I ignored this title for quite some time. I finally decided to read it because my friend Gaby mentioned it recently. When I first started it, I was laughing at how appalling it was and then I was hit with a bit of nostalgia because Nanami’s art is similar to her partner’s, Na Yeri, and I love her art, though I haven’t read her work for some time. But somewhere along the way I was getting into it. Not at all excusing all the things wrong with it, but I was still enjoying it to some extent. And then…
There are two situations that almost guarantee that the water works will start. The first is when a character is usually a screw up or the boy who cried wolf and people have just gotten used to dismissing them, but a time comes when they are telling the truth and no one believes them and because of it something terrible or irreversible happens. So on top of them feeling bad about not being believed, they also begin to carry the guilt of the outcome which usually isn’t theirs to carry. The second is when a character has met with nothing but heartache and for once they think this just might be their time. They’re hesitant because they don’t want to get hurt again, but somewhere inside, they’re thinking “finally,” but they still end up getting their heart broken again.
In this story, it was the latter; I wasn’t expecting it to such a degree and then I found myself wiping my eyes because I felt so bad for Yamashita. And that was his breaking point. The point I always hope to see in similar situations. I was happy when he finally drew the line. But from there the ending was a somewhat cute, but typical (as in generally disappointing, but at the same time pacifying because it’s what you’d expect) turn of BL events.
The second story in this volume is one I read years ago. It’s titled “Mind Flow” and was originally a doujinshi. This and the follow up, Love Recycle, both scored a 3.5, according to my records. I don’t remember them clearly, but you can read Gaby’s impression of “Mind Flow.”
I like both sides of Nanami. As S-Kun, she writes interesting stories with mature humor while as Nanami, she pens some pretty ridiculous tales that make you feel bad about saying you liked them because they’re so wrong, but you just can’t help but laugh and because she’s skilled, she might even jerk a tear or two in the midst of the nonsense.
There’s a spin-off for the main story called Shiny Star and it’s about Porno Superstar’s title character. I think it will probably go further down the path of the ridiculous, so I’ll probably hold off for another while yet.
Notes: Since posting this a while back, someone told me that Shiny Star was better than what I was assuming it to be, so now I’m looking forward to reading it someday.