Manga Review: Twittering Birds Never Fly, Volume 1, by Kou Yoneda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: June

Release Date: 2014

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. June Manga.

Volume: 2.

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

 

 Yashiro is the young leader of Shinseikai and the president of the Shinseikai Enterprise, but like so many powerful men, he leads a double life as a deviant and a masochist. Chikara Doumeki comes to work as a bodyguard for him and, although Yashiro had decided that he would never lay a hand on his own men, he finds there's something about Doumeki that he can't resist. Yashiro makes advances toward Doumeki, but Doumeki has mysterious reasons for denying.

Yashiro, who abuses his power just to abuse himself, and Doumeki, who faithfully obeys his every command, begin the tumultuous affair of two men with songs in their hearts and no wings to fly.

 

Review:

 

Yashiro is in charge of this chain of yakuza, and while he's stoic and strict, he's also a masochist and likes toying with people. When Doumeki comes to work for him as a bodyguard, Yashiro starts playing with him, taunting to see if he can do things with him, which mainly ends up being in the exhibitionist sense.

I've liked some of the things I've read by Kou Yoneda in the past, so I was really hoping to like this. But yakuza type stories aren't really to my interest. And then, the way that the characters all seem to stay distant and never show any emotions, doesn't really do anything for me. I'm a little intrigued in where this is going, but I'm not connected with it at all so far.

Manga Review: Gangsta., Volume 8, by Kohske

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Got a problem? The Handymen can fix it —for a price.

Years ago, Marco turned against the Hunters, submitting to the “curse” Constance set on him to live and atone for his sins. But the bonds of the past aren’t so easily severed, and now Striker has tracked them down, still enraged by Marco’s betrayal and hellbent on making him pay. Meanwhile, with their partnership in pieces, Worick and Nic struggle to cope with the shifting boundaries of loyalty, faith and duty.

Review:

I've only read most of the prequel series, so it was a little weird jumping into this.

This is still very violent and brutal. It's also still following the same group of childhood twilight-haters, only now there's a lot of more people involved, and there's a lot more history and anger built up to amp up the need to fight and kill, and protect.

There are a couple of interesting characters, or at least character that I think I would like. There's some police and some underground politics happening, and a lot of built-up fights with revenge and past-hurts in mind.

This isn't really my kind of series. I don't go for the brutal kind of series, or mafia or prejudice-based series. I can kind of see the appeal, and how it would be fun to get wrapped up in all of it, though. (It also might be a little too close to real life at this moment.) It's well-written, and has an interesting art-style, though.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Finder: Target in Sight, Volume 1, by Ayano Yamane

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: 2017.

Volumes: 10+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pain and pleasure collide when a sophisticated underworld boss crosses paths with a naive photographer hell-bent on bringing him down!

This deluxe edition includes never-before-released material as well as a double-sided color insert and special cover treatment! Photographer Takaba Akihito takes on a risky assignment trying to document the illegal activities of the Japanese underworld. When he captures its leader—the handsome, enigmatic Asami Ryuichi—in the crosshairs of his viewfinder, Takaba’s world is changed forever.

Freelance photographer Akihito Takaba is captured by the very subject he’s been stalking in his viewfinder—the handsome and enigmatic crime lord Asami Ryuichi! The older man ravages him, both body and mind. Does this mean the end for the naive photographer, or will he live to shoot another day?

Review:

I'd heard the excitement over this series being re-licensed, but I didn't look into it. The plot line didn't seem like my kind of thing, and I fell behind with it.

But when I realized Ayano Yamane, of Crimson Spell, was the mangaka of it, I was immediately interested and decided to pick it up during a sale.

This first volume definitely makes me think that this was only supposed to be a one-shot story at first. We meet the main characters, a photographer and a mobster. It's definitely a hot chapter, too, as Yamane is good at. But then quite a bit of the volume features other one-shots. Most of them are okay, nothing too stand-out, but good and hot stories.

I'm curious where the story will go next. There's definite plot options to go with, but since it felt rather one-shot-like in this volume, and I know it's a longer series, I'm curious how far it'll go and where.

Manga Review: Fourth Generation Head: Tatsuyuki Oyamato by Scarlet Beriko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 1 (But has related series).

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A young yakuza boss has a sexy encounter with his wild side when his family’s dirty business becomes personal.

The last thing playboy Tatsuyuki Oyamato, fourth-generation heir to a yakuza family syndicate, wants is any responsibility for running the family business, especially when a recent erotic encounter with a male masseur has him totally preoccupied with questioning his sexuality! But Tatsuyuki’s forced to step up both in the sheets and on the streets when a hot hookup deepens his newfound attraction to men, while also drawing the attention of a mysterious man who seems dangerously obsessed with Tatsuyuki’s lineage…

Review:

Tatsuyuki is the playboy, next in line for his yakuza family business, so he's had a pretty easy life. When he's given new responsibilities in a new place, he finds himself in some difficult circumstances. Someone he doesn't remember from his past shows up, Koga, a guy who fell in love with him at a young age. Only this is being used against them.

I really loved Beriko's other release, whereas this one didn't hit quite as good for me. I think it's just cause I'm not a yakuza/mafia fan, and some of the matters handled here go dark and dirty, and not in a good way.

Other than that, though, it was good. There's some very good smutty scenes, from early on, too. I really liked Koga's character, too; he's a teacher, with a happy outlook, and he's sweet on Tatsuyuki. He fawns over him a little bit. Tatsuyuki didn't stand out quite as much, but he's a good guy deep down.

A good, very steamy yaoi volume in the end. Very good artwork. I'm still very much looking forward to the next series being released.