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The last chapter, Ranmaru meets Al's father, and his wife tracks down Ranmaru at Al's estate. It's not as good as the first story.
It's a little on the cliched side.I bought this book for the first story, and would normally recommend it highly but the missing epiloge lowers this volume by 1 star. It's a cute story about a matchmaker falling in love w/ his client.
I became aware of "A Foreign Love Affair" after watching the both OVAs. The second story for me was just filler.
Artwork is incredible, and the translations are done very well. Having read the online scanlations versions, I was impressed w/ the artwork.However, I'm disappointed that "A Foreign Love Affair" is missing the last epilogue chapter, "Sweet Destiny".
It's a good chapter that wraps up the story line well.
(And also so that I can enjoy Volume III of Crimson Spell, because I don't think the English version is ever going to be published, /cry)So because this publication is missing the ending chapter, I am going to have to give it 4/5 stars. It is such a cute ending and quite a shame it is not included. I guess I am going to have to learn Japanese just so I can enjoy my yaoi unadulterated, unabridged, and uncorrupted. Some folks here have complained that the story has left a lot of loose ends. Ranmaru is confronted by his clan, Al's father is introduced (he is quite a humorous - and amorous - character; it is a shame he was left out of the story altogether), Ranmaru flips out and makes a big scene after he is being chased and groped by Gondoh, Al's father and Al, and put himself in yet another precarious position, from which he is saved once more by his blond hero. Well, it may be because the final chapter(s) are not included with this publication. Finally the story ends with Ranmaru back in Japan drinking in a bar and Al walks through the door, much to his surprise and delight.
This really did need to be expanded into two novels.Also, I think I must be the only person who does not like 801's extreme devotion to printing only high quality books. I am a STICKLER for keeping the spine unbroken but with this thicker paper you can not open the book as wide and it makes the reading of the book a bit more clumsy.
You almost need that dust jacket to cover spine damage from the book being so unflexable. I almost feel guilty for stretching the book wider to get a better look at the page.
Once again, Ayano Yamane proves she deserves to be named one of the top Yaoi Artists. That is nice and all, but the thicker paper makes it harder to read the book without breaking the spine.
I also don't like dust jackets because it is just one more thing that can get damaged.overall, I liked the content just not the packaging. I did like the story but it was not as well rounded out as Finder or Crimson Spell.
It has a dust jacket and the paper it is printed on is super thick.
I like that.And yes a lot of explicit sex illustrations.Four Star because.There are times Ranmaru looks abit feminine when his hair is longer and some of his his lines is more what a woman would say.The second romantic story about the matchmaker is ok.There is nothing deep about the charcaters but at least its not too boring. I first saw the anime version of the first part.So I was curious whats the differnce between the two.The anime took abit of liberty in changing things a little, giving the characters more depth but of course taking out the explicit bed scenes.I was surprised that the manga version was shorter.But in the manga ,the story continued ,developing the plot and their relationship.
The manga ends at the second volume, and the English version doesn't give an hint if there is a continue. At first Ranmaru's character is not very "feminine", and in fact it's strange that a very handsome man like Al finds him interesting. On the course of his honeymoon in Italy, Ranmaru ends in even deeply trouble and Al is always there to help him, only "pretending" as reward to ravish Ranmaru, a thing that the Japanese guy is beginning to appreciate. I hope so, since there is still a lot more that can be said on these two characters. Poor Ranmaru finds himself in very badly situation, and everyone around him seem to want to ravish him. Ranmaru is the son of a yakuza boss; he married an older woman (5 years older) to please his father and the family, but he is not attracted by her and the thing is mutual.
The first night they meet, Al seduces Ranmaru, and the Japanese guy discovers only the morning after that Al is the captain. But after their first night together, Ranmaru changes, and he becomes more and more cute and pretty, both in behavior than in look. During their honeymoon, with all the family around, Ranmaru avoids to be near the woman, and he persists on wearing the traditional Japanese kimono even if his wife despised it. But all in all this manga has a funny side and in the end Ranmaru always escapes from bad trouble almost unarmed, if not for what does to him the handsome Al. On the Italian cruise ship where they are, Ranmaru gets noticed by an handsome Italian man, Al, who has a deeply interested for all Japanese things, included Japanese men.
As always the graphic is gorgeous and very sexy.
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