10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Il Gatto Sul G, November 6, 2006
So refined. The art is gorgeous plus the story is intriguing. If you understand psychology and the way multiple personality disorder works than you will realize the author did their homework. Also and ofcourse if you are not into guys falling in love with guys than you will probably not enjoy this. I personally don't care who falls for who as long as the characters are emotionally engrossing and the story is able to hold my attention, this will. Volume II only gets better! It's so sexy, musically, erotically and subtly.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling Story with Complex Hero., March 12, 2007
I assume that those reading this have read Volume 1 and want to know whether to continue. Well, Volume 2 is longer, better written, darker, more intense, and the art is even more ravishing. So there you go. One worry I had with the first issue was that the situation was so complicated that I felt a happy-feely ending would be painfully contrived. But it now becomes plain that the manga-ka is not interested in a quick fix.
In fact, it looks like we are in for a long, messy storyline. The difficulties of Riya's position become even more apparent. On the one hand, we learn the level of commitment and extreme psychological stress it takes to be a first class violinist - but we learn also that Riya's specialized education has left him unfit to support himself any other way. Atsushi is compassionate, deeply attached to Riya and longing to be of help to him. But he is only a college student; flawed, fallible, and in WAY over his head. Riya's "suitor" very much resembles what often passes for a yaoi "hero". But his self-justifications for the assault in Book One (the "you really wanted it" shtick) seem intended as a form of psychological abuse designed to undercut Riya's self-respect and ability to defend himself, rather than a position the author has any sympathy with.
This volume contains some dramatic developments in Riya's relationship with Atsushi, with his creepy sempai, and with his Other Self. The story also examines Riya's relationship with his family, including his mentally unstable father in America. His seemingly sympathetic cousin Saki shows up to push the plot along, drop tantalizing snippets of information, and behave enigmatically - turning this into a mystery in addition to everything else that is going on.
The art is delicate and gorgeous, but deceptively so. The effect is dramatic rather than "fluffy", and successfully conveys not only Riya's vulnerability, but also his rage, obstinacy, and artistic drive. Although fragile, he is no pitiable martyr, but a difficult and complex youth who "has his own pride". There was a tendency for the writing to be slightly stilted and clunky on occasion in Volume 1, but it flows much more smoothly here. It still comes across more formal than naturalistic, but that seems now more the style of the book than a problem.
It is rare for me to read a manga so grounded in the real world, where real problems (such as how to earn a living) are actually important to the story. And rarer to read a title in DMP's "yaoi" lineup where traditional storytelling values such as attention to plot, character, and setting aren't being sacrificed for contrivance and fan-service. But it is still a "yaoi" title, and as such a certain amount of sexual content per volume seems to be considered obligatory. Considering the excellent potential of the story and the increasing seriousness of the subject matter, I rather wish this was not the case. My view is that the characters have enough problems without being contrived into exploitative situations for my supposed enjoyment. So far, Miyagi does an impressive job of maintaining story integrity in face of genre requirements, but I fear the story may in time fail to justify its darker themes. Still, I have tried over a dozen "DMP June" titles, "Yaoi" and otherwise, and this is EASILY the one most worth following.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A YAOI Gem, December 21, 2007
This title is FANTASTIC. The plot is MUCH deeper than what fans expect from YAOI, and is both artistic and intriguing. The artwork is WAAAAAAY above what YAOI fans are used to, with not only beautiful boys, but whole frames that can truly be called art. You WILL NOT regret adding this title to your collection.
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