It’s time once again to guide me through the purchasing process of a new boys’-love and/or yaoi title from the latest Previews catalog. There’s only one candidate debuting this month.
Storm Flower, by Ruma Knjiki, originally published in Taiyo Tosho’s Hertz, one volume: Sagano and Hazime Itirou face off at school and in their private lives, where traditions such as flower arranging and tea ceremony carry heavy responsibilities. With the weight of these things and the accompanying dark emotions, love can only come in a storm… but is it a love that can survive?
Bickering, skinny high-school boys with chins so pointy they could put an eye out if they slipped while kissing? This would be a hard sell, to be honest. But I’m nominally open to the possibility. I still reserve the right not to bother. I can always reread Tea for Two.
Well, I like slender doe-eyed pretty things, and I like the art, so I’ll probably get this even knowing nothing whatsoever about the mangaka. But for you, I’d say skip it.
If you want to make up by reading something else about high-school boys, try Seven Days, which is very slow-moving but very good. Or if you would rather atone by reading about adults, No One Loves Me is the one and perhaps only entry in the “semi-comedic relationship drama featuring mopey Czech translators” BL sub-genre, and also quite good.
Actually, wait. Did you or did you not decide to read “Warning! Whispers of Love” from back in May? If you didn’t, read that instead. It was adorable.
I did decide to read it! I reviewed it in this week’s Bookshelf Briefs at the mother ship.
There should be many more entries in that sub-genre. MANY.
I wish I’d read this comment before putting in an Amazon order this weekend.