Yaoi Manga Review: CRIMSON SPELL Volume 3

CRIMSON SPELL, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Ayano Yamane – @yamaneayano
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Ayano Yamane with Yukiko Whitley
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6423-4; paperback (April 2014) Rated “M” for “Mature”
178pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Tongues a waggin!  That’s for sure, in the latest volume of Crimson Spell.

Crimson Spell, created by Ayano Yamane, is a yaoi manga graphic novel series.  Yaoi manga are romance comics that depict relationships in which the romantic leads are male.  A subset of boys’ love (BL) manga, yaoi can also feature depictions of explicit sex between males.  A fantasy tale, Crimson Spell focuses on a handsome prince beset by a demon’s curse and the sorcerer who helps him fight that curse.

Crimson Spell revolves around 18-year-old Prince Valdrigr Alsvieth a/k/a Prince Vald, the eldest prince of the Alsvieth Kingdom.  An excellent and accomplished swordsman, Vald has been possessed by the sword, Yug Verlind, which has a curse that transforms Vald into a demon at night.  Halvir Hroptr a/k/a “Havi” is a sorcerer living in exile.  Because Havi is adept at breaking curses, Vald approaches him for help.  Havi discovers that intense physical intimacy helps tame the demon Vald becomes at night.

As Crimson Spell, Vol. 3 (Chapters 14 to 19) opens, Gileh, an ally and manipulator of demons, holds Havi captive.  Gileh wants to possess Yug Verlind, and now, he wants Vald to fight Havi to the death.  As incentive, Gileh threatens to kill Vald’s younger brother, Anri, whom he also apparently holds captive.

Forced to fight Havi, who is under an enchantment placed on him by Gileh, Vald transforms into full demon mode.  Halrein, a former friend of Havi’s, and Mars, a traveling swordsman who has pledged loyalty to Vald, want to help, but they are actually helpless to save Vald and Havi from death and destruction.

[This volume contains the bonus story, “The Fairy’s Cocoon.”]

As I wrote in a previous review of the Crimson Spell manga, the series seems serious about being fantasy fiction.  In some ways, it resembles sword and sorcery comic book adaptations of Robert E. Howard Conan the Cimmerian (or Barbarian) and is also visually similar to the various comics and OEL manga based on World of Warcraft.

Crimson Spell Volume 3 is filled with explosive fight scenes and raging displays of magic, and creator Ayano Yamane thrills her readers by placing her characters in peril that reads as being genuine.  Yamane also shows her serious-about-yaoi side with an entire chapter devoted to human sorcerer/human-demon hybrid sexual intercourse.  Apparently, Yamane thinks that boys’ love lovin’ should involve at least one guy being especially and exceedingly orally attentive to the penis.  Fun for all, for sure.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

www.SuBLimeManga.com
www.yamaneayano.com

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 3

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Shoko Hidaka with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5554-6; paperback (November 2013) Rated “M” for “Mature”
226pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Blue Morning, the yaoi manga graphic novel series from creator Shoko Hidaka, continues with the publication of a third volume.  Blue Morning is the story of Akihito Kuze, the heir to a viscount-ship, and the man he loves, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, the very capable butler who has taken care of him for the better part of a decade.

After the death of his father, Akinao Kuze, 10-year-old Akihito moves into the Kuze mansion, as he prepares to inherit his late father’s viscount-ship.  There, he meets the Kuze family butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, who is tasked with raising Akihito.  By the time he is 17-years-old, Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but frustrated by the distance between them.

Blue Morning, Vol. 3 (Chapters 11 to 15) opens with surprising news for Katsuragi.  The servants inform him that Akihito has now decided to handle Kuze family’s business interests himself.  It is a big leap for the young man, but his other changes to the household constitution may prove to be too much for household members to accept.

Akihito is so firmly focused on his future that he considers marriage and begins to court 15-year-old Chikako, the daughter of Duke Sajo.  Akihito asks the father of his friend, Soichiro Ishizaki, to act as a go-between in the marriage talks.  The father, a merchant, is willing, but what he wants in return may be too much for Akihito to give.

The Blue Morning manga does occasionally earn its “yaoi” label by depicting sex between its male leads, but depicting sex seems to be the least of creator Shoko Hidaka’s concerns.  This series is a character drama which seems to focus on three things:  a star-crossed romance, family history, and intrigue among the nobility and upper crust of society.

As such, it is an excellent read, and Blue Morning Volume 3 may be the best volume yet.  Hidaka always draws me in, slowly, with an easy pace, even in the scenes involving a shocking reveal.  Before I know it, I have bought into the plot, conflicts, motivations, and characters.  Maybe, Blue Morning is “Masterpiece Theatre” for the boys’ love set.

A

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 2

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 2
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Shoko Hidaka with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5553-2; paperback (August 2013) Rated “M” for “Mature”
202pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Blue Morning is a yaoi manga graphic novel series from creator Shoko Hidaka.  Credited as “Shouko Hidaka,” she authored Restart, a manga set in the world of male models.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Akihito Kuze is the heir to the viscount-ship of his late father, Akinao Kuze.  After the death of his father, Akihito, at the age of 10, moves into the Kuze mansion.  There he meets the Kuze family’s very capable butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, who is tasked with raising Akihito.  By the time he is 17-year-old, Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but frustrated by the distance between them.

Blue Morning, Vol. 2 opens with a flashback.  Akinao Kuze, who is still living at the time, assigns a large number of books for reading and study to Katsuragi, his prodigy of sorts.  Whatever plans that Kuze has for his young protégé are put on hold with the announcement that a male Kuze child has been born.

Back in the present, Akihito has physically consummated his relationship with Katsuragi (i.e. had sex with the dude).  Now, he wants to grow closer to and more intimate with the butler, but Katsuragi’s attitude towards his young charge remains emotionally cold.  Now, Akihito is about to make a deal with Katsuragi, one that he hopes will keep the butler in the fold and maybe in his bed.  However, a party at the Marquise Moriyama complicates the matter with surprise appearances and shocking revelations.

The Blue Morning manga earns its “yaoi” label by depicting sex between its male leads.  Blue Morning Volume 2 offers some intense lovemaking, but this manga isn’t necessarily about sex.  Obviously, Akihito wants to have passionate physical contact with Katsuragi, but this story is strongly romantic and is about a committed relationship that could be the equivalent of marriage.  The conflict is that neither of these young men wants exactly the same thing, and the differences are just enough to create believable tension.  This relationship/romance could turn out bad for a number of people.

The high-society intrigue and class conflict (especially regarding the peerage system) make this manga seem like a comic book adaptation of something from “Masterpiece Theatre.”  Of course, Downton Abbey does not “get down” like Blue Morning gets down.

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 1

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga (Chara Comics)

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5552-2; Rated “M” for “Mature”
202pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Also credited as “Shouko Hidaka,” mangaka Shoko Hidaka is known for her boys’ love manga, such as Restart, which is set in the world of male models. Her new work is Blue Morning, a yaoi manga graphic novel series. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Blue Morning, Vol. 1 introduces Akihito Kuze, the 10-year-old heir to the viscount-ship of his late father, Akinao Kuze. After the death of his father, Akihito moves into his father’s mansion, where he meets the Kuze family’s very capable butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi. Katsuragi is tasked with raising Akihito.

Seven years later, the 17-year-old Akihito is relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but is frustrated by the distance between them. The handsome and intelligent Katsuragi is well-respected and popular, even among the aristocracy, so he is highly sought after for his advice. Driven to learn more about his butler, Akihito investigates Katsuragi’s past, both with the Kuze family and in Katsuragi’s own family.

First, there isn’t much in the way of “explicit sex” in Blue Morning Volume 1, except for a night in which the rough play between manservant and charge is emphasized. Blue Morning is a period piece and romantic drama in which romance must compete with intrigue concerning high society and class structure.

Schools for the elite, parties for the nobility, and assorted gatherings of the rich, powerful, and influential are a staple of the first volume of Blue Morning. I think that what makes this story interesting is how much Akihito Kuze hates it all, yet this life is his destiny. Not only is he supposed to be the viscount, but he is also expected to increase the family’s rank. The narrative can be a bit dry at times, and it seems like a boys’ love version of Downton Abbey, except without the popular British drama’s self-assuredness in its storytelling and characters. I’m interested to see where this series goes… especially if the romance gets even rougher.

B

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux