Gakuen Heaven - Nakajimaby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 5 Keita is trying to be worthy of his school where only the hottest and best get in. He's dating the student council vice-president, Nakajima, with very intense, often rough, sex. While he's dealing with Nakajima's forceful affections, something suspicious is going on around the student council. Will he trust their love or fall prey to an old corruption?The first page will either hook you or leave you wondering what you're getting into as it's a passionate sex scene. The sex in this yaoi is very forceful but also very intimate - it's made clear that they care for each other, but they like it rough. There is an attempted rape by another guy which more or less fits with the story. What bothers me about it is it points out just how helpless and frail Keita is - cornered and unable to fight back. It's rather weak and pathetic, and I would have liked for him to have a little more spine and strength. Basically the story revolves around four people, with a few other interactions that help keep parts moving, and centers on a very specific issue with the student council and an old grudge. There's no real depth to the overall story. However, the characters do get nicely fleshed out. We learn backgrounds for Nakajima and "The King" and even a little on our problem-starter. It's just a little one-shot story that works well for what it is. There's no romance, no loving kisses, just some hard sex (not even steamy - it's short, hard, and to-the-point) and enough of a story to hold character relations and give us something to read. The art is very nice though. Nakajima and "The King" are espectially hot. Keita's not overly girly, but he does have the small stature (compared to these tall, broad-shouldered bishounen) and big eyes. And our resident bad-guy is fair-haired and handsome but not sultry (for those that like that look). One thing that bothers me is the quality of the paper. The paper is much thinner than normal, including the cover which gets creased very easily. I could deal with the paper, if it cost less ... but instead it costs more! This normal-sized manga costs $14.99 versus the average $8.99-$9.99 with even average yaoi titles costing a couple dollars less and having higher quality paper. While I love yaoi for many reasons, there is absolutely nothing in this particular story that would even tempt me to pay $14.99 for it. It's good with excellent art, but it's not stellar or overly-memorable. It's worth reading if you can find it in the half-off section, but definitely too limited within itself to justify the price tag. Written: June 1, 2009
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