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Yokai's Hunger

Review

Yokai's Hunger

 

High schooler Norito Ogami has a birthmark on his chest and the distressing tendency to attract demons who then attack the people around him. He tries to avoid all contact with others, but a strange older man who says he is a reincarnated tengu starts following him around, Norito finds it hard to put Koma out of his life. Soon the man—and his strange siblings—have wormed their way into Norita’s life, apartment, and even bed, but a dangerous force is hunting for them, and if he finds them, then Koma’s days are numbered.

Despite being an online yaoi fan favorite, Naono has only made it to the States in a legally licensed manner via this volume, which is not the best representation of her strength as a creator, though it is still enjoyable enough for yaoi fans desperate for her work. Her plot is unique, but it does begin to break down by the end, falling under the weight of a lot of characters and an unwieldy amount of backstory. That said, Norito and Koma’s story is still funny, smutty, and full of interesting characters. Norito is a typical Bohra younger seme. He has a dark past, a gruff demeanor, and a heightened sense of duty. Koma is his match--a cheerful, older uke who wants only to make Norito happy. While their romance is a little rushed in development, it is still a sweet relationship and their affection for each other does shine through. Koma has enough handsome brothers for Bohra fans to hope for a sequel, but this review can’t say much more about them without spoiling the surprises of their appearance within the story. Akakagachi is likely to be a favorite as his oblivious, snakey personality adds a great shot of humor to the story.
 
Naono’s art is a treat. She draws some of the most beautiful men in yaoi. Their bodies are lean and muscular and their faces are classically gorgeous, unique from one character to the next, and quick to show emotion. All of this plus some of the cutest chibis and hottest sex scenes in all of yaoi. Naono knows how to draw dark fantasy, adding blood, danger, and angst at just the right moments, and she has a gift for making her characters pose just so without it looking like they are posing just so. Media Blasters/Kitty Media has done a nice job of putting this together, careful not to muddy the black and white images, though their usual small book size makes the font rather small and difficult to read sometimes. Hopefully this is the first of many, many, many Naono titles that will be licensed in the United States. She’s a talented artist and writer and her work deserves all the acclaim it can get. Even if this isn’t the best of her best, it is still a good deal above many creators. Definitely one for yaoi fans to look for.

Reviewed by Snow Wildsmith on May 12, 2009

Yokai's Hunger
by Bohra Naono

  • Publication Date: May 12, 2009
  • Genres: Graphic Novel
  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Media Blasters
  • ISBN-10: 1598833979
  • ISBN-13: 9781598833973