Mika Sadahiro

I was blown away by volume one of this two-part yaoi series. The art was clean and beautiful, the sex frequent and the plot gritty and reflective of the prison setting and hard core yaoi. Volume two is just as good, if not a little bit better than volume one! This is still adults only as there is extreme violence, rape and drug use in the story.

Sen and Sword's unorthodox relationship is tested by a new power player at the prison, the warden. He wants Sen, but he also has some secret agenda show more concerning Sword. His interference causes a rift between the lovers, amplified by new developments concerning Sen's conviction, and both become victims of violence and rape. In addition, Norman's obsession with Sword causes more problems. The plot is more detailed than volume one, which was a big bonus. Ironically, as violent as the story is, this volume actually builds the "romance" between Sen and Sword. Even better, they get an HEA. How the mangaka accomplishes it is extremely well done and fits with the storyline. There is plenty of explicit sex throughout, and with other characters besides the main two.

This volume is the same size and shape as volume one (6" by 4" bunko), with a connected image across both covers when laid side by side. The retail price is still significant, but I think it's worth it considering how long and in depth the story is. Overall, this is a fantastic hard yaoi series that I will read again and again. Highly recommended. show less

The first yaoi I ever read was Ayano Yamane's Finder series, and it's still my favorite. The perfect blend of hard yaoi and beautiful illustrations, with an intriguing plot. Finally, I have found another series to equal it!

UGH is set in a prison. I'm surprised that this hadn't been licensed before, given the popularity of shows like Oz and Prison Break. Sen is sentenced to life in prison. The young student is targeted and seeks out a protector, Sword Fish. Sen pays for the protection with show more his body, but when he finds he no longer needs the protection, he still needs Sword Fish. Prison seems a natural fit for hard yaoi. And this is hard core - there is explicit, uncensored sex throughout and it is frequent. Readers should note there is violence, dubious consent and rape. The art style is very good. All characters are defined and well proportioned, and there is subtle shading to enhance the background. The mangaka is careful to keep a reader aware of the setting, without interrupting the story. Like Finder, the "relationship" grows into romance, despite being unrealistic (but who reads yaoi for realism?).

UGH is published by 801 Media, but the book is very different from their previous releases. Unlike most manga/yaoi, this book is miniature. It's 6 inches by 4 inches in size, and quite thick at 320 pages. The production quality is still high, but I do wish this had been in a larger format to make is easier to read text bubbles that are close to the middle. I fear this spine will crease more easily than standard books. Still, the images are easy to see. The retail price is also significantly higher than most yaoi (even expensive June titles), but I think it's worth it considering how long and in depth the story is.

Overall, this is a fantastic yaoi series and I have already preordered Under Grand Hotel Volume 2 (Yaoi). In fact, I ordered two copies of both volumes because I'll surely re-read this one many times! show less

BUYER BEWARE!

First, I'd like to start off by saying that I agree with most of what the reviewer before me said - the story is pretty good...although I had to suspend my disbelief more than I would have liked in some places...especially towards the end. And the artwork is beautiful - one of the main reasons I bought the book despite its $25 price tag.

However, there is one reason I WILL NOT be buying volume two - the size of the book itself. The thing was small enough to fit almost comfortably show more in the pocket of my jeans! My first thought when it came in the mail was, "How much did I pay for this thing again?! Twenty-five dollars?! No...that can't be right...can it?" But it was - I paid $25 for a book no bigger than my hand. And before anyone points it out, no, I do not think the number of pages makes up for the size – not one bit!

I'm sorry - I like a good yaoi manga, and I love an art style that can be both gritty and graceful all at the same time...but the web site I shop at doesn't give dimensions on books. I didn't even have the chance to stop and contemplate the fact that I was paying an arm and a leg for a book that was HALF THE SIZE of almost every other yaoi manga out there. Needless to say, I felt slightly ripped off. I don't think I'll be keeping this title for my personal collection and as much as enjoyed the story, I DEFINITELY won't be paying another $25 for the next volume.

I gave one star for the story and two for the art; if it's not obvious by this point, this manga lost the other two due to physical size versus price tag. show less

While I generally like Mika Sadahiro's work, liked the storyline of this manga, and have no qualms with yaoi it was just way too graphic for me. I guess I found my limit. I'm not claiming it isn't a good manga, just not for me I'm afraid.