MJ Review: Picnic

[Jason]

Title: Picnic
Mangaka: Yugi Yamada
Serialized in: Hanaoto
Licensed by: DMP
Genre: Yaoi
Price: USD 12.95

Picnic is an enjoyable collection of stories about five different couples. The title story in this collection follows the relationship of Noda and Koreeda - two college friends that have been engaging in a sexual relationship. This relationship began the night Noda was an accidental witness to the break-up between Koreeda and his unfaithful girlfriend. Koreeda is the type of character that hardly shows emotion on the outside - yet, when provided with a flashback of the night of the break-up, he proves to be a very decent and caring man. Even though he knew that his unfaithful girlfriend was pregnant by another man, he still proposed to her and asked to be a father for her child. Noda, on the other hand, may not show every emotion he is feeling, but his most obvious trait is his nervous attempts to hide his face by pulling his hat down lower whenever he is embarrassed. Although Noda realizes that Koreeda is a decent and honest man, he constantly misunderstands him due to his lack of facial emotions.

The second story, "I'll Forget Him in 5 Seconds," is the shortest of the collection and provides a back-story for Noda's former lover, Katsumi. As an adult, Katsumi is never dedicated to any one person, but when he was younger he was entangled in a one-sided love for a man named Hiroyuki. The title of this story concerns Katsumi's resolve to forget Hiroyuki, a man who never once reveals his feelings.

The next couple is Hashimoto and Oikawa, two characters from a previous manga by Yamada called Boku ni datte ii bun ga aru (English translation, I Have a Word to Say About It). Since this is a continuation, the characteristics of Hashimoto and Oikawa are already set before the story picks up. Oikawa is the more emotional of the two, wearing his heart on his sleeve, complete with exaggerated facial expressions. Since it is his first relationship, Oikawa often tries to take his cues from the far more experienced Hashimoto. Even though Hashimoto is more experienced when it comes to physical relationships, he is very much the type who would rather push someone away than admit his feelings. Three chapters take the readers through the first sexual encounters between this unlikely couple.

The fourth story, "But Sometimes You're Kind," focuses on a bedroom thief; a man who sleeps with other men and steals their money. After an act of compassion, the man acquires a follower in a young orphan boy. The nameless man tries his best to act indifferent to the young boy, but always ends up carrying out some act of kindness.

The last couple in this collection are Konishi and Andou, two office workers. The first chapter begins with the announcement of Andou's transfer to Tokyo, and follows a countdown of the days the two men have left before Andou's move. A flashback shows that the two men had begun a friendly relationship when Andou asked for Konishi's critique of his stories. In chapter two, Konishi uses this as an excuse to go and visit Andou in Tokyo (as he moved there in chapter one), where their relationship finally progresses.

One thing that is unquestionable is that Yugi Yamada's artwork is outstanding. Simple yet appealing, Yamada is adept at showing both subtle changes to indicate emotion, and exaggerated faces for comedic effect. Panels flow easily from one to another, and even when an image is drawn in as part of a joke, it doesn't distract from the storyline.

Any time a collection of stories is contained in one book, like Picnic, the reader must sometimes forgo in-depth characters and complex storylines. The real challenge for the author is to create both characters and stories that the reader will care about and want to read more than once. Picnic just happens to be that type of collection. Even after several readings, there were still little details to be picked up.

DMP can always be counted on to produce a high quality publication, and Picnic is no exception. The binding is tight, the pages are clean, and the dust cover is quite appealing. If any mistakes were made in this title, it went beyond this reviewer's eye.

Reviewer: Serenity
Proofer: mjules
Editor: Firedog