▪	RELEASED BY:		801 MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		SANAE ROYUKA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		200
		▪	RATING:		18+
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		01/29/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/27/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

The King of Debt is an erotic yaoi anthology that dares to be different, funny, and above all - fun. The author of the upcoming Not For Sale and Red, comes a series of romantic tales that combine strong comedy with seduction. Whether it’s a mooch who is secretly a tycoon, a temperamental boxer with a tough coach, a crush revisited, or a very special stuffed bear, each tale has humor, romance, and handsome men succumbing to unrelenting desires.

The first story involves a young man who can never say no to his pan-handling buddy. But when fortune turns and the young man finds himself down on his luck, his constantly indebted friend decides it’s time to pay him back – with very personal interest! Next an aspiring boxer is determined to make it as a pro. His coach, young and appealing, puts him through quite the workout. Later in the manga, one man rediscovers how a painful rejection during his adolescence might turn out to be true love in the present. Then the top host at an all-male club has his hands full with a trouble making newcomer who wants his spot, or maybe simply wants him.

Each of the stories has its share of romantic intrigue and erotic imagery. But the stand out for sheer uniqueness has to go to the story about the stuffed bear. A boy abandoned by his brother and left with only a stuffed toy, the bear, matures a little over time but he can’t seem to let go of the last heirloom his brother left him. Lonely, things take a fantastical turn for the maturing lad when the bear comes to life as a ruggedly handsome man who knows all of the young man’s secrets…and desires. Both sexually charged and funny, the story will keep you wondering until the very end.  The entire manga anthology wraps up with a bonus extra that shows the various characters of the tales converging together at a special bar.

The art style has an immediately noteworthy attraction. Highly appealing men, sensual and very heated moments, and lovely design variety make this manga an attractive illustrative collection. It manages to avoid the pitfalls that can befall anthologies by ensuring that the men from story to story each have their own individual appeal. Sadly too often anthologies run the risk of the men looking the same from tale to tale, not so here.

Manga extras include a full color cover page, dust jacket, and latest 801-Chan comic strip on the inside flap of the back cover.

IN SUMMARY:
The King of Debt is an attractive romantic comedy collection that is marked by an appealing illustrative style, robust humor, and unique yaoi stories.