Customer Reviews

Enslaved by the Dragon (Yaoi) (Yaoi Manga)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Is it worth $12.95? Well it's printed well, and it's a sturdy book, so I have no issue in supporting at least $10 of that aspect...but it's a tuff call as I am cheap fen who doesn't want to pay a porn price for something that's not smutty enough - but I will tell you this, I didn't put the book down! I was able to read it from start to finish, which is more than I can do with some of the other crap I've seen floating around with the term "yaoi" attached to it.

The artwork didn't impress me; and the story was marred by its sacrifice of deep characterization in order to form a happy ending. I am not of fan of `Pretty-Woman' type formulas where the bad guy isn't all that bad and the street urchin is really just misunderstood with a tragic past. Some crits will say it's trying to ride off the success of the Finder series, but that's only because they haven't read it, and of the use of a Japanese gangster - which I think hinders the story. IT IS NOTHING like Finder, and it doesn't try to be, yet as I read the Japanese names they just serve as annoying - the crime lord and his minions might have been better off as Westerners, just like Noah. As for Noah, he lacks any real character depth; I'd like to see him dealing with the fact that his sexual servitude to a man like Tokihiko will one day poison his overall outlook on life, but that isn't examined here because he seems to follow the 'heart of gold' uke template a bit to much. Tokihiko comes off as completely robotic, not just by the way he's rendered in the artwork-but his overall personality, but this isn't a bad thing considering the culture he's meant to represent [Yakuza?], yet to see him discussing an old lover in a moment of poignancy with Noah just came off as forced. Does he need to have a human side? I don't think so. Overall this is well done novel-length debut from writer Reimoz, though I'd love to see her illustrate her own works in the future.

If anything from this review you can surmise that you WILL READ THE BOOK and you WILL GET INTO THE BOOK enough to form your own opinion. As stated above, there is so much tripe being licensed right now it's almost incomprehensible to a western reader to expect a decent story they may want to analyze from a western manga. Let's face it, because there is an established fandom and marketing machine in place telling readers what they are supposed to "get" from licensed manga, a majority of Western BL fans engage in talks of pairings and dust jacket designs while only a few cultured fans take the time to grasp the subtlety of what's taking place in any given plot line.

Now the second story is called Snow Demon. I can't give a comprehensive review, because the story was written by me and scripted by my editor Ms. Yamila Abraham. I can tell you it is illustrated by Yishan Li, known for her wispy-stalk bishounen and her delicate tones, so fans of her aesthetic style of art will likely enjoy this one set in Feudal Japan.

I really like this storyline, and the characters. Sadly, though, I hated the story in the back. I found it to be cruel and sadistic, and not to my tastes. Other than that the art was wonderfully done, and very consistent. I found that I enjoyed this book as much as the book Pinned, which seems to have the same type of art.

I loved the story and the art definetly follows the "Less is more" style, causing your imagination to fill in the blanks.

I enjoyed watching Noah fight his sexual attraction in the beginning, and seeing his emotional attraction grow, even suprising him at times! Sadly, Toki didn't seem to go through this same growth. Only a few times, like when he shares the story of Joshua, does he seem to be more motivated by his emotions and less by revenge for a deal gone bad. However, he does give one the feeling of genuinely caring for Noah at the end, when he forgives a near slip that could have had serious consequences.

The short story in the back was well done, but I didn't quite care for it. I would have liked to see it ended a little better, but, perhapes it's better that it ended when it did.

The illustrations leave something to be desired -- much less detail than I am used to with this sort of book but better than some of the poorly drawn things I have seen. The story too is rather sparse in terms of words but the panels and the events are rather intense. I had hoped things would be a bit more S&M than it was but overall I was pleased.

I enjoy this story more every time I read it. It has a simple drawing style that really pleases my eyes. It has a good amount to sex in it, but I favor the character development of Noah. This is one of my favorite stories by Yaoi Press.

I will say this, I agree completely with the last reviewer. I enjoyed the scenes of hot sex in this novel. Unlike the other book from this publisher called "Pinned" there were plenty of detailed drawings showing the sex scenes and that is what I'm looking for.

The story is pretty weak though, but that is expected. I wasn't looking for the homosexual "Godfather". I just wanted enough plot to perk up the sex scenes.

What I did not like was the old happy ending/love romance. The Uki was far too compliant, far too forgiving, I wanted to see a little more resistance.

Overall, Not a masterpiece, but it is still pretty enjoyable if you know what you're looking for.

I really was shocked by how much I liked this one. It seems the stories I am most skeptical about turn out to be the best overall. This is one of those products of skepticism. I only wish it would continue. I demand a Volume 2!

A must for Yaoi fans!

Realistic. Far above average in the drawings. Simple and sweet story and characters. Refreshing in every way. I highly recommend this manga.