A Convenient
Man – Yaoi Book Review
BCB:
Meet Kitamura, convenience store manager, age 31. With normal good looks and
normal good taste, a normal job and a normal income, he feels a normal amount
of unhappiness in his normal relationship with a normal woman. Wait! There is a
storm warning over this barren life.
Meet Minamihara, younger man and part-time employee. Minamihara lives boldly,
courageously. And he is the storm who throws Kitamura's life and heart in
unexpected directions.
Story and art
by Yuiji Aniya is a yaoi manga about a convenience store manager Kitamura and
his employee Minamihara who throws a monkey wrench into his normal boring
existence. Honestly, I really enjoyed this story. Again, the author used an all
too familiar trope, gay man falls in love with a straight man and he pursues
the straight man. But, what makes this yaoi a little different is the point of
view. It’s straight man Kitamura that tells the main story. He’s the one who
drags the reader through pages of emotional uncertainty because, of course,
he’s never dated a man. So he can’t understand why his employee Minamihara, ten
years his junior and good-looking, is so hell bent on changing his mind.
Kitamura has been in a lack lustre relationship with a woman for years, he’s
thirty-one, and his occupation in banal—why would anyone want him? But as their (Kita and Mina's) “acquaintance” deepens, and I use the word acquaintance loosely, he gradually
begins to realize why Minamihara cares about him. And he starts to understand
when feelings aren’t reciprocated how much it hurts the person who is in love.
The tipping point is when Minamihara says: “I only want to be touched by
someone who loves me.” That’s when Kitamura really sees the light. Minamihara,
as a character, is a nice guy and it’s evident that he cares about
Kitamura, especially when he tries to stop Kitamura from seeing his long time
girlfriend with another man. He’s considerate, forthright and faithful.
A Convenient
Man has decent dialogue, down-to-earth characters and is a touching story, which
makes it worth the read. But, I found the art somewhat distracting—messy sex
scenes and exaggerated lips—it took a bit to get used to. I can’t say that it’s a favourite, however I will definitely check
out this mangaka’s future works. She/He has a knack for telling an interesting and
endearing story. 3.5 Stars!
Happy Yaoi Hunting!
Blak Rayne
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