Manga Review: Laugh Under the Sun

[Eric]

Title: Laugh Under the Sun
Mangaka: Yugi Yamada
Originally Serialized in: Hanaoto Comics (Houbunsha)
Genre: Yaoi
Licensed by: DMP
Price: $12.95/US

Sohei dreamed of being a boxer, but his first match went wrong and he severely injured his competitor. Scared of hurting someone else, he gave up his dream and settled into a wasteful life, using his pretty face to support himself by leeching off women. His best friends from high school, Naoki and Chika, are successful men starting a business together. Sohei isn’t bothered by the fact that they are both gay, though he is unaware that Chika has been secretly in love with him since their school days. When Chika gets tired of being the one who always straightens out Sohei’s life, he pushes things to a point where both men will need to decide whether they are really friends or if they might be something else.

Yamada’s work has been a favorite of mine since I read Close the Last Door. Her skill and talent at combining both humor and romance in a believable, and steamy, story is what makes her a great creator. In this work, she ups the humor to almost slapstick levels at several points, with dry, sarcastic Chika as the straight man who has trouble tolerating, but still loves, the flighty Sohei.

Yamada’s characters are especially interesting. Chika is very much the strong silent type. There are several scenes where you can see the struggles he faces with his own feelings, but he is not the type to angst about it in a voice over. Sohei, on the other hand, worries about everything and it's his struggles that we read about most, whether he’s worrying about being too old to box or worrying about Chika’s perceived coldness. Caught in the middle is one of my favorite of Yamada’s characters, Naoki. This flamboyantly gay man, who has also appeared in other Yamada works such as Glass Sky, is the go-between for his two friends, offering them advice or a shove in the right direction as needed.

Yamada makes fine use of several artistic elements in this book. First of all, her pacing is extremely well done. She’ll spread small actions out over several panels—for example, closing a door—if it will heighten the emotional impact of the moment. She also plays with perspective to good effect, whether she’s looking up at someone from a sharp angle or looking over a character’s shoulder to give depth to the scene. Her chibis and manga emotional symbols such as throbbing veins, springing hair, sweat drops, etc. are all perfectly placed and built upon to add to the humor of each scene. Finally, there is the trademark Yamada style—dark, heavy-lidded eyes and full lips complementing handsome or pretty men, depending upon the character.

DMP’s production quality is strong in this volume. The pages are crisp and white, with just enough stiffness to make them sturdy, but not so much that reading is difficult. Add to that an eye-catching cover and you have publishing gold, which is a good fit with the sweetly-romantic-with-a-bite-of-sarcasm-and-a-dash-of-action story from a highly recommended creator.

Reviewer: Snow Wildsmith
Proofer: Eduardo Menendez
Editor: Lissa Pattillo