MJ Review: Lover's Flat

[Jason]

Title: Lover's Flat
Mangaka: Hyouta Fujiyama
Original Publisher: Otou Shobou
Licensed By: DMP: Digital Manga Publishing (June imprint)
Genre: Yaoi
Price: $12.95

The first time I can remember being sexually titillated by two naked guys was when I was about six years old, watching The Dukes of Hazzard on TV. It was the episode where Bo and Luke go skinny dipping and some yahoo steals their clothes, so they have to wander around in barrels for a little while. In between leaning to the side to try to see up Daisy's shorts, something in my brain was sizzling and popping and drawing connections between naked boys together and the blush was quickly taking over my face. So much for Southern family values; looks like I was hardwired for boys love from the beginning. (Either that or it was the idea of cousins, you know. I am from Alabama.)

At any rate, it's no surprise then that the fastest growing section of my manga collection is all about the mansmex. And when you read as much yaoi as I do, it all starts to run together after a while. At least, until you find one with something to set it apart. It could be the art, it could be the depth of emotional and character development, it could be the story, or it could be one little line in it that pings you. Or, you know, it could be the sex.

For Lover's Flat, it's a combination of a lot of little things that all add up to a lot of charm. It's a collection of stories about two couples who live next door to each other in tiny apartments in the same complex. Kouno, a high schooler who moved out of his house and transferred high schools for reasons that only become apparent toward the end of the volume, lives in apartment 202. Natsu, his best friend at his new high school, is cute, funny, and wow, flirty. You know any story that starts out with the uke grabbing his new seme's crotch in the first five pages is gonna be good, right?

Next door to Kouno, in apartment 203, are childhood friends Naomichi and Kei, who are living together in a one-bedroom apartment while they go to college and work their part-time jobs. Don't get the wrong impression, though - they're just roommates... at first, at least.

The book follows these two couples on their intertwining paths as they work out their relationships: Naomichi has no qualms about getting his high-schooler neighbor drunk and demanding relationship advice, even if Natsu isn't so thrilled about Kouno missing the first day of classes as a result of his hangover.

I promised that there were lots of little things that make Lover's Flat charming. There are. The artwork is lovely, for one. It has the feel of a sketchbook that came to life and catches the eye with lots of creative angles and lighting effects. (Who knew porn could be artistic?) The characterization is another. Everyone feels real, and the boys are boys (even if they get kinda girly with their love-confessions. But everybody likes that), even talking things out with their fists once in a while. There's tongue-in-cheek narration that makes you feel like an insider sharing the scoop with your favorite friendly gossip.

And the sex? Well, the sex is my kinda smut. Mind you, that doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of visibility to it. Remember what I said about creative angles? This is where they really come into play. But hey, it's better than the cheesy good ol' invisipenis. What really makes this sexy for me is the graphic reactions. I mean, c'mon, you don't really have to show me every detail of what's going on below the belt... or where the belt would be if it hadn't been taken off and tied around the uke's wrists and then the headboard. I know the mechanics of how sex works. I've seen the illustrated how-to books, yanno? And it's not like I need a detailed close-up of what every bad romance novel and fanfiction out there terms "a weeping member." I've got an eight-incher in the bedroom that takes care of that if I need to do some extra studying.

But facial expressions, heads thrown back and necks arched, toes curling, dirty talk, emotional epiphanies? That's the mark of a good sex scene in my book. If it's not good for the character, it can't be good for me. And fortunately for me and my eight-incher, it's very good for the characters in this one.

The physical quality of the volume is top-notch, as all of June's that I've gotten my hands on so far have been. The translations flow well, the editing has no flaws, and there's nothing to yank you out of the experience of the book. Which, maybe it was just because it was 1 AM by the time I was reading this, but the experience is a lovely one. It made me wish there was more than just one volume, but we don't always get what we want, eh? I mean, if we did, Jagger wouldn't still be wearing leather pants at his age.

Reviewer: mjules
Proofer: Iliana
Editor: Firedog