insaneneko

Kemono ai no shikku, written by Nijyou Akio and illustrated by Uemura Hatoshi, is an absolutely ridiculous novel that I can't help but go back to. I bought it a while back and thought it was completely worthless (except for the very pretty art), but I recently dug it up and reread it. It's still worthless, but this time I found it entertaining despite all of its flaws instead of just plain stupid. It's a cross between Initial D and a sold-into-sexual-slavery story featuring (relatively) innocent college kid Yuu whose friend Eita gets hooked on driving fast on the mountain roads and racks up huge debt by tricking a good racing car out of yakuza and getting a very good mechanic to mod the car into something spectacular. Yuu ends up being offered as payment (betrayal!) and is taught the art of being a good fuck by the mechanic (who is not only good at making cars go fast but also turning an otherwise normal person into an amazing lay that everyone wants a piece of). There's more, of course. Mainly a bit of a history between the main yakuza (who happens to be the best driver in the area) and the mechanic, but also the typical eye-roll-enducing "fall in love with the asshole who is fucking you" angst. A decent writer could possibly pull this story off, but this writer is most definitely not a decent writer. The characters are inconsistent and completely unrelatable (and mostly unlikable). The story and the characters lurch from one situation (or emotion) to another, probably to satisfy some checklist the writer had to fulfill. The only things that kept me engaged were the art and my affection towards driving on mountain roads from Initial D. So...naturally I wanted to share the badness.


( NSFW FTW )

S.S.SP by Yuuki Kazumi and illustrated by Norikazu Akira, as I've mentioned before, is totally in my strike zone. It's about one of those detectives who is dogged, driven by instinct and impulse, and slightly dopey in the "I'm a new uke" way. He is saved from a really bad spot by a random hot guy and ends up learning the joys of ghei sex. He tries to forget that encounter when he is "volunteered" for a program to train SPs. He somehow manages to get selected to join the SPs (he totally thought he wouldn't make it, as did his co-workers and boss) and is shocked to find that his totally awesome, man-crush-worthy boss reminds him of that dude he'd been trying to forget about. He spends the rest of the novel being an SP, being in denial, helping his boss solve an old case, and being somewhat like a puppy in demeanor (eager and unintentionally adorable). While the "is he the same guy or just a doppelganger (or possibly a relative)?" trope can be tiresome if done badly (and oh have I read some done BADLY), this totally worked for me. The author did a good job of creating a character with flaws that allowed for the various tropes but did not grate on me. In fact, he was endearing.

The art is fairly nice but as I don't have a working scanner and my attempts to take photos from the book utterly failed, I won't be sharing any. Sorry!

( the summary )

After proofing the summary I think I've pinned down the biggest reason I like this book: Dopey sweetness between seme and uke! No meanness! Reminds me of how I felt reading Niizuma Deka. It's nice getting silly happy fun with a huge dollop of sweetness. The police case was actually interesting in this book, too. Half the time with police BL the case is stupid or totally incidental.

I'm a bit dissatisfied with this summary. First off, no pics. Second, I don't think I gushed enough. I really, really liked this book. But I'm so tired of working on this (I've been hampered by internet connection and computer problems as well as problems focusing for long enough to finish it up), I just want to post it and not hold onto it and rework it some more. Just imagine a ♥ (or two!) after every sentence because I do love it so. ♥♥

Suki to ienakute by Ogawa Illa and illustrated by Kitahata Akeno is a sweet story about two university students and the friendship that turns into something more. The main character is a simple guy, sweet and straightforward, so the narrative is colored sweetly and endearingly by his point of view. He's not that angsty, but he has his troubles that he has to work through. Basically, the two care about each other so much they can't make the next step because they don't want to destroy their friendship and don't think the other loves them back in that way. Yes, it's cliched, but I wanted to pet the main character throughout (though I personally wouldn't want to be his best friend or girlfriend). I adore this story so much, even though there is nothing really original in it.


( summary and pics )

Hana ga futtekuru by Sakiya Haruhi and illustrated by Ima Michiko is a lovely lovely lovely book I can't even begin to do justice to in a mere summary. It's about cousins, one who is gay and has been in love with the other. The other is straight, but has always been very protective and indulgent. It's a lyrical story of how they come together. I find it wonderfully, lushly romantic. Painful, especially the beginning (unrequited love, anyone?), but the payoff. It is big. BIG. I had a hard time condensing the story because a lot of the beauty of the book is in the mood and the tone, so I've been working on it in chunks for weeks. I hope I was able to convey even a smidgen of what makes this a great read (though I suspect I've totally failed). Just read the book and savor it, if you can.


( the summary and pics )

A bonus: Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. I'm mad for this song right now, and it has the right feel.

15 cm miman no koi by Sunahara Touko and illustrated by Minamono Mashiro is about a guy who is very very tsundere and deeply in denial and how he figures out his feelings for his very very socially inept and frighteningly dense classmate from college...by becoming 15 cm tall. What makes it kind of fun to read is that both of them make or made dollhouses and he is the perfect size to live in them. How is that not awesome? Also, there are some very cute illustrations. Though I don't dislike this type of set-up, the extreme tsundere-ness of this particular guy was a bit wearisome...


( pics! )

First half here.

( more summary and pictures )

Chocolate mitsudo by Sakiya Haruhi and illustrated by Nekota Yonezou is a supremely conventional story that I love to pieces. It's about a young guy, not particularly sharp or especially stupid, who is thrown into a very confusing and distressing situation--a very sexy, very overpowering man swoops in and fucks up his life. There are so many things about it I'd usually hate, but somehow this author made this character so appealing to me that I just feel for him instead of picking apart the story. Also, the art is pretty! There are cute dogs! I even love reading the sex scenes! There is almost no bad in this book for me. XD

Shiroyama Kouji is a carefree college student who enjoys clubbing and having casual sex with both guys and girls. He's introduced to a part-time job dog-sitting two adorable Corgis for a sculptor, Kazami Masato. Kazami is not only talented, he's uber hot. But there's no instant attraction between the two. Kouji is a good kid and works hard. Kazami takes a shine to him. Unfortunately, things completely change thanks to a misunderstanding...

( summary and pics )

Barairo no wana written by Yoshiduki Shouko and illustrated by Nara Chiharu is a very cliched and conventional story with gorgeous pictures. Akiyoshi Yoshitaka is a hard-working member of the family that owns a big hotel company. He is charged with opening a new bar in a hotel, and he wants a particular bartender to run it. Unfortunately the bartender, Isoya Reishi, isn't very interested in working at a different bar. When Akiyoshi pushes, Isoya proposes a deal. He'll work at Akiyoshi's bar if Akiyoshi gives him his body. At first Akiyoshi thinks Isoya is messing with him to get rid of him, but he decides to hold Isoya to his deal...

Yes, it's that kind of story. There are two details that get me to reread this one. First, that they both act like adults (most of the time). Second, what happens at the end. Silly, but fun. XD;

( pretty pretty pics )

Soba ni aru nara, inu no you ni by Maki Sakaya and illustrated by Daikokuya Ringo fits into a type of story (usually children's lit) that I adore to pieces. It's about a child who has lived such a deprived and abused life that he has developed a totally whacked out world view and/or coping mechanism, and how he slowly learns love and normalcy (such as it is) and happiness. How I wish that was all it was and not BL as well, because the BL stuff was either odd or awkward or just plain icky. But after rereading it I felt such pity and affection for the main character I decided I could live with the parts I didn't care for (of which the BL is really only a small portion). The story could be boiled down to a few sentences, so little actually happens. But a whole book is possible because it is filled with the main character's thoughts as he's thrown into yet another whacked out situation....which ends happily this time. XD


( the summary )
( pics )

Tadashii shinshi no otoshikata by Minazuki Sarara and illustrated Nagato Saichi is an odd novel. I struggled to think of a good way to describe it until I read the lone amazon japan review and things clicked. The reviewer commented that the writing and the dialogue were old-fashioned. It tries to achieve an old-style coolness that works (more or less, except when it doesn't) but is just so unlike the genre it feels almost wrong.

Honjou Takashi is a divorcee in his late thirties, successful and very hot. Shiina Yoshiaki is a handsome young salaryman 11 years younger who loves to have affairs with bored older married women. They first meet in a bar when Shiina's current lover tries to come on to Honjou. They run into each other twice more and end up attracted to each other...

Their love affair runs rather smoothly because the author doesn't throw random plot devices at them and the two are quite honest about their attraction and their feelings. No conflict for conflict's sake. That's not saying that it isn't full of cliches (some of them rather lame). The words that come out of their mouths are at times gag-worthy (old-style does not always equal "classic", unfortunately) but the smoothness of the novel was rather refreshing. I also likes the switching of POVs between the two so you can get the full picture (and a lot less of the navel-gazing angsting about what the other dude is thinking/feeling/doing that can get really irritating).


( the summary )

( the pics )

I like the play on words the title is--you can either take it as "the proper way to catch a gentleman" or "the way to catch a proper gentleman." XDXD