insaneneko

I was reading a novel featuring police officers which I enjoyed muchly, and it made me think about other novels with police officers I've liked. It led me to do the round-up below (with links to more detailed posts when they exist):

Kouban e ikou by Ioka Itsuki and illustrated by Sakuragi Yaya is about an officer assigned to a koban who gets involved with a contractor and the contractor's son. It's a pretty fluffy story, but I like the passionate young officer type and the art is pretty.

The Reload series by Ioka Itsuki and illustrated by Kunisawa Tomo (My post about the first three volumes here) is an ongoing series about a wild but very effective detective and a forensics specialist. Every so often the case featured in a book is good enough that I actually want to follow it, but what it comes down to is that I like the two characters and their relationship. There's seven books out right now, and it doesn't seem like it'll end any time soon. Or so I hope.

Mihitsu no koi-Keep Out-, -Break In-, and -Cross Over- by Himekawa Hotaru and illustrated by Mizuki Hasuno are about another pairing of a detective and a forensics specialist. I haven't read the third one yet, but the first two are fun. The cases are a bit over-angsty, but once again I just like how the two characters relate. This pair seem…a bit more mature compared to the Reload series. It helps that the detective is actually pretty responsible. He is saddled with subordinates and with keeping the forensics specialist (who is good at what he does but has no people skills) in line, while dealing with out-of-touch superiors.

Niizuma Deka by Miduki Mato and illustrated by Ebihara Yuri (My post about it here) is the absolutely silly story of a wild but effective detective who marries a rich and up-and-coming politician. Like, actually marries in a church ceremony (though legally the detective is adopted by the politician as there is no same-sex marriage in Japan). I want a sequel, frankly.

Fuson de yaban by Iwamoto Kaoru and illustrated by Enjin Yamimaru has pretty art and a premise I like even though (or is it because?) it's just so cliched. An uptight career-type (WTF do you call career-gumi police in English?) asks a former partner (a normal detective) for help and they "have to" play a gay couple as their cover. The detective is gay and had been (still is) in love with the career type, and he lets the play-acting go a bit too far at times. Yes, yes, cliched. But the art! So pretty! Also, the story ends decently.

Mahiru no tsuki by Ioka Itsuki and illustrated by Ebihara Yuri (My post on the first volume here) is about a former detective who quit the force because he was disgusted with the police after they'd covered up his former partner's crimes (including shooting him) and moves to Osaka. There, he meets a yakuza boss and ends up the boss's lover. He also becomes a private investigator. I reread this series quite a lot. The relationship between the two develops throughout the series, but the detective never loses himself in the relationship (like many supposedly tough-y toughs who turn into uke jello). The side characters are endearing. Also, the cases he takes on (which invariably have something to do with yakuza) are pretty interesting. Also^2, Osaka-ben! The drama CD for this is soooo good. I wish the entire series had been made into drama CDs.

Sekai no hate de matteite~Tenshi no Tsumeato~ and it's sequel Sekai no hate de matteite ~Uso to kaifu~ by Takatoh Ruka and illustrated by Yukifuna Kaoru (vol 1) and Chayamachi Suguro (vol 2) are about a former detective turned private investigator and his former partner who is still a detective. As I mention in my post about the books, the cases are bleah. The real meat in this is the tension between the two characters and the mystery of the unsolved murder of the PI's sister that caused the PI to quit the force. Oh, so delicious. Too bad the artist changed between volumes. I really want the next book (please let there be another book) because we get a tantalizing glimpse into the past at the end of volume 2.

Amai Mizu vol 1 and 2 by Kawai Fumiko and illustrated by Kitakami Ren are about members of the SIT (Special Investigation Team) of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. I've only read volume 1 but am looking forward to reading volume 2 (eventually...). Endou is a SIT member formerly in SAT (a paramilitary counter terrorism unit) who does not look forward to a new former SAT member joining SIT at the beginning of the book, Kuonji. (According to the book, SIT specializes in working on cases with hostages, thus does negotiation and the like. They do, however, also do missions to rescue hostages.) Endou does not like Kuonji. Kuonji likes Endou, but doesn't know how to get along with Endou. What I enjoyed from this book, besides the pretty art, is the depiction of the very hierarchical structure of the police and how much being a sempai vs. kouhai is a huge deal, even more than in regular Japanese society. The life in the dorms is fun to read about (though I'd never want to be in one--all this gotta do what your sempai says crap sounds awful). The way Endou learns to see Kuonji differently and how they develop a relationship works (it's not smooth, but it starts with them having to work together in a professional manner). Endou is one of those "guy" guys, very carefree and manly. Kuonji is a man of few words but much action. I like the combination, even if the SIT and SAT acronyms crack me up every time I see them.

S.S.SP by Yuuki Kazumi and illustrated by Norikazu Akira is about a wild but effective detective who becomes an SP (security police) officer, which I wrote a lot about in this post. What can I say? Stupid title, silly story, but lotsa fun. I really, really enjoyed this. Probably too much.

Fujourina kuchizuke by Himekawa Hotaru and illustrated by Nara Chiharu is a silly story about an SP officer who has to guard a VIP. My worthless post here is basically full of pics (and snark), because this is from Nara Chiharu's time doing good art and there is much eye-candy. There is also eye-rolling, but pretty art trumps much. This is possibly the silliest of the bunch because at least in the others the people seemed to be able to do their jobs decently. In this one the SP has to be pretty worthless for the plot to go anywhere. :P

Soooo...anyone have any recs for me? I love police BL. Would love to read more decent ones.

>Fujourina kuchizuke by HImekawa Hotaru is a silly but fun example of an amazingly huge type of BL, the Japanese guy assigned to guard/guide/assist some foreign VIP visiting Japan who ends up in VIPs bed. I think this subgenre has grown on me, even though as usual most books are on the crappy side. This time it's an SP officer assigned to guard a prince and military commander of a small but rich Scandinavian country (I love how these VIPs are almost always from small but rich countries--usually from the Middle East or Europe, and tend to be mixed race) who happens to be half-Japanese. I like this because the serious political side story is particularly lame and the main character is hilariously dense, especially considering his job. The art is pretty and the main character's partner and friend is also a plus.


( pretty pics and a bit of plot )

Akatsuki no sniper by Shuhdoh Rena and illustrated by Nara Chiharu doesn't really make sense, but was still a fun read. It was beyond silly...It felt thrown together and random, frankly. Take one former detective who quit after an "incident," a gorgeous assassin with dead eyes and a silly name who also is supposed to take out said former detective, and a really inane nefarious plot and the bizarre attempt at a cover-up, throw in random sex (really really random sex!), and voila! You have this fabulous book! I don't recommend it to anyone unless they are really bored and have low standards like me, but I wouldn't warn anyone away from it.

( cut for length )

I only meant to write a little about this book, but I ended up rambling. :P

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 )

Kono chi no hate ni written by Tsukigami Hinako and illustrated by Nara Chiharu is a fun (and totally silly) story about obsessive and/or forbidden love. A college student is hit by a car and ends up living at the house of the driver of the car. They end up sleeping together, but there are complications. Good complications (good as in fun to read, not good as in positive and/or happy for the characters XD;). The angst wasn't too excessive and made me laugh a lot. The ending? Just as it should be. There's quite a bit of sex that's actually pretty hot (as opposed to tiresome and too many pages long as in too many BL novels). Anything more would be spoilerish, and it's more fun just reading the thing. Last but not least, there is pretty art. XD


( the summary )
( the pics )

I laughed and clicked on one of the suggested books that came up when I stuck something on my wishlist on amazon japan. The cover of Aien no ori by Barbara Katagiri (click for bigger pic) is just...priceless. I love the perfectly placed candles. XD It's one of those confine and "train" some victim who inevitably ends up totally wanton (and in love with his tormenter?) story lines. Lotsa sex and probably lotsa cliches. The reviews are very lukewarm and rather funny. I love one comment about how there's rope on every page you open to, with a "(-_-)" to add more emphasis. I somehow doubt even Nara Chiharu's art can save this one--though I kind of like the looks of the bastard seme on the cover...I'm not too surprised that it's not very good since it's written by the always awful Barabara Katagiri. ^^;

Yokubou no inu by Nakahara Kazuya and illustrated by Nara Chiharu is about a public prosecutor and the young man he picks up. It's a fun book. There's a lot of wild sex and a lot of "this isn't anything like I've experienced before!" by the prosecutor.

One day prosecutor is heading home in the rain after a long, hard day and happens to see a young man in casual clothes. The young man pulls the prosecutor out of the way of a speeding car. The prosecutor takes the young man home for a hot shower and food in thanks. But the young man has a fabulous body that the prosecutor, who is gay, can't help but notice. The young man notices the prosecutor's gaze and pushes for sex. They have hot wild sex on the dining room floor, which shocks the prosecutor because he's never had sex outside of a bed before, particularly such wild sex. After that the young man comes and goes and they have lots and lots of sex (including one particularly passionate bout at the prosecutor's office). The prosecutor is confused about the young man, who doesn't talk about himself very much. They have the cutest date (that results in really hot sex), and the prosecutor realizes he's falling for the young man. He gets all anxious over the reason why the young man won't tell him anything (he doesn't mean anything to the model) and they end up breaking up at one point. It doesn't help that an old lover shows up to try to get back with the prosecutor or that the prosecutor finds out that the young man is an up-and-coming model. It's one of those "we live in different worlds" concept driving a deep wedge in relationships...I suppose it's the young man's fault for not being up front with the prosecutor, but in any case, these various developments contribute to a break-up (including the model's agent demanding that the prosecutor end things with the model as not to mess up his career). The prosecutor attempts to get back with the old lover (a prosecutor who had been his mentor and a really sweet guy), but can't. He's still in love with model boy.

Everything concludes well when the prosecutor is attacked at home by a guy he'd help send to jail who had decided that his life had been ruined by the prosecutor and the prosecutor was going to PAY. The model comes by the prosecutor's apartment, but the prosecutor sends the model away as he's being threatened with a knife. His attacker, in a rage, beats the prosecutor up. Prosecutor figures he's as good as dead, but he's rescued by model who'd sneaked in through the balcony. He wakes up in the hospital where everything is revealed. Model hadn't known about the agent's actions, and had beat up the agent, gotten the private investigator's report the agent had commissioned on the prosecutor, and had quit. The report noted that the prosecutor was being followed, so when the prosecutor had sent the model away without even coming to the door the model had a hunch that something wasn't right and had snuck in. Turns out the model is totally in love with the prosecutor (duh) and had been shy about himself for a fairly good reason. He'd been investigated by the prosecutor once and had been so impressed by the prosecutor's professionalism and dedication to justice that he'd decided to become a prosecutor as well (he'd happened to be a university student majoring in law). But he was too embarrassed to tell the prosecutor, especially after learning that the prosecutor's former lover is a really talented prosecutor as well. The prosecutor also confesses that he's in love with the model and hadn't been able to get back together with his old lover because his heart was still with the model. They have hot make-up sex.

The book ends with the most adorable scene of domestic lovey-dovey sappiness in the prosecutor's apartment. They are making a meal together, and the prosecutor urges the (ex-) model to study for his bar exam. He teases his young lover, telling him that he wants to see him all dressed up in a suit. Prosecutor thinks it'd be SO HOT...He might just go really wild. The model can't help but be peeved that the prosecutor is able to dangle such a tempting carrot in front of him....

There's probably a bit too much wallowing in angst, but I could forgive the faults because the sex was hot and the way the author managed to show the prosecutor slowly falling in love was sweet. I laughed at how boring the prosecutor's sex life was--so vanilla and so boring! And there was actually a good explanation as to why the model wouldn't talk about himself. How like a man to be too embarrassed to admit that the prosecutor is his hero as well as his goddess! XDXD

( gorgeous pics )

Ryuu no renjou, Dr. no bojou by Kifu Kaname and illustrated by Nara Chiharu is book 5 of the Ryuu and Dr series (click on the new tag to read my earlier posts on this series). The fun and silliness continues, with just a touch more seriousness creeping in. New awesome character introduced! I must say, the portrayal of women is appalling. I try to ignore it because it's just....so not the point, but sometimes it's hard.

I really wish I could read book 1 (there's some bits in this one that allude to the first book). *sighs* Can't they reprint it?


( the summary )

( the pics )

Mad Scientist by Sakura Momo and illustrated by Nara Chiharu is crack. It's not only crack, but it's retarded crack with several different cliched elements woven together to make an utterly silly but rather fun story. Takigawa Ryouichi works for a cleaning company. He's assigned to clean the lab of the "mad scientist" Akio Eiji, a gorgeous and brilliant (and totally unethical) chemist and friend of the president of the cleaning company. The book is the story of their "romance" and of how highly unethical (if not illegal) chemicals can save(?) the day.

Love the art (especially the cover--click to enlarge!♥). Love the characters and how retarded (and almost relentlessly upbeat) they are. Love how much utterly gratuitous sex there is. But most of all? Love how supremely bad this book is, when looked at objectively. "Bad" is too nice a word for it. XD;


( revel in the pics (with some story to go with them XD) )

Ryu wo kau by Fuyuno Jinko and illustrated by Nara Chiharu features a side character in a book I had summarized before, Mitsuyaku wa suit wo nuide. I had some hopes that it wouldn't suck because I found Mitsuyaku pretty amusing, but...I was terribly disappointed. It is a completely conventional story and has the most insipid uke. Tien was rather lukewarm, as well. I suppose if Hong Kong mafia is your thing (or you really like Nara Chiharu's art) it might be worth it, but otherwise? Skip!

Code name wa hanayome by Shuhdoh Rena and illustrated by Mizukane Ryou is pure romantic fantasy fluff of the most innocuous kind. Uke is a government SP (bodyguard) assigned to protect the prince of a small European country who is marrying a girl from a very good Japanese family. The problem is that the girl disappears on the wedding day, and calling off the wedding is not possible. So the SP closest to the girl's body type and features is chosen to substitute for her, and of course it's not one of the female SPs that's chosen. Oh no, it's our dear uke. He's not exactly happy with his assignment but he's a professional and he will do his job. The wedding goes off without a hitch, but instead of being covertly dropped off he is taken to the ship the prince and his wife were supposed to get on for the prince's country. Uke is to continue pretending until they find the girl (and be an additional layer of protection for the prince) so that a switch can be made at some port along the way. On the ship the prince does a slow-motion version of sweeping uke off his feet, with an ending worthy of such effort. The uke is fairly smart, he's professional and a nice guy. The prince is...a prince. He's charming, he's sweet, he's secretly lonely, he's noble, he's gorgeous. I liked them both and wished them all the happiness in the world at the end.

The sad thing is that I read so many more books than I ever begin to mention. Many of them aren't worth even looking it up in amazon to link to it (at least IMO).