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jukebox_csi) wrote2007-08-25 11:49 am
jukebox_csi) wrote2007-08-25 11:49 am
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Review Corner: Yebisu Celebrities
Next up in the review series is an offering from Be Beautiful.
Yebisu Celebrities
by Kaoru Iwamoto and Shinri Fuwa
Publisher: Be Beautiful
From the back cover: When Haruka Fujinami starts his job at Yebisu Graphics he takes an immediate dislike to his tyrannical boss, Mr. Daijou. Haruka is given the most menial tasks imaginable, and subjected to Daijou's verbal abuses as well, but oddly enough, he learns that his attraction to his boss grows with each passing day. Will Haruka finally stand up to Daijou and assert himself, or will he completely surrender his body and soul to the tall, dark stranger?
The summary is slightly misleading. Daijou can be somewhat harsh towards Haruka, but it is all in effort to mold and sculpt the potential he sees in his charge. His motto is "Creativity begins with how one represents oneself." It is when he meets all the members of Yebility that Haruka comes to realize that he was not necessarily the most talented applicant. In fact, he had the worst resume of the hundreds that had applied for the job. But, over the course of working with his boss, Haruka discovers that the real reason Daijou selected him is because Haruka is like a 'rough-cut gem with a sensitivity no one else possessed and a great potential for growth'. And thus began Haruka's slow transformation as he strives to work hard for Boss, proving that he deserves a place among the graphics group, and falling in love with Daijou. Boss, himself, is attracted more and more to Haruka and, eventually, seeks more than just a professional relationship with him.
The second half of the book deals with another member of the Yebisu graphics group, Akira Sasao. When his presentation lost to Haruka's, along with discovering that his love for art director Ryo Watanuki is unrequited, he shuffles home in the rain after a night of drinking to find Kei in front of his apartment building and invites him to stay. The reason this is so unusual? Akira has xenophobia, an unreasonable fear of strangers and strange things. Their story is as endearing as the main story, for me. Kei has loved Akira since the first time he saw him. But, Akira has no clue. So, Kei moves in and begins to provide for Akira in the form of housekeeping and cooking. It is his goal to make Akira fall in love with him. But, Kei has a secret that he is keeping from Akira. Once Akira discovers the truth, the betrayal he feels threatens to destroy the potential lovers before they even have a chance to realize their feelings.
In all, there are seven members of the Yebisu group (including Haruka), and more characters throughout the story. At the very end of the book, there are several extras that were pleasant surprises. This includes character profiles, and several pages of slice-of-life type stories of the Yebisu group members told in comic strip format. There was also something that I found rather unique in regards to all the mangas I've read to date. There were several pages of a fiction called 'Shower' involving yet two other members of Yebisu graphics. What makes it unique is the fact that it is completely written, as if a mini-novel, with only one graphic panel at the very end to illustrate a scene within.
I found this manga to be quite enjoyable. Shinri Fuwa does a decent job of drawing her characters such that they don't necessarily all look the same, and therefore are easy to distinguish from each other. In some cases, it is merely the style and color of hair that makes the difference. But, it is enough to make each one fairly unique. The stories, too, are interesting, with just enough balance between angst and humor.
BeBeautiful does well in their presentation of the book. I, especially, appreciate the extra effort they placed in translating the sound effects. The original Japanese is still there, but off to one side is the English equivalent. This makes reading the book so much more enjoyable, in my opinion.
In all, Yebisu Celebrities was a worthwhile acquisition to my steadily growing collection of boy love manga.
Yebisu Celebrities
by Kaoru Iwamoto and Shinri Fuwa
Publisher: Be Beautiful
From the back cover: When Haruka Fujinami starts his job at Yebisu Graphics he takes an immediate dislike to his tyrannical boss, Mr. Daijou. Haruka is given the most menial tasks imaginable, and subjected to Daijou's verbal abuses as well, but oddly enough, he learns that his attraction to his boss grows with each passing day. Will Haruka finally stand up to Daijou and assert himself, or will he completely surrender his body and soul to the tall, dark stranger?
The summary is slightly misleading. Daijou can be somewhat harsh towards Haruka, but it is all in effort to mold and sculpt the potential he sees in his charge. His motto is "Creativity begins with how one represents oneself." It is when he meets all the members of Yebility that Haruka comes to realize that he was not necessarily the most talented applicant. In fact, he had the worst resume of the hundreds that had applied for the job. But, over the course of working with his boss, Haruka discovers that the real reason Daijou selected him is because Haruka is like a 'rough-cut gem with a sensitivity no one else possessed and a great potential for growth'. And thus began Haruka's slow transformation as he strives to work hard for Boss, proving that he deserves a place among the graphics group, and falling in love with Daijou. Boss, himself, is attracted more and more to Haruka and, eventually, seeks more than just a professional relationship with him.
The second half of the book deals with another member of the Yebisu graphics group, Akira Sasao. When his presentation lost to Haruka's, along with discovering that his love for art director Ryo Watanuki is unrequited, he shuffles home in the rain after a night of drinking to find Kei in front of his apartment building and invites him to stay. The reason this is so unusual? Akira has xenophobia, an unreasonable fear of strangers and strange things. Their story is as endearing as the main story, for me. Kei has loved Akira since the first time he saw him. But, Akira has no clue. So, Kei moves in and begins to provide for Akira in the form of housekeeping and cooking. It is his goal to make Akira fall in love with him. But, Kei has a secret that he is keeping from Akira. Once Akira discovers the truth, the betrayal he feels threatens to destroy the potential lovers before they even have a chance to realize their feelings.
In all, there are seven members of the Yebisu group (including Haruka), and more characters throughout the story. At the very end of the book, there are several extras that were pleasant surprises. This includes character profiles, and several pages of slice-of-life type stories of the Yebisu group members told in comic strip format. There was also something that I found rather unique in regards to all the mangas I've read to date. There were several pages of a fiction called 'Shower' involving yet two other members of Yebisu graphics. What makes it unique is the fact that it is completely written, as if a mini-novel, with only one graphic panel at the very end to illustrate a scene within.
I found this manga to be quite enjoyable. Shinri Fuwa does a decent job of drawing her characters such that they don't necessarily all look the same, and therefore are easy to distinguish from each other. In some cases, it is merely the style and color of hair that makes the difference. But, it is enough to make each one fairly unique. The stories, too, are interesting, with just enough balance between angst and humor.
BeBeautiful does well in their presentation of the book. I, especially, appreciate the extra effort they placed in translating the sound effects. The original Japanese is still there, but off to one side is the English equivalent. This makes reading the book so much more enjoyable, in my opinion.
In all, Yebisu Celebrities was a worthwhile acquisition to my steadily growing collection of boy love manga.