The Crimson Spell

Webmaster note: The first printing of The Crimson Spell did translate the main character's name as "Bald," since the character's full name is "Baldrigr." It was changed to "Vald" for later print runs since English-speaking audiences expect "bald" to mean "without hair." Thanks to UnseeliePhaerie for this information.

The world of boys' love manga is populated mostly by naughty schoolboys and cute salarymen, but all too rarely by true heroes and supernatural beings. While stories of fantasy, swords and sorcery may not be popular in Japan, English-speaking manga and anime fans often have their roots in a love of fantasy or science fiction, and often search in vain for boys' love stories that go beyond modern, everyday reality. The Crimson Spell sates that craving with the sexy beauty we seek in our boys' love, and the magical escapism that we look for in our fantasy.

Our brave and dashing hero is Prince Baldrigr, known to his loving subjects as Prince Bald -- a somewhat unfortunate English nickname for a prince whose name is based on Icelandic names, but the translation was made at the request of creator Ayano Yamane, so it could hardly be more authentic. Prince Bald, in an effort to save his kingdom from attacking hordes of demons, unlocks the legendary crimson sword, which afflicts the prince with a curse in exchange for its power. To break the curse, Bald must seek out the sorcerer Halvir, who turns out to be a cool, temperamental, long-haired beauty of a man, living in seclusion at the base of a mountain. Halvir agrees to help Bald, and soon learns the true nature of the prince's curse: when the night falls, Bald turns into a passionate, violent demon himself.

Halvir is able to bind Bald's sexy demon form, and decides to release some of the demon's aggression, of course, by having sex with him. The demon is bound, but ultimately not unwilling, although if you must have absolute consent from both partners in your yaoi manga, this might cause you some problems. Bald's daytime human form has no idea what Halvir and his demon side are getting up to on their journey to break Bald's curse. The pair are joined by the adorable Rulca, a bunny-demon who can transform into a cute human shape, and eventually discover Halvir's equally beautiful, equally long-haired teacher in magic, Halceles. The full nature of Bald's curse is gradually revealed, and as Halvir "gives release" to Bald's demon, the two of them gradually grow closer both at night and during the day.

The Crimson Spell is a true fantasy epic, weaving all of the magical battles, ancient curses, swordfights and flashbacks to the past that make up the best sword-and-sorcery stories. Ayano Yamane's beautifully detailed artwork creates a rich fantasy world full of not only strange beasts and magic, but unearthly beautiful men. Yamane-sensei draws unlike any other yaoi mangaka, deep with details and patterns that weave a world of cultures that feels real despite the magic and strange beasts, which is what ultimately makes great fantasy.

Kitty Media worked closely with Ayano Yamane during the translation and publication of The Crimson Spell, and according to Kitty representatives, Yamane-sensei was well pleased with the result. It's easy to see why: The Crimson Spell boasts a beautiful cover that echoes the original Japanese volume, a lovely full-color title page, and paper that feels finer and of higher quality than most of Kitty's releases. The beautiful production seems deserving of the excellent story and lovely artwork. If only all of Kitty's releases were this nicely-done! Unfortunately, however, one hallmark of Kitty's yaoi manga remains: artwork and speech bubbles are cut off on the edges of several pages, obscuring a portion of the dialogue. The problem is noticeable and distracting enough to detract slightly from the overall quality of the manga.

Kitty's gorgeous first volume of The Crimson Spell shows what wonderful quality can be produced when care and attention are taken with a volume of manga. The close association with Yamane-sensei through the production process is obvious with each turn of the page. The Crimson Spell will ensorcel you with its elaborate detail and high fantasy -- the perfect yaoi story for fans of fancy and fairy tales.