Akira, lead vocalist of the popular band CHARON, desires to have a song written by the famous actor and talented lyricist Sunaga. Sunaga agrees, but demands Akira's body as payment! Akira is faced with a dilemma, that isn't made any easier by Sunaga's carefree attitude and constant sexual advances. But is it just possible for Akira to maybe feel something for Sunaga too? From bestselling mangaka Makoto Tateno, creator of Yellow and Steal Moon!
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.
I love Makoto Teteno's story's and art, but there's the usual "I liked it so it's OK" rape/sex scene, and I would have preferred a little more story and character development.
I have a pretty strong opinion on mangas that involve music. Sometimes it's just hard to envision how amazing the music is that the characters are experiencing without actually hearing it yourself. Also the couple in this one is pretty toxic and it was hard to find things I liked about them.
Yokan is a short series (just 2 vols) but I think it does a good job of covering the main points of how these two intense, dark men get together.
Akira is used to getting things his way, not because of snobbery or misplaced self-importance, but because he works very hard at what he does and he's very talented. His band members and his manager support this by waiting on him to make all the decisions and following whatever he wants to do. When Akira comes across a song that he feels is better then anything he's ever written it sparks the first feelings of competition and hero-worship that Akira has ever had but there's a huge problem with this in Akira's eyes; the writer/singer of this song isn't singing anymore and Akita can't accept that someone who produced a better song then he has isn't a rival he can defeat.
His decision becomes to push Sunaga, the composer and singer of the song, back into his old band and back into the spotlight so he can defeat him... Whether Sunaga wants to or not!
Sunaga and his old band went through a traumatic event that changed how he feels about music. He's stayed in the industry but now he sings pop songs and is an actor. When the younger and more headstrong Akira takes a liking to his song, one of his older ones that he doesn't perform anymore, he tells Akira to do what he wants with it since he has no use for it. He never thought that it'd spark a rivalry with the younger man and that Akira would pull him back into his old life.
Through the events that take place Akira and Sunaga begin a very complex relationship which could either benefit them or drag them both down.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The work was some of Tateno-sensei's better works and it was darker then most of her stories. Definitely a title worth checking out and a must if your a Tateno fan at all.
This is my first Nook Color Yaoi Manga. Thanks for the lend, Fiona! It is a lot of fun to read these on my Nook. Occasionally, some of the print is a little too small, but for the most part, I am enjoying being able to read graphic novels on my eReader. As a first read, this story was pretty interesting. Akira is the lead vocalist of a popular band called Charon (yes, as in the River Styx ferryman). Akira hears someone singing on a rooftop and it turns out to be Sunaga, a popular actor. But Akira didn't know that this mediocre actor had such a beautiful voice. Sunaga sings a song for Akira that Akira loves, and offers to give it to him in return for a physical relationship. Akira can't believe that Sunaga is wasting all of his musical talent, and is even more shocked to discover that Sunaga was the lead singer of a famous indie band that fell apart after their drummer committed suicide. Sunaga has strong feelings of guilt for his drummer's death and has turned away from music as a result. Akira must do what he can to bring this talented musician back on the right path.
I enjoyed reading this and I liked the characters. I rated this 3 stars due to the connection between the characters being a little unrealistic. I liked it enough to buy the sequel.
Up in the Great White North, Manga is damned expensive so the fact that I'm dropping up to $15 a volume should say something about it.
It's dark. It's got obivious non-con but is still compelling. When Akira sees genuis being denied and substituted for adequatacy he decides to wake the sleeping dragon. He is like a bulldog hounding Sunaga even outting him on a live show as a singer song writer. They feed off each other Akira gives 'singing' back to his lover and Sunaga's genius forces Akira's band to greater heights.