******WARNING***** Adult content discussed below!
I have read manga for many years but only recently started reading yaoi (see SuBLime interview for more info). I enjoy the emphasis on relationships, especially the ooey gooey romantic stuff, and yes, I enjoy reading the sexy time parts. One of the first titles I read was Spiritual Police by Youka Nitta.
Police officer, Nagatsuma, visits a special massage therapist on the recommendation from one of his senior detectives. Nagatsuma is good at his job but he is too empathic and the harshness of his job puts stress on his overall well being. He is skeptical of the treatment at first but soon realizes masseur, Aoi (who is blind), not only mends bodily ailments but also taps into something greater. It seems that with his blindness, Aoi has gained another kind of sight – a sight into the future. Aoi warns Nagatsuma of some impending danger and this just makes Nagatsuma more curious (and apprehensive) about this beautiful man.
Aoi is a person who “sees” beyond one’s sex and Nagatsuma is blindsided by his developing feelings for Aoi. Other characters mention how attractive Aoi is and one even says, “The doc there’s so pretty it’s a pity he’s a guy, don’tcha think”? Another interesting example of gender switch ups is occurs when a character thinks to himself about Nagatsuma, “What kind of man is he? He’s a woman…” Yaoi is a genre where gender roles can be expressed in various ways. The relationship between Nagatsuma and Aoi progresses rather naturally with Nagatsuma giving in and slowly embracing this new kind of relationship. Unfortunately, towards the end of volume 1, a conflict comes up and Nagatsuma instead of asking Aoi what is going on he does something rather frustrating. I did not care for that part of the story but enjoyed the rest enough to overlook that segment.
The art style depicts emotional moments well with many blush lines, expressive eyes, and movement indicators (lines, light bursts, etc). The characters/environments are drawn/shadowed/textured well and reflect the one of the more common styles of manga/anime. Yes, the men are nice to look at and have gorgeous hair and slender bodies. The private parts are mostly whited out, but you can still tell the shape and what is going on. I did find a few of the dialogue boxes hard to follow, but each character has their own style of speaking so it was not too disruptive to my reading.
This volume peaks your interest when it introduces a mysterious organization (possibly evil) that wants to keep Aoi prisoner and use his powers for their own benefit. Will Aoi be able to escape? Will Aoi and Nagatsuma be reunited? I enjoyed the extra element of the psychic abilities, and the developing mystery and I am excited to read what happens next!
Spiritual Police is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and retails for $12.99.
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