Junjo Romantica

Junjo Romantica Volume 2 (The Continuation of Conflict and Romance) Volume two of Junjo Romantica provides new content of the first two couples, featuring Usagi-san, Misaki, Nowaki, and Hiro-san. Usagi-san's and Misaki's relationship seems to be on shaky ground when Usagi-san's female editor, Aikawa, is thrown into the mix. Usagi-san makes it clear that Misaki is to stay away from her since she is a devil in disguise. It's cute that Misaki begins to feel jealous whenever Usagi-san and Aikawa are together. After an incident with Misaki falling asleep with Usagi-san's shirt, Usagi-san takes that as a sign that Misaki is madly in love with him. I also love the act where Usagi-san and Misaki play strip Othello. Misaki falls right into Usagi-san's trap. It's intriguing to see this act because it is not shown in the anime. On the other hand, things are not looking so cheerful between Nowaki and Hiro-san. After leaving for America for a year, Nowaki finally returns home to Hiro-san. However, it's not a warm welcome back. Hiro-san doesn't easily give in due to the fact that Nowaki left him high and dry for a year. Hiro-san wants to break off their relationship, but Nowaki won't give Hiro-san up without a fight. With one last-ditch effort, Nowaki arranges a meeting at Hiro-san's and Nowaki's favorite family restaurant to talk things over. Unfortunately, Nowaki has delay issues. Plus, Hiro-san's co-worker, the great professor Miyagi, has plans to make Hiro-san his. This book focuses mainly on Nowaki's and Hiro-san's miscommunication mixup. I believe this volume contains more drama and conflict than the last one. Shungiku Nakamura displays the reality of what can happen when a couple has near to zero communication. I love it, and again, I would recommend this book and the whole series to someone who loves BL manga. I can't wait for the next one.

The second instalment of the Junjou Romantica manga franchise brings us the more of the same two couples we first met in JUNJO ROMANTICA Volume 1: (Yaoi) (v. 1). But while the cover once more features Misaki and Usagi-san, a large portion of the book actually focuses on the lives of Hiroki and Nowaki in the Junjou Egoist arc. Plot wise, the stories here run in a parallel that gives symmetry, as each couple face a personal crisis of self, and realise the deepness of their true feelings for one another. In the case of Misaki, he has now been living with Usami-san, nickname Usagi, for one month. His older brother Akihiko is obviously comfortable with the tutoring in exchange for housework arrangement with his childhood friend that he has made on Misaki's behalf, and has simply left them to it. For Misaki, however, things are not quite so simple. In close quarters with Usagi everyday, the emotional repercussions of what occurred between them in the first volume just keep escalating. It all comes to a head when a beautiful woman names Aikawa suddenly unlocks the front door and simply walks into the house. She is Usagi's editor, and she appears to have full run of the house. She bosses Usagi about, and even escorts him to evening dinners and functions. Prior to one such event, Misaki feels a great unease when he witnesses Aikawa straighten Usagi-san's tie. What is this feeling? Realising he has, as he puts it, gone into jealous virgin girl mode, he once again flies off the handle, at himself this time. Nothing for it, he is a man, and men drink! Yup, this is good beer. Oh, is this Usagi's shirt? Mmmm...Usagi smell...Misaki discovers that you can't go on lying to yourself or the other party when you get caught dozing off, lovingly clutching their clothes. But does that mean he is ready to accept these feelings? This is also the dilemma facing Hiroki. Used to his typhoon-like boyfriend, Nowaki, breezing in and out of his life, he is somewhat bereft when an entire year passes without hearing from him. Refusing to move in case Nowaki decides to appear, Hiroki nonetheless storms to Tokyo's Narita airport in a rage when he receives a letter informing him that Nowaki is returning to Tokyo after being away for an entire year. WHAT?! He expects to just breeze back in like that? Why the hell did he not mention he was going? What follows is an unforgettable scene whereby Hiroki, in front of hundreds of travellers, walks up to Nowaki, and beats him over the head before storming off in a huff. Even more amazingly, Nowaki doesn't retaliate, and instead, shows up at his front door wanting to stay. Ugh, it's no good, it HAS to be Nowaki, and so he lets him in. What ensues is a series of misunderstandings cleared up, new misunderstandings arising, and at last, a showdown between two strong egos that seem to need to clash in order to mingle. Will these two find a middle ground, and understand each other's way of loving? Once more mangaka Nakamura Shungiku-sensei b

A fantastic book, great story and wonderful graphics. I hope this story can be continued in future novels.

This series has a great story about a young man comming to terms with his love of another man. In this book he has to come to terms with the fact he is jealous of his lover's beautiful publisher. In the second story line the younger of our lovers has just come back when he left he didn't leave a note and didn't write for a whole year. Misunderstanding abound all for a happy ending.