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Monday, 02 April 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | KITY MEDIA | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | YAYOI NEKO | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT / BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 264 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | 18+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/07/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/03/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Judas is a man with a unique soul, one the denizens of the underworld will stop at nothing to obtain. At his side, the dangerous incubus Lenniel guards Judas, body and soul. However, with Judas’ memories missing of his time five years ago with Lenniel as his lover, the vampire is having a difficult time trying to seduce Judas all over again. When Judas discovers a terrible secret about Lenniel, all hopes of Lenniel to reclaim Judas’ love may have been dashed in flames of hatred and suspicion. The latest fight to save Judas in this latest volume sees both men survive but deeply wounded. During their time recuperating and healing, emotional wounds deep within Judas are laid bare. Lenniel’s need for Judas’ love is unquenchable. Can the human get over his wounded heart in order to save the incubus that haunts his dreams?
Incubus is an intriguing and often off beat yaoi manga series. Judas with his special soul and no memory of his past except for his tragic childhood makes for a person at odds with not only the world, but himself. The story is set in modern day where violence occurs as Lilin (the term in the series for the type of demon Lenniel is) battles with sword in hand and supernatural powers against the deadly Ifrit sent to claim Judas’ soul. Although there are supernatural battles involving demons of different kinds, the horror aspects are mild and the story remains more focused on the relationship between Lenniel and Judas.
Towards the end of this volume, Lenniel’s sister arrives to either put another roadblock in their relationship or to help. She’s in love with her brother (Lenny) therefore things are more problematic than ever. During her stay, the secret Lenniel is hiding from Judas is about to be uncovered and it looks like it will end their relationship once and for all. This is a cliffhanger ending because the reader isn’t given the secret yet, only the moment when it’s about to be revealed.
The story telling is unusual for yaoi and manga in general in the amount of talking that is present. It is a very introspective piece and the off-beat comedy in the manga shows itself when Judas has an argument in his head with his Rational aspect and his Impulse aspect. This is a psychological piece with a lot of talking as Judas tries to make sense of his rational thoughts and his impulses towards Len.
The artwork sports a more block style than most yaoi series. The men are well muscled, broad shouldered and strongly masculine in design which is a bit unusual for yaoi where a tall and slender, even effeminate, look to the men is more commonly seen. In Incubus the men are manly and the many love scenes are erotic and intense
IN SUMMARY:
Incubus is a yaoi story with a quirky side about a human with a special soul and the sexy vampire that protects him from demons of all kinds. |
