Ranked #440

Endless World (Manga)

Wow. Wow. Where do I even begin?

I suppose I'll do it first with a comparison, because it's hard to describe what it is without describing what it's not.

Think of this manga as a rounded Sadahiro Mika. Sadahiro Mika's works are jaded, with its edges sharp enough to wound. The pain is apparent, the pain is made ugly, and the pain is eased by sex. This manga, on the other hand, has the same approach to pain, but not in presentation. Its line combinations are "soft", almost soothing (unless necessary for the scene), its dialogue is subdued, and instead of the jaded, cutting edges, what you get are rounded corners that glide across your skin. It makes swallowing everything a little less hard, but not less painful.

Endless World was a truly refreshing experience. It went beyond the usual yaoi approach to drama and sex and both, and it created something literary, something which probed the mind of the reader. The storyline, itself, isn't anything new, but the presentation left enough out of the surface and encouraged the reader to read more into what happened.

The characters were played well - the exposure per person gave enough for the reader to understand the relationship, and at the same time, it hid enough to suggest something deeper. The characterization and the development was pretty impressive, despite the chronology used (it actually added flavor to the storytelling!) and the transitions, albeit sudden, seemed very appropriate.

The art was beautifully gritty and smooth at the right places. I loved the use of lines and contrast to portray feelings, I loved the character designs, I loved the art over-all. The paneling could perhaps use a bit more work, though.

This is certainly one of the best explicit yaoi titles I've read. read more