▪	RELEASED BY:		DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		TATSUMI KAIYA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		198
		▪	RATING:		M
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		01/29/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/24/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		RACHEL BENTHAM

Guy meets guy and sparks fly but all is not well with these two lovebirds. It’s up and down and all around in the slice of life story Party. Most yaoi manga have the big love confession happen as part of the climax to the story. Not in Party. It happens at the start. Mamoru and Natsu get together just like that, a snap of the fingers, but the tale’s only beginning for these two!

A big reason for the drama is Mamoru. He is one seriously wound up guy. He frets over everything and anything! Holy drama queen! He worries about how Natsu really feels. He worries about the reactions of his friends who are prominent in this manga. He worries over any itty bitty thing and overreacts like mad. When Natsu’s childhood buddy Kei shows up then the sheep really hit the fan! Mamoru is convinced Natsu is into Kei (in every sense). Mamoru and Natsu live together, Natsu tells him he loves crazy and neurotic Mamoru, but is that enough for Mr. Neurotic? No! He’s proof that a person can be their own worst enemy. Sometimes funny, often soap opera, generally fun, that’s this manga. As an extra, Party has a bonus story that shows who Kei is into and the story follows up on the lovebirds.

The art is fun. Simplistic and expected in any typical yaoi. It’s a little different in character design and look. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I think it’s the combination of a more prominent use of blackened areas and clean lines. It made me think a little bit of Fumi Yoshinaga and her style. They’re definitely different but there’s some special quality that’s similar.

IN SUMMARY:
Proof that love needs help, at least a little bit of sanity as two guys get together and one guy’s constant neurotic behavior threatens to throw them apart. Party is fun, it’s soap opera, it’s quintessential yaoi.