Love+Alpha (Yaoi) [Paperback]

Takashi Kanzaki (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2008

Two's company - three's a crowd! But when the third wheel happens to be a ghost, the results can get interesting! Yuuya is caught in the middle of a supernatural love triangle between Kyosuke the ghost and his childhood friend, Katsuki. Who will he ultimately choose in this tempestuous three-way-love?

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: 801 Media, Inc. (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934129216
• ISBN-13: 978-1934129210
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #761,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A threesome that works, September 30, 2008

By 

H. Carson (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Love+Alpha (Yaoi) (Paperback)

Love+Alpha is my current favorite of the recent Yaoi releases, and I recommend it highly for those who enjoy comedy, smut and Yaoi.

The plot is simple: The dark haired Yuuya is caught between his long time friend Katsuki and his new friend Kyosuke.

Kyosuke just happens to be a ghost.

Normally this would put an end to things, but as Kyosuke is a bit of a pervert whose horniness for Yuuya is not to be denied, he goes after his goal (Yuuya's virginity) with great determination.

His biggest rival is Katsuki, who has been deeply in love with Yuuya for years, and whom Yuuya has harbored confused feelings for. Now, Katsuki, who has been raised in a temple, can banish Kyosuke (but then he wouldn't have `won' Yuuya fair and square).

In return Kyosuke can possess people...

I'm sure your seeing the wonderful direction that nature has intended for these three boys.

The artwork is pleasing, with three masculine (yet pretty) boys, with plenty of smut, and the plot ties up to a nice, neat happy ending.

As as side note, I thoroughly enjoyed the small bits that dealt with Katsuki's older brother (a devout priest type who suddenly finds himself with not so devout thoughts.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a definite "yes", "yes", "yes"!, January 27, 2009

By 

The Yaoi Review - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Love+Alpha (Yaoi) (Paperback)

I like this one... I like this one A LOT and what a pleasant surprise this one turned out to be. The plot is pretty simple; Yuuya is stuck in a love triangle with his childhood friend, Katsuki and a more recent friend from school, Kyousuke. Kyousuke, however, has been a ghost for the last six months due to an accident in one of the abandoned buildings at their school that took his life and has caused him to be attached to that location in spirit. Kyousuke is in love with Yuuya and never got a chance to confess his true feelings to him prior to his untimely death. Katsuki has been in love with Yuuya for as long as he can remember and these two are in a battle for his attention (and virginity). Yuuya is "not gay" so he's having a hard time dealing with his feelings but knows he feels something special for his dead friend Kyousuke. (Ok, maybe the plot's not so simple but it's still good!) So just who does he choose in the end? Well, that's for you to read and find out but the ending is not one you could ever guess and left me grinning and surprisingly really happy.

There are so many fun things about this storyline that I want to say but I really don't want to ruin it for you. All I can say is go out and get it because I don't think you will be disappointed. The characters are sexy, funny, and incredibly naughty and the uke isn't anything like a typical uke. No crying, angst ridden scenes; just sexy, steamy lust filled ones where you don't always know just who his partner is going to be or how many.

The book itself has the dust jacket since it is an earlier release of 801 Media's. The illustrations are really nice and very sexy. Takashi Kanzaki knows how to draw a sexy man and there are three VERY sexy guys in this one. Besides the dust jacket there is one color insert as well as the 801-chan 4 panel strip in the back. The translation is very good and I had no issues with the speech bubbles. The sex scenes in this one are graphic but slightly toned down compared to some other graphic mangas I've seen (only slightly, though!). However, I just love how they are done and the ways the various partners are worked out (don't want to say any more than that!). If you love hard yaoi with a really fun plot, sexy manly characters and great drawings, run out and get this one. I really don't think you'll be disappointed.

Plot = A
Characters = A
Translation = A
Sex Scenes = A-
Illustrations/Book Design = A-

Overall Grade = A

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Love is all you need, February 15, 2009

By 

Jessee Lyman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Love+Alpha (Yaoi) (Paperback)

The art in this book is fantastic, as expected from Takashi Kanzaki, and I will agree that the storyline is original. It has involved characters and heart pounding sex scenes. So you might be asking, why only 3/5 stars?

I think most people will find this book quite alluring, but for me the storyline rubbed me the wrong way. The main character, Yuuya, thinks that he's in love with his ghost friend, who is obviously dead. He realizes soon after their "relationship" starts that he actually might like Katsuki, his childhood friend, better. The entire book Katsuki and Kyosuke are fighting over who gets to sleep with Yuuya first and are perpetually in each others faces.

Although I can appreciate a good threesome and rivals in love, I'm more the person who loves the one true pairing. As long as the two characters in love end up together in the end (which didn't really happen in this book, I think) I'm happy. I didn't really feel like the plot was resolved.

I'm not saying this was a bad book (as I think most people would like it), I'm just giving a warning to all the yaoi romancers out there. If you prefer a nice little romantic wrap up with it ending "I'll only ever love you," this isn't the plot for you.