Welcome to BRB, everyone! As you're well aware I love to read and collect yaoi, and I've done so for years. I started purchasing back in the mid nineties. At that time yaoi was relatively unheard of in North America, and most of my "purchases" consisted of dojinshi, which are usually fan made manga, but can also be self-published works in either manga, magazine, or novel form. The first two yaoi I read and viewed online as OVAs were Ai no Kusabi and Kizuna. And to this day, out of everything I've read, both remain personal favourites, but each for a different reason. Ai no Kusbai is the quintessential yaoi, according to the first yaoi written and other stories to follow in its genre and guidelines. You have a definite seme with the main character Iason Mink, who rapes and controls his weaker partner, uke Riki. Violence i.e. rape in yaoi is commonplace as is the uke eventually accepting the seme as his lover. But not all yaoi are as dark, angst ridden and violent as Ai no Kusabi. Which brings me to Kizuna. Although there is some unwanted sexual contact between the main characters in the very beginning, Kei and Ranmaru; Kizuna-Bonds of love, couldn't be more dissimilar from ANK.
I hope you enjoy my review!
KIZUNA
One of my all time favourite yoai manga
series (note I said series) is Kizuna - 'Bonds of Love' written and drawn by
Kazuma Kodaka. Ms. Kodaka is an amazing artist. Some of her other works include
Kimera, Sex Therapist, Prince of Tennis, Sengoku Basara, Midare Somenishi,
Boarder and others. I'd say Kizuna is probably one of the more popular series
and this is because the characters are easy to love.
Kei Enjouji (black hair) and Ranmaru
(redhead) are college students in modern day Tokyo. The minute Kei sees
Ranmaru, he's instantly smitten. Kei is the seme (attacker) and, he does pursue
Ranmaru Samejima, the uke (receiver), until the poor man gives in. Okay, I
think deep down Ranmaru wanted him from the start, but couldn't admit it,
which continues throughout the first part of the series. Kei is my fav. He's
funny and has a generally optimistic and endearing disposition. But a total
straight shooter when it comes to Ranmaru and their relationship. Ranmaru is
what's called, in the yaoi community, a 'Feisty Bottom' yes he can be a biatch
- but hot damn what a pretty one!

Later on more of their past comes out.
These two men have known each other since childhood. The plot and
artistry improve the further you read, and by the end of this series, you've
got a cast of beautiful characters that have really grown and faced some
unbelievable challenges together, which creates an awesome story. There are
other characters and some interesting side stories, as well as Ms. Kodaka's
input and comic relief. This is normal for most manga.

*And, if you get a chance after reading the entire series, I highly recommend watching the OVAs. Both the original, older film Kizuna produced in nineteen-ninety-four and the newer continuation Kizuna Much Ado About Nothing produced in two-thousand-and-five are quite well done.
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