Shonen-ai

Ratings' Key:
***** - Excellent. This is the cream of the crop and is well worth buying.
**** - Good. These titles have good story lines and solid characters. They are worth buying or renting.
*** - Fair. These are worth seeing, but you may want to just rent or borrow them.
** - Poor. Only watch or read if you're extremely bored or it's free.
* - Bad. So bad I couldn't finish it.

 

***- Song of the Wind and Trees by Takemiya Keiko
Format: Anime Movie
Genre: Drama (Shonen-ai)
Fansubbed By: The Techno Girls
Plot: The story of a young boy growing up at an all-boys school. He falls in love with his roommate, the tragic abused school prostitute. The anime is just part of a manga series which was the first to depict love between two boys.
High Points: This is definitely high romance. It doesn't get more romantic than this in tone and spirit. It has a beautiful setting and some haunting imagery. It also includes a few characters that provide some desperately needed comic relief.
Low Points: It's almost too sad, in a pathetic way. You just want to take the characters by the shoulders and give 'em a good shake. The boys look like they're about 12, which is pretty disturbing. A lot of things are left unanswered by the anime, making it pretty confusing.


*****- Zetsuai 1989 by Ozaki Minami
Format: Anime OAV
Genre: Drama (Shonen-ai)
Fansubbed By: The Techno Girls
Plot: Wiser-than-his-years idol star Nanjo Koji wrestles with his love for gruff soccer prodigy Izumi Takuto.
High Points: The word that best describes this anime: SEXY. I love the angst in this anime. There is so much tension between the two you can literally feel it. Both Koji and Takuto are very sexy and handsome. They both have to wrestle with their personal demons, which makes for a very interesting plot. Everyone is flawed in this anime, and that makes it all the better. I love the art style and the music (and lack of, in crucial moments) is perfect for the dark mood of this anime.
Low Points: The bodies are a little bit out of proportion, being very skinny and having very long legs. Sometimes the angst is a little too over the top.

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