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.

Ryuu no tsumeato by Yuuki Kazumi and illustrated by Takamine Akira is a very conventional yakuza x doctor story, but a rather pleasant one to read. Doctor guy has a pretty crappy life, but he's strong and not too angsty. He saves the life of a yakuza boss that is brought to the hospital with three bullet wounds, one near his heart. He ends up becoming the yakuza boss's main (and only doctor) because all the other doctors are too scared to be effective. Doctor is not (too) intimidated by it all. He treats the yakuza boss as a normal patient, scolding him when necessary.

Doctor is gorgeous yet cold. This is because his father had died with debt when he was still a student. Doctor was left with a very ill sister and no prospects, but luckily a friend of his father's came to his rescue. The friend paid for his education and his sister's medical treatment...But of course the "nice" man was doing it so that he could get doctor in a situation where he couldn't say no to sex. Eight years later doctor is an excellent surgeon working at his father's friend's hospital and still being fucked. We are treated to typical skeevy sex in the hospital, which results in doctor being blackmailed by another doctor who witnesses the sex. First with money, then with sex. Doctor is saved by yakuza boss. Doctor thinks that the yakuza boss wants the same thing these other guys wanted from him and gives the yakuza boss a blow-job. This begins the totally predictable daily sex in the hospital room routine (possibly the most boring and annoying part of the book) until yakuza boss is discharged. Yakuza boss gives doctor his card and tells him to call if he needs anything but doesn't contact doctor.

One night when doctor is leaving a hotel after a rendezvous with his boss he runs into yakuza boss. Yakuza boss drags him into a hotel room and gets mad when he realizes doctor's just been fucked. They have sex, and after that they meet and have sex (doctor initially resists meeting yakuza boss, but gives in after much persistence). Doctor slowly realizes he's drawn to yakuza boss, but he's still lashed to his boss. He doesn't know what to make of yakuza boss, who has previously declared that he's in love with doctor but hasn't tried to separate the doctor from his boss (though yakuza boss hadn't said anything doctor figures he must have been investigated doctor's life thoroughly...). He can't handle having sex with his boss, whom he doesn't love, and the yakuza boss, whom he is drawn to. He tries to escape by asking his boss to let him go back to America for more training, but the boss threatens to replace him with his sister. Doctor tries calling yakuza boss in desperation, but can't get through...When he finds out that his sister, who is attending nursing school, has been offered a place at his hospital he can see the writing on the wall. He calls his boss to the hotel they always meet at. His boss thinks that doctor has submitted to his control again (boss knew that doctor had been sleeping with another man and had blown up at doctor when doctor had asked to go back to America), but doctor is ready to end things. Permanently. He attacks his boss with a knife (a rather funny scene, actually, with the boss running around the room scared being chased by crazy doctor), but yakuza boss and underlings barge in and stop the attempted murder. Yakuza boss tells doctor's boss that he will pay off doctor's remaining debts and it is in the boss's best interest not to make a big deal of it. Besides the fact that he has more to lose (he has a hospital and a wife and family), he could also lose the most important thing of all--his life.

Doctor treats yakuza boss's hand which was cut when he stopped doctor's knife. Doctor feels horrible and dirty and awful, but is gently comforted by yakuza boss. They convey their love to each other and have sex. They live happily ever after...More or less.

It's pretty conventional, yes, but what doesn't come through from my brief summary is how normal doctor is. Yes, he's got all the traits of the tragic BL "heroine"--he's gorgeous, he's aloof, he's being forced to have sex to pay back a great debt, he can't trust people because he's been betrayed by people he's trusted, he's not happy. Yet he just doesn't fall into the typical tragic heroine uke mold. He doesn't act the victim. I particularly liked his decision to just kill his boss because he can't stand it anymore. He really goes berserk. XD Also, yakuza boss isn't a bastard. He teases doctor quite a bit (especially in bed), but overall he's rather gentle. I think doctor is unable to see it because he's too trapped by his situation, but it was pretty obvious to me reading it. And yet yakuza boss didn't come across as weak or ineffectual. The author did a good job of balancing both of them so that they don't come off as completely cookie cutter.

( some pretty pics )