This story is funny, a bit violent, sexy and sometimes a bit sad. Add to that the fact that this is an equally standing couple, with a manly bottom and probably the shortest top around; now we have the perfect recipe for an unique yaoi. Not only that, there is a fair amount of humor and some fights that throw a shounen feeling to the mix. This is indeed the perfect example of a good delinquent's yaoi; sometimes you are having so much fun that you might forget that there was a pretty steamy sex scene around the corner.
These two are just having fun and enjoying their freedom together. They don't have an explanation to their easy relationship, but it becomes evident that there is more to it than just the spur of the moment feeling. Of course, the dog and the master aren't expecting to fall in love and surely, their best friends are not going to sit with their arms crossed to watch this happen.
These characters are crazy. Well, they might be the least crazy ones from Motoni Modoru, but there is still a spark of absurdity and dark humor in them. It is remarkable how these boys are portrayed as the average teenager boy; they do stupid things, laugh a lot and pick at the other even in the most serious situations. In the end these are just insecure boys trying to get by with whatever life gives to them and struggling to protect their hearts from what they can't handle.
Chiaki might look like a cute, tiny blond-haired puppy, but he is fact the most dangerous stray dog. Like the proper stray he has always been a loner, at least until he got a best friend, but now old days are coming back, since he was 'abandoned' for a girl. Chiaki becomes a restless and distrustful stray. Well, although he has quite the temper and is very violent, he is also quite noble; he is always there for his friends and is very protective of those who matter to him. Never sharing his troubles, always a strong front, Chiaki actually doesn't like to feel lonely.
Miki is the happy owner. He is considered a player... and a bisexual one to boot. Always acting as if everything is a game, even with the most scary people, Miki manages to gain a bit of the stray's trust. He might not look like it, but he is the strongest between them. After all he spends every day trying to overcome very awful situations in his own way. And while he might rely on his friend, nobody has actually got his back; Miki is proud and he has built his own support.
Dog Style's art is quite detailed but blunt. While I really like Motoni Modoru's style, I recognize that it can be a bit to strong at first, especially the eyes. There is a lot of attention to detail, and mostly in humorous situations the character's expressions make you think about seinen art style; we can see very scary and hilarious faces that give a distinctive air of craziness to the story. What was supposed to look cute becomes playful here. Then, these boys are drawn with beautiful toned bodies; contrary to most of BL's art, Motoni Modoru's sexiness resides in the fact that these are strong and young men, not in the delicacy of their features.
Speaking of sex, this title is probably the most explicit one from this mangaka. It is weird that the first and third volume are almost explicit yaoi and the second more like average. So let's say this is an average-to-explicit one. Another interesting point, regarding sex scenes, is that their first encounters are pretty painful for both, since Chiaki is inexperienced with women. Also, we actually get to see some emphasis on protection (at least once), this gives a lot of points to this manga, a bit of reality that's very appreciated. Lastly, it is so funny to see how their body proportions affect the act, like they should; Chiaki is very short so he has some reach problems, the result is some pretty intense images, you wouldn't think that shorty could manage so much.
Dog Style is a really entertaining and unique story. Even if the drama in the last volume might feel a bit twisted and dark, it manages to have a whole feeling as a playful, sexy and crazy one. This is a story about youth energy and love. A type of love that manages to be innocent even after being born in the midst of loneliness, frustration and danger. Totally recommended if you want action and bad boys getting confused by love!
