What's your opinion about this manga?
Welcome to the 3rd Special Read discussion! Now we have Haru wo Daiteita , another must read for those who appreciate those outstanding works of BL. Our review: Even though I wasn't a Youka Nitta fan; I picked up this title out of boredom, after putting it off for a long time, and I was blown away. Haru wo daite Ita begins with two actors, Iwaki and Katou, that are trying to make it to the big screen. Iwaki is quiet and humble, a strong man who is deeply ashamed of his past as an adult film actor. Katou, on the other side, is an arrogant and proud young actor who thinks of Iwaki as a rival in the adult film industry. It’s only natural that, when they try for the same part, their competitive personalities clash against each other, turning the audition into a decisive war. To their greatest surprise, the director has different plans for their future and they end up working together on a project really different from usual. How much are they willing to bet for the sake of their dreams? Will their careers finally explode to stardom like they both expect? Focusing mainly on the characters' inner growth, this piece is different from your usual "I love you, let’s have sex" story. It shows the lives of two men with strong personalities who work equally to feed and maintain their love, as they deal, sometimes together and others individually, with hardships, jealousy and trust issues through the years. We can see the several obstacles that come with commitments, not only in their relationship, but also in their job as performers, shaping this story into a rich and complex masterpiece. There's more that meets the eye here than just a tale about romance; in my opinion, this piece is an essay on long and successful relationships. Now, when it comes down to reviewing the artistic side, this autor's work is original and appealing, but it's not especially pretty. Being the first title I read from Youka Nitta, I have to admit that it was a little hard for me at first, but I ended up getting used to it quickly, finding it beautiful and very fitting with the story. So, don’t pay much attention to the covers; what’s inside is way better. Besides Katou and Iwaki, this title features several couples in related and non-related oneshots. It also contains a special volume with the story Fuyu No Semi; a tragic but epic tale about two men in love having to face one another in the battlefield during war, while they hide and struggle with their feelings. There are two anime adaptations for this series, one for the main story and the other for the extra one; the former doesn’t make justice to the manga, only contains up to the third volume and it's not up to the mangaka's art , so don’t hold high expectations for it. In the other hand Fuyu no Semi seems to be quite a good adaptation to the extra story, the animation is still the same, but the story has been well portrayed. In the form of 14 volumes, Haru wo Daiteita is one of the most known and acclaimed works in the genre, proving that real men in real relationships are a better read than the overdramatic or unrealistic cliché that the industry is often trying to sell us. If you haven't read this, go do it, you won't regret it at all. ---Zetsuboshita & Queen2408. The Anti Girly Uke Yaoi club. Was this review helpful? vote here.So, let the manga discussion start, share your opinions so that other can know if they are interested in reading this manga, and remember to use the spoiler tags if you are gonna talk about important topics of the story that aren't in the descriptions. |
Queen2408Jan 10, 2010 11:38 AM
| it might be cheating that I voted here since I've only watched the anime, I haven't read the manga yet :S But I guess it is ok to share my view of this anime at least ;) and people can go from there. This is one of my favourite yaoi animes. I still prefer Winter Cicada (featuring same characters in a different setting) mainly because of a deeper and more moving story, but Harru wo Daiteita is a seriously awesome anime! Loads of sexy characters with the two main guys (you can see above) in the forefront. Both with very strong personalities, it is obvious why this manga/anime should be recommended in this group ;) Even though Haru wo Daiteita starts more or less like smut, feelings get involved quite quickly and keep you interested and moved ^^ I recommend wholeheartedly! and will read the manga as soon as I get hold of it, I promise ;) |
Cydonian said: it might be cheating that I voted here since I've only watched the anime, I haven't read the manga yet :S But I guess it is ok to share my view of this anime at least ;) and people can go from there That is ok, that way everyone gets a different point of view about both, I read the manga first and I didn't really like the anime after that..so you can guess that the quality is greater in the manga ;), go read it! XD. |
| Youka Nitta is an outstanding artist and in "Haru o daite ita" she showed the full range of her capability. It's an epic story and probably the one piece that shows her best art to date. I have to admit that I have not read all of what is translated so far but definitely will do that one day. On the other side I have things that are itching a lot more where I can't wait to see how the story continues. I can't really say that for Haru o. I still prefer "When a man loves a man" amongst her work - for the simple reason that the plotline is straighter there. Well, not straight, but straightER. I often have this feeling in her work that she herself does not know how the story will go when she starts it. That's a good thing as she can surprise the reader by sudden and unexpected turns of the story. It's also a bad thing because the plot line seems to drift aimlessly or move in snake lines if not circles. Admittedly I believe many mangakas don't really know the exact outcome of the story when the start a series (after all the length of a series is often decided by its poplularity which will show after publishing has started). But often artists can hide their own lack of knowledge of the future plot better than Youka Nitta. Her artwork needs getting used to. The first time I saw it I remember thinking something unfavorable. But she has completely won me over. It's very cool, hip and elegant, one of the mangakas that I would even buy an artbook of. |
| One of the best BL manga title out there. I just cannot get tired of it no matter how many times I read it. Katou and Iwaki are gorgeous and sexy. What I like about this title is that it goes beyond sex and there is more to it than that. Sure the sex scenes are hot and steamy but it is not just sex between the two men. Their relationship goes deeper. It would be great if some company to re-license this title. |
| I know I'm posting pretty late, but wow. This manga is really good!! I usually dislike long series either because it takes too long for the characters to get together or it just gets plain repetitive. This story is extremely well done, however. Youka Nitta moves the story along in a very interesting and realistic way that follows the maturation in both the individuals and the couple as a whole. Also, I feel that each chapter is thought out very well and it doesn't leave any annoying holes. Youka Nitta is obviously a great story teller. I'm still on chapter 49, but it's great. It's definitely one of the best manga out there, let alone one of the best yaoi manga :). I feel like I'm seeing "true love" when I read Haru wo Daiteita. Now I'm excited to see if her other manga are just as good. Why didn't I know about Youka Nitta sooner? Thanks for another great introduction AGUY T^T *cries out of happiness.* |
lovelydawnOct 12, 2009 4:27 PM
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| I am glad you like it...I also wonder about her other works, but since she isn't working anymore there is a lot of unfinished stuff and I just don't want to be disappointed after reading a good story. Don't forget to read the next featured series XD. |
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