S Volume 1 (Yaoi Novel) (v. 1) [Paperback]

Saki Aida (Author), Chiharu Nara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 2008

Shiba is a detective in the fifth anti-organized crime division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, a.k.a. "Anti-Gang 5" specializing in handgun seizures. Shiba's secret weapon is "S" ("spy"), an informant who plays a key role in Shiba's information gathering. Shiba is training an informant who has been officially accepted into Shinjuku's Matsukura Group within the Budoha crime syndicate. One day, Shiba awakens to an anonymous phone call - "Watch out for your S!"

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing (June 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569707065
• ISBN-13: 978-1569707067
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #945,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story, but a little pricey, September 8, 2008

By 

Jem (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: S Volume 1 (Yaoi Novel) (v. 1) (Paperback)

I read a lot of M/M fiction, both erotic romance and other genres that feature such relationships. I also read a ton of yaoi manga, but this is only the second "yaoi novel" that I have read (the other was Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 1: Stranger (Yaoi Novel)). I enjoyed this story very much, and consequently ordered a few more yaoi novels to try.

Unlike yaoi manga, there is room for much more story and relationship development in a prose novel. For those wondering, the main differences (that I can see) between yaoi novels and M/M fiction is the inclusion of illustrations and the relationship dynamic, specifically the carry-over of the uke/seme roles. In M/M fiction, most gay men like to "switch" between top and bottom in the sexual relationship. In yaoi, one man is the bottom (uke) and one the top (seme). That is certainly the case here. Shiiba is a detective in Tokyo Metropolitan Police investigating arms smuggling/crimes. He works with an informant know as an S, or spy. Shiiba loses his S and has to cultivate a new one. Munechika would make a great S, only Shiiba doesn't like him! But that aversion covers up a secret attraction.

For the first in a series, this was very well done. The plot has a lot of detail, and the ongoing backdrop of a police investigation provides a good atmosphere for a tense romance. Shiiba is a well developed character with a enough back story to make him believable. Readers can easily identify and sympathize with his vulnerabilities. Munechika is kept deliberately mysterious to help build suspense around his actions concerning Shiiba, and it works beautifully. The only problem I found was that the author was a little too detailed about the workings of the police and government bodies associated with crime investigation. I found the bureau relationships and conflicting names confusing at times. I really could've used a hierarchy diagram! Fortunately, a reader can skim these parts since they aren't critical to understanding Shiiba's job, or his purpose. The story has a lot of action, and twists. Also, unlike Ai No Kusabi's first volume, this includes some graphic sexual situations, though they don't occur until more than halfway through the book. I can't wait for VII, but it's nice to not be left hanging waiting for the relationship to begin. Another bonus is the illustrations sprinkled throughout the novel, some of which are quite steamy. They give the reader a little something more than you find in a traditional novel.

My only real issue with this, and all yaoi novels, is the price. S looks like it will be at least 4 volumes, possibly 5. All of these together would equal about one mass market paperback, given their page counts. So, the price is pretty steep considering a mass market is less than $10, and 4 volumes of a yaoi novel comes to nearly $36. However, I realize that the market for yaoi novels isn't large and the cost of translating these from Japanese can be high. In the end, I think the story is worth the cost especially if you can get the books with Amazon's four for three promotion. Overall, I highly recommend S.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A solid DMP yaoi novel release, June 24, 2008

By 

forest fairy - See all my reviews

This review is from: S Volume 1 (Yaoi Novel) (v. 1) (Paperback)

The story centers around a young police detective Shiiba and his undercover work in the Kabuki-cho district of Shinjuku, Tokyo, one of the largest red-light districts in Asia and a hub of criminal activity for Chinese and Japanese mafia.

Aida does a good job of giving the reader an overview of life in Kabuki-cho as well as an inkling of difficult relations between the Japanese police, organized crime, political tension between Japan and China and how it all affects the lives of ordinary people.

The pairing of Shiiba and Munechika is perhaps not as well done as it might have been, but since this is just the first third of the story, their relationship might later on become more believable. For those looking for hot bedroom scenes, there are plenty.

Chiharu Nara's illustrations are also nicely done.

The most surprising thing about this edition of S, at least for me, is the paper quality and the very good translation. DMP even included the first color page, making it look more like a standard Japanese yaoi novel release (I'm comparing it to my edition of Aida's Deadlock). The way a book looks might seem like a very insignificant thing to talk about, in comparison with its contents, but American readers are constantly short-changed when it comes to the printing quality of manga and Japanese light novel releases. For once, it's nice to see something done properly.

I hope that the subsequent two books will be done with the same level of care and I can't wait to see them on bookstore shelves.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll buy vol. 2, July 27, 2008

By 

crackaLackinAshleh "Ashhhh" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: S Volume 1 (Yaoi Novel) (v. 1) (Paperback)

At first, this story was a little hard to get into. In the beginning there is much discussion about how the police system works that Shiiba Masaki is involved with. It goes on for quite awhile and I put the book down 2-3 times until I got into the story. I am guessing that this is because this is the first volume of the series. At the end I was wishing I had a hold of the second volume. This book had the best translation that I read so far. So far the plot is good and I like both of the main characters.