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Yaoi manga review: Age Called Blue
I've seen several reviews for Est Em's work linked on MangaBlog, and all the reviewers had high praise for her titles, Age Called Blue in particular. So when I saw it on the shelf at the local comic book store where I buy my manga, I snatched it up eagerly. The owner actually thanked me for buying it, saying that it wasn't selling well because people didn't like the art, and it's true that the art isn't as polished and pretty as your typical yaoi or BL manga with lovely androgynous bishonen men. I was a little disappointed by the manga, which didn't live up to my expectations, but it wasn't because of the art.
The story revolves around two young rock musicians, Billy and Nick, who are handsome enough, and Nick could even be called pretty--at least when is his face isn't bruised and battered from having been beaten by men he owes money to. (More on that later.) Their story is mirrored by that of two older musicians, Joe and Pete, respectively the guitarist and singer of an old rock group called the Rebels, which Billy idolized. The Rebels broke up years ago, over an argument between Joe and Pete, although the reason for the argument is never specified. Joe and Pete are anything but beautiful--their craggy, worn faces show every one of their years, but at the same time, there's something interesting about them compared to some of the generic bishonen beauties in other manga.
The manga starts off with Billy having had the worst day of his life--his roommate and bandmate Nick stole his guitar and his cash, and his idol Pete Brian has died. We later learn that he drowned his sorrows in a bar, where he met Joe, which eventually leads to Joe becoming the producer for Billy's band. Nick shows up later, bruised and beaten, since the money he stole from Billy didn't fully cover his debts. Billy is furious at first, but it's obvious that he has a soft spot for Nick, since after chewing him out briefly, he takes Nick back home to shower and get cleaned up--and then loses his temper again when Nick casually says that he picked up Pete from the Rebels to fast-talk some cash out of him.
It's obvious that Billy and Nick are attracted to each other and that there's a deep connection between them, but Billy is reluctant to accept Nick's advances, and with good reason. Nick is self-centered, irresponsible, and generally an all-around screw-up. He's a brilliant singer and songwriter, but not only does he owe money to shady people and steal Billy's guitar, he parties all night and shows up to rehearsals late, disappears at unexpected times and in one case, doesn't show up at a gig until it's nearly over. The other band members soon get fed up with his antics and want to drop him from the band, while Billy tries to play peacemaker and is torn between loyalty towards his friend and his desire to become a successful musician. Joe gives him some advice--learned from his own experience and regrets, it's implied--and tells him to "secure the things that you don't want to lose. Maybe it's that music...or maybe it's that boy."
Things come to a head when Nick is arrested for DUI, stealing a car, and running over a bicyclist, and their bassist insists on firing Nick, and he and Billy come to blows over it. In the end, Billy decides that Nick is his music, and gives up the band. It ends on a somewhat hopeful note, with Nick and Billy continuing to write music together even while Nick is in prison, but it's not clear (to me, anyway) whether Nick is really reformed, or if he'll go back to his screw-up ways after he gets out of jail.
The story jumps back and forth in time, showing bits and pieces of the story, like a puzzle slowly coming together to reveal the whole picture, starting off with Nick's return after the theft, and later showing us Nick's encounter with Pete, and Billy meeting Joe at the bar. We also see a flashback to Joe and Pete's younger days, and it seems that they had a relationship similar to Billy and Nick's. Nick makes an insightful remark to Pete, when he says that they both suffer from unrequited love for their guitarists. Afterwards, Pete calls Joe to arrange a meeting for the first time in years, but dies before he gets there. The exact cause of his death is never stated, and more importantly, we're never told what caused the argument that broke The Rebels up. Was it over drugs, love, or sex? Was Pete a charming screw-up like Nick, and Joe couldn't take it any longer? We just don't know, and are given only a tantalizing hint of what their relationship was like.
It's frustrating, because in some ways, I found the older couple more interesting than the younger one. I couldn't really root for Billy and Nick to be together because I couldn't picture myself putting up with all the crap that Nick puts Billy through. Maybe it's because I play guitar myself--though not very well and only as a hobby, but I could never forgive anyone who stole my guitar. My cash, maybe, but not my guitar! To be fair, although Nick stole the guitar, he ended up not selling it, although he tells Billy it's because he got mad that the people he owed money to offered him so little for it. Maybe it was also because it was important to Billy, but it's hard to tell with Nick how sincere he is and how much of what he's saying is the truth. Moreover, Nick behaves so selfishly, never apologizing or expressing remorse, that it's hard to understand why Billy cares about him so much. Personally, I just wanted to smack him upside the head. It might help if we could understand why Nick behaves the way he does: there are hints that he acts out of loneliness and insecurity, and he does have a few vulnerable moments where I could kind of get why Billy finds it hard to stay mad at him. But for me, it's not enough to make me sympathize with him or want Billy to stay with him. It maybe works as an unhealthy, codependent relationship, but I don't think that's really what the author intended--it seems like Billy and Nick are being given a chance to avoid repeating Joe and Pete's mistakes, but I think that Billy would be better off without him.
The manga-ka wrote well enough to make me want more of Joe and Pete's story, and I got sucked into the story about the younger band, even though I found it frustrating in the end. But I was disappointed because I was expecting more, and I'll have to think it over before deciding whether to buy any more of Est Em's work.
The book also contained two short stand-alone stories, one about an artist and a young art student who becomes his assistant and lover, and the other about two cosmonauts. I'm about to reveal a big plot twist below, so stop reading if you don't want to be spoiled.
The one about the artist, "I saw the blue," was also frustrating, because the student finds out that his lover is his sister's fiance when he shows up at the family home for dinner one night. I'm generally not one for infidelity fics--that's why I don't care as much for Youka Nitta's The Prime Minister's Secret Diplomacy as I do for her other works. It wasn't meant to be a happy story, but it really got my blood boiling that the guy cheated on his fiancee, lied to his male lover, and didn't even warn him ahead of time before the dinner. (Although it's not clear if he knew that the student and the fiancee were related, so maybe it was a surprise to him, too.) He apologizes, and the student, Lucian, says that they should forget what happened before and meet for the first time as brothers-in-law, but personally, I thought he should have slugged the guy. (Hmm, I'm a bit violent, aren't I? ~_^ But selfish and/or cheating guys really piss me off.)
For another, more positive take on this book, you can try checking out Melinda Beasi's review on Manga Recon. I like her reviews and generally agree with them, although this one's an exception for me.
Just one last note: there are a few sex scenes in the book, but they're not graphically depicted, so if you're looking for smut and sexy timez, you won't find much of it here. Although a scene in "I saw the blue," where the lovers have sex covered in paint, rolling around on a blank canvas, was nicely sensual, even though I didn't like the way that the story ended.
ETA 11/14/09: Oops--I just realized that I referred to manga reviewer Melinda Beasi as Melissa Beasi by mistake--that's what I get for posting when I'm tired! *facepalm* I don't think that Ms. Beasi reads my blog, but I humbly apologize for the error, and I have corrected the post.
The manga starts off with Billy having had the worst day of his life--his roommate and bandmate Nick stole his guitar and his cash, and his idol Pete Brian has died. We later learn that he drowned his sorrows in a bar, where he met Joe, which eventually leads to Joe becoming the producer for Billy's band. Nick shows up later, bruised and beaten, since the money he stole from Billy didn't fully cover his debts. Billy is furious at first, but it's obvious that he has a soft spot for Nick, since after chewing him out briefly, he takes Nick back home to shower and get cleaned up--and then loses his temper again when Nick casually says that he picked up Pete from the Rebels to fast-talk some cash out of him.
It's obvious that Billy and Nick are attracted to each other and that there's a deep connection between them, but Billy is reluctant to accept Nick's advances, and with good reason. Nick is self-centered, irresponsible, and generally an all-around screw-up. He's a brilliant singer and songwriter, but not only does he owe money to shady people and steal Billy's guitar, he parties all night and shows up to rehearsals late, disappears at unexpected times and in one case, doesn't show up at a gig until it's nearly over. The other band members soon get fed up with his antics and want to drop him from the band, while Billy tries to play peacemaker and is torn between loyalty towards his friend and his desire to become a successful musician. Joe gives him some advice--learned from his own experience and regrets, it's implied--and tells him to "secure the things that you don't want to lose. Maybe it's that music...or maybe it's that boy."
Things come to a head when Nick is arrested for DUI, stealing a car, and running over a bicyclist, and their bassist insists on firing Nick, and he and Billy come to blows over it. In the end, Billy decides that Nick is his music, and gives up the band. It ends on a somewhat hopeful note, with Nick and Billy continuing to write music together even while Nick is in prison, but it's not clear (to me, anyway) whether Nick is really reformed, or if he'll go back to his screw-up ways after he gets out of jail.
The story jumps back and forth in time, showing bits and pieces of the story, like a puzzle slowly coming together to reveal the whole picture, starting off with Nick's return after the theft, and later showing us Nick's encounter with Pete, and Billy meeting Joe at the bar. We also see a flashback to Joe and Pete's younger days, and it seems that they had a relationship similar to Billy and Nick's. Nick makes an insightful remark to Pete, when he says that they both suffer from unrequited love for their guitarists. Afterwards, Pete calls Joe to arrange a meeting for the first time in years, but dies before he gets there. The exact cause of his death is never stated, and more importantly, we're never told what caused the argument that broke The Rebels up. Was it over drugs, love, or sex? Was Pete a charming screw-up like Nick, and Joe couldn't take it any longer? We just don't know, and are given only a tantalizing hint of what their relationship was like.
It's frustrating, because in some ways, I found the older couple more interesting than the younger one. I couldn't really root for Billy and Nick to be together because I couldn't picture myself putting up with all the crap that Nick puts Billy through. Maybe it's because I play guitar myself--though not very well and only as a hobby, but I could never forgive anyone who stole my guitar. My cash, maybe, but not my guitar! To be fair, although Nick stole the guitar, he ended up not selling it, although he tells Billy it's because he got mad that the people he owed money to offered him so little for it. Maybe it was also because it was important to Billy, but it's hard to tell with Nick how sincere he is and how much of what he's saying is the truth. Moreover, Nick behaves so selfishly, never apologizing or expressing remorse, that it's hard to understand why Billy cares about him so much. Personally, I just wanted to smack him upside the head. It might help if we could understand why Nick behaves the way he does: there are hints that he acts out of loneliness and insecurity, and he does have a few vulnerable moments where I could kind of get why Billy finds it hard to stay mad at him. But for me, it's not enough to make me sympathize with him or want Billy to stay with him. It maybe works as an unhealthy, codependent relationship, but I don't think that's really what the author intended--it seems like Billy and Nick are being given a chance to avoid repeating Joe and Pete's mistakes, but I think that Billy would be better off without him.
The manga-ka wrote well enough to make me want more of Joe and Pete's story, and I got sucked into the story about the younger band, even though I found it frustrating in the end. But I was disappointed because I was expecting more, and I'll have to think it over before deciding whether to buy any more of Est Em's work.
The book also contained two short stand-alone stories, one about an artist and a young art student who becomes his assistant and lover, and the other about two cosmonauts. I'm about to reveal a big plot twist below, so stop reading if you don't want to be spoiled.
The one about the artist, "I saw the blue," was also frustrating, because the student finds out that his lover is his sister's fiance when he shows up at the family home for dinner one night. I'm generally not one for infidelity fics--that's why I don't care as much for Youka Nitta's The Prime Minister's Secret Diplomacy as I do for her other works. It wasn't meant to be a happy story, but it really got my blood boiling that the guy cheated on his fiancee, lied to his male lover, and didn't even warn him ahead of time before the dinner. (Although it's not clear if he knew that the student and the fiancee were related, so maybe it was a surprise to him, too.) He apologizes, and the student, Lucian, says that they should forget what happened before and meet for the first time as brothers-in-law, but personally, I thought he should have slugged the guy. (Hmm, I'm a bit violent, aren't I? ~_^ But selfish and/or cheating guys really piss me off.)
For another, more positive take on this book, you can try checking out Melinda Beasi's review on Manga Recon. I like her reviews and generally agree with them, although this one's an exception for me.
Just one last note: there are a few sex scenes in the book, but they're not graphically depicted, so if you're looking for smut and sexy timez, you won't find much of it here. Although a scene in "I saw the blue," where the lovers have sex covered in paint, rolling around on a blank canvas, was nicely sensual, even though I didn't like the way that the story ended.
ETA 11/14/09: Oops--I just realized that I referred to manga reviewer Melinda Beasi as Melissa Beasi by mistake--that's what I get for posting when I'm tired! *facepalm* I don't think that Ms. Beasi reads my blog, but I humbly apologize for the error, and I have corrected the post.
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