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Sky Link
Ban Ritsuki was looking forward to his university life. Then, on his very first day, he bumps into a strange man on campus who tells him that he has the sort of face that he likes. Reacting badly, he tells the man he is disgusting. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter, as the stranger turns out to be one of his lecturers, Takagi Shoutaro! Ban finds this irritating enough, but Takagi can't seem to get the message that Ban wants Takagi to leave Ban alone as much as possible. To be honest, Takagi just really pushes Ban's rage buttons. That is, until one unguarded moment when Ban catches sight of Takagi sky gazing, with a look of intense melancholy upon his face. Finding his heart unexpectedly moved, Ban discovers that sometimes irritation can be a symptom of something besides anger, but what is it?
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 4, 2018
There are two novellas.
In the first one, a new professor sexually harasses a slacker student who has some dark secret in his past which THE READER NEVER LEARNS. The minor character who represents his past gives him a mild beat-down (not bad enough to require bandaids, apparently) and that is the end of it. The skeevy prof, who is also his next door neighbor, sees him looking at the sky and deduces that he ought to be a photographer, although he has never used a camera before. The student cries and then they have sex and I guess drop out of school and go to another country. The student's best friend and a kid who had a crush on the prof are sad.
The second story was less disjointed but also weak. Two kids have been friends for years. One of them always protects the other from getting beaten up over being half foreign. He has blonde hair and his friend is attracted to him because he likes shiny things. The all Japanese boy's family has a kimono shop and his friend really wants him to take it over when he grows up, but he doesn't want to, he wants to be a writer. Finally in the last year of high school they confess their feelings and have a relationship. Then they graduate and the half-English boy goes to school in England because his parents say he has to. The other boy works in the family business. Oh, and he has a kaleidoscope that he has loved since he got it as a child.
You can probably tell that neither story worked for me in any way. The art was mediocre but better than the plotting, more like 3 stars for illustration and 1 for the text.
In the first one, a new professor sexually harasses a slacker student who has some dark secret in his past which THE READER NEVER LEARNS. The minor character who represents his past gives him a mild beat-down (not bad enough to require bandaids, apparently) and that is the end of it. The skeevy prof, who is also his next door neighbor, sees him looking at the sky and deduces that he ought to be a photographer, although he has never used a camera before. The student cries and then they have sex and I guess drop out of school and go to another country. The student's best friend and a kid who had a crush on the prof are sad.
The second story was less disjointed but also weak. Two kids have been friends for years. One of them always protects the other from getting beaten up over being half foreign. He has blonde hair and his friend is attracted to him because he likes shiny things. The all Japanese boy's family has a kimono shop and his friend really wants him to take it over when he grows up, but he doesn't want to, he wants to be a writer. Finally in the last year of high school they confess their feelings and have a relationship. Then they graduate and the half-English boy goes to school in England because his parents say he has to. The other boy works in the family business. Oh, and he has a kaleidoscope that he has loved since he got it as a child.
You can probably tell that neither story worked for me in any way. The art was mediocre but better than the plotting, more like 3 stars for illustration and 1 for the text.
September 7, 2011
**** Sky Link-Ritsuki is wandering through life with no goals and no purpose. His divorced parents went their separate ways and he goes to university at the request of his aunt and uncle. He doesn't realize that the stranger that crashes into him is about to bring some unwelcome change to his life.
Takagi is the new instructor in East Asian Studies, a job that he never thought he would be cut out for or be good at. He crashes into Ritsuki outside the university and feels an instant connection. Takagi doesn't hide his attraction for Ritsuki and tries his hardest to break through Ritsuki's defenses, even as an admirer of Takagi's insinuates himself between them.
Both men have something in their pasts that they want to forget or just surpass; for Takagi-a famous journalist before he started teaching-is the death of a colleague and for Ritsuki it's a little unclear as the guy that seems to be stalking him is never really identified (was it a gang member, a psycho ex,...). Takagi sees something of himself in Ritsuki, but he also realizes it's not just their kindred spirits that brings them together; like him, Ritsuki loves to watch the sky.
Takagi makes Ritsuki a promise, for him to study photography. If he gets good enough, Takagi will take him anywhere he want to go....half a year later, Takagi fulfills his promise.
*****You through a kaleidoscope pt. 1 & 2-Kazu & Yuki are friends. Half Japanese and half English Yuki has always been bullied for his looks and Kazu has always protected him, even though he always looses the fight and ends up getting beat up; but Kazu can't help it as he's always loved Yuki. The only problem is that he's never confessed his feelings and feels he doesn't deserve to-he's always believed that he destroys all the beautiful things he touches.
Then Kazu's friend shows an interest in Yuki and he makes the choice to finally reveal his feelings. After all, Kazu's favorite things are rooftops, bicycles, riverbanks, children's books, kaleidoscopes...and snow (yuki).
These stories were sweet and full of hope. The character's emotions were beautifully portrayed and the illustrations were really well done.
Takagi is the new instructor in East Asian Studies, a job that he never thought he would be cut out for or be good at. He crashes into Ritsuki outside the university and feels an instant connection. Takagi doesn't hide his attraction for Ritsuki and tries his hardest to break through Ritsuki's defenses, even as an admirer of Takagi's insinuates himself between them.
Both men have something in their pasts that they want to forget or just surpass; for Takagi-a famous journalist before he started teaching-is the death of a colleague and for Ritsuki it's a little unclear as the guy that seems to be stalking him is never really identified (was it a gang member, a psycho ex,...). Takagi sees something of himself in Ritsuki, but he also realizes it's not just their kindred spirits that brings them together; like him, Ritsuki loves to watch the sky.
Takagi makes Ritsuki a promise, for him to study photography. If he gets good enough, Takagi will take him anywhere he want to go....half a year later, Takagi fulfills his promise.
*****You through a kaleidoscope pt. 1 & 2-Kazu & Yuki are friends. Half Japanese and half English Yuki has always been bullied for his looks and Kazu has always protected him, even though he always looses the fight and ends up getting beat up; but Kazu can't help it as he's always loved Yuki. The only problem is that he's never confessed his feelings and feels he doesn't deserve to-he's always believed that he destroys all the beautiful things he touches.
Then Kazu's friend shows an interest in Yuki and he makes the choice to finally reveal his feelings. After all, Kazu's favorite things are rooftops, bicycles, riverbanks, children's books, kaleidoscopes...and snow (yuki).
These stories were sweet and full of hope. The character's emotions were beautifully portrayed and the illustrations were really well done.
March 27, 2025
Ce manga court se compose de deux histoires distinctes.
Dans la première, Ritsuki se fait bousculer par un inconnu qui, sans préambule, lui lance qu’il est totalement son genre. Il découvre peu après que cet homme, Takagi, est en réalité son nouveau professeur à la fac. Direct et entreprenant, Takagi n’a pas sa langue dans sa poche, et l’attirance qu’il ressent pour Ritsuki est immédiate. Si ce dernier est d’abord agacé par son professeur, leurs sentiments finissent par être réciproques.
La seconde histoire, Toi à travers un kaléidoscope, suit Kazu et Yuki, amis d’enfance aux tempéraments opposés : l’un est solaire et pétillant, l’autre plus froid et réservé. Le récit, ponctué de plusieurs ellipses temporelles, se veut tendre et touchant.
Le point commun entre ces deux histoires ? Elles sont malheureusement trop courtes pour être pleinement développées. À plusieurs reprises, j’ai eu du mal à suivre la chronologie et certains dialogues manquaient de clarté.
En fin de compte, j’ai passé un bon moment, mais cette lecture ne me marquera pas tant que ça.
Dans la première, Ritsuki se fait bousculer par un inconnu qui, sans préambule, lui lance qu’il est totalement son genre. Il découvre peu après que cet homme, Takagi, est en réalité son nouveau professeur à la fac. Direct et entreprenant, Takagi n’a pas sa langue dans sa poche, et l’attirance qu’il ressent pour Ritsuki est immédiate. Si ce dernier est d’abord agacé par son professeur, leurs sentiments finissent par être réciproques.
La seconde histoire, Toi à travers un kaléidoscope, suit Kazu et Yuki, amis d’enfance aux tempéraments opposés : l’un est solaire et pétillant, l’autre plus froid et réservé. Le récit, ponctué de plusieurs ellipses temporelles, se veut tendre et touchant.
Le point commun entre ces deux histoires ? Elles sont malheureusement trop courtes pour être pleinement développées. À plusieurs reprises, j’ai eu du mal à suivre la chronologie et certains dialogues manquaient de clarté.
En fin de compte, j’ai passé un bon moment, mais cette lecture ne me marquera pas tant que ça.
June 4, 2018
I liked "Sky Link" because it's about a student/teacher relationship, which is a trope I love, but the writing is all over the place. Scenes jump around with no transition. There is no buildup to the relationship; the teacher thinks his student is hot and comes onto him and the student never reciprocates...until all of a sudden he just throws himself at his teacher. It was kind of bizarre. But the art is beautiful, so there's that. (The "Sky Link" is that the student enjoys looking at the sky and the teacher is a former photojournalist who likes pictures of the sky, so it is the "link" that jump-starts their relationship.)
The second story is called "Kaleidoscope." It made no sense to me. It was 99% about school activities, with scenes randomly changing without transition, then suddenly at the end one boy announces he's moving to England and the other says, "I know it's too late but here's my confession." Then they sleep together and the story ends. There's no romance or buildup to a relationship. This story was as long as the first, but it was so dull I actually zoned out at one point. And while the kaleidoscope is mentioned twice in the whole of the story, it really had no purpose for being there.
I love the art a lot but the stories were just not good. I would recommend passing on this one unless you're a die-hard fan of student/teacher.
The second story is called "Kaleidoscope." It made no sense to me. It was 99% about school activities, with scenes randomly changing without transition, then suddenly at the end one boy announces he's moving to England and the other says, "I know it's too late but here's my confession." Then they sleep together and the story ends. There's no romance or buildup to a relationship. This story was as long as the first, but it was so dull I actually zoned out at one point. And while the kaleidoscope is mentioned twice in the whole of the story, it really had no purpose for being there.
I love the art a lot but the stories were just not good. I would recommend passing on this one unless you're a die-hard fan of student/teacher.
September 19, 2018
the side story saved this story for me
March 26, 2012
4.5 stars
March 24, 2016
20160324
July 31, 2016
The 2nd story was better than the first, but anyway also this one was a bit boring and both had some things I didnt like. The graphic wasnt bad.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews