Customer Reviews

The Guilty, Vol. 2: Original Sin

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

 

 

This yaoi novel is so entertaining - I couldn't put it down! The second volume of the series picks up where volume 1 left off with the relationship of Toya and Hodaka. Hodaka is a rich, handsome, talented author who (despite all his cool charm) is socially awkward and inexperienced in relationships. He seems to really get off on being sadistic during sex. Toya is the cute little (although they say he's 27 years old, he acts about 16) uke who loves being emotionally abused during sex. So they're perfect for each other! A new character, Amano, is introduced in this book. He is young, tall, and of course good-looking and sexy. Amano falls for Toya. Just as Toya decides he can't stand not having Hodaka's whole heart, Amano makes his move....The ending is all that you could ask for. Angst, despair, drama, love, sex...you get the picture. This is such a fun book to read! I enjoyed Volume 1, but Volume 2 is even better in my opinion.
However, if you get squeamish with S&M, although all in good fun, you had better leave it alone. Plus this is triple XXX

Toya Sakurai is an editor at Sozan Publishing. Recently, he found success when he discovered a new author named Kai Hodaka. His first novel, Emergence, is a bestselling hit. What nobody knows is that Toya had to pay a hefty price to persuade Hodaka to write. Hodaka used to challenge Toya to a game of pool. If Toya won, Hodaka would write 20 pages. If Hodaka won, he would get to do whatever he desired with Toya's body. Eventually, Toya fell in love with Hodaka and broke up with his fiancée to be with him.

Now Toya must ask him to write a new novel, but Hodaka demands to keep playing his game. Toya finds that his secret love is eating him up inside. Hodaka is a distant and cruel lover, unable to verbally express his affection for Toya, causing him to second guess if Hodaka even loves him back.

Meanwhile, Sozan Publishing is so pleased with Toya's work that they ask him to find another novice author who has the potential to become a new best seller. Toya happens to come across a book that bears a striking resemblance to Emergence by a young author named Yo Amano. Amano is a kindhearted young man with modelesque good looks who finds himself quite taken with Toya. When Hodaka notices that Toya's found himself a new protégé, his jealousy causes him to be all the more cruel.

Caught between the two men, Toya can't let go of his feelings for Hodaka no matter how much Amano tries to make him realize that the relationship is abusive and virulent. And when Toya gets wind of a possible new girlfriend in Hodaka's life, he realizes that he needs to make a decision: Confront Hodaka or break it off completely.

It is difficult to say exactly who should read The Guilty, Vol. 2. With its adult themes and explicit sex scenes, it is clearly meant for mature readers. The story and translation are rather simplistic and it becomes the type of book to breeze through on a plane ride or on a commute; but on the other hand, it's too long and has several graphic images that could leave a reader self-conscious about reading it in public.

This book is far from being anything epic, but the best quality it has is that it's relatable, especially to the female audience it is intended for. Almost everyone has had a relationship of some kind where a lack of communication and understanding has caused suffering. If a reader is looking for a decent guilty pleasure, something smutty and easy to read, The Guilty, Vol. 2: Original Sin will certainly deliver.

-- Courtney Kraft

I read the first book and thought it was pretty good but...this story just got better in the second vol. I loved when he told Amano that he only let him have Toyoa for a short time. Toya thought Hodaka didn't care about him and it was a onesided love.

When the younger author said Toya was on his private time and Hodaka told him that he has first rights to all Toya's private time, I thought Toya would object. He pushed the younger author away and left with his lover. Now that is a true Seme with his personal Uke that he is not willing to let go.

This is a romance story in which the Seme reminds me a little of Yuki, from Gravitation. He loves his lover but doesn't know how to express it. Yum yum!! Buy the book you won't be dissapointed, I promise.

I picked this book up because I had the first one for some time, was looking for my yaoi fix, had some spare cash, enjoyed the first one. Bear that in mind that I'm not a yaoi specialist, or in love with this series.

My opinion on the first book:
I thought it was mediocre but somewhat decently written. The pictures were a nice touch but ultimately did nothing to expand on what was happening in the story. The plot was angsty and absolutely tortuous for the Uke which I enjoyed, and yes I more than a little enjoyed the touch of non-consent.

My opinion on this book:
Toya is now in love. Yes, while most people find the non-consent relationships in yaoi a disturbing trend I'm more disturbed that once again an Uke has been raped into loving his rapist. The sex scenes still reek of S&M, but more mainstream than ever. As a matter of fact the entire thing has become like a mainstream yaoi cliche.
-Toya has been raped till he likes it
-There's now a third person for a love triangle (Yes I remember Toyas wife but that served a somewhat different purpose)
-It has become a romance with the usual overdone romantic angst

The ups would be that the writing has somewhat improved and the pictures are naughtier, and also a little more illustrative of the content on the pages. Toya would be cute to most people but to me he is now just a slut.

So when reading this review to help you establish should you buy the book for MOST people this book would be a plus over the last one. That's why I bought it, the great reviews in comparison to the first one when I had enjoyed the first one.
If you prefer a less mainstream, or are a bit more of a sadistic reader then you won't like it as much. So I hope this review can be beneficial to both parties.

And Toya is a S-L-U-T. I'm not name calling he's become insatiable. If you're offended please bear in mind the content of the item we're reviewing and that there is very explicit sex in it. It comes shrink wrapped.

When I ordered the first 3 volumes of this series (mistakenly bought when I thought they were manga), Volume 2 got shipped to me first.

So I ended up having read Volume 2 first.

I really liked the uke Toya, however I could not find much that was appealing about the seme, Hodaka. Frankly speaking the 3rd wheel contender out to steal Toya's heart is a more worthwhile character than the lead seme.

The story revolves around editor, Toya, and his famous novelist lover, Hodaka. It's explained that in the first volume, Toya, who was a novice at pool table challenged Hodaka to write a novel for his publishing company. Each time Toya would win, then Hodaka would have to write 20 pages, if he lost then Hodaka would have free reign to do as he would all night long w/ Toya's body.

In this volume, Toya is directed to pick up a new author to add to his company. Finding a good canidate while browsing a book store, he makes contact w/ a young first time writer who is gentle, good looking, and basically everything that Hodaka is not. W/ his inscure love for Hodaka and a possible new interest love interest waiting for him to rebound; Hodaka's anti-social communication skills may just push Toya over the edge once gain.

Overall, the writing was well done. However, I really couldn't stand Hodaka as he didn't appear to have any redeeming qualities. Constantly jealous, possessive, arrogant, and unable to express any type of gentleness or care to his lover; I was actually rooting for a the younger guy to win.

I didn't particular care for Hodaka's sexual dominating practices either. It really did seem like all he cared about Toya was the sex. All the forced dirty talk didn't sound romantic either.

If you're fan of yaoi novels, then I'd recommend it. Originally, I bought this book because I thought it was a full manga by Hinako Takanaga. The artwork as always is very pretty.