Birth

Author: SHIOTA Maki
Imprint: Vari (Gust Comic)
Publisher: Outou Shoubo
ISBN: 4-7567-0524-3

Reviewed by Jeanne Johnson

Angst is ok, weird people doing weird things is ok, Rika and Minami Ozaki are ok, but occasionally one wants some sunshine in the yaoi world. Sunshine comes in the form of these shorts by Shiota Maki which I assume ran in Gust originally, judging by the imprint. Reijin for nastiness, Gust for sunshine. Shiota sets her stories all over the map. There are highschool kids and guys in robes, modern office workers and beings with wings-- something for everyone. What they all have in common is being in love in a romantic universe where love is the most important thing there is and love conquers all. Her shota is sweet and her quarrelling lovers eventually resolve their problems.

Even better for me is the way these stories recall the dj universe where m/m is so normal as not to merit comment. It may be the fall-out from being a westerner, but I have a tendency to read pro yaoi as happening in a universe that's narrow by definition. In the lovers' world this is all ok but you can't be out at the office etc etc. Shiota posits a world where m/m is as normal and accepted as m/f and elicits the same kind of response from schoolmates, friends and- yes indeedy- family. Take the story Junior, for instance. Hero has always been in love with his friend next door. Real world enters-- friend next door is two years older, making him senpai when the two get to high school, making it impossible for the two to hang around together socially. Real world departs-- hero's senpai in class yells at him to stop looking so down in the mouth about his lovelife. 'Just put the moves on him, for chrissake.' Hero does. Senpai tells him to get lost and never come back. Real world never comes back-- Senpai confides in a friend on the soccer team and gets told, 'Couldn't you tell how he feels? You gotta make up your mind now. Are you gonna be homos or are you going to be just friends?' Hero's mother asks him to take a neighbourhood ankeeto next door. Hero shilly-shallies about having to see senpai again. Mom yells at him. 'Since when did I raise you to be so wishy-washy? I don't know what's gone wrong with you and him, but is that all your 'love' amounts to?' 'No!!' hero yells back at her, 'I really love him!' 'In that case,' his mother says, handing him the clipboard, 'take this over and make up with him.' Hero meets senpai coming out of his house to make it up with him. Happy ending in this best of all possible worlds