Welcome to BRB, everyone! During
the hunt for another manga to sink my teeth in, I came across a diamond in the
rough, so-to-speak. It’s rare but does happen from time to time. And when I say
that it’s in reference the physical appearance of the manga. I wasn’t crazy
about the cover or even the blurb, but I still thought it might be worth
reading. Originally published in 2010 You Can’t Call it Love or Koi to wa
Yobenai story by Eda Yuuri and art by Machiya Hatoko turned out to be a real
gem.
Sensitive
and caring average guy Ei walks home from work one evening to find a man
huddled in a ball outside his apartment; it’s Christmas and snowing. He ignores
the man and goes to the store. When he returns, the man Junpei still hasn’t
moved. Then he discovers Junpei isn’t alone; there’s a kitten stashed inside
his jacket. Ei takes both of them in for the night. Eventually, Junpei gets
better, and he ends up staying indefinitely and becomes a great friend to Ei. Both
men have serious baggage, which is what makes their personalities
three-dimensional, lending credence to problems that arise.
This
yaoi is a dramatic romance, and it took time for the story to build momentum,
but once it did, there were moments my heart felt like it sank, and I almost
cried. I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know how things would end. You
Can’t Call it Love is emotionally gripping and beautifully illustrated. It was
refreshing, for a change, to read about a pair of honest men who overcame their
mistakes. No abuse. No stupidity. And no airhead uke. At one point, the story
could’ve veered off in a whole other direction, but thankfully it didn’t. The
author is a superb storyteller, and the artist did an excellent job.
Happy Yaoi Hunting!
Blak Rayne
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