The Judged

From the back cover: Public prosecutor Kyou Sugiura is pursuing an investigation of government corruption involving a young parliamentarian named Tatsuki Toudou. The meeting between the two ambitious young men results in an unintended consequence that neither had been prepared for. In this stand off between the enforcer and the law maker, there is a past that binds them together. And it is the strength or weakness of the past that will determine the outcome of their duel.

There are actually three stories in this dramatic manga, the first two being entwined and related to one another. Only the third story is a stand alone, separate piece. The first two stories make up a little over half of the book and are mainly centered on the two characters Kyou Sugiura and Tatsuki Toudou. When Sugiura is sent with his partner from the public prosecutor's office to investigate the prime suspect in a case of political corruption, he is surprised and unnerved to discover the man is his childhood friend. They had grown up together in a orphanage, enduring abuse at the hands of a 'dirty old man'. Kyou still bears a scar on his face from a time when he defended Tatsuki from being struck with a club by their so-called guardian. But, this memory doesn't change the fact that Kyou left Tatsuki at the age of fourteen when his mother finally came for him. It was as if Kyou were running away to protect himself, while Tatsuki stayed behind to endure. Now that they have found each other after all these years, Tatsuki will do almost anything to get what he wants. He is not above using Kyou's own sister against him. His assistant, Hachiko, will do anything his employer requests, even if those orders are unscrupulous. The relationship between Tatsuki and Kyou falls into the category of love-hate. Kyou is on the side of angels representing the branch of law enforcement, yet his confused feelings have him bending rules and flirting with danger in the arms of Tatsuki. On the other hand, Tatsuki skirts the borders between good and evil, making it difficult to decide if he is truly an enemy or someone whose circumstances and unrequited love for Kyou make his actions all the more understandable.

The second part is a smaller story involving Toudou's assistant and ex-lover as well as Sugiura's partner, but is really a spin-off of the main piece. Hachiko was saved from a life as a male prostitute by Tatsuki, who was the first person to treat Hachiko as a human being. Hachiko worships the ground on which the man walks. But those feelings of love are not returned as Tatsuki only has eyes for Kyou. As a result, Hachiko's possessive jealousy leads him to attempt the unthinkable, and he is arrested. But being in custody is a danger in itself for Hachiko, not only for all the dirty secrets he holds on men of power, but also from the increasing attentions of the public prosecutor Shinoda. Shinoda is Kyou's partner and together they strive to take down powerful men of corruption. He hopes that Hachiko will be the key to this goal. But, with each visit, he finds himself falling deeper and deeper for the incredibly sad, lonely young secretary. Shinoda wants the boy to find happiness. When he discovers that someone has paid the extraordinary bail for Hachiko's release, it can only mean one thing. Will he make it in time to save Hachiko?

The stand alone third story revolves around two young doctors. Matsuda is a ladies man, not someone who's ever been interested in men. But, when he first met the beautiful, aloof Suzaki, he finds himself attracted to the man. After witnessing an unexpected rendesvouz between Suzaki and their Professor, he begins to fall for the other doctor in his attempt to see past that protective cold armor with which Suzaki has surrounded himself. All is not what it seems with the young doctor, from his reasons for submitting to the Professor to his sudden unwillingness to help a mysterious patient that is admitted to the emergency room. And Matsuda finds himself growing more and more desperate to find the real Suzaki behind the masks, to show him what real love is.

I found both the stories and the artwork in this manga to be quite appealing and enjoyable. The shades are darker, effectively representing the serious and gritty undertones of the stories. This is no school boy fluff story that seems to be the books of choice that many publishers are releasing. Rather, the manga has been created for a mature audience that appreciates their characters to look like men and the stories to have more substance. Surprisingly, as intense and sometimes violent as the story might turn, the sexual scenes within the chapters are not that graphic. By not showing all aspects of the act, it brings forth more imagination from the reader, and thus makes it seem more erotic in my opinion. The tension among the characters within the stories is palpable, and Akira Honma does a fine job of expressing those feelings in her drawn characters' faces. One look in the eyes of her men makes it easy to lose yourself in the scene and the emotions being felt.

DramaQueen has done a fine job with this publication for the most part, though there are a few pages within the book that could use a bit more margin such that the binding doesn't have to be practically broken to see the entire panel. I am especially grateful that they take the time to translate sound effects; something that some publishers are not currently doing.

I, for one, recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a yaoi manga with dramatic substance, and characters that are both attractive and masculine.