Not for the Faint of Heart - Spell Vol 1
So this is another work by Hyouta Fujiyama, who also writes the rather excellent Tale of the Waning Moon series of which I am a fan. And I have to say, though this manga captures much of the same charm and cuteness, the setting is definitely lacking, and I found myself missing the lack of more intense sex scenes in that context, because with TotWM at least there is the interesting story, the quest, the characters and the suspense. With Spell, the story is much more slice of life, much more ordinary, and I found that a bit less interesting, though I must say here is another fine example of a yaoi manga without rape in it.
The general idea of this manga is that supposed straight guy goes to a party, where he is bored, and meets a new friend, a guy that he feels comfortable around, and they start to hang out. Straight guy learns that his new friend is bi, which weirds him out but rather turns him on at the same time. What follows next is the slow build of their relationship into something more than friendship, though the formerly straight guy still wants a more traditional, monogamous relationship while the bi guy wants a bit more fun, a bit more freedom.
This is a rather standard story, but the art and the writing goes a long way to making it feel new. The characters are both attractive and kind and fun, and it is entertaining to watch their feelings change and mature. There are a few problems there that kind of bother me, and no so much with the formerly straight guy because I'm sure there are many men in that same situation, but more with the portrayal of the bi guy, who is shown as giving into the formerly straight guy right away despite having a boyfriend already. I guess I just didn't like that he was cheating, and though it fits with his relationship, I could have done without that.
Otherwise, I suppose the things that bothered me were the relative lack of sex scenes, there being only one at the end and a kind of one in the middle (a half of one?). While this isn't too much a problem, because the story and the drama, the conflict of both characters, the bi one to try and be more committed, the formerly straight one to be more free and adventurous, I would still have liked to see a bit more. It did drag on at times when I thought that it could have put in (teehee) some sex.
But so it goes. What sex there is is nice enough, though not very graphic. It's sweet and cute, much like the manga as a whole, and it works for what it is. It just isn't anything too special, nothing that appeals to my wanting more of a story besides the relationship. This is a romance, though, and nothing else, and I suppose as that it succeeds. Unfortunately, without more than that, I can only give it a 7/10.