Reviewed by Ayako Honda
To be honest, the plot of New York, New York may be a typical American gay story. It illustrates the lives of two gay men, Kain Walker and Mel Frederics, in New York City, focusing on the process of how they become each other's om fatale.
Kain Walker is a policeman in the New York City Police, working at Queens. He is a gay, but he is afraid to expose this sexual preference to the surrounding. For this, he rents apartment in Brooklyn and goes all way down to Manhattan to find an one-night lover. But, this stressful lifestyle changes on the day he meets Mel. Mel is a gentle and beautiful young man who is a "Walking Ideal" according to Kain. Kain and Mel quickly fall in love with each other, eventually come to live together.
I know this plot sounds ordinary and boring. However, New York, New York's attractiveness comes from its realism. Many of boy's love or yaoi mangas ignores reality. For some, it may be necessary to stay away from reality in order to depict what the mangas really want to say. However, the excessive escape from reality makes me feel like if I am reading some ordinary romance where girls are just switched to some girlish boys. On other hand, New York, New York makes me to face the reality, realize the prejudices regarding homosexuality prevailing in the society.
Another recommended point of this manga is its tenderness. The gentle, feathery atmosphere fills the scenes, making one feel warm. So, if you are mentally tired, this may ease your stress.
P.S. If you are really stuck, and cannot understand the story, you might try reading the front cover. A brief synopsis to the "Episode I" is printed on there:)