Jazz

I also have to disagree with the first reviewer's negative opinion of Jazz.

The manga depicts the taboo doctor-patient relationship between a teenage asthma patient, Naoki, and his doctor, Dr. Narusawa. When Naoki suffers from a sudden asthma attack in his senior year, he is sent to see Dr. Narusawa. Naoki immediately begins to fall for the doctor's kind and gentle grace, and it isn't long before he begins to pursue the handsome, young doctor. The manga spans four volumes in which Naoki fervently chases 'Doc' while Narusawa struggles to determine his own feelings for a patient who's years his junior.

Finally a serious manga chock full of angst! This is certainly one of my favourite series which I have read over and over again. I understand how many readers may be turned off by the prospect of rape, but it honestly works with the context. This manga definitely captures romance in all its heart-wrenching pits and falls; it is not light and is not meant for readers searching for a quick, sexy read. The theme lies in the action versus inaction of the duo: Naoki represents youth, vigor, and the strength to reach for anything he desires while Narusawa, on the other hand, represents coolness, uncertainty, and the confines of society. Naoki is so passionately in love with the doctor that he is blind to what Narusawa sees as plain as day: the difference in age and the disapproving nature of their relationship.

It is not black-and-white like most mangas. Naoki may come across as dominating and possessive with Narusawa as weak and submissive, and there are scenes when Naoki forces the doctor into sex, but, in essence, the manga portrays the complications of someone desperately in love with someone who can't deal with their relationship.

The art is certainly beautiful and the men gorgeous, masculine, and sexy. It is quite a refreshing change from yaoi mangas where the characters are drawn as skinny and lanky. As mentioned above, this manga is not light and cheery but angsty and dramatic, so it may not be to your taste if you're in the mood for some hot, plotless smut.