Midaresomenishi: A Tale of Samurai Love [Paperback]

Kazuma Kodaka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

When a roguish samurai embarks upon a mission to rescue his brother from the clutches of a fiendish feudal lord, he himself becomes a pawn of the debauched villain. Subjugation, humiliation, and passion ensue in this long-awaited epic by Kazuma Kodaka. This stand-alone melodrama is perfect for first-time yaoi readers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Be Beautiful (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933440244
• ISBN-13: 978-1933440248
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,117,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh! This is beautiful! This hard core Yaoi is a must!, February 27, 2007

By 

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

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This review is from: Midaresomenishi: A Tale of Samurai Love (Paperback)

This Yaoi from the amazingly talented Kodaka really takes me by surprise but what a wonderful surprise. However as a forewarning, if you are just into "romance which makes you feel good" and you cannot stomach masochism or rapes do not attempt this.
Midaresomenishi is not an easy read at all. This tale of Samurai love is intense, disturbing, brutal, sadistic and violent. Yet it is passionate, poignant, hauntingly tragic and ultimately beautiful. All the characters are well flushed out and vivid.
The protagonists, Shirou, a blood thirsty crimson haired swordsman, and Sougetsu, a true sadist, are such complex and mesmerizing characters. Theirs is a love-hate relationship filled with violence and betrayal. Add in two other characters who hunger for their love, Chihiro (an endearing whore) and Renka (a pervert who ended up gaining my sympathy) we have a complicated but intriguing relationship which keeps me on the edge and craving for more.
The secondary love story between Shirou's brother and his caretaker may seem to be as old as time yet so well written that I found myself shedding tears (oh dear!).
Yet underneath all the violence and passion is a deeply touching story about brotherly love which somehow holds everything together.
Midaresomenishi is truly exceptional. As one who loves Yaoi, I find this tale from the amazing Kodaka truly brilliant. My only regret is that I do not think there is a Vol 2. Part of me wishes there is more of Shirou and Sougetsu. On the other hand, I could not think of a better ending. Just get this!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daring Yaoi Work, March 24, 2007

By 

BL Fan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midaresomenishi: A Tale of Samurai Love (Paperback)

I will not go into details about the story, because the other reviewers have already done so. I think this is one of Kodaka's best works, but it most definitely is serious, brutal, and violent. Her art which has a strong shonen manga influence with strong lines and lots of action, which works very well here. This is a story for adults who want more than the soft, pretty, fluffy yaoi which is the majority yaoi published in the US. If you are looking for something more than a cute romantic story about two school boys, I would recommend this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for any hardcore / SM yaoi fan..., February 9, 2009

By 

Brooklyner (NYC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Midaresomenishi: A Tale of Samurai Love (Paperback)

This story is the first yaoi manga title I've read, and it still stays on my mind, even after a thousand or so yaoi mangas I read thereafter. Moreover, if not for this title, I'd probably never get interested in yaoi manga genre in the first place (I admit I'd been naïve enough to think that comic books are "just for kids"....). "A Tale of Samurai Love" is still one of my absolute favorites.
Some reviewers noted that this book is not for "beginners" / new readers in yaoi genre, but it really depends on what brought you to yaoi manga, i.e., what other things you've read before. I think it's a good starting point for any adult and mature enough reader, who never tried a manga (comic) before but read enough of other "adult-themed" books, especially with BDSM theme. It's very well-written, beautifully illustrated, deeply psychological, and disturbingly dark most of the time. No fluff, no "page-fillers", it's packed with violent action and violent sex, but at the same time it's still quite a moving and even romantic story.

Edit / Nov-2010: I only regret the current price of this out-of-print manga (>$70!), as it's clearly overpriced...I do hope that some publisher will pick it up and re-publish...