Spell

Takamasa Natori is dragged unwillingly into a date party by a friend and comes across Junpei Kisugi who has suffered a similar fate. The guys really hit it off, deciding to go for beers somewhere else. The next day, Natori learns that Kisugi has a reputation for "sometimes doing guys too", but as nothing ever happened between the two, Natori feels comfortable enough to continue his friendship with Kisugi. However, slowly, his feelings towards the other guy start to change - manifesting as jealousy for Kisugi's older lover Tooru, until Natori finally confesses his love to Kisugi. But can the promiscuous Kisugi answer Natori's feelings too, or just his physical needs?

Juné has licensed and published several of Hyota Fujiyama's manga in a short period of time and it's easy to understand why. Her characters are easy to relate to, expressive and emotional. In Spell (Superu), Natori is the dark seme: but he's the more inexperienced party, adorable in his clumsiness and confused in feelings. Kisugi is the blond uke, promiscuous and outrageous, yet underneath more sensitive than he first appears to be. There are several relationships in this manga that gives the characters depth: like Natori's relationship between his friend who unwillingly introduces him to Kisugi, or his relationship with a childhood friend who is in love with him, but still continues to support him even though he admits being gay. Even Tooru who is mostly felt and rarely seen, turns out to be perfectly normal and nice guy. And that kind of characterizes this manga - it's very nice and at times moving, and it follows the safe and slightly predictable pattern while still keeping the reader interested.

Fujiyama's art is beautiful - her characters are males on the edge of manhood: semes with broad shoulders, long limbs and manly faces, and ukes only slightly more delicate and still manly, and both parties blush in a most delightful and cute way. The style of art is much more mature than your typical school boy BL - it's not cute or flowery, but semi-realistic in both character design and backgrounds and uses a variety of different sized and shaped panels. It's not ultra-fashionable like Youka Nitta's art, but comfortably normal, wherein lies its real attraction. These people feel like someone you could know. They live in normal houses, go to a normal school, and it gives this manga some charming "boys next door" quality. Sex scenes are, as with always Juné, non-explicit and very tasteful, yet suitably hot for a mature title - and there are few, even though the main focus in this manga is in the relationships and emotions the characters are feeling.

Juné's publication is their standard: good quality translation, occasional honorifics retained and sound effects translated. The main story fills up the whole book, with a short flashback epilogue to Kisugi and Tooru's relationship, and a one page note from the mangaka in the end.

Spell is a lovely BL manga, about the difficulties of loving another person and fear of not being loved back. It's certainly memorable and it feels real, and leaves the reader feeling warm and happy. There are no hugely strong emotions to shake your foundations, but it's not always necessary. If you're already a fan of Fujiyama's work this manga is a must, and if you're not it's a good starting title to this talented mangaka's work.