▪	RELEASED BY:		DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		JUJI FUSA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		178
		▪	RATING:		MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		08/26/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		08/07/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Kohei is a teacher who adores his sister and despises his brother-in-law whom he regards as more of a rival than a new family member. But loss and grief follow and grief stricken over the death of his treasured and beloved sister, Kohei drifts. His only anchor appears to be the young man he detested. Both close in age and sharing similar pain, a night of too much drinking leads to perhaps too much honesty when one man confesses his feelings for the other. Torn by guilt and shame, Kohei is mired in confusion trying to sort out just how he feels about Shingo. To stay numb and safe or to risk it all on a forbidden love tears at Kohei and Shingo alike, throwing their newly formed bonds into turmoil.  When a third party enters the picture, it only creates more confusion and chaos for the two struggling men. Can love survive under so much angst?

Angst driven indeed is this manga.  It sets a somber tone right from the start. Both men struggle and although the story is seen through Kohei’s eyes, it is easy through the writing and imagery conveyed to feel sympathy for both men. For those reasons the story was very emotionally involving.  It is definitely a page turner.

The artwork proved curious. It is very similar to high standard yaoi manga but with slight differences in style that make it stand out. The eyes are rounder, larger, making the faces different in their expressiveness. During a couple of the more intense scenes between Kohei and Shingo, Shingo’s aggressive approach visually appears surprisingly menacing in a couple of frames.  There are some explicit scenes with some graphic content as these two young men fight to realize their feelings and fight to reach the other man so close yet so far away.

IN SUMMARY:
Sweet Regard is a dramatic romance amidst a lot of emotional turmoil that will prove a page turner for yaoi fans who prefer angst driven tales of romance under adversity.