Sekiya y Shibata Sekiya, locutor de radio y pinchadiscos, conoce a Shibata, un chico muy agradable al que le encanta su voz. Este no dejará de insistir hasta obtener lo que quiere.
Kameda y Ogikawa Un gato hace que Kameda y Ogikawa crucen sus caminos. A partir de ese momento, vivirán una relación bonita y placida.
Yahiko, Akiha y el otro hombre Perdido en sus recuerdos, Akiha, el dueño de una cafetería, protagoniza una historia de amor con Yahiko, su amante actual.
Sado y Nakajô Llevan mucho tiempo saliendo, pero siempre se están peleando,Nakajô vive torturado por no ser capaz de conseguir el amor de Sado y se odia a si mismo por ello.
Cuatro parejas de chicos y sus dificultades para llegar a formalizarse...
"Links" is the kind of "short story collection" I like. I'm using quotation marks because these stories are so interconnected they don't read like short stories. It's more like an episodic movie, which fits the cover (and actually was the idea behind it, as the afterword suggests).
I don't want to go into too much detail, but basically the focus is on four different couples, all trying to find happiness in their own way (which is to say they're not very good at it in some cases). The theme of "links", connections runs through them all - the most obvious is the link between the stories, and the stories' characters, but it's also the idea of relationships as such, the way these links are formed...
And while this could come across a bit heavy-handed, here it never does. Each story is told beautifully, drawn beautifully, and everything ties together very satisfyingly. I admit there were moments I was a bit confused as to who is who to whom, but in the end it all comes together.
It's the kind of manga you close with a sigh - satisfied and somewhat comforted, thinking, "Yeah, this is how love works sometimes".
Este manga es muy bonito, desde el dibujo, hasta en la manera en que está narrado. Me ha gustado mucho como se entrelazan las historias y como todos acaban tan enamorados y felices.
Lo voy a volver a leer en breve porque creo que una vez que sabes bien las conexiones entre ellos de dónde vienen, lo disfrutas aún más.
Sekiya, locutor de radio, y Shibata, que trabaja en la cafetería a la que suele acudir; Kameda y Ogikawa, que se conocen en una fría noche y quedan unidos por un gato; Akiha, que no ha podido olvidar su primer amor, y Yahiko, su amante; y Nakajô y Sado, que llevan tiempo juntos, pero siempre andan discutiendo. Estas cuatro parejas deberán lidiar con sus sentimientos más profundos si quieren que sus relaciones no descarrilen.
Links ha resultado una lectura muy entretenida y tierna, llena de detalles y sutilezas que te atrapan en la historia que une a los protagonistas como el lazo del destino. Todos comparten un trágico pasado que ayuda a cohesionar las historias y que da un trasfondo bello a las parejas. Sin embargo, esta unión también se me antoja un poco artificial, y no contribuye el que haya tantos personajes homosexuales que se conocen entre ellos. No es algo que se dé normalmente y da la sensación de ser una especie de "comuna homosexual". Ojalá estas relaciones pasasen más habitualmente, pero no es lo común, y menos en Japón, donde este tipo de relaciones se llevan de una forma mucho más secreta y comedida.
Sin embargo, mi mayor problema con la obra es el dibujo. Es muy bonito y me gusta el diseño de los personajes, pero algunos se parecen tanto entre ellos que resulta confuso. He pasado varias páginas pensando que estoy viendo un personaje sólo para descubrir que se trataba de otro totalmente diferente. Pienso que la autora tendría que haberse centrado más en menos personajes, hacerlos más distintivos y enlazar y profundizar mejor en las historias, pues el resultado final parece un poco un batiburrillo.
Links es un tomo de esos de leer en una tarde que estés sin hacer nada en casa. Entretiene pero esperaba un poco más de las historias, algo más de cohesión y belleza entre ellas (algunas me parecen demasiado tóxicas como ejemplo de relación de cualquier tipo). Para alguien a quién le guste el manga y quiera leer algo de romance sencillo, es un tomo perfecto que te sacará una sonrisa.
I miss Kizu Natsuki sensei’s old drawing style where the characters looked more mature… Although she was only 22 when she published this work, the narratives have real literary substance unlike most BL works out there. Having read this manga a few times, I’d discover something new each time. The story panels are well designed and I can imagine it being turned into an art house film...
The four couples are kind of related in one way or another, friends, co-workers, relatives, they go to the same coffee shop, live at the same apartment building, listen to the same radio show… So it’s different from other short story compilation book. Two of the stories are deeper and more complicated but the other two stories are lighter and fluffier. The four couples had a drink gathering at izakaya at the end, cute 4 panels comedy.
I can already see Kizu Natsuki sensei’s obsession with the dead ex-bf, which reminded me of Yoshida Yuki from Given, as well as sex buddies with true feelings, also reminded me of Murata Ugetsu from Given. The common theme of moving on from the past and savor the happiness in the present.
『雪解けに、ナイフのような声で』 First couple: The seme 関屋 真人 (25) is a late night radio DJ and uke 新発田 諒 (31) is manager of a coffee shop that he frequently visit. The seme says things he doesn’t mean during the show to comfort the audiences, but he actually is a loner outside of work and doesn’t talk much. The cheerful uke likes to listen to the serious seme’s radio show, his warmth and positivity slowly melt down the seme’s cold heart. Can the seme overcome the communication barrier and express his actual thoughts through his attractive voice?
『桜蕊降る、残響の海』 Second couple: The seme 燕 弥彦 (23) is the gang member/secretary of seme from the fourth story (佐渡 隆晃), and uke 新津 秋葉 (32) is the owner of the coffee shop and cannot forget his first love from high school. The ex-bf is the dead older brother of seme from the fourth story, the two boys used to play piano together after school, then he got left behind and was afraid of music. The uke originally treated the seme as a sex buddy and kept on rejecting his confession, eventually he decided to move on from the past and start a new life.
『五月、未明の序章』 Third couple: The seme 亀田 葵 (25) is a metalsmith with tattoos, he’s the childhood friend/neighbor/protector of uke from the fourth story (中条 忍), and the uke 萩原 佑成 (26) is a cheerful but clumsy salaryman. The seme picked up a stray cat and the drunk uke one rainy night. Their bond slowly strengthened through taking care of the cat as well as cooking and eating together. The genesis creation narrative mirrored the development of their budding relationship over the 7 days.
『速星αより、栗の花落つ』 Fourth couple: The seme 佐渡 隆晃 (29) is the future gang leader and the uke 中条 忍 (29) is the son of the gang’s boss, working as freelance writer and hangs at the coffee shop a lot. The seme and his older brother grew up in a single parent family with a hands-off dad. The seme didn’t like how the older bother’s wasting his piano talent and becoming homosexual. The seme’s brother passed away in a bike accident while delivering pizza, and the two bros never had the chance to repair their relationship.
The uke survived the crash but felt guilty about it since first year of high school, although his dad took the seme under his wings and raised him to be the new successor of the gang. This couple has been together for over 10 years but never clearly expressed their true feelings for each other, are they still only bond by guilt and debt? After talking with him dad, the uke decided to test if he can accept other man so he kissed his childhood friend, the seme from third story (亀田 葵). Will this incident force them to realize what they think of each other and where they want the relationship to go?
At the beginning of the book. the dead older brother appears in seme’s dream, where he played piano on stage… At the end of the book, he appeared again in the seme’s dream on Christmas Eve, he shall be remembered forever.
Relationships are always complex, they never go smoothly, but so does life. As the title suggests, this manga’s story revolves around eight men all linked aka connected with each other through circumstances, profession, and personal relationships. Links talk about these men trying to live their lives and hoping to find happiness and maybe love.
Art One word...beautiful. I have just started following Kizu Natsuki sensei's work and the enamoring art style and distinct features of the characters; especially their eyes take you in the story. It's the art that talks and the story is defined by the art or is an extended version of the art (if you know what I mean). Also ikemen gorgeous Seme and lovely (to an extent of girlish-like) looking Uke. But the background design and the variation created for all characters in the story including supporting characters just amazed me. Not every mangaka can create such variety and remain connected to the story.
Characters Have you ever waited to listen to your favorite radio show/TV series with baited breath just to hear or watch your fave RJ or TV actor speak or perform? The first couple featuring in the story is of Sekiya Masahito, and Shibata Ryou and their link establish when the young radio jockey with a smooth voice ^o^ meets a 30 yr old shop manager with a koe/voice fetish. Sekia gets irritated by this overly enthusiastic, extremely friendly, bothersome ossan and his persistent requests of friendship. Shibata san is too dense to understand that Sekia kun does not want to get along. How will Shibata san manage to get the unsociable Sekia's attention?
The second couple's relationship is of two people having a link through professional/personal connections. Tsubame Yahiko is Sado Takaaki's Secretary (a Yakuza boss), and his bodyguard, and he is head over heals for Niitsu Akiha, Sado's senpai, and his dead brother's ex-lover. No one can replace the memories of the past, and if someone is not ready to move on, it's even harder for the ones who love them. That is the reality of Yahiko and Akiha. Will he ever understand that his happiness time has finally arrived; that sometimes it is better to let go of the past and accept to give love another chance?
Our third couple did not even start as a couple; they were just two people who got linked through a cat. Yup, Ogikawa Yuusei is a salesman who tried to rescue a cat from rain but collapsed because he was drunk. In came the knight in shining armor, Kameda Aoi, a metal engraver who was just passing by. He sees the drenched /sorry looking fellow, and his cat picks them up and brings them to his home. Their friendship is a quirky one, but is there scope for developing a relationship?
Our final couple looks like two people always on bad terms (seen mostly arguing or fighting with each other). How are they linked…Nakajou Shinobu is a Yakuza's son, although he does not do any Yakuza work and he is Sado Takaaki's partner who is a Yakuza boss and has been working under Shinobu's father. They share a connection with a tragedy that happened ten years ago, which brought them together and started a relationship with no expectations, but somehow they are still together. Will one of them break the fragile thread that binds them or will they hold on to it, and to each other desperately?
Enjoyment As you can see the characters truly unique, but here is the enjoyment element -
Absolutely gorgeous! It was a little difficult to tell a few of the characters apart, which is important in a book that features a few interconnected stories and explores how all the characters relate to each other, but once you get the hang of it, and with some double-checking while reading, it really is a gorgeous collection of stories.
Each couple featured are different and unique, they are flawed but beautiful, and somehow I've managed to get attached in just one volume. I ADORE THEM, plus they look amazing in Natsuki Kizu's art style.
Ha sido un tomo precioso y cargado de sentimientos. Cuatro historias con todos los personajes y las tramas relacionadas entre sí. La psicología de los personajes está muy bien desarrollada y es imposible no cogerles cariño, no sentir y experimentar lo que ellos experimentan. Un bellísimo tomo único lleno de amor, drama, dolor y esperanza.
ANYTHING WITH SWEETS IN IT AND PURE HONEST LOVE GETS A GOOD RATING OUT OF ME!
Now, even with that being said, it’s hard to decipher which characters are which sometimes. Other than that, the stories are beautiful and the people are beautiful and the love is … BEAUTIFUL!
1,5 ⭐️ Fueron historias muy cutes pero la verdad no llegué a entender la relación entre todos sus personajes y me pareció excesivamente rápido el cómo iban avanzando las relaciones, entiendo que son historias cortas pero tampoco exageremos
También lo que destacan otras reviews y que también considero importante es que los personajes no se llegan a diferenciar del todo en muchas partes lo que hace más difícil empatizar
Son unas historias muy bonitas y con personajes diversos. Lo único es que se me ha complicado al principio para pillar la trama y diferenciar a algún personaje.
I have been waiting to read this story for many years so I was excited when it finally got licensed in english. Natsuki Kizu is my favorite mangaka because of Given. Her artwork + the way she’s able to naturally weave together storylines to embrace a wave of emotions is really amazing.
Links has so many similarities to Given that it only makes sense that I would love it. Even the character (Nakajo) on the top of the cover looks like Haruki. And although Nakajo looks like Haruki, he actually has a personality similar to Ugetsu. Then, there’s one couple (Akiha & Yahiko) who have a similar dynamic to Mafuyu and Uenoyama. Trying to navigate through grief to embrace a new love and the role music plays apart of that.
The intertwining storylines were linked together so much I got the characters confused at few times lol. However, I really enjoyed reading it.
4'5 estrellas. Está entretenido, no esperes una historia profunda pq son historietas. Lo único que me raya es que los personajes son IGUALES que los de Given 🥴
I actually didn’t finish it I got halfway through and literally gave up? Idk what it was usually I’m very open and I like most manga but that one was just bad for me 🥲
I think I would have liked this more if it weren't so confusing. And the only reason it's confusing is because all the characters look like each other. There is literally one character who stands apart, only because he's blonde or has light-colored hair. The other two couples are both comprised of a dark haired man and a red/orange(ish) man who have similar facial features or look like knockoffs of Mafuyuu and Uenoyama from Given (understandable since this is from the same author). On top of that, three of the four romances aren't well-developed and just seem to happen. The only one that is notable is the relationship that has been in effect for 10 years. It's an interesting take, but if it had focused on one couple or if the book had been split into multiple volumes, the overall narrative might have come together more smoothly and been more coherent.
Honestamente lo único que tiene esta mangaka es lo estético de su dibujo, porque para escribir parejas, solo le salen relaciones tóxicas. Y este volumen es una prueba de que, aunque su dibujo es muy bonito, lo cierto es que raya en el “todos se ven igual, ya no sé quién es quién”.
Doy gracias porque me lo prestó una amiga y así no tuve que gastar en ello.
I admit that i rarely rated and review manga in this site this year. But i still reading them. And this one is one of the best, everything are linked. How beautiful. Perfect 5 stars for this.
Este manga al principio me enredó mucho porque algunos personajes se parecían físicamente entonces no diferenciaba quienes eran, además casi todos los personajes tenían una conexión entre ellos y eso lo hacía más confuso para mí pero cuando entendí como funcionaban las relaciones ya fue mucho más sencillo seguir la lectura y no me decepcionó para nada. Acá, la autora nos quiere contar cuatro historias de amor en las cuales sus protagonistas se conectan con las demás historias. Hubo historias que me gustaron más que otras, por ejemplo la de Kameda y Ogikawa fue mi favorita, ya que se desarrolló sin mucho afán y de manera simple y sin mucho drama, hasta la encontré chistosa. La de Sekiya y Shibata fue la que se me hizo un poco forzada, ya que no me muestran mucho desarrollo entonces no me apegué mucho a ellos y las que fueron un poco más complejas ya que tenían sus propios problemas y demonios fueron las de Yahiko y Akiha y la de Sado y Nakajo. Estas dos son las más interesantes también porque las conecta una misma persona que afecta la relación de forma diferente. En la primera, es el fantasma de alguien lo que impide que sean felices, y en la otra es la culpa por la ausencia de esta persona. En general es una historia que logra conectarse bien aunque al principio no le encuentres mucho sentido, pero sin duda vale la pena enredarse un poquito la cabeza para ver como todos logran encontrar el amor. La frase al casi final del manga creo que resume muy bien todo lo que la autora nos quiso contar, y se las dejo por acá porque me gustó mucho: «Todas las personas anhelamos algo. Como si fueran plegarias para cerrar nuestras heridas y librarnos de nuestros recuerdos.»
*Reread 4/1/2022* EEK! It feels so good to hold a physical copy in my hands and the spine is so pretty! I love it.
Honestly still got a little confused on who is who sometimes, but otherwise still really liked it. Ogikawa and Kameda are still my absolute favorite of all the couples and there truly was not enough of them. I would LOVE an entire volume of just them. I really enjoy Natsuki Kizu's storytelling and artwork.
*Original Review*12/7/2021* The note at the end says that she wrote this to give it a movie feel and OMG I would love this as a movie so much!! It definitely feels like it should be one and now that the manga is getting an English publication and Given is gaining popularity... Hopefully???
I love the way the stories intertwine. Honestly I got a bit confused on who was who, but I got enough to get the whole story. Natsuki's writing is so good. Also, I think Yuusei's and Kameda's dynamic matches Mafuyu and Ue's lol. I love it!
When I first tried to read Links, it was very complicated for me to remember who was who and who was in a relationship with who. At the time it also took me a bit to recognise that it was the same writer as Given! I was like “Oh, that’s weird. This looks so much like given. Can it be that it was written by the same person?” aaand yes, yes it was 🙈
Now that I actually managed to read Links from beginning to end, I finally see what the name of the book means. I even had to draw a little graphic of all the ways that the characters are linked and I think that Natsuki did amazing job!
I love Natsuki’s books, they’re all very very special to me 🥹 but I need to know who hurt Natsuki because omg 😭
writing this review it has JUST come to me that this is by the same mangaka as GIVEN and that makes so. much. sense :D I was a tiny bit confused in the middle there, trying to follow who is who and connected to who in which way, but this was really sweet and a little sad and very beautiful? Kameda-san is DEFINITELY my favourite and I am going to pretend that I've never seen the age in Nakajo-san's character profile at the end, because that makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER and adds an ick to a perfectly good story, so LALALALA, Imma be delulu about it.
CNs for death of a side character, grief, people struggling with communication and feelings per se :D