talyseon's Full Review: Asami Tojo - Thunderbolt Boys Excite 1
Thunderbolt Boys Excite by Asami Tojo
Warning: This is a Yaoi review. Yaoi is a form of Japanese graphic novels, a manga featuring gay romance. Usually written by women, for women, this stories range from sweet romances to extremely steamy sexual adventures between men. If this is not your cup of tea, well, you have been warned.
There is much to enjoy in this volume, but some major problems that interfere with the reading flow, so much so that they drag the overall enjoyment down.
The story centers on the romance between Natsui Kodaka and Ritsu Yasaka. Kodaka is a small, slender young man. (He is the Uke or passive partner) Yasaka is the heir to a conglomerate, and has his own band. He’s big and masculine. (He is the Seme or “top”) Kodaka has self esteem issues, but when he joins Yasaka’s band, they are both discovered by a modeling agency. Now Kodaka has to learn the modeling business, while being seduced by Yasaka, and it’s all very confusing and upsetting for him. Feh. I should have his problems.
This story is very much the classic “angsty young kid is seduced by a confident man and spends half his time being torn up about what he is feeling, and the other half wondering how this wonderful person could ever be interested in him” story. Unfortunately, these kinds of things are very big in Japan. Here, they just make me tired.
The story has a subplot of other men trying (rather successfully) to have their way with Kodaka. There is a photographer, and an important business man in the Modeling agency, and there is a very disturbing (to me and most westerners) rape subplot where in Kodaka is slipped a rufi by some guys who think he is a girl, but when they find out the truth, it doesn’t really stop them. This is all very standard fare for angsty Yaoi stories.
And the art is Excellent. Ms. Asami has a great grasp of lay out, and a better one of anatomy and her work has a vibrancy that really jumps off the page. The sex scenes are very graphic. There is a tradition of “masking” the penis in Japan, even in art. Ms. Asami pretty much ignores this, doing the barest (pun intended) minimum to get past the censors.
So what is wrong with this title? The plot is so chopped up, it is almost impossible to follow. It feels like there were two chapters before the first page that were cut and a few paragraphs were substituted to try to cover the lack. The story moves between flash back and fantasy with no warning, and even discounting this, the story feels like important elements have been cut. It is like watching the Movie version of a mini series.
So if you are just a fan of Yaoi art, this is a great book. It’s like reading Playgirl, you don’t actually read it. But if you expect more from a yaoi story, like drama, romance, Plot, I suggest you look elsewhere.
Kodaka Natsui, a naturally beautiful young boy, and a drop-dead gorgeous rich kid named Ritsu Yasaka both work as models.One day, their agency require...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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