Customer Reviews

Yellow, Volume 1

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

OK, so I waited until I had read (and reviewed) the rest of the Yellow series before I sat down to think about volume 1. When I first read volume 1 I was a bit disappointed. It didn't really go anywhere, feeling very episodic, and the character development was pretty slow. It felt like the series was going to be a bad take-off of Sanami Matoh's FAKE, only with more sex and fewer likable characters. I would like to at this point state that while volume 1 is a very slow start to this yaoi series, it does indeed get much better.

That being said I would like to talk a bit about the merits of volume 1. Going back and rereading this volume after reading its stunning volume 4 conclusion, the beginnings of the Goh/Taki romance becomes much clearer. Instead of seeing it as a very slow, almost stagnant one-way love interest, Yellow becomes a much more intricate and complex story about two work parters who live together and how they interact with each other and their environment. Even in volume 1 we see Taki questioning the nature of his relationship with Goh. He admits that he has love-like feelings for the other man, but has a long road ahead of him in order to separate and define that love beyond that of a partner and friend. Act 2's character, Michiru, does a very good job of presenting the beginnings of Taki's understanding of this difference as he explains his non-sexual relationship to his Yakuza "lover." In fact, in each and every "Act" or chapter, in the Yellow series, underneath the episodic tone, which is part of the frustration many readers have had with the early Yellow storyline, you can see small indications of the changing relationship between the two men. In Act 1 Taki engages in an argument with Goh's then jealous lover that he loves Goh more, not that that love is sexual in nature. Then, in Act 3 we see Goh's side of this where we learn how truly he really does love Taki, and again in rereading the volume after finishing the series, you can really see the play of emotional conflict in Taki over these feelings and the struggle for understanding between the two men. In volume 1's side story (there is a side story in each volume which takes place around the timeline of the end of those volumes) we see an example of the living relationship with the two men as they fight over food choices. It's a short and rather cute story, but it illustrates the dynamic and chemistry that the two men have with each other outside of their working relationship.

In addition to harboring the beginnings of the Goh/Taki developing love story, Yellow volume 1 presents the firsts of many Yellow standards. These include such wonders as the obligatory and unnecessary Taki shirt ripping scene. Volume 1 presents the first Taki shirt ripping scene with flair on page 45 as a group of thugs who had him drugged and tied up are about to molest him. This is where your jaw just drops as you stare at the full page shirtless Taki and wonder, "Wow... fanservice this early in the series." Indeed. But Taki's shirt does not only get removed as a result of people trying to molest him. Makoto Tateno invents new and interesting ways for Taki's shirt to get removed each episode. On page 118, Taki, in an attempt to compete with Goh and without thinking about Goh's sexual preferences, removes his own shirt and is then accosted for his efforts. Related to this is the Yellow standard of Goh making advances on Taki and Taki producing weapons, seemingly out of thin air, to use against the other man in defense.

Then we come to my favorite Yellow standard: cheesy one-liners. Volume 1 boasts numerous one-liners. There are the classic Goh lines, "Once you know a 'man,' you won't be able to get enough," and, "I'm the f** of all f**s!!" And let's not forget Michiru's, "Homos are in my room!" If you can't appreciate the humor in these one-liners, I suggest passing on this series; there are many more where these came from.

The only complaint I would remark about volume 1 is the sort of lame green/red/yellow warning lights explanation of the title in each and every Act. In later volumes we get this Yellow standard fewer and fewer times and in one instance (at the beginning of volume 3) it actually isn't quite as lame.

It's my philosophy to give things the benefit of the doubt and hope for a series' improvement over time. I know manga, particularly yaoi, can be very expensive, so I understand why some would shy away from a series with a slow start like Yellow. Being that I am an individual with a disposable income and will to stick it out, reading the whole series made me appreciate volume 1 all the more, so for those who have avoided this series based on negative reviews of volume 1, please give it a try. If volume 1 doesn't make you want to bang your head against a wall, I can safely ask you to please give volume 2 a try. I promise it gets better (and better still).

A great manga that had me laughing so hard. If you like FAKE, then you'll love this one. It reminds me a lot of Dee and Ryo, with Dee always hitting on Ryo while Ryo continues to keep Dee's paws off him. The tag team in Yellow works the same way. I almost passed out from laughing so bad. It's full of surprising twists and hilarious scenes. I so loved this manga and can't wait for volume two, which I have preordered from Amazon! Trust me, its that good.

I have to admit I didn't think it was this good! ^^

I had another title in Japanese by this author which I bought because the cover was cute... and the inside drawings were also to die for. When I realized it was the same mangaka of this other title I had - which is one of my fav BL titles - I was really surprised.

Yellow's story - and I really like it's plot - quickly picked up a good pace, not too fast and not too slow, just a fluid speed. The main characters - Goh and Taki - are just too CUTE! A homo and a het (yeah, right! ;p) working (and living) together is bound to end up in trouble (which is great for us readers), particularly if one of them (the homo) has a crush on his partner! :D

OK, so I might get a little frustrated 'cause it's going to take a while, but I'm sure we'll enjoy the way to the "finale".

It's a great title and I highly recommend buying this collection!

First of all , I like the size of the manga.Love the cover,font size, love the artwork, Love Taki's illustration.Love the comedy and the transalation.

The story is not bad either and the charater development is done nicely which makes it interesting.I get bored easily with Yaoi mangas that is just all about sex and would end thumbing through pages till I get to the hot scenes but this one I had so much fun reading it.

Cant wait for Volume 2 and 3.

Despite the pityful cover this is perhaps the first manga I read I thouroughly enjoyed.

From many point of view this is the same old yaoi, with all the things I usually dislike in this genre: the depiction of skinny effemminate boys obsessed with sexual roles and involved in histories of violence and often rape.

This time, though, everything works just fine: the art is good, not too stereotypical, the sequence of strips is clear enough with just some little confusion about who is speaking what, the story, not extremely original in itself, works and keeps you tense and interested.

The two main characters have an edge, they are nearly well rounded and act nearly consistently, which is no mean feat in this genre.

Sex scenes are not particularly explicit, which is customary but also sad.

I hope the next volumes will be just as good (or more) and advice everybody to start reading yaoi with this booklet.

Wooooweeee!!!!! I was shocked the very moment I opened the cover the art was magnificent the characters Taki,tooo sexy for words, and his partern Goh,(whistle)drop dead funny and handsome are the best of the best. I was iffy about the title until I got the jest of it. Yellow means caution, do it if ya dare, or in this case the hell with it I'm gonna be risky. Not that I'm too afriad to do anything(I don't know maybe in Taki's situation about Goh but let's not go there now) . It was better then the original title "Vingar"? Somehow I don't think it would of made it alive with that title. I like vingar but not for a Yaoi title yuck! Besides this book is too tasty to be called that.

Taki, is drop-dead gorgeous and I definitely cam see why Goh has a hard time keeping his hands to himself! Taki is the straight "I sleep with girls only" guy ah the torture for Goh. Taki did make known his feelings for Goh but that was only to Goh's bunny boy(jealous brat). Other then that Taki has kept to himself oh there was that one time when Goh was given a drug that caused him to . . .I won't give it all away but anyhow Taki let Goh kiss him. . .there's more but you'll have to read it for yourself.

Goh, the fag of all fags! Hmm I must admitt that I actually love Goh because he is totally in love with Taki but to his dismay Taki seems to show no interest in him. Goh is that devious playboy you love in all Yaoi stories. Goh had one particular lover aka "bunny boy" the jealous and so-called rival to Taki. He was a total immature brat that I in the end felt sorry for, because he justed wanted Goh to love him that way he loved Taki. But anyhow whoa rabbit trail. Goh is a carefree guy that I've come to love because one of his style in clothing cute! But also his kind and caring heart for Taki.

I can't wait to get my hands on volume two and three so I can continue reading this exciting, tortmenting, heart pounding, non-stop, keep ya laughing, "What are they gonna do next?" story.

First a disclaimer. I am quite new to the yaoi genre. My knowledge of manga generally is also fairly limited. It is possible my opinions will not be representative of what a typical yaoi or manga fan will like.

YELLOW involves two partners who live together, and work undercover to snatch drugs from drug dealers. The men are rangy, athletic, and have nice cheekbones, but I find they lack something. Lots of people have compared this series to FAKE. Well, the characters in FAKE leap off the page at you, they are so full of personality. These guys stay politely on the page and look pretty. The art is a bit fluffy for my taste, but the action sequences are clean and easy to follow.

Story wise, the first volume is the weakest by far. If you actually like the heroes (I didn't) and feel that you would want to read on if the story improves, well it does. Volume 3 particularly threw a few nice curves, and included one genuinely funny and human moment. I personally wouldn't spend money on it, though.

From here on in there will be some Mild SPOILERS for the entire series.

The setup involves, of course, the gay partner Goh supposedly in "love" with the straight Taki and constantly trying to seduce him, while Taki insists that he only loves Goh as a friend. My problem was that I didn't get any real sense of love between them, platonic or otherwise. It is stated, but I didn't feel it, and Goh's behavior seems incompatible with real affection. Another problem is that Goh is a rapist, who blandly and unrepentantly admits to forcing sex on his ex-partner. We learn this shortly after a speech about the deep bond of trust that is necessary between partners, and nobody seems to have a clue that raping one's partner is as huge a betrayal of trust as there is.

Goh does NOT rape Taki, though, because he is supposedly in "love" for a change, and doesn't want to make Taki mad at him. But he didn't care whether his old partner got mad or not, so in that case he just forcibly took what he wanted. That we are actually expected to like this guy boggles my mind. He's not even evil in an interesting or psychologically compelling way. He's just an opportunistic bottom-feeder. Be still my heart.

Taki is more likeable, and he certainly gets put in an interesting situation, but he himself has the personality of a cute but overpriced designer toaster. His relationship with Goh is little more than resistance/pursuit. There are none of the nifty psychological undercurrents of KIZUNA or GRAVITATION, nor the goofy individuality of Ryo and Dee from FAKE. It's not nearly as funny as those manga, either.

YELLOW is set in a seedy milieu where everyone is pretty much a criminal or screwed up or morally compromised in some way. But the result is surprisingly insipid. The mangaka is less interested in the psychological aspects of her setup than in its fan-service potential (rape, prostitution, etc), and the one truly interesting thing that she does with the criminal-underworld premise is ruined by the copout ending.

Ever since I read Sakura Gari, this is the first time I got really hooked to a BL manga.

Yellow.

I read the first 4 chapters through scanlations, and decided to buy the actual books as I found it really interesting. But really... Buying the actual books and read the whole volumes in marathon gave me a super strong impact.

It was amazing. My emotion was like being played around by the mangaka.

I was extremely happy, and then hurt in the next minute, and my adrenaline rushed when I opened another page. Sometimes the angst made me terribly pained, but the happy moments made me wanna jump and cry from happiness together with them. Not to mention, my heart nearly exploded in both of felicity and arousal every time I saw romantic moments in this book.

Emotionally beautiful. It was just... perfect for me. I even sometimes chuckled alone, trapped in humorous situations set by the mangaka.

Yellow is just perfect. The great opening and introduction in the first half of Omnibus 1 (vol 1 in normal edition) made me love the interactions between the 2 handsome guys. I also love their jobs. Fun and cool.

Starting the second half of Omnibus 1 (vol 2 in normal edition), things began to reveal bits by bits, and I was simply love their development in both of romance and personality.

And best of all, the whole Omnibus 2 (vol 3-4 in normal edition) was SUPERB.

The tension was killing, the puzzle made my hands itch to quickly open another page, the angst and problems were different and quite brazen - made me become thoughtful and almost hard to breathe for being so drawn into the story. And the romantic scenes were just... lovely (but also hurting). Left me a strong emotion that made my heart almost burst out.

The conflicts sent me to occasionally think: "wow, this is great" or "wow, this is totally different" and "wow, the mangaka really is brave to put this issue".

Yellow is not the typical Hard Yaoi story, with H-scenes scattered almost in the entire pages. But I'll tell you, because of the tension the mangaka built and the depth of the plot, you won't get bored or even have the chance to think: 'WTF, where's the steamy scenes? I need it right away!'

It's true that sometimes I found myself bit my lip for being impatience every time something good happened between them (and nearly rose my arousal), it failed because of something else occurred. But really, the waiting was worth it.

Because as I was really drawn to the suspense and puzzles then completely forgot about the whole H-scenes I wanted to see, then when in the next page I found them finally do what I wanna see, my eyes instantly went wide and my heart fluttered like crazy. So really, the story will hook you and will not make you bored for not seeing any steamy scenes that soon. Besides, for being patience, you'll find the scenes more arousing later xD

Though I could definitely guarantee that even from the first chapter, you'll still find romantic, tempting and quite arousing scenes spread around the book LOL.

But now thanks to reading Yellow, I won't be able to read any BL-mangas again for a while. Because I will definitely feel something's lacking to the other stories. When I feel a great impact from reading a story, I need time to calm myself down before reading another story, lol. Yesterday after I finished reading Yellow, my heart swooned even until I was able to sleep LOL. That's how awesome it was xD

So although I couldn't guarantee you'll like Yellow as much as I do (because of personal preference maybe), I could say that yellow is a great series that makes many, many peaple hooked. Cause it's different from the other typical BL-mangas ^^

And please welcome the handsome and capable uke! Bye bye to the girly, weak and pathetic uke... LOL. Also, the seme is not the typical of a perfect, arrogant seme found in almost BL mangas xD

In short... Again, Yellow is just PERFECT for me!

P.S. The extra chapters in Omnibus Edition are really worth the money!!! I really love them especially the last extra xD

P.P.S. It would be even more amazing if you are absent from BL mangas completely for a few days before reading it. It will help to build the tension better :)

"Yellow" has a similar premise as FAKE, where Taki and Goh are both in law enforcement of sorts, and Goh has the hots for (supposedly) straight Taki. Personally, I like the character drawings better than FAKE, but the sub-stories aren't quite as developed. There is sex, but it's not too explicit for those puritanical yaoi fans (apparently they DO exist).

While not developed fully, the side stories (assignments for the drug "snatchers") are somewhat interesting, and the side characters are given the same detailed drawings as our 'heroes.' I still don't understand the big, covert deal made out of what amounts to a bit of marijuana, and those elements actually remind me of cheezy "Miami Vice" episodes, but like "Vice" these are some very pretty guys, who wear great clothes and are quite masculine. I actually like the ultra-cool Taki more than the uke character of Ryo in FAKE. It's worth the buy for any yaoi fan, and I'm looking forward to the Green Light of Volume 2.

I've been unimpressed with Digital Manga's yaoi releases on the whole, but this one has promise. Volume 1 is a good beginning, setting up the sexual tension that will apparently run rampant in the rest of the series. Goh and Taki have the sort of working relationship you'd see in a buddy-cop movie, which is a lot of fun to read, and Goh's constant advances inject both romance and humor into the plot (even though they're usually followed by a death threat from Taki).

This book's weakness is that it doesn't know whether it wants to be a serious story or not. The majority of it plays out like a drama, but then Taki's responses to Goh seem to be trying for slapstick, which just feels awkward--I'm used to threats of violence as a humor device in manga, but when most of the story is drama, Taki's threats feel more sinister than they were probably intended to be.

But despite its weaknesses, the book's an enjoyable start to this series. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the volumes.