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Two manga reviews: Merry Family Plan and Dining Bar Akira
I recently read a couple of interesting yaoi titles by Netcomics. One I really liked, and the other I sort of had a mixed reaction to. I'll start off with the latter.
Merry Family Plan by Sumitomo Morozumi was in my stack of "to-read" books, but got bumped up to the front of the line after I read this review on Manga Recon. The review does a very good job of summarizing the stories (it's an anthology), and for the most part, I agreed with the reviewer. The main story, about two teenage boys who fall in love and continue their relationship through college was very well-written. Shibutomi is a bit of a ladies' man, but finds himself fascinated by the new transfer student, Yoshizumi--who shares the same last name as a character in Haru wo Daiteita, which amused me, but they don't really share any resemblance other than the name. What's really interesting about the story is that Yoshizumi is flat-out gay, not just "gay for that one special guy," and that causes him to wrestle with conflicting feelings and insecurities in his relationship with Shibutomi. Shibutomi's sister's pregnancy is the catalyst that causes those feelings to boil over, as Yoshizumi worries that Shibutomi might leave him someday, or that even if he stays, he's depriving Shibutomi of the chance to have a normal life with a wife and children. And, as the above review points out, it's a refreshing change that the manga-ka tries to deal with the boys' relationship in a fairly realistic manner, which includes the problem of how their families will react. Yoshizumi has already told his parents that he's gay and that they shouldn't expect a grandchild from him, and he recalls that he made them cry. And at the end of the story, Shibutomi finally tells his parents that he's dating Yoshizumi--his father comically falls into a dead faint, but later, in a more serious scene, his mother tells them to come over to the house and "we will at least listen to what you have to say." It feels like a hopeful ending, while still being more realistic than if the family had immediately embraced the couple and been all hunky-dory with their son being gay.
The other story that caught my attention was "We Were Lucky Enough to Be Born as Men," in which two young men are in a relationship, but are afraid of "going all the way." They finally resolve to do the deed, and get into an argument over which one of them is going to top. It's done in a mostly humorous manner, but it feels more realistic than your average yaoi manga where it's just a natural, unspoken assumption that one man is the seme and the other is the uke. They eventually realize that if they love each other, it shouldn't matter who's the top or bottom, and toss a coin to see who gets to top the first time--and they later agree that they should take turns from now on, which is again a refreshing change, since the seme and uke hardly ever switch positions in most yaoi manga (Haru being a notable exception). And as the Manga Recon review notes, "Once the uncertainties are worked out, they go slowly through all the necessary steps required with anal sex. I have never seen a more unromantic sex scene with all the practicalities spelled out like that, but I enjoyed it more as a result." It was definitely the most unromantic sex scene I've ever read: the words "enema kit" and "Did everything come out?" did not exactly serve to make the scene more sexy or romantic! But the whole awkwardness of it all made it feel more realistically like first-time sex. (I could still do without the enema reference, though!)
The other short stories, particularly the one about the guy who has a uniform fetish, were a little silly and not especially interesting to me--I would rather have seen the space used to expand on the other two stories. However, my only real complaint is that while the writing was pretty good, I really didn't like the art. It was kind of crude--not in the raunchy sense, but in the sense of being a bit sketchy and cartoonish and unrefined. The manga-ka also has a habit of drawing some of the characters as looking very young--more like junior high age, even if they're high school or college age, which is a bit squicky for me. And this being a manga, the visual aspect is pretty important, and for that reason, I can't wholeheartedly recommend it.
***
The other Netcomics title, Dining Bar Akira by Tomoko Yamashita I can wholeheartedly recommend, though! It was funny and engaging, and I liked the art. Dining Bar Akira is probably supposed to be something like an izakaya, a sort of bar or pub where light meals are served. Anyway, it's run by a group of old childhood friends, along with a few part-timers. Serious, responsible Maki is the owner, and his happy-go-lucky friend Akira is the manager. However, Akira's world is shaken up and thrown into chaos when the six-years-younger part time worker Torihara confesses to Akira that he likes him. Akira begs Maki to fire Torihara so that he won't have to deal with the mess, but Maki, who seems used to Akira's antics, merely tells him to stop whining.
Of course, Akira could easily put a stop to the whole thing by telling Torihara that he doesn't return his feelings or by saying that he just isn't into guys, but instead he goes on and on about how Torihara is messing up his life and how he's too old to deal with a young guy coming on to him, which of course is a dead giveaway that he really is attracted to Torihara. With the two of them, it seems to be a case of opposites attract: Akira is hot-tempered, emotional, and quite frankly, a bit of an idiot, while Torihara is reserved, serious, and a little sarcastic. Torihara is drawn as the more typically handsome young guy, while Akira is handsome in a rather scruffy way (messy hair and a goatee), and he's drawn with a droopy-eyed look that makes him seem perpetually befuddled, but in a charming sort of way. When Maki asks Torihara what he likes about Akira, Torihara says, "Maybe it's the light-hearted way he goes about doing things I could never do, as if they're so simple. Or maybe it's the way he can laugh anything off. I was filled with jealousy, watching him like that. Before I knew it, I wanted him so badly...that stupid side of him..." I was wondering if Maki had unrequited feelings for Akira, since he seems very protective of him, and makes a point of telling Torihara that he had better not hurt Akira, but it seems to be more of a big-brotherly type of love. Then again, Maki is so stoic that it's difficult to tell what he's really thinking.
Eventually, after loud and long protests, Akira finally admits that he likes Torihara, and they begin dating. The next obstacle is having sex, since Akira is naturally a little freaked out about the prospect of having sex with a guy. There's more waffling back and forth on Akira's part, and more comically loud protests, but in the end, they go "down the path of no return" (as Akira puts it).
And interestingly enough, the balance of power shifts a little in the third part of the story. Now that he's finally gotten over the trauma of falling in love with and having sex with a dude, Akira seems very secure and content in the relationship, while Torihara is a bundle of insecurities--worrying that they've fallen into a rut (their regular routine is cook, eat, chat, and "do it"), and he worries about how long their relationship will last without the security of marriage, and if someday Akira will regret being with him. That was a little touch of realism that I thought was very nice, and Torihara's insecurities make him a little more human and likeable, since he tends to come off as arrogant sometimes.
Akira tries to comfort a sulky and sullen Torihara with sex and begins riding him in what starts off as a pretty sexy scene, then takes a comical turn when Torihara protests, "You're heavy!" Akira firmly tells him to "Put up with it! Sex is a sport!" and lands on his lover with a "thud" sound effect. That scene is actually typical of the feel of the whole manga: a combination of humor and sexiness and tenderness, with a strong emphasis on the humor. And what I really like is that both Akira and Torihara are portrayed as being men, and neither one acts girly or effeminate.
Btw, although there are sex scenes, they aren't graphic--the book wasn't shrink-wrapped--and most of the action is portrayed above-the-waist, so no naughty bits are shown. But that last sex scene between Akira and Torihara was very hot nonetheless, and I didn't really feel like I was missing out on anything.
The book continues with two unrelated short stories--the first is about a high school boy named Toru who suffers from unrequited love for his best friend while he carries on an affair with his teacher, a man he had previously picked up at a bar while pretending to be older. The friend, Takashi, grows hurt and suspicious that Toru is keeping secrets from him, but Toru is terrified of being rejected and losing his friendship if he tells Takashi the truth. It was very emotional and well-written, but it ends on a frustrating note, with Takashi confronting Toru after finding him with the teacher, and Toru torn with indecision, and it isn't clear whether Takashi likes Toru as more than a friend or not, or even if their friendship will be able to endure.
The other story is a pretty silly piece about a man developing a sudden infatuation with his moon-faced coworker, and quite frankly, I could have done without it. It wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the book, but that's a minor quibble, since this story was so short and not a major part of the book.
And finally, the book closes out with a few amusing side stories about the other workers at Dining Bar Akira. Overall, a very good read and highly recommended!
The other story that caught my attention was "We Were Lucky Enough to Be Born as Men," in which two young men are in a relationship, but are afraid of "going all the way." They finally resolve to do the deed, and get into an argument over which one of them is going to top. It's done in a mostly humorous manner, but it feels more realistic than your average yaoi manga where it's just a natural, unspoken assumption that one man is the seme and the other is the uke. They eventually realize that if they love each other, it shouldn't matter who's the top or bottom, and toss a coin to see who gets to top the first time--and they later agree that they should take turns from now on, which is again a refreshing change, since the seme and uke hardly ever switch positions in most yaoi manga (Haru being a notable exception). And as the Manga Recon review notes, "Once the uncertainties are worked out, they go slowly through all the necessary steps required with anal sex. I have never seen a more unromantic sex scene with all the practicalities spelled out like that, but I enjoyed it more as a result." It was definitely the most unromantic sex scene I've ever read: the words "enema kit" and "Did everything come out?" did not exactly serve to make the scene more sexy or romantic! But the whole awkwardness of it all made it feel more realistically like first-time sex. (I could still do without the enema reference, though!)
The other short stories, particularly the one about the guy who has a uniform fetish, were a little silly and not especially interesting to me--I would rather have seen the space used to expand on the other two stories. However, my only real complaint is that while the writing was pretty good, I really didn't like the art. It was kind of crude--not in the raunchy sense, but in the sense of being a bit sketchy and cartoonish and unrefined. The manga-ka also has a habit of drawing some of the characters as looking very young--more like junior high age, even if they're high school or college age, which is a bit squicky for me. And this being a manga, the visual aspect is pretty important, and for that reason, I can't wholeheartedly recommend it.
***
The other Netcomics title, Dining Bar Akira by Tomoko Yamashita I can wholeheartedly recommend, though! It was funny and engaging, and I liked the art. Dining Bar Akira is probably supposed to be something like an izakaya, a sort of bar or pub where light meals are served. Anyway, it's run by a group of old childhood friends, along with a few part-timers. Serious, responsible Maki is the owner, and his happy-go-lucky friend Akira is the manager. However, Akira's world is shaken up and thrown into chaos when the six-years-younger part time worker Torihara confesses to Akira that he likes him. Akira begs Maki to fire Torihara so that he won't have to deal with the mess, but Maki, who seems used to Akira's antics, merely tells him to stop whining.
Of course, Akira could easily put a stop to the whole thing by telling Torihara that he doesn't return his feelings or by saying that he just isn't into guys, but instead he goes on and on about how Torihara is messing up his life and how he's too old to deal with a young guy coming on to him, which of course is a dead giveaway that he really is attracted to Torihara. With the two of them, it seems to be a case of opposites attract: Akira is hot-tempered, emotional, and quite frankly, a bit of an idiot, while Torihara is reserved, serious, and a little sarcastic. Torihara is drawn as the more typically handsome young guy, while Akira is handsome in a rather scruffy way (messy hair and a goatee), and he's drawn with a droopy-eyed look that makes him seem perpetually befuddled, but in a charming sort of way. When Maki asks Torihara what he likes about Akira, Torihara says, "Maybe it's the light-hearted way he goes about doing things I could never do, as if they're so simple. Or maybe it's the way he can laugh anything off. I was filled with jealousy, watching him like that. Before I knew it, I wanted him so badly...that stupid side of him..." I was wondering if Maki had unrequited feelings for Akira, since he seems very protective of him, and makes a point of telling Torihara that he had better not hurt Akira, but it seems to be more of a big-brotherly type of love. Then again, Maki is so stoic that it's difficult to tell what he's really thinking.
Eventually, after loud and long protests, Akira finally admits that he likes Torihara, and they begin dating. The next obstacle is having sex, since Akira is naturally a little freaked out about the prospect of having sex with a guy. There's more waffling back and forth on Akira's part, and more comically loud protests, but in the end, they go "down the path of no return" (as Akira puts it).
And interestingly enough, the balance of power shifts a little in the third part of the story. Now that he's finally gotten over the trauma of falling in love with and having sex with a dude, Akira seems very secure and content in the relationship, while Torihara is a bundle of insecurities--worrying that they've fallen into a rut (their regular routine is cook, eat, chat, and "do it"), and he worries about how long their relationship will last without the security of marriage, and if someday Akira will regret being with him. That was a little touch of realism that I thought was very nice, and Torihara's insecurities make him a little more human and likeable, since he tends to come off as arrogant sometimes.
Akira tries to comfort a sulky and sullen Torihara with sex and begins riding him in what starts off as a pretty sexy scene, then takes a comical turn when Torihara protests, "You're heavy!" Akira firmly tells him to "Put up with it! Sex is a sport!" and lands on his lover with a "thud" sound effect. That scene is actually typical of the feel of the whole manga: a combination of humor and sexiness and tenderness, with a strong emphasis on the humor. And what I really like is that both Akira and Torihara are portrayed as being men, and neither one acts girly or effeminate.
Btw, although there are sex scenes, they aren't graphic--the book wasn't shrink-wrapped--and most of the action is portrayed above-the-waist, so no naughty bits are shown. But that last sex scene between Akira and Torihara was very hot nonetheless, and I didn't really feel like I was missing out on anything.
The book continues with two unrelated short stories--the first is about a high school boy named Toru who suffers from unrequited love for his best friend while he carries on an affair with his teacher, a man he had previously picked up at a bar while pretending to be older. The friend, Takashi, grows hurt and suspicious that Toru is keeping secrets from him, but Toru is terrified of being rejected and losing his friendship if he tells Takashi the truth. It was very emotional and well-written, but it ends on a frustrating note, with Takashi confronting Toru after finding him with the teacher, and Toru torn with indecision, and it isn't clear whether Takashi likes Toru as more than a friend or not, or even if their friendship will be able to endure.
The other story is a pretty silly piece about a man developing a sudden infatuation with his moon-faced coworker, and quite frankly, I could have done without it. It wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the book, but that's a minor quibble, since this story was so short and not a major part of the book.
And finally, the book closes out with a few amusing side stories about the other workers at Dining Bar Akira. Overall, a very good read and highly recommended!
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I forgot to mention it in the review of Merry Family Plan, but in one scene, Shibutomi does ask Yoshizumi, "Is it okay if I top today?" which implies that they switch around, which was a nice and unusual change. I really did like that story a lot, even if the art wasn't so great.
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Nooooo! BWAHAHAHA! I has to read this...
And as for switchiness, I think the fen and the mangaka pays far too much attention to it. Why would gay people be different to other people. I don't see het couples argue every time they do it about who's doing what. They just go with the flow. All the topping and bottoming talk in ff and manga honestly squicks and annoys me.
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As for het couples arguing about positions...there was a pretty funny movie called "Woman on Top," starring Penelope Cruz as a woman who has motion sickness and literally throws up if she's on the bottom. So she always has to be on top in sex, which threatens her macho husband's sense of manliness.
The enema kit reference was pretty funny although I really don't want that mental image in my head!
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As for the manga you mention, I find it much more realistic than a couple set in the seme/uke position even before they've had sex. I think that any kind of "I do this, you do that" has to have a reason (like with Miyasaka, since that has its root in canon, and is a big deal for what happened to Miyasaka), the standard fare of top and bottom, + even the ritualised top sucks bottom off before penetration just is trite, trite, trite. And uninspired.
The enema thing was downright hilarious.
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I think Lore said in her blog post that Netcomics allows people to preview the manga on their website, so you might be able to take a peek at Merry Family Plan, although I don't know if it includes the enema scene!