Part of Miyamoto Kano's highly popular Rules Universe that has spawned numerous fan fictions, the events described in this manga take place after 'Hydra' and 'Lovers and Souls', this time focusing on Hikaru and Tooru, as well as two new characters in the form of Yuki and Atori.
The story starts out typical enough: Yuki, having realized he's gay and in love with his straight classmate, sleeps with a stranger he meets in a gay district to alleviate his sexual frustration. That's where the typicality ends. What follows is an intricate, yet still grounded, depiction of how the four main characters' relationships change as their lives intertwine. The smooth flow of the story makes reading the manga akin to watching the lives of people you know unravel before your eyes.
If there is one thing that distracts the flow, it would be the somewhat abrupt shift in focus onto different characters that occurs after Volume 1. Although the shift could have been executed better, it's not a huge issue as the story remains compelling throughout.
As mentioned previously, there are no clichéd character archetypes; it's completely irrelevant who play out the seme and uke roles. Instead, with their unique personalities and development throughout the vast Rules Universe, they act like real people would. Yuki and Atori experience teenage insecurities, confusion and even carefreeness, and grow from the experience. Since they've appeared in previous titles, the development in Hikaru and Tooru's characters are even more evident; at times, how they act may seem odd or even unreasonable, but it's easy to understand why they do what they do when the Rules Universe is read in chronological order.
The art, in keeping with the storyline, looks realistic. Miyamoto adds even more realism to Rules with her little quirks, like changing the characters' hairstyles as the seasons pass or altering their expressions with the slightest stroke so that they're never exaggerated. Their appearance are also modified to correspond with their moods or to signify their growth as individuals, like how a certain character is given a haircut after a relationship he was in ended.
Several things stand out in Rules that set it apart from many other works, including how well issues such as sexual confusion and prostitution are dealt with. The sex is not superfluous, but rather a tool to further the plot and character development. Also, while such stories could very easily become an angst-fest, Rules avoids that by keeping it moderate, though it's not completely absent; after all, what teenager is completely devoid of angst? Finally, Miyamoto understands the minutiae of the Japanese gay community, and this knowledge is apparent in Rules through the use of language and lifestyle details.
While personally I don't have a problem reading yaoi with all its glorious clichés, Rules was a great change of pace. It's a wonderful manga I'd recommend to people who like character-driven stories.
- Written for the Miyamoto Kano Society -
