bev3203's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence
leeluvssquids's review
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I liked it as a romance with little plot. There is a very light plot about the guy's life always being at risk. Mostly, she is in love with him, but very nervous around him. It's cute. It moves a little fast, but it was a good late night read. If you're in the mood for romance that is made to cater to women's rich man fantasies, like I was, it's a very good choice for manga.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Gun violence, and Drug use
thenerdybookwitch's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I’m okay with this so far! I do not ever judge on the first volume of a series so I can’t say much about this right now but it is decent. The love at first sight is not something I like but I like these characters so my interest is peaked. Cannot wait to see how the series turns out!
Content Warnings not available -
Nudity
Content Warnings not available -
Nudity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use and Cursing
Minor: Alcohol and Sexual harassment
birdy's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail
divineblkpearl's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Yakuza Lover is a fresh breath of air in the crop of shojo romances when you have a taste for more Josei manga content. And it does NOT disappoint-- it is STEAMY, STEAMY, STEAMY smutty goodness! Outspoken and fiesty college student Yuri has a fateful meeting with striking Toshiomi Oya, the underboss of a yakuza syndicate once night when he saves her at a party. Their meeting that night by chance leads them to meet once more and a love affair starts!
I think what grabs me the most is the handling of the tropes: bad boy meets girl” the mafia/yakuza man falls in love with an ordinary girl--certainly a hit or miss read for those who don’t care for those tropes or stories that employ them. What was refreshing was the push for consent in the narrative--Oya never pushes Yuri to do nothing she doesn't want to. It is refreshing to see her be assertive and take the reigns on what happens regarding their bedroom activities. There's a really superb scene near the end of the book between the two that is really illustrative of the mangaka's purposeful placing of Yuri on the page. Yuri's desires, her agency, the dynamic of being the only one who can see certain vulnerable faces and pieces of Oya and the power she gets from it. WHEW. That scene alone connects some much of the narrative tissue and holds together a pretty winning first volume.
Yuri isn’t a plain jane type of girl who is a timid wall flower. Oya isn’t a muscled brute of a man who deals in illegal backroom activities who doesn’t have much emotional intelligence. It is too early to truly say that they step out of their roles that we see them in now as they are still developing as characters but I can say first volume in: it is headed in a good direction.
The art is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I really became captivated by some of the scenes like the two lovers in a hotel in each other arms near a window with fireworks (not so subtly) signifying the climax of their passion. I loved all the chibi Yuri illustrations of her raging out throughout the book.
You want a delicious romance yakuza flavored for the manga reading grownups in the room? You may want to pick this one up. This first volume isn’t perfect, there’s a handful of pages with pieces of dialogue that tickled me as corny and made me laugh unintentionally. Some readers may think that the relationship has progressed two far too soon (towards the middle, Yuri mentions that she’s seen him once in two months due to his busy schedule)--yet I have to say that this first volume is a fast paced, heart pounding smutty volume of Josei genred manga that I loved reading. How often do we get Josei manga licensed and printed? This was a good move on Viz’s end (through the shojo beat imprint) who seem to be better known for their shonen titles.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Gun violence
a_libra_library's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Blood and Gun violence
More...