NightS

Yoneda, author of 2009’s critically acclaimed Doushitemo Furetakunai (No Touching at All), turns in a fully realized novel in the “boys love” genre. It features three stories of male-male romance, each focusing on a different type of relationship that can develop between working man and boss. In the title story, Masato Karashima is hired as a transporter for a local drug lord, who is 10 years older than him. In the second, high school student Kugo acts as a wingman for his friend Nakaya, only to find himself falling for the boy he’s trying to hook Nakaya up with. And in the final, a budding bromance at a car dealership between mechanic and salesman turns into something more—though both have been in straight relationships before. In each tale, the main character is an introvert, and the love interest an enigmatic, straight-backed personality. Yet, the stories are aware of stereotypes and carefully address them with realism that is hard to find in the genre. Grey areas in relationship type are explored through multifaceted characters, and the book handles the flavors of caring and longing with subtlety. Yoneda’s refined art style deftly avoids visual clichés just as the stories do. (Jan.)