Loveholic Volume 2 (Yaoi)
Since we last saw them, Nishioka and Matsukawa have made a lot of progress in their lives. However, this comes with new challenges, too. They're happily together now, but while Matsukawa is ready to take the next step towards commitment, Nishioka is still a bit gun-shy when it comes to admitting those three little words. They're both doing well professionally, but their careers are more dissatisfying than before. The dream team advertising duo sees fewer projects these days, as Matsukawa's upward mobility takes him further from the hands-on production elements that he has enjoyed up until now. And Nishioka's mounting disappointment over clients who don't understand his work eventually takes its toll on his motivation and productivity. As the two stray farther apart in their professional lives, it's hard not to imagine it affecting their personal lives as well Matsukawa is jealous over the time Nishioka devotes to his work with others, while Nishioka feels lonely and eventually starts to withdraw. Neither wants to hold the other back with selfish desires, yet neither really wants to let go, either. Eventually there has to be something that sets change in motion, and for Nishioka it's a call back to Osaka. Faced with leaving his life and his love in Tokyo, he finally finds the courage to say what he never could before. What follows is a nice, happy ending that achieves what it needs to but doesn't feel cheap or easy. That they were ready to commit, no matter what change to their lives would result, feels like a realistic culmination of their long and evolving relationship.A couple of mid-volume side chapters also add a nice bit of fan service but of a (mostly) different sort. Short and sweet, they are but glimpses of Nishioka and Matsukawa during simple, yet still special, moments like a first snowfall or summer festival. Their affair in these quiet moments is, in many ways, more seductive and earnest than during the events of the main body of the story. It's these recognizable moments, the kind that every couple shares, that make this couple all the more endearing to the reader.That Kawai lets Matsukawa and Nishioka live outside their relationship, giving them imaginable challenges to confront, rather than relegating 'real life' to the background is one of the best things about Loveholic. It adds dimension to the work one not always present in boys-love when characters must adapt their relationships in order to overcome obstacles both actual and emotional. Her characters are also flawed; they stumble over their vulnerability, insecurities and their choices, knowing they aren't always right. But the benefit here is that they're not only believable, but that they also grow.It's been a long time since the release of volume one, but it was definitely worth the wait. I'm glad to see this series finished; it has been a wonderful addition to the domestic boys-love catalog. --ManiaThe road of love is never smooth and now that Kentaro Nishioka (a photographer) and Daisuke Matsukawa (an ad man) have kicked their relationship up a notch they are going to find that out very quickly. Nishioka and a kohai (someone who is a junior in school or work) have the opportunity to pitch an ad campaign to a well-known jewelry company. But Nishioka and Fujii (the kohai) are in for a surprise when Daisuke is at a meeting representing his company. The gloves are off and Dai-chan (that's what Nishioka calls Daisuke) is ready to do all he can to get the job. He's jealous of Fujii. It seems that Dai-chan wants to be the only one to work so closely with Nishioka and no one else.After this situation and its aftermath blow over another mountain comes into view. The higher-ups at Dai-chan's company have high hopes for him and want him to accept a promotion and move overseas and head the Foreign Affairs department. On the other side Nishioka is dealing with being the 'in' photographer but the companies who hire him only want his name attached to the project and not necessarily take his advice. Both men are in a funk and don't know how to approach each other with the things that bother them. Stir in a trip that Nishioka has to make to Osaka to visit his father who has been hospitalized, and you have the makings of the story's climax.If you are interested here is a link of the review I wrote for Loveholic vol. 1. There is something about Toko Kawai that draws you into the story and it won't let you go until the end. I don't know what it is because when you read any of her works she has a style that she goes with and many of her characters all look alike. That said, I still enjoy her art. I love how Kawai-sensei weaves humor into her stories without making it look like it's trying too hard to please readers. The intensity of the story is dialed up in this volume. I feel that this bit of angst is necessary to move the story to a successful and pleasing end. Another thing I noticed is the lack of the 'rape = love' scenario that you see in so many titles released. It's a really nice change to see these two men get together because they do actually love each other. Nishioka is a bit shy in bed and with public displays of affection but he does love his man and loves being with his man.Loveholic is a great series to start off with if you are interested in checking out the BL genre or if you want to check out some of Kawai-sensei's work. It isn't as explicit when it comes to sex and it focuses more on the relationship that these two men have outside of the bedroom. I definitely recommend it! --Manic About MangaAgain, that faint squealing sound you hear in the distance? That's the sound of me letting out a fangirl shriek for getting a copy of this in English. What can I say? Toko Kawai just does it for me. Sweet angsty stories, gorgeous art and bits of humor sprinkled in to keep me grinning, even while the characters are suffering.Now, this isn't one of her really angsty series, but it does have its moments and they strike me hard. If you're not a Kawai fan already, you should be. She's not as graphic as some of the other artists I sing the praises of, but the sheer quality of her work makes up for any lacking in smut.When we last left Nishioka and Matsukawa, things seemed to be going well. They had started to admit their feelings and were well on their way to falling into bed on a regular basis. However, because this is the wonderful land of boy smut, things don't always work out the way we want it to for our intrepid heroes.Work pressures and rivalries throw obstacles in their way, making the path to a happy-ever-after seem further and further away. Of course, we've got a happy ending in there. This is the wonderful world of yaoi, but Kawai really makes them work for it.I can't rave enough about this artist and this series. She always goes directly to my keeper shelf. --Boys Next Door