Utsukushii Utsukushii Utsukushii by Takaguchi Satosumi

When I saw the scanlation of
the first chapter of the one volume manga Utsukushii Utsukushii Utsukushii by Takaguchi Satosumi had been released today (by Aarinfantasy), I finally felt an urge to write about it. It's the sad love story of a boy who loves beautiful things and a boy who thinks he is ugly. I first heard of it in a review (in Pafu, I think), and checked out amazon japan and other places for other people's opinions. I adore sad stories, but I am very wary of Takaguchi Satosumi because she is very hit and miss for me. Unfortunately, I was horribly disappointed with this one when I finally got my hands on it. The first chapter is lovely. Akira's girlfriend breaks up with him because she is moving. Her brother Akio later delivers a letter from her to Akira. Akira rebuffs the letter, but is drawn to Akio--Akio has the same fingernails as his sister. Akira pursues Akio until they end up with a strange, amorphous relationship. And then they aren't. This is trying to be one of those stories that are not about the plot so much as the mood they convey, suffused with a sense of sadness, supressed longing, transient beauty, and a feeling of floating. The characters are but bubbles that ride the flow of sensation and emotion to the inexorable end. You know, old school stuff, all about the aesthetics. It tries, it really does. Too bad it totally failed for me. There was no meat to this story at all! I need something to cling to, something that resonated, something to make me sigh just a little....and this manga gave me NOTHING. Well, nothing but irritation and frustration. ^^; The biggest problem? Akio. WTF was up with the guy? He was beyond inexplicable, he was inconsistent and uneven. We never get a glimpse into his POV, and his actions didn't make any sense. The guy hates himself--Why? Apparently he finds his own physical lust dirty, but...then why does he end up going out with some random girl, then? What did he seek in Akira? What made him turn away? Akira isn't really developed either, so in the end I didn't feel touched or moved by his loss. He didn't seem touched or moved by his loss, so I'm tempted to say that maybe we weren't supposed to be moved or touched...I doubt it, though. *shrugs*

The art totally didn't impress me, either. It was...lacking...Kind of like the story. ^^;

I know I ragged on this manga, but I will say that I saw a lot of positive reviews. Maybe my reactions an anomaly.

( an excerpt from the first chapter I liked )

One positive thing to come from researching this manga was reading a review of it on a Japanese blog. I love how she reminisces about back when the term "boy's love" didn't exist. Stories about two males in a romantic relationship tended to end unhappily. While she notes that there were social issues with homosexuality, the biggest reason was because "that way is more beautiful" (emphasis hers!). The beauty of the bishonen is clearer when the story ends sadly. Such bishonen have an unstable beauty that exists only during a short time in their teens that will soon fade. Of course the loves of such bishonen can't last forever, unless one goes the route of "Poe no ichizoku" (vampires)...Not like that ends well. XD