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Title: Boys Love

Author:  Kaim Tachibana

Publisher: Doki Doki

ISBN: 9781569700884

May Contain Spoilers

Wow, I remain very impressed with DMP’s Doki Doki line.  There hasn’t been a dud yet, and I am now super geeked whenever a new release appears at my door.  In addition to covering an array of topics, they also offer a compelling spectrum of emotions.  Boys Love is a gripping read about an emotionally tortured young model and how is life changes after meeting an idealistic journalist.  I was hooked from the beginning of this turbulent story about a self-destructive young man, and I want to read more material by Kaim Tachibana.  Is this really the only title that’s been licensed?  That is a shame if any of the others are anywhere near as good.

Mamiya finally gets a big break in his journalistic career when he’s tapped to interview Noeru Kisaragi for a piece about celebrity artists.  What Mamiya finds when he meets Noeru is a moody, sullen young man who doesn’t trust anyone and has a giant chip on his shoulder.  After admiring one of his paintings, Noeru slowly softens towards Mamiya, but when a jealous friend threatens to tear them apart, will both of their careers be destroyed?

In this deftly crafted tale about a jaded, unlikeable model, Mamiya is torn by his feelings for Noeru.  At first, the boy plays him for a fool, dangling his lovers before him and interfering with his job, but soon after putting his foot down, the two begin to form a friendship.  As Noeru learns to trust Mamiya, he leaves behind the cold persona he’s forced him self to play in order to save himself from being hurt.  The change in him doesn’t go unnoticed by Noeru’s best friend Chidori, and soon the three are in the grip of a destructive triangle.  Chidori wants to keep Noeru all to himself, and he hates the positive changes that Mamiya has set in motion within Noeru.

This title works across many levels.  First and foremost, it allowed me to begin to sympathize and then even accept Noeru and his personal hang-ups.   This kid is a total jerk, but the reasons for him behaving badly make sense within the context of the story.  When Mamiya’s positive influence causes him to reassess his life, he begins to make a very concerted effort to change his life.  It’s when Chidori starts to feel that he’s being left behind that Noeru’s real troubles surface.  With his friend sabotaging him, there’s not much hope that he can find the inner peace he has longed for.

I liked the sweet, earnest Mamiya from the get go, and at first thought that he didn’t stand a chance against the worldly Noeru.  Even after Noeru tries to take advantage of him, Mamiya can’t help but be drawn to the charismatic model.  Noeru is like a wildfire, but even the threat of being caught in the flames of destruction can’t keep the two apart.  Their relationship shifts and changes over the duration of the story, emerging as a stronger and much more positive emotion that gives Noeru the resolve to learn to trust again. 

I love the cover of this book.  The various shades of greens washed across the background bring Mamiya and Noeru to sharp relief, as they stare soulfully from the cover.  The interior art is crisp and clean, featuring fine lines and a minimum of clutter.  As an added bonus, the character designs are hawt!  Both Mamiya and Noeru are gorgeous, making the panels snap with life as they struggle to understand and accept their feelings for each other.

Teaming with angst, Boys Love provides a heart wrenching romance that piles on the emotional turmoil.  Reading it is a bit like watching a train wreck – as Noeru’s actions spiral out of control, the reader is left to wonder whether Mamiya will have the strength of character to save him  – or whether it might be best for him to cut his losses and just let him go off and self-destruct.

Grade: A-

Review copy provided by Doki Doki Books