Solfege (Yaoi) [Paperback]

Fumi Yoshinaga (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2007

Kugayama is a gifted music teacher, but a man with little ambition or desire. Born to a wealthy and prominent family, Kugayama passes his days simply going through the motions and existing. When ex-student, Azuma Tanaka, requests his help in studying for a prestigious music school's entrance exam, his budding youth and enthusiasm invoke a passion in Kugayama that he has never experienced before.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taking its name from the skill and practice of sight-reading music, Yoshinaga's new yaoi title takes an elegant approach to a story of forbidden love. Music teacher Kugayama is spoiled, wealthy and lazy—he is also in the closet. A handsome boy named Tanaka comes to him to prepare for an entrance exam for music school; problems at home cause Tanaka to start missing his lessons, and he soon moves in with Kugayama. One thing leads to another, and the two become lovers. In time, Tanaka moves away and begins a very successful career in opera; Kugayama hits the bottle and hits on a boy who resembles his departed lover. That affair goes sour, landing the teacher in the hospital; Tanaka finds him there, years later, and extends an offer to bring him out of his years-long doldrums and reignite his love for music. The sex scenes are fairly explicit throughout, and the dialogue laughable in places ("Finally—now I can get back to my carefree gay lifestyle"), but the characters themselves are believable and Yoshinaga tells their story with compassion and care. (Apr.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156970841X
• ISBN-13: 978-1569708415
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,789,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An expressive and bittersweet love story., April 3, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: Solfege (Yaoi) (Paperback)

I love this mangaka's works. Solfege is another example of her marvellous story telling skill. It is an engrossing read, with beautifully flushed out and realistic characters, good dialogue and a charming yet bittersweet plot. As it's her trademark, the plot is laced with her wry sense of humour and her characters are imperfect, their lifes filled with loss and regrets. Yet redemption is just on the horizon too. The teacher and student relationship here is not the usual Yaoi type but well explored, realistic and strangely touching. As I am quite a "sap" I do wish the ending could have been more dramatic. On the other hand a "melodrama ending" would not have suited the flow of the events, rendering the storyline unrealistic. Solfege is one fine composition indeed.