Loveless, Volume 1

There was a lot of hype (well, a lot for a shounen-ai manga release in the US) in the run-up to publication, which was kind of suprising at the time but turned out to be wholly justified. This is a work that's not just a great shounen-ai story, it's a great story, period. It's also a story with an aspect that most readers will find majorly challenging to accept and that other reviewers have already called attention to: namely, the sexual tension (albeit largely unrealized) between Ritsuka and Soubi. While it's understandable people might find this offputting, I think the issue--like so much else with this manga--is more nuanced and complex than it intially appears to be. First of all, the active yearning is coming almost wholly from Ritsuka's side; Soubi says quite explicitly that he's not interested in Ritsuka in that way, at least not yet. (Of course what Soubi says and what Soubi intends and does can be quite different things, but if it makes you feel any better note that Seimei still had his ears ;-).) What Soubi wants from Ritsuka is something more profound and elusive--and perhaps ultimately more disturbing--than sexual possession. Second, Ritsuka's age is quite deliberately fixed at the point when almost everyone begins to experience the emotional, physical and social transformations that accompany the onset of puberty. We see him--and Yuiko and Yayoi, to a lesser extent--struggling with these changes, which can range from bewildering to exhilarating, and are frequently both at once and everything in between. Ritsuka's "multiple personalities" are, if you like, a flattening of a metaphor for adolescence, a subjective perception made an external reality (maybe). Into this turmoil steps an adult (gotta love those ears) who knows his real name and that of his beloved (heh) older brother, the psychological center of his life. Seen in this context, in addition to the other plot elements at work, Ritsuka's attraction to Soubi takes on an inevitable logic: it's an integral part of the story, not a gratuitous bit thrown in for some titillation. Not to say there aren't great lashings of titillation and UST--this is a shounen-ai title, after all, and Ms. Kouga knows what her job's about. But it's not all catboys (and girls) and blond biseinen. Beneath the fluff there's a subtle but sophisticated exploration of issues that turn up elsewhere in her work: perception and reality, identity and desire, language and power. Her depiction of the conflicting urges driving Ritsuka's behavior is not only sympathetic but will also be cringingly familiar to anyone who's spent time recently with preteens or remembers being one: the awkward liminal stage of being precocious enough to know about sex but not mature enough yet to really know what it is, ferociously curious about it and other aspects of the adult world but still apprehensive and unsure. To flog a dead aphorism, there's more than meets the eye in this series, and you'll be rewarded if you take

'Loveless', I must say, is the most compelling and interesting manga I have read in a long while. It is unlike any other manga, with characters that have (almost) realistic problems, and believable conflict. 'Loveless' makes one believe that one can step outside and find yourslef in the middle of a battle by wordspell. The shounen ai elements, however, may cause some to stop reading right then and there, but I personally don't think that's a dilemma. All in all, 'Loveless' is a beautiful, complex story that someone like me can really relate to.

Loveless proves the adage that you should never judge a book by its cover. What on the surface looks like it may be a whimsical romantic Manga is actually very different, not to mention a bit dark and disturbing. Ritsuka Aoyagi is the new boy in school and there is early hints at a very troubled past. He's immediately branded as something of a weirdo by the other students except for the beautiful but flighty Yuiko Hawatari who immediately becomes infatuated with him, constantly talking to him and following him around, even when he constantly insults her, even driving her to tears at one point. Ritsuka is lonely...his best friend and brother Seimei died and Ritsuka learns that it was murder. Ritsuka meets a man named Soubi, an adult who claimed he had been Seimei's friend. Ritsuka is thrilled to meet any friend of his brother and perhaps unwisely trusts his every word until Ritsuka is creeped out when Soubi tells him that he loves him. Ritsuka learns that Soubi is a fighter unit, sworn to protect his master. He had been Seimei's defender and Seimei made him swear to protect Ritsuka should anything ever happen to him. Soubi soon has to live up to his charge as confronted by a rival fighter unit sent by Septimal Moon. The two engage in a battle of spells and the attacker is forced to retreat. Ritsuka's troubled past soon comes to light...loss of memory, the development of a split personality, and an abusive mother. Lots of secrets are hinted at in this first volume. How did Soubi transfer his protection from one master to another? Who or what is Septimal Moon and why did they kill Seimei? What is the reason for Ritsuka's memory loss and personality disorder? Yun Kouga has given readers a lot to think about in this opening volume to her new series. The various plot threads are inter-woven masterfully throughout the story. I especially found myself liking poor Yuiko who at first just seems to want to be close to Ritsuka because she thinks he's hot, but soon we see that she truly cares for him despite his constantly pushing her away. Even he begins to thaw a bit towards her a bit as they team to work on a school project. The art is very good and I will be interested to see where the story goes from here. Reviewed by Tim Janson

Yun Kouga's Loveless ranks among the best shojo ("young women's") titles ever constructed. Yun Kouga is at the peak of her dreamy, ephemeral art and every panel is clean and captivating. Her simple but sharp dialogue is complemented by a readable translation. The story itself moves at an even clip. The characters are emotionally complex and memorably designed. Written for older teens and college students, the manga follows the classic, inevitable progression from innocence to experience--from childhood to adulthood--of its central character, Ritsuka Aoyagi. Against the simple thematic backdrop (the tumult of adolescence), Kouga-sensei explores sexuality, the ties that bind us to our kin, and, prominently, the power words have in shaping our reality. There's plenty to enjoy here for both the casual and intellectual reader. That said, Loveless is not for every reader. There are relationships in the story some readers may simply not be comfortable with. There are homosexuals (both gays and lesbians) in the story. For some readers, interest stops there. More prominently, Ritsuka (twelve) is shown romantic affection by a college-age young man. Even though there's more to this than meets the eye, some readers will be justifiably put off. Aside from these relationships, the series generally contains darker elements that put it firmly on the side of its Ages 16+ rating. Kouga-sensei deftly flirts with the risqué in crafting a gorgeous modern fairy tale equally accessible to Japanese and English audiences. If you have the kind of open mind that doesn't accept everything it reads at face value, Loveless is a manga for you.

(This is the first review, I just wanted to get a rating on here...) Yes, this is shonen-ai, not yaoi. I've never read shonen-ai before, but if it's all like this then I'm new fan of the genre! While the romance isn't focused on, it's equally proportioned with the interesting storyline. There are lots of things left to discover (secrets and further explanations) in later volumes; it's very intriguing! The main character is very cute, and not just in a cute kid way (though he's only in 6th grade), and the love interest is also handsome. Their relationship is very different from what I've read before (maybe regular shonen-ai fans are used to it though). The main guy, Ritsuka, is reluctant at times but you can tell he really likes Soubi. Soubi, to my pleasure, tells Ritsuka he loves him many times. Ritsuka blushes and tells him to stop, so cute The cover, back cover, and inside color page are beautifully drawn and colored. I found no spelling errors or typos like I do in other TokyoPop manga. The inside art is also wonderful. I have to recommend this highly to shonen-ai fans and non-shonen-ai fans! It's a delight in many ways!! It's my new fave manga but I'll have to wait until June to read the next volume...