Manga Review: Hybrid Child

[Floating_Sakura]

Title: Hybrid Child
Author: Shungiku Nakamura
Published: June, 2006, USD 12.95
Genre: Yaoi

A hybrid child is "one of 'those' -- a 'toy' which, through nurturing and love, the owner can raise to conform to his own personal tastes." It is a familiar concept, as the quote suggests -- a fantasy fulfillment, or replacement for a human child, or an artificial mirror on the human psyche. "Hybrid Child" uses the archetype as a backdrop, a known entity, and tells three hybrid-child stories that elaborate on that theme. Set in the 19th to early 20th century Japan, the first story is about Kotaro and the hybrid child, Hazuki, he found as a child and raised. When they grow up, Hazuki acts as Kotaro's guardian or tutor, which annoys Kotaro no end, as he believes Hazuki is supposed to be subservient. However, his true feelings for Hazuki make themselves known when he discovers that Hazuki has nearly lived out his lifespan, and he determines to take Hazuki to Kuroda, the originator of hybrid children, to be repaired. The second story tells of Yuzu, the hybrid child of Ichi Seya, a man of great sorrow. Yuzu is concerned that he is not growing, and suspects that it is because his master does not love him enough. The final story, or set of stories, goes back to the history of Seya (later to be Yuzu's master, from story two), Kuroda (the maker of hybrid children), their childhood friend Tsukishima, the son of a clan chief, and the advent of hybrid children. Kuroda and Tsukishima have a deeper affection for each other than either cares to admit, but the peaceful course of their relationship is interrupted by the fall of the shogunate and war...

Nakamura's style is in every respect emotionally charged. This kind of emotional heaviness characterizes her style, and the appeal of such melodramatic passion doubtless varies for each reader, but in any case it is not cosmetic to her stories: Nakamura uses emotion on every level, to the point that the emotion is the story. In stories such as these, about desires and needs filled and unfulfilled, it is her ability to draw the reader into the emotional state of the story and the characters -- and the ability of the reader to be drawn in -- that makes them affective. What I mean to say is that the plot and characters and atmosphere and all the usual trappings didn't make much of an impression on me; rather, it was the passion being tossed around that makes these stories interesting.

"Hybrid Child" is published by June, a light-boys'-love publisher, and it definitely has that element of romance. To a certain extent, it is an irrelevant dimension that can be ignored -- and, in fact, the first time I read "Hybrid Child" I almost didn't notice it at all. On the other hand, on a less than oblivious reading, it is clear that it does depend on boys'-love-type assumptions that may be tiresome to an uninterested reader. Therefore, I feel uncertain about this title's potential appeal to the market outside the target audience; use your judgment.

Reviewed: anitra
Proofed: RainyFrog
Edited: Firedog