Top 10 Yaoi Count Down - # 5
My choice for the number five slot is Wild
Rock written by Kazusa Takashima. Other manga by Ms. Takashima are as follows:
•
▪ Harlem
Beat wa Yoake Made (2001)
•
▪ Last
Client (2002)
•
▪ Wild
Rock (2002)
•
▪ Dragon
X Boy (2003)
•
▪ Kingyo
Hime (2003)
•
▪ Takuhai
Sentai: Hakobunja (2003)
•
▪ Private
Magician (2003)
•
▪ Inu
mo Arukeba: Fallin' Love (2004)
•
▪ Mata
Natsu ga Kita & Pinpoint Lovers (2004)
Picture this…. Prehistoric men in skimpy
loincloths, and steamy lovemaking! Enough said, huh? Here's the synopsis, brief
as it is. Wild Rock is divided into three short stories: Wild Rock,
Innocent Lies and Child Rock. The first story is about Emba and Yuuen. Emba and
Yuuen are heirs to opposing clans in conflict, the East Forest Tribe and
Lakeside Tribe. Yuuen is in the forest hunting and minding his own business
when this lion tries to attack him. Yuuen is the uke and no match for the
ferocious beast. Next thing you know this big, strong and handsome young man
pounces from the trees and kills the lion! Okay...a little cliché, yes. But
that’s how the story begins. Emba (the big handsome seme) saves Yuuen and it’s
love at first sight, for both men, though nothing is verbally stated until much
later.
Yuuen’s father Yuni fears for their tribe’s
welfare because the Lakeside Tribe (Emba’s people) are killing all the big
game. So, he forces Yuuen to pretend he’s a woman, in the hopes he’ll sway
Emba’s thinking in favour of their tribe. It’s a simple pretext that works too
well and regardless of Yuni’s plans the young men end up falling in love. I’ll
stop here, so I don’t spoil the entire plot.
Innocent Lies is actually a prequel to Wild Rock. This is a story that involves
Yuni and Emba's father Selem, as younger men. Yuni steps into an animal trap
set by Selem and is injured as a result. Selem nurses Yuni back to health.
Selem knows that Yuni is the heir to the East Forest Tribe, but Yuni doesn't
realize that Selem is the heir to the Lakeside Tribe. As time goes by feelings
develop between the pair, but at the end neither is willing to sacrifice their
status in order to remain together.
Child Rock
is a very brief story (if you can call it that) about Emba and Yuuen years
after Wild Rock, when they spend the day together babysitting Nava (the
offspring of Emba’s sister and Yuuen’s brother).
Okay, I’m not going to mince words. Wild
Rock is well-drawn with utterly gorgeous characters. I’d take Emba any day of
the week–actually I’d take his old man too! LOL And Yuuen is the
quintessential uke. So, what is it this yaoi lacks? Well, it lacks backbone and
I’m referring to the plot. The plot was too simplistic and predictable. I
couldn’t sink my teeth in, not enough meat on the bone I’m afraid. Here’s my
rating–art A+, plot C+, sex mild and the translation questionable in spots. My
overall score is a 3.5 flame because I felt Wild Rock had potential for so much
more.
Happy Yaoi Hunting
Blak Rayne ^_^!!
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