 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | KATSURA IZUMI | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | ENGLISH / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 220 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | M | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 07/08/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/28/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | RACHEL BENTHAM |
It’s the final volume and it’s time for fan service and side stories to round off the romances in The Guilty, lest Toya get finished off first! The Guilty has been an amusing series of yaoi erotica. Toya and Hodaka make such a crazy and shockingly immature pair of lovers. For two such accomplished professionals, you’d think these grown ups would act more like adults. Not with these two! Each tiny misunderstanding gets blown out of proportion and leads to a series of whining from Toya, sulking from the both of them, and childish behaviour from the two. The first short story in the novel is an epilogue that shows the couple blissfully happy and still up to their mildly yet very explicitly written dominance and submission bed sports. The second story “Felony” is set only 6 months into their relationship, bridging the characters arc between the novels Original Sin and Redemption. It shows the role jealousy played early on in their relationship when Toya is rebuffed by Hodaka’s cold and arrogant manner and spends more time with Amano, much to Hodaka’s intense dislike. It threatens to tear the couple apart and serves as a gateway for Hodaka’s true feelings to emerge. It is quickly followed up by a quick bonus short that shows just how much Hodaka truly cares for Toya yet has trouble actually showing it to the man he loves. In “Forsaken”, Hodaka has finished his third novel in the trilogy but trouble brews in their relationship yet again. It has caused the couple to spend less time together despite Toya having moved closer to Hodaka’s place. Added to the strain is the desire by the company for a fan book, something Hodaka seems against and Toya quickly regrets. When Toya starts to meet the people from Hodaka’s past, the gullible man’s uneasiness grows exponentially until his fears run out of control. He’s jealous of the beautiful women surrounding Hodaka, confused and hurt by Hodaka’s surly manner, and meanwhile there’s Amano, always there to be supportive, and provide plenty of jealousy fodder for Hodaka to take out on helpless Toya. It’s the final novel in the series so you know they’ll wrap everything up into a happy ending somehow. The final story, a very short one, is interesting because it provides the outsider point of view from Makihara. It is curious to see his take on the couple as he watches their relationship evolve. Plus you can expect a few more tantalizing illustrations and a full color cover page to set the mood.
IN SUMMARY:
The final volume of Guilty provides stories, character insights, and more guilty pleasures to enjoy! |
