Manga / Drama / Romance / Yaoi

Doki Doki
www.dokidokibooks.com

- a workplace romance

Part of a series. So-so

Put into the Manga/Graphic Novel Bookbox (US Only) - forum post for the book box - http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/20/445483

off into the wild . . .

I took this from the manga bookbox.

HGH95 weeded out some books she didn't want anymore and gave them to me. This was one of them.

Shouzo's father is injured, and he has to go back to his small hometown to help out with the family construction company. He's not happy, and itching to get back to his busy life, but an unexpected person holds his attention. Nanami, who in school was a heavy, taunted kid, has blossomed into a good-looking guy. Shouzo can't help but be drawn to the pretty young man, and when Nanami gets into trouble, Shouzo is determined to get him out, whether that means forcing him to study and get a real electrical license or confronting Nanami's bullying boyfriend.

I liked that this romance was more slow-moving than many. It gave us time to see what Shouzo is falling for and makes the relationship more solid, since we have more info on the things they have in common and how they feel about each other and the world around them. I was also very pleased to have a yaoi manga where bullying, manipulative relationships are presented in a way that makes it clear how problematic they are. The sex scenes with Douwaki are clearly creepy and upsetting because he is so clearly not getting genuine consent, he's wheedling Nanami until he doesn't feel like he can keep saying no.

The art isn't anything special, but it clearly conveys the story and expresses the emotion adequately.

This book is headed for adventures in the LGBTQ+ Bookbox

Cool! A sweet-looking manga that I haven't read before - I'm nabbing this one from the bookbox! (And if I can finish it before the end of the month I can release it for the Sapphire challenge {grin}.)

Later: I enjoyed this, from the slow pace to the cute-but-rather-dim Nanami (who the author herself says this "must have been hell for anyone who hates a dumb uke"). I enjoyed the relationships with the guys' respective families, especially Nanami's protective brothers. And the angst-y bits - especially regarding Nanami's distaste for Douwaki and his inability to say no - added some tension to an otherwise mild, sweet story. (The way in which Mita gets Nanami to choose between him and Douwaki is hilarious.)

I also appreciated some of the less classically-pretty aspects to Nanami's character - he's a bit of a slob, among other things, though he does make crumbs-on-the-face rather appealing! This leads to a funny scene involving Mita having a nightmare about baby-sitting a handful of tots who all look and act like Nanami...

[When I found out that this is the first of a two-part series, I hunted up Volume Two so I can see how it turns out.]

I plan to leave this 2-volume series at Coffee Labs at around noon, either in the window with the other books or on a bench outside. Hope the finder enjoys it!

*** Released for the 2014 You're Such an Animal release challenge, for the embedded "ant" in the title. ***

*** Released for the 2014 September Sapphire release challenge. ***