Brother

Brother by Ougi Yuzuha, the first yaoi release from manga-fan-founded publisher DramaQueen, is a stand-out success in every way. Ougi-sensei's strong story and detailed, beautiful artwork is the centerpiece, and around this, DramaQueen adds a solid translation and quality production to create one of the best yaoi manga releases English fans have seen yet.

The manga tells the story of Asuka, age 22 and the energetic employee of an advertising agency, and Yui, age 17 and Asuka's step-brother. Asuka has a problem: he is still a virgin, and what's worse, he's been impotent for several years... and he blames it on things that happened in the past with Yui. The step-brothers have been separated for two years, but when athletic star Yui returns to Japan, he confronts Asuka about the past and confesses a surprising, devoted and lasting attraction to his older brother. And, miracle of miracles, Asuka's impotence (and his unwilling virginity) is cured!

Asuka and Yui's relationship is sweet and affectionate, and follows their development from their first sexual fumblings through the normal problems couples have, like trying to find enough time to be together and how to have a relationship that's more than just sex. Asuka's adorable tendency toward overreaction is balanced well by Yui's calm, but Yui is strongly passionate and the seme in the relationship. Both characters have lots of personality and are detailed and likable, which pulls the reader into the interesting, natural storyline.

But what really kept me turning the page was the detailed and very explicit art. Ougi-sensei draws beautiful male bodies with just the right amount of detail. Her men are nicely muscled and well-built with pretty, expressive faces. Best of all, for me, were the totally uncensored and very hot sex scenes! Ougi-sensei draws male genitals up close and realistic, with none of the "glowing cones" or other censoring that is common practice in Japan. Body language, facial expressions and details of interaction make the sex scenes between passionate Yui and tender Asuka especially steamy. This manga earns its "18+" rating over and over again!

As if a great story and sexy art weren't enough, it's the details that make Brother stand out from the competition. The book is wrapped in a sturdy dust jacket with a great color picture of the main characters, and the dust jacket doesn't slide off easily, either. There is a pretty color drawing of the boys at the start of the book, and a really cute Free Talk section in the back, where the author tries to explain her fascination with "Boys Love Erotica And Me." It includes some bonus drawings of Asuka so be sure not to skip it!

This is the kind of book that makes you happy to be a yaoi fan: sexy characters, steamy art, a great story and a relationship that makes you smile. DramaQueen's first release truly shines.