I was flipping through a novel I randomly picked up the other day when I was struck by how much I like the color insert (see left, click for bigger pic). I love how it's off-center and cut off. I never thought of writing about this particular novel because...it's irritating. I don't even particularly like the novel because of my personal problems with it, but despite everything I am oddly compelled to go back and skim through it every so often.
Sentimental Sexualis (I can't believe how silly the title is) is by Sunahara Touko and illustrated by Yamada Sakurako. I bought it when I first fell in love with Sunahara Touko (I've summarized two of her books already,
here and
here). This is definitely one that made me realize I wasn't going to like every book she writes. ^^;
Aihara Harumi is a third-rate model with almost no redeeming qualities (at least, in my opinion he doesn't...). He's been living with his boyfriend Manabe Sousuke whom he doesn't think of as his boyfriend for a number of years. Sousuke had been a student at Harumi's father's dojo and they had attended the same high school. At the end of high school Sousuke had confessed to Harumi, showing him his savings account balance and telling him he'll make him happy. Harumi, for a reason that escapes him for most of the book, says yes. But he despises gays and treats Sousuke like a servant even as they engage in what can only be described as gay sex (no penetration, though). Harumi is vain, not very bright, selfish, and silly. Sousuke is quiet and patient and very smart (he's in graduate school studying either engineering or science, I can't remember right now). Things start to change, their relationship falls apart, Harumi (and we the readers) realize (learn about) some very important things. It...all makes sense. Harumi's really annoying behavior of pushing Sousuke away (regularly cheating on him) even as he demands Sousuke to indulge his every whim, his inability to accept the reality of their relationship. Most of it is due to Harumi's personality, but some of it is due to external factors. I guess the hardest part to understand is Sousuke's attachment to Harumi (because Harumi is pretty worthless), but his affection (and frustration) feels genuine enough that I can (reluctantly) chalk it up to the "love is blind/crazy/totally illogical" concept.
What else makes me view this book in a positive light is that the sex isn't typical BL stuff. Harumi comes very fast and many times, and is very conscious of it. But because he can't accept that he doesn't measure up to what makes a man good in bed, he makes excuses. He decides that he's normal and that Sousuke is just incredibly slow. They don't have anal sex for years and years and it's kind of an issue but not. The sex is kind of dirty (not a good dirty) and not really erotic, unlike too many BL sex scenes where the sex is elevated way too high. It helps that the art is very nice and very appropriate.
Yamada Sakurako does men very well. The older the men the better they look. She has lots of lovely illustrations on her
blog. I love the cover illustration she did for
Suite Room ni ai no mitsu (bigger pic
here on her blog), which is about the "gorgeous love" of a hotel doorman and the owner of a rival hotel. Unfortunately I really don't like the author, otherwise I'd have so bought the book. Yeah, I'm shallow. I can buy a book almost solely on the cover. He's wearing a partially undone uniform! If only it was written by almost any other author (I only have three authors I refuse to ever buy books from)...
I picked out
Kuchiduke wa arashi no yokan by Kuibara Harumo and illustrated by Asato Eiri to stick in this post because the art is pretty and because I thought Asato Eiri did a very nice job drawing an older man (and I was writing about how Yamada Sakurako does older men well). All she did was draw some lines on the face to give an impression of age, but it worked! This is linked to two books Kuibara-sensei had written previously. In one of them the uke in this book is sort of the bad guy who interferes with his younger brother's gay romance. I didn't realize until I got to the afterward that this book was a linked book. I should've realized it when the uke's brother was gay and he and his lover played a decently prominent (if minor) role. In any case, the uke is an uptight doctor. He meets up with a random guy much older than him while sopping drunk and sleeps with him. He's horrified the next morning and decides to forget about the whole incident. Unfortunately, seme isn't going to let him off so easily. He sets up an
omiai with his younger sister to lure the uke out and proceeds to seduce him. He carefully but relentlessly pursues the uke, never forcing him but not letting up either. Uke resists him fiercely but never manages to succeed.
This isn't a very original book, but it's a rather pleasant read. I personally really like an uptight uke whose initial resistance is slowly, patiently worn down by a loving seme. The seme's maturity and life experience totally makes him so attractive. I love that he'd loved his wife dearly and that he'd lost her to illness. I love when we see a bit of weakness and insecurity in him as well. I love that he can admit his weakness and insecurity. And above all I love his bit of "meanness" towards the uke at the end (which, of course, is totally not). Okay, I admit it. I really like the seme. I don't dislike the uke, it's just that the seme is really great. ^^;
( more pretty pics )The beautiful music I was listening to while typing this post up:
Run by Leona Lewis (cover of Snow Patrol)
Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg
Iris ~Shiawase no Hako~ by Salyu
I Hate You, Cause I Love You by Dorothy
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