Yellow, Volume 03

Yellow #3

by Makoto Tateno

Goh and Taki work as underground drugs and arms snatchers! Their fate begins to twist when people that claim to be Taki's "foster parents" show up. As Taki's mysterious past becomes unraveled, the two become exceedingly closer.

Genres: Manga, Yaoi, Romance, LGBT, Boys Love, Comics, Queer

184 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2004

About the author

Name (in native language): 立野真琴

Birth Date: March 23

Also writes under the pen-name of Shinjuku Tango.

Makoto Tateno is an extremely prolific mangaka, having created 30+ series of manga in both the shoujo and BL genres. However, she is probably most well known amongst English-speaking audiences for her yaoi series “Yellow,” published by DMP. She debuted in 1986 with the short story "Yuraete Tamago Boys," published by Hana to Yume.

Reviews

[DeeNeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A murder ties back to Taki’s secret dark past. With it brings the realization that he’s fallen in love with Goh. Sizzling chemistry, angst, and sex. And it’s a cliff hanger!

[Natalia Bas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manga recomendado: ''Yellow'', de Makoto Tateno. Ediciones La Cúpula, 4 tomos, completa. LGBT, acción, relaciones varias...

Me gusta el Yaoi, así que no dudé en comprar esta colección cuando salió en España.

No me equivoqué: su dibujo puede ser más sencillo; pero encantador a la vez.

La trama..., pues dos hombres se dedican a salir, digamos, de misterios varios: tanto ''laborales'' como personales.

¿Qué puede pasar cuando un gay y un hetero están demasiado juntos, a veces?...

Una historia plagada de acción, pullitas muy directas, misterios dentro de misterios emocionales, y sensualidad... Y dulzura.

Me gusta cómo se toca el tema emocional desde todos los aspectos, la culpa, la redención... Y me gusta cómo se cuidan los protagonistas. Y también los ''secundarios''.

¿Que queréis saber más?... Pues ya lo estáis leyendo y me contáis si os ha encantado u os ha encantado :)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the Drama! In diesem Teil passiert ziemlich viel, aber es trifft mich nicht mehr ganz so wie damals *hach* (Hab einen Preissticker aus 2006 drauf gefunden, ungefähr da hab ichs zum ersten Mal gelesen.)

[Myffanwy Geronazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shit, it got better.

[Xabier Cid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a specialist in the genre and I think it's the first time I read a manga album, as far as I remember, so perhaps my opinion is not really an interesting one.
I know that the genre's conventions are key to properly read a manga album, and reasonably my disappointment after this book comes from my lack of knowledge of these conventions. It was hard for me to follow the plot, to differenciate the main characters, and, to make everything worse, I read this volume #3 without reading previously the volumes #1 and #2. So maybe what I though confusion in the drawing of the characters it is a virtue in the genre. And maybe the unrealistic plot is exactly what the typical reader of these albums is looking for.
Spanish translation is also awful, and sometimes it looked like the translation was made without any tentative of creating a realistic dialogue.

At the end, there is a love story, even a sex story, and that eventually covers all the issues I found in the book (which, as I said, they may be my issues as a reader rather than the book's issues).

[Martyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like the story is finally getting somewhere. This volume holds out the promise of better things to come. But I can't say I enjoyed the idea that a man had had himself turned into a woman in order to win the love of someone he had raised as a son! Straight girls might enjoy imagining such situations but I, as a gay man, certainly find it unpleasant.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: Homophobia, Transphobia, Murder, Child Murder, Gun violence

This is the volume that made me love this series. We learn more about our characters and their pasts which helps explain the problems I had with the series. Their romance gets more explored in this volume and I really enjoyed it.

[A. Katariina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured it, frick it’s getting so dramatic and my fourth volume is back home; I have to wait several days😫

[mora · Rating 5 out of 5]

this. is. so. good.
this volume was the most angsty and romantic and i loved it so much. i want to protect taki with my life :((((

[Luru · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Mosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite volume of the series so far. The past is back, and love and danger are in the air.

[Lashanda Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was good and I’m surprised I liked it.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

As far as plots go, manga authors can go pretty crazy. It works if they lead you into the insanity slowly - doing a 'wear down your suspension-of-disbelief' slowly type of approach. With Yellow, however, Tateno throws in a backstory for one of the characters that is, to be honest, preposterously silly and abruptly presented (i.e., out of the blue). Combine that with fairly bland characters without much chemistry, and the melodrama feels overplayed.

Story: Taki is still resisting Goh's advances. But the surprising death of one of their targets brings Taki's terrifying past back to haunt both of them. What will Taki sacrifice to protect Goh?

So yes - the elephant in the room here is the rather random reveal of Taki's 'parents'. I won't go into too much detail due to spoiler reasons but this entire volume is about their return and how it affects both Taki and his relationship with Goh.

Goh remains a very one-dimensional character - some really like that aggressive and single minded type of lead. For me, it typically translates into a case of "he's hot, so he must be the perfect match" type of scenario that I just can't get behind. I really want there to be more between two people and to see a spark or chemistry. But all we get is Goh being a jerk/insensitive and Taki taking it. It's disaffecting, really - tough guys can be marshmallows inside, too!

So I didn't really get into Yellow. On the one hand, I love the larger format of the physical paperback. But on the other hand, the story here got really, really silly.

[Viridian5 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Makoto Tateno's Yellow vol. 3 has plotting straight out of crack fanfic, except that not even crack fanfic usually makes me laugh derisively this often. Turns out Taki wasn't saying no to Goh because Goh is far too aggressive and doesn't take no for an answer. Nope. Turns out that Taki's two male guardians turned out to be assassins, he eventually had his nose rubbed in it, and one of them came on rather forcefully to him after killing a mother and child.

Me: "...bwaahahahaha! And so he became a womanizer! Bwahahahahaa!"

So then the guardians return years later and the one had a sex change figuring that would make him more attractive to Taki and they're threatening to kill Goh if he doesn't leave with them.

So Taki admits that he loves Goh and has sex for the first time with him, then leaves without a word to save Goh's life. Goh gets to wake up and run out in time to see him get in the car with them and leave. He runs after the car yelling, while Taki looks at him sadly. End of volume 3.

And the sex wasn't even hot!

Me: "...I think I read this online a few times." Sad. I'm glad I browsed it instead of bought it. You mileage may vary, but I expect more than obvious crack angstalicious melodramatic wish fulfillment out of professional work.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kei has left, devastated over Goh’s indifference towards him. But he’s not finished with Goh yet as a new player enters the scene… There is something very contrived about this new plot twist. What with melodramatic appearances, disappearances, unexpected connections to other characters and sudden character changes; it’s just like a soap opera! Taki is actually attracted to men but he’s buried it because of a repressed horror from his childhood. Someone from his past re-appears with dramatic news. His parents turn out to be criminals! What’s next? His long-lost twin shows up?!? Taki’s past does add dimension to his character but I felt it could have been done without the overblown surprises.

[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

We get Taki's back story in this one and find out that he was fostered by a pair of assassins. Mizuki was in love with Taki but took it to heart when he told him that he couldn't love either a man or a killer. 6 years and a sex change later Mizuki's back and she wants Taki.

Taki and Goh finally get together in this one only to be cruelly torn apart as Taki sacrifices himself to save his partner.
Gripping, emotionally charged story with fab artwork. You'll need volume 4 on hand as this does end on a cliffhanger...

Yaoi at hits finest. Recommended.

[sucker4synth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the first two volumes but was still able to enjoy this one. Goh and Taki are partners who steal drugs and guns from bad guys. Goh likes dudes, and likes Taki, who I guess doesn't like dudes, or really is just ambiguous about the who thing. Taki is trying to hide his past from Goh who is trying to figure this guy out, and also drink lots of whiskey. And also kiss him a bunch. All kinds of stuff that would never happen in real-life, but, oh, the delicious angst!

[Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good volume for this series. I love this part of the plot. Everything is thrown into jeopardy and the series plotline has almost reached its highest peak. Also, I love the tender scene between Taki and Goh - beautifully and tastefully done. The tasteful sex/love scenes are what make Yellow such a good yaoi series.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third installment of this manga, and things are getting more and more serious for Taki and Goh. But even after they finally make the plunge, will something drive them apart?

This book ends on a cliffhanger, so make sure you have the next book waiting. I've said in other reviews how much I enjoy this series, so I won't say it again. Definitely recommend, four stars.

[Darkuria · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is more intense drama development in this volume and I couldn't stop reading, it has more a plot line that is going to continue in the last volume, I don't want to give details but I like more this part of the story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously couldn't stop reading this book, and I'm glad I had all four volumes so that I didn't have to!

[Oyceter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little better... we now get into angsty pasts, of course!

Full review: http://oyceter.livejournal.com/634730... (minor spoilers for entire series)

[SoAmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overly dramatic angst in mange form. I'm completely and totally addicted. (And currently heading to B&N to order the last volume. heh.)

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The did it! They finally did it! and Take left after awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww :'( I almost cried

[Hellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars

I need some tissues.

[M.A. Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too pretty to stop.