A Foreign Love Affair

A Foreign Love Affair by Ayano Yamane, widely known by its Japanese title Ikoku Irokoi Romantan, stands apart as one of those BL manga titles that nearly every fan knows, and one which many yaoi readers already loved long before it was translated into English. Luckily for us, and luckily for A Foreign Love Affair, this title was licensed by 801 Media, a company who, despite having the highest price point in the current BL manga market, has earned widespread admiration among the yaoi fan base for their excellent presentation and quality in publishing. The English version of A Foreign Love Affair succeeds mostly on its own merits, but is wonderfully enhanced by a high-quality, respectful treatment from its English publisher.

The story of this new classic of the yaoi genre follows the bratty, beautiful Ranmaru Ohmi, heir to the Ohmi Yakuza clan of Japan, on his wedding cruise to Italy. His bride, Kaoru, is no happier to be marrying Ranmaru than Ranmaru is happy to be marrying her. In fact, the two can't stand each other, and Kaoru throws Ranmaru out of their honeymoon suite on their wedding night. In sweeps Alberto Valentiano, the blond, built, sexy Italian with an insatiable love for anything Japanese -- including Ranmaru, who insists on wearing a traditional Kimono and fundoshi (Japanese wrapped undergarments) at all times. It's love at first sight for Al, but the "wedding night" that Ranmaru spends in Al's cabin is definitely not the way Ranmaru expected to be spending his honeymoon!

Ranmaru is a fish out of water once the cruise ship docks in Sicily, falling into one bad situation after another with a combination of poor judgment and stubbornness. Cultural and language barriers make him stand out, but Ranmaru refuses to bend or change himself, and that pride is what draws Al to his rescue again and again. While it's a bit frustrating to see such a strong, spirited uke character fall into the clutches of evil men over and over, Ranmaru is never more attractive than when he's disheveled and rumpled with his kimono askew and his masculine pride flaring. Al's contrasting trim, smooth, consistently put-together appearance lends him an air of elegant strength, and the kind of sophisticated passion that breaks down Ranmaru's stubborn emotional walls. The relationship between the two is far from believable, nor is it entirely equal, but each man retains his masculine character. Nary a simpering tear is to be seen in the entire book, and every tender touch from Al is met by a slap and a stomp from Ranmaru objecting to being treated like a woman for even a moment.

The tense but truthful relationship between Ranmaru and Al would not be nearly as engrossing without the skilled and beautiful art of mangaka Ayano Yamane. Yamane-sensei excels both at close details, such as the nearly obscene care over her depiction of Ranmaru's fundoshi, and at setting the overall mood for a page or a frame with the use of toning, facial expressions and body positions. Each heady sex scene is rendered in loving detail, especially, it seems, Ranmaru's bottom, for which Al has a fondness that would seem to border on obsession.

A Foreign Love Affair also contains a bonus two-part story not related to the main story, called "A Love Guide," in which a young employee at a matchmaking service catches the eye of a handsome professor who is unlucky in love. While sweet and adorable, "A Love Guide" can't hold a candle to "A Foreign Love Affar," especially not when comparing Ranmaru's brash attitude to the sniffly uncertainty of the uke character in "A Love Guide." The second story is more akin to a fluffy dessert after the satisfying main course -- it's nice to have, but it's not the part of the meal you'll remember.

As with all of their releases, 801 Media produces a high-quality book with the smooth paper and clear printing that presents Ayano Yamane's beautiful artwork in the best possible light. The front color page shows Takaoka and Serizawa from "A Love Guide," which is too bad, as another sexy illustration of Al and Ranmaru might have been more interesting, but it hardly detracts from the overall quality of the book. A Foreign Love Affar has proven itself as one of the new classics of the BL manga genre for its unforgettable characters and steamy artwork, and the quality presentation of the English version ensures the book's popularity for a long time to come.