Duo Brand

This review was originally written for the website MyAnimeList.net.

STORY
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this little one-shot manga. At first I was disappointed because it appeared to be nothing but a bunch of short stories, which aren't typically my cup of tea. However, I very quickly realized that all of the stories, although they were (mostly) about different couples, were all part of the same universe. That inter-connectivity is what really made this manga a keeper in my eyes.

ART
The artwork is very sleek and pretty. Several times I stopped in the middle of reading just to admire how the manga-ka had drawn a particular scene or a particular character or a particular pose. Even the way the clothes are drawn is creatively beautiful.

CHARACTER
It's a one-shot, so there's not a lot of development possible. However, the manga-ka still manages to create an interesting set of unique characters that don't always follow the uke/seme norm.

ENJOYMENT
The overall concept of divine swords that take on the likenesses of a variety of hot guys is unique and creative. Although they don't comprise the whole of the short stories, they definitely enhance the overall enjoyment of the story. The guys (swords or not) are all exceedingly hot and fun to look at - either individually or together (if you get my meaning) ^_^;… (more)

A 'kid gets teleported into fantasy-ish world' series. I decided to pick it up after reading in a review that it had the story/framework of a shounen manga but the character sensibilities of shojo. Liking shounen but a little sad at times they don't take closer looks at character feelings, motivations, and relationships, the description of this manga sounded promising to me. Plus, I though I'd heard of Duo Brand writing BL, so hey, possible slashiness/BL fanservice not a bad thing.

As it turns out, not so much BL fanservice. And a wimpy puppy-dog like heroine that sort of surprised me (I thought a lot of BL fans started reading BL just to escape lame female love interests like that...?). The world presented, full of glowing mushrooms and people with marks on their bodies designating where in the world they belong and 'Warlocks' chasing them around, isn't half bad. But the plot (consisting mostly of the characters meeting a man who knows their brother and wants to help them, trying to find food, and then trying to find help for a character that falls ill) is a little random and lacks any building tension. One gets the feeling this is supposed to be sort of a coming-of-age-by-harrowing-events story for the main character, but so far it's not terribly convincing. The characters are some of your usual standard archetypes (energetic/brusque boy, sweet bumbling girl, genki/friendly mystery man) without having much more to their personality beyond that.

The art is attractive, though, and the fairly fact pace and decently interesting world and familiar character types will probably be enough for some to enjoy this. It's pretty insubstantial, though, and I failed to find it compelling.… (more)

I really prefer hard yaoi, and this title holds nothing back in that regard. There's explicit sex, with nudity. I also appreciated the historical fantasy setting - a Prince looking for a mentor to help rule his kingdom. General Sai is flawed and cynical, but can't help but be moved by the Prince's noble yet naive ambitions. Readers should be warned there is non-consensual sex in the story, but also a convoluted plot that will surely expand over another volume or two. The artistry is excellent. Though the Prince is a little epheminate, he's still male. The proprtions are good, and the shading and backgrounds detailed enough to have depth while remaining clear. Highly recommended.… (more)