Dining Bar Akira [Paperback]

Tomoko Yamashita (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Romantic passions battle against cool logic in Yamashita's Dining Bar Akira. Operating a successful restaurant and bar can be quite a burden, full of tension and drama hidden behind kitchen doors. The manager, Akira Koji, lives his life stuck in the middle. He can barely keep his cool as it is. Then, late one night, he receives a confession from Torihara - one of his young employees. Torihara likes him. Not only is he a very attractive male, but he is a full six years younger than the experienced Akira. Suddenly, Akira finds his world shaken up even more. He has never considered a same-sex relationship before, but for some reason he can't get Torihara out of his mind. Will the two of them be able to remain professional when their true feelings finally boil to the surface?

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: NETCOMICS (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600093213
• ISBN-13: 978-1600093210
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Try it, you'll like it!, November 1, 2009

By 

lux "re8" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dining Bar Akira (Paperback)

In the mood for a quick, casual, and tasty helping of Boys' Love? Give "Dining Bar Akira" a try! Presiding over a scruffy crew of dreamers, slackers and a culinary journeyman or two, restaurant manager Koji Akira is dumbstruck when sardonic part-timer Yasuyuki Torihara confesses to "feelings" for him. He quickly regains his cranky composure, and much bantering, guylike rudeness ensues as he gradually warms to the idea of a relationship with another man. The eventual consummation is believably awkward, funny, and though non-explicit (16+) leaves a sweetly satisfying aftertaste. Not sugar-sweet, mind you; these are guys whose idea of a date is a drunken outing to the local aquarium, and watching a baseball game turns distinctly...gamy. Just my type, and a worthwhile bet for fans of Kano Miyamoto's drawing style and/or the rude humor of Shiuko Kano or Modoru Motoni. Waitress? Another order of Tomoko Yamashita, please!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Credible characters. Convincing and believable romance. Unique style., November 7, 2009

By 

R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dining Bar Akira (Paperback)

This is not your typical Yaoi at all. Rated 16+, there is no explicit scenes but Dining Bar Akira does not need it to get my full attention. The developing romance between its two characters is convincing, tastefully done and punctuated with comical and quirky moments. Akira and Torihara are both likable ordinary Joes and it is their very ordinariness which makes these 2 characters believable and gives their romance its credibility and ultimate sweetness. I like the setting in the Dining Bar with its 7 guys and 1 lady. Too bad the story is not long enough to let us know all its characters, but the few who are given roles to play certainly spice up the plot. This mangaka has her own unique style both in her story telling skills and her lovely artwork. Love all those facial expressions. Her guys are guys and I like Akira's little goatee even if I feel guys look more sexy without their facial hair! The story is told from first Akira's view then the dining bar owner's view and finally Torihara's view as these 2 guys struggle with their feelings and insecurities. The dining bar owner Maki is one cool hunk as he watches over the seemingly more vulnerable Akira. But who could blame Akira as he is near mid thirty and the last thing he wants is Torihara, his much younger part time helper, suddenly declaring having feelings for him. Gay love is never easy but "truth is, its foolishly simple" to quote the mangaka :)

There are two short one shots. One on a guy afraid to declare his feelings for his school mate for fear of rejection is bittersweet. The other on one gay man suddenly having the hots for his chubby co-worker is funny but a tad too short.

I hope there is more releases from this mangaka in the US as I really appreciate her unique style and interesting characters and setting which is demonstrated once again in her varied short stories in Black Winged Love.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Non-standard angsty romance, December 27, 2009

By 

J. R. Brown (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dining Bar Akira (Paperback)

Akira, 32-year-old manager of a small traditional Japanese restaurant-bar, gets a love confession from Torihara, a 6-years-younger employee, and promptly freaks; he's straight, and insecure about being older, and not sure he wants a relationship, and just generally angsts the heck out. Torihara, despite insisting he's in love (and lust) with Akira, is oddly ambivalent about how to have a relationship with another man. The story follows the day-to-day activities of the restaurant and its other employees, mixed with Akira and Torihara's slow acceptance of each other and their eventual attempts to build a relationship. The book is rounded out by two one-shots on the subject of unrequited love.

The author's art is scratchy and more realist than most translated manga. None of the characters are bishonen (most are actually relatively unattractive by yaoi standards); there's also a distinct absence of schmoopiness, flower backgrounds and pretty boys gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. Some of the cultural assumptions may be a bit strange to American eyes (and standard yaoi), like Torihara's fear that a gay relationship won't be stable because they can't have children, or his out-of-hand rejection of the idea of two men going on a typical date. This book doesn't deliver the warm fuzzy feeling that many yaoi readers look for, but as an example of the range of stories that yaoi can accommodate it's worth a look.