MJ Review: Love is Like a Hurricane Volume One

[Eric]

Title: Love is Like A Hurricane
Volume: 1
Manga-ka: Tokiya Shimazaki
Originally Serialized In: Boys L (Kousai Shobou)
Genre: Yaoi, Romance
Licensed by: 801 Media
Price: $15.95 (US)

Love is Like A Hurricane’s title story begins with young high school student Mizuki on his morning commute to school when he suddenly finds himself the victim of a molesting pervert. It turns out that the pervert was none other than his school’s student council president, Azuma. Azuma has taken a strong liking to the spirited Mizuki and now it’s battle of wills, one which Mizuki seems unable to avoid and even less able to win.

The second story in the book follows the trials of two brothers whose relationship is far past what one would expect while the next follows the cool but sexually easy-going Koyama who finds himself swept away by an enthusiastic new student. The final story is a tale of surprise meetings as someone discovers that his childhood sweetheart is a bit different than he remembers but no less adorable. Each of the stories is short and self-contained with their own steamy rendezvous to carry them along.

The stories don’t take any time in beginning, jumping right into the midst of Mizuki’s initial assault. Following the format of many yaoi, this book never attempts to pass itself off as anything other than it is, a sex-filled tale of young boys discovering their undeveloped, and very quickly accepted, feelings for each other. It’s light hearted, no situation is taken seriously and this is something the reader must accept when they begin. It is popular with fans of the genre for a reason but wouldn’t be the kind of thing any casual manga reader could pick up.

The artwork is simple, consistent and very charming. It’s full of bright expressions, amusing antics and enough pages of sex scenes to appease some of the genre’s most demanding fans. While some of the characters, major and minor, are a bit hard to tell apart at first, once a reader becomes accustomed to the artist’s style and the characters, everyone begins to take on a life of their own.

801 Media has done a nice job of releasing this book. With its attractive slipcover and neatly laid out titles and pictures, it’s a treat for the eyes the moment you pick it up. This is volume one in a series of books and each one uses a different colour for the cover’s backdrop, keeping them all uniform but unique to one another. The first two pages in the book are full colour inserts of the series’ different couples. In the back of the book are the artist’s original epilogues and story comments as well as a preview for the next book.

Love is Like A Hurricane is not going to be one of the most amazingly written pieces of work you’ll find on the market today but it may be one of the most entertaining and enjoyable if you’re a fan of the yaoi genre. It’s got lots of eye candy and plenty of moments to laugh at and enjoy. If you’re looking for something hot and fun, then Tokiya Shimazaki may have put together the perfect combination for you.

Reviewer: Kurishojo
Proof/Editor: Eric Turner