Tight-rope by Natsume Isaku

[insaneneko]

Tight-rope by Natsume Isaku was the perfect salve for a crappy day. Most of the manga is about childhood friends normal guy and son of yakuza. It was extremely conventional and not quite as shiny as Natsume-sensei's other works, but still a pleasant read. Son of yakuza is very fixated on normal guy in a romantic but puppy-dog kind of way. Very been there, done that, but what made me smile is that they all speak kansai-ben. Even the banal sounds just a bit better in kansai-ben, I think. The problem is normal guy who is just too...ambivalent about his feelings towards son of yakuza. He totally knows how son of yakuza feels (since son of yakuza doesn't hide his feelings) and wants to be close...but he just doesn't want to take that next step. Even though he knows he's basically torturing the poor son of yakuza. Yes, it's that kind of story.

What was very shiny was the Doushiyoumonaikeredo story included in this volume. I love that couple (and Shimano's dad) SO MUCH.

I'm glad to see Natsume-sensei's art looking better with each volume. The characters have her distinctive look but look more refined.





I love guys in yukata with there hand in their clothing. Even when the print of their yukata clashes horribly with the background color.




Love the contrast of son of yakuza dressed his part vs. normal guy working in his family's restaurant with his bangs pinned back. And normal guy's comment on son of yakuza's garish outfit.




Cute little kid pic!




Onto Doushiyoumonaikeredo...Shimano's dad finds out! The expressions on everyone's faces are too classic.




Shimano's dad tries to separate them by sending Kurokawa to Osaka, and Shimano barges in to pull Kurokawa out as his dad boos.

I want more of this series. Is there more? Please let there will be more. I would even like to see more of that girl who likes Shimano because she's spunky and calculating but not mean.