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Nov 27, 2016
Well, I just finished bingeing this manga, and I would have to say this is one of the best yaoi/shounen ai manga I have ever read.
Story (9):
Most yaoi manga I have read are pretty cliched when it comes to the story. If you take the basic premise, it's not that original. But original stories are hard to write and I think this one grabs the reader's attention by the way it tells the story. It may be a love at first sight kind of thing, but there's so much more to this story. It brings up many issues in the gay community, HIV/AIDS, cheating, abuse,
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acceptance, etc. etc. Neither was I alive during the period of American history where people were blatantly less tolerant of gays nor do I identify with the LGBT community, but this story shows a lot about that side of life and those who accept and those who do not and I'm glad I got to see some form of it even if it's not super accurate.
This story did have a lot of drama in it and sometimes I felt it was too much and I often went, "Oh my god, really?", so that's why I didn't give a 10, but overall, it was nicely done.
Art (6):
I typically stay away from this kind of art, especially in yaoi manga since I just don't like it that much. I was able to get past it most of the time and read the story. There were times where it wasn't that nice or it looked weird, but the story made up for it. Overall, this art style is not my cup of tea, so 6.
Character (8):
The characters were overall very strong in this story and I love the couple (although there were multiple times where I was so mad at Kain and wanted to punch him. Dear god he was aggravating, but overtime it got better). Mel is just so sweet and I love him dearly for being able to be the kind of person he was despite all the shit he'd been through. The side characters were good and memorable too, and I appreciated that a lot. There's a lot of stories where no one else but the two main characters are relevant.
Enjoyment (10):
I thoroughly enjoyed this story despite the high amounts of drama and Kain being an ass (seriously) and I cried a couple times. I read it quite fast since it was fast paced and kept me on my toes. I think I'd read it again at some point. I loved how the story didn't just end after they got together (Is that a spoiler? It's a yaoi, come on guys, what do you expect?) and went through their whole life.
So overall 9 for this one. It's not perfect and the art could be better, but I just loved this story so much. New York New York is definitely a favorite of mine now and I'm so glad I found it! Would recommend!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 7, 2016
(Minor Spoilers in this review)
I'm not sure why there hasn't been a review for this series yet, but I decided I would go ahead and be the first to do so. (It's been a while since I've reviewed anything in depth, so bear with me!)
Umibe no Etranger (or Seaside Stranger) is not one of those yaoi stories where they fall in love immediately and then it's just sex, something happens, then more sex. Umibe no Etranger maturely covers issues such as loss, loneliness, and isolation while still managing to be pretty light-hearted and beautiful (seriously, the art is gorgeous).
Story (7/10):
While the story isn't
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entirely original, it isn't bad. I gave it a 7 because it wasn't outstanding or mindblowing, but it was good enough to pique my interest and keep me engaged. It never got boring and that's what I appreciate about it. The sensual scenes are brief and I wasn't bothered by them at all like I am in some yaoi (because some yaoi tend to be borderline rape). They happen at the right times and the relationship develops at a realistic pace, even though there are only 4 chapters.
Character (8/10):
Now I think this is one of the parts of this story that stands out the most. The story is mostly supported by our two main characters: lonely, pretty boy, Mio, and disinherited gay novelist, Shun. I'm gonna say this now, but Shun struggles with his homosexuality, something that's hard to find in many yaoi or shounen ai manga. Mio, on the other hand, is not gay and says a few times that he's into girls. But he ends up falling for Shun anyway because of who he is. I was really touched by their relationship, which didn't begin immediately. They're both a bit shy and Shun even seems a bit reluctant to be with Mio at first. But otherwise, these two characters and their interactions are touching, heartfelt, real, and endearing.
Art (10/10):
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the art in this. It may be awkward at some points, but that's what brings character to this story. So that's why I gave a 10. Art isn't always what we want it to be, but if it works, that's what matters. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the art in this story. The character designs are clean and adorable and you can definitely tell who everyone is in this story. The backgrounds are on point and really bring a warm, calm feeling to the story. In fact, the art for the sequel, Harukaze no Etranger, is almost better. (Have you seen the cover art? So good.)
Enjoyment (9/10):
I just loved the characters so much that I read this all in one sitting. It was very enjoyable, short, yet left a good impression.
Overall (9/10):
I recommend this to anyone looking for a realistic, maybe a little cliche but nevertheless adorable, romance. If you're not into yaoi, I still recommend it because it's that good. Don't be turned off by that. I also recommend the sequel, Harukaze no Etranger, because it goes into great detail when dealing with unconventional topics.
I hope this review was helpful. If you have problems with my review, I appreciate any constructive criticisms as I haven't written a lot of reviews.
Thanks!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 29, 2015
This is a romance, but don't expect a happy fairy tale ending. What I love about this movie is how real the romance is. Things don't always work out. The main character learned that he couldn't keep holding on to the past because it was ruining his life, but he learned to move on and focus on the future.
The backgrounds are absolutely stunning in this movie. They look almost real while still looking animated. While the character designs are kind of ordinary and the animation of the characters is not always amazing, I still gave the overall art a 10 out of 10. Although the
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backgrounds stand out far more than the characters, the lack of detail to the characters allows the characters to be more real and relatable. Like, these characters could represent any real person. That's what I love about this anime. It's a very real representation of real people and relationships, while still having a fantasy aura about it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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