Okay, okay! I know some of you guys cringe at this stuff, but just hear me out on this one!

Yes, I do enjoy Yaoi. BUT.....I do not enjoy senseless sex in Yaoi.
I like there to be a good story in books that I read. If there is no plot or character development, I generaly have little to no use for the book.

In Yaoi, Yuri, Shonen-Ai, and Shoujou-Ai manga.....it is quite often that they drop the plot on the floor, throw character development out a 15-story window and get right down to the smutty stuff. Don't get me wrong, I think sex is a wonderful, beautiful thing....but I don't like books that rely on it to carry the show. As of yet, I have not found any Yuri or Shoujou-Ai that I have any use for.....

I have found several titles of interest in the Yaoi/Shonen-Ai department that are beautifuly illustrated and have all the nessicary components of a good story. They are as follows....

In English:

Yellow by Makoto Tateno: 4 books.....
A very good Yaoi about two "snatchers" who's job it is to snatch drugs, money, weapons and various other things for clients either working with the police or not. One is a straight man while the other is clearly gay. Their relationship is quite humorous but their lifestyle is shaken violently when demons from the past come to play.

Canterella by You Higuri: 10 books....?
Takes place during the renaisance period. A fantasy biography of the life of Cesare Borjia. The story is pure fantasy but some events and characters are based in fact.

Gorgeous Carrat by You Higuri: 4 books....
Takes place in the victorian era. Focuses on the relationship between a man from a poor, noble family and a master theif. A very exciting read. The story comes off as comical through the first book but things get serious in book two and continue until the end of the series.

In Japanese:

Tora no Kedomono (Beast of the Tower): # of books.....??
The time setting is relatively unknown but there are hints of the middle ages. A young orphan boy is taken in by a rich nobleman and is cared for well. But when the boy finds that his friend is a warewolf, things get complicated. There is one semi-sexual scene in the first book but it would seem that through ther rest of the series their relationship is more understood than seen...

9th Sleep: Appears to be a oneshot book.....no sequel is known....
Very random book pertaining to angelic and demonic persons but it has been dificult for me to translate.....from what I could get out of it, it has good character development. The main characters begin as strangers (frankly one tries to KILL the other....quite a way to say hello...) but by the middle of the book, they are friends....it seems that the one had a lingering spirit inside of him....(I can't be certain because my Kanji-reading skills are pretty poor....) But if nothing else, the artwork is good. Hey I got it for a dollar! Can't go wrong!

That's all for now! Love you all!

Satsuki