Voices Of Love (Josei) (Luv Luv)
When you've outgrown the shy schoolgirl romances of most shojo manga and are turned off by the machismo of most seinen (men's) manga, your best bet is to check out the world of josei (ladies') manga. While there isn't a whole lot of it available yet in the States, that's about to change with the arrival of Aurora Publishing's new LuvLuv Press line of "passionate manga for women."First out of the gate is Kanae Hazuki's Voices of Love, a series of short but sweet love stories about twenty-something men and women falling in love and getting it on shortly after they do. You won't find magical girls or flying ninjas here Each story is about contemporary twenty- and thirty-somethings living in Japan and dealing with heartaches that should be familiar to any reader of chick lit: The forbidden affair between an older woman and a younger man. The abusive relationship that's difficult to escape. A girl doesn't understand the difference between "friends with benefits" and real love meets a boy who tries to teach her. What makes it surprising is that both the men and women here are grown-ups with interesting imperfections, and their attraction to each other seems real and plausible.The artwork is pretty and contemporary, and tells the stories effectively. Yes, the sex scenes are explicit, but only a few exceptions, they're tender, sweet and sensual. There are a few scenes of violence that might disturb more sensitive readers, but for the most part, the stories are fairly female-friendly. --Deb Aoki - About.com