is an overused story but i would say that i must forgive it for such detailed scenary and hot seme! i didnt like the first story so much but the sequel was sexually disturbing because of the scar thing...

What I love about Mizukami is her dedication to authenticity in her works--whether it's in this manga during the Edo period and all the way up to the WWII period, she obviously has made sure to research the pants off of the time periods she writes about. (Putting in a plug here for my faaaaaaavorite manga ever, Rikugun Renai Shikan Gakkou, which is by her and is ridiculously informative about Japan during the war) I love that about Mizukami sensei!

I tried starting every story, but I couldn't bring myself to finish any of them, except for the fifth one "Gentle Darkness", which isn't exactly that gentle. Actually even while reading the synopsis that was the only one that caught my attention, but I really tried the others too, but they seemed too dramatized like a play of some sort without any feelings or poorly portrayed feelings.

Regarding the fifth story it was really dark, I love Stockholm Syndrome and this one was one of the best I came across. The parallel between the novel and "the source of inspiration", may seem at first sight the author basically tells the same story twice, but actually each of them is influenced by the other. And the fact that the novel is left unfinished shows that they want to live together and see what their future has in store for them, a nice metaphor.

My rating is solely based on the fifth story, otherwise I would have to make a mean between 9 and 3-4. I highly recommend this for the great Stockholm Syndrome.

There are 5 one-shots in this collection, plus 1 extra that contines with the characters from the first story. I've commented on the ones that are particularly outstanding. All of them are from the Meiji era.

1. Romance Hidden in the Leaves - A frustrated ronin firmly believes in the way of the samurai tries to instil the teachings into his two students: a playful one and a serious one. The playful one has a lot more adult depth and samurai heart than he shows. The brother of the this always-smiling young man, is in love with the serious student. What will happen to this foursome when the teacher is humiliated?

2. The Road in Dreams - A young master has grown up with two friends: one is his family's servant and he has fallen in love with him. He confesses his love with a love letter, to which the servant can do nothing but ignore due to his position, even though his heart is breaking. The third friend, has grown up to run a 'tea house' of prostitution. The young master comes to him one day, asking for his help. Together they concoct a plan to 'trick' the servant into allowing himself a night to fulfil his agonizing, forbidden love.

This one was poignant and beautiful. The ending is so poetically quiet and bittersweet.

3. Signs of a World's Love - The Europeans have landed in Japan at the turn of the 21st Century. The Commodore of the ship wants an 'oriental beauty.' A young, noble samurai is captured and brought aboard...

I liked the titillation of bondage and non-con in this one, but the ending was simply ridiculous...there is no connection to the prisioner's suddenly changed feelings.

4. Dancing Foam on Jade Skin - A young city teacher is sent to a remote fishing village for his first teaching assignment. All the students tease and disrespect him merciless. One day, they tell him he needs to be more 'friendly', and they decide to take him swimming. Well, once his white skin is barred to this tanned community, they can barely contain themselves...

This one was mostly prony. Fun and very erotic with the 'swimming.'

5. Gentle Darkness - A poor, almost-blind author of erotic books lives in an old run-down house near the estate of a rich family. The lonely, isolated son of the rich family, a spoiled and selfish boy, wanders into the forest and throws a rock through the window of the writer's home, spilling ink all over the writer's manuscript. The writer asks the boy if it was him, and is given a lie...The dark story he is writing has found a muse...

THis is where Mizukami-sensei shines - her twisted, dark stories of not-so-honourable and imperfect, selfish people. <3 Very intriguing and thought-provoking with lots of smutty smut.

Extra: A Snow White Chest - The older brother from the first story feels guilty and responsible for the injuries of the serious student. Can he get passed this to allow love to come through in action?

... Last updated on September 27th, 2009, 3:03am