Loveholic Volume 1 (Yaoi) (v. 1) (Paperback)

by Toko Kawai (Author, Artist)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Nishioka is an immature photographer; Matsukawa is an advertising executive who books him for photo shoots. Instead of fighting crime, they fall in love, because this is yaoi. When the two men work together, the result is successful projects, although they fight all the time. Just as boy/girl sparring is TV code for attraction, so is the arguing here. During their business dinner together, Nishioka finds himself ignoring Matsukawa's statements in favor of staring at his hands. It takes the photographer's assistant pointing out how considerate Matsukawa is to get Nishioka thinking about changing his own behavior. Author Kawai succeeds above genre standards in delineating the characters. Her men are three dimensional in motivation and attitude, and they're drawn with distinction. Matsukawa is more traditionally handsome to Western eyes, while Nishioka resembles a cute boy. The men have background, interests and work conflicts outside of their feelings for each other, which makes this seem more like a story, less like killing time until they get together. The result is a very enjoyable romance, as two people obviously meant for each other figure that out. The backup story is a flashback to one of Matsukawa's earlier love affairs. (Mar.)
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Product Description
Nishioka is a selfish and irresponsible yet talented young photographer living on his own in the world. Then there's Matsukawa, a man working for an advertisement agency, who infallibly makes Nishioka's work a smash hit. At first glance, these two look like they don't get along, but underneath it all there's actually a burning love for each other...

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing (March 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569708479
• ISBN-13: 978-1569708477
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #594,129 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's in the details, September 5, 2007

By	Ais (MN) - See all my reviews

I love this manga. I'd vaguely heard the name before but never paid attention to it until I stumbled across it on Amazon and read a few reviews, then decided to just go for it. I'm so glad I bought it!

I tend to like character development in my yaoi/shounen ai and get a little irritated with the stories that have characters go from thinking they're straight or not questioning a relationship with someone they know to sleeping with them in 0.002 seconds. That's not the case with Loveholic. I'll try not to repeat too much of what other reviewers have said though I agree with the fact that this is a great manga and I love the expressions. I actually like the art as well, and Nishioka is adorable in his glasses.

So aside from the fact that this story has a plausible plot, good character development, and likable characters (Nishioka yells and complains a lot but I find it endearing for him and Matsukawa's gentle, reserved nature conveys a sense of almost sadness at times without it ever explicitly being stated), what I actually loved the most were tiny little details in the art that made the people seem more realistic. For instance, there's a part where Matsukawa is leaning between elevator doors and the way he's posed is how I've seen real people pose in similar situations. In another part, Nishioka is staying late and he's troubled, has a lot on his mind, and is trying to act casual so his assistant doesn't notice; rather than having him sitting statically at the table, he's drawn leaning against the table with his upper arms, one leg supporting him on the ground, the other bent and resting on a rolling chair next to him. I saw that and thought, "I've done that before when I was in a particular mood."

The expressions and poses of the characters convey their own sense of emotions and thoughts without needing little bubbles all over the place stating, "And now Nishioka is feeling sad." I never realized before how much that can impact a story, and how little other manga does that, until I started noticing the details in Loveholic.

Another thing I love is that there are two little stories included in this volume that show an excerpt of each of Nishioka and Matsukawa's pasts, giving a glimpse into why they are the way they are now, and also giving an explanation as to why they could accept having some sort of relationship/ sexual relationship with each other. The flashbacks/back stories are well done, in my opinion, although Nishioka's did briefly confuse me because I couldn't tell if it was a flashback or something current and the borders around the panels weren't black. But I figured it out in the end.

I seriously wish I could buy the entire series right now. I can't wait for Volume 2...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sweet surrender for the true romantic, July 21, 2007

By	straitjacket (columbia, MO) - See all my reviews

i have been a fan of this series for a long time when it was scanlated by fans, and could barely contain my eagerness to see it in print in english. loveholic displays all the delicate touches inherent to all the works of kawai-sensei, and then some. compared to her earlier works, the themes, characterization and the writing in loveholic is a testament of her maturity as an artist and storyteller.

the manga revolves around two seemingly opposite characters; nishioka the eccentric and temperamental photographer and matsukawa, the cool, calm and collected advertising executive. both are involved through work and despite the differences in personality, both actually shares a long history and friendship. the volume slowly explores the growth of their initially platonic relationship as it deepens into a more intimate bond. nishioka and matsukawa recognizes - subconsciously or otherwise - the strong attraction to each other, and takes their time in figuring out what exactly they want from the other. their cautiousness stems from the fact that both has been scarred by personal tragedies in their past. on his part, matsukawa's maturity comes at a bitter price, while nishioka still struggles to reconcile with his past.

the sedate pacing underscores the poignant revolution of their love story and showcases the intricacies of human relations. in this sense, it is truly an adult romance. kawai-sensei's gentle touch graces the tale with a sensitivity that is often overlooked by many yaoi (even traditional romantic) mangas. it is not to say that the characters does not resonate on a sexual level; they do, but it is their deep understanding of each other that serves as the foundation of the plotline, making the manga utterly beautiful and fulfilling.

the art, as always, is typical to kawai-sensei. her character designs are lanky and gorgeous, the lines simple and uncomplicated. the facial expressions are delicate and expressive, which reflects her themes and writing style very well. i enjoy the chibi-fied forms as well. her panels are generally simple and clean, but not too sparse. the plot, while angsty, is interspersed with many comic moments, with a natural flow to it and she makes some of the most memorable supporting characters, especially kumi, nishioka's perky assistant. like most of her work, loveholic so far remains soft yaoi with not too revealing love scenes. those looking for racier mangas should look elsewhere.

this volume is a magnificent start to the loveholic series. i look forward to the continuation of the adventures of nishioka and matsukawa in the future. being a big fan of touko kawai fan, i may be biased, but this is one of the better offerings in the genre, and worth a check.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A chaming loveholic, at times funny, sometimes bittersweet., April 18, 2007

By	R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This soft core Yaoi between Matsukawa, a successful executive, and Nishioka, an independent photographer, is just the type of heartwarming and emotional romance I expect from Toko Kawai. Her artwork may not be the best but I marvel at her ability to inject so much feelings into the facial expressions of her characters. Her words may be simple but they are underlined with emotional depth and her story telling skill is remarkable.
Both Matsukawa and Nishioka are well developed characters. They have been badly scarred by their unhappy pasts and therefore afraid to love again. On the surface they seem to drive each other nuts. But deep down they do care for each other as their feelings caught up with them over the years. Here the mangaka does a marvellous job building up the emotions, from the subtly hint of attraction to full blown need for the other. Her plot is well thought out, credible, engaging, warm and sprinkled with humorous moments. The revelation of both men's unhappy pasts does catch me by surprise, especially Matsukawa's story which is deeply touching and tragic. Finally the last bonus short story is especially sweet.
A great release from Junemanga and I definitely look forward to the evolution of their love in Loveholic 2.