Hate to Love You

Floating cherry blossom petals, sparkling pink letters, and two limpid-eyed pretty boys adorn the cover of Hate to Love You, the first yaoi manga ever published by Yellow's Makoto Tateno, and the first BL volume published by Deux Press. All the watercolor pinkness of the cover is a good indication of what you will find when you open the book: despite its 18+ rating, Hate to Love You is a softer, less explicit tale of rival boys finding love and passion despite their families' differences. The "Romeo and Romeo" angle is a nice twist on the typical schoolboy romance, but as Hate to Love You was originally published in 1997, it's full of typical BL elements that seem over-used when compared to more recent manga. While this volume was probably a wonderful book in its time, in 2007 it just looks like a pale stereotype.

The "Romeo and Romeo" of this tale are Masaya Konoe and Yuma Kazuki, the heirs of powerful rival family companies. Their families have lived on adjoining estates all their lives, separated by only a stream. In their childhood, the boys played together despite the family rivalry, but over the years a rift has grown between them. Could it be love? Of course it is. Masaya fills the well-known role of the small, emotionally honest but reluctant "Juliet" to Yuma's stylish, cool but reserved "Romeo." These same character types have appeared in so many BL manga by now that the characters seem a little flat, relying too much on standard types. Even Masaya's internal thoughts are predictable. Again, in 1997 these types might not have been so overused, but now, the reader can guess at the character's reaction to any situation. Makoto Tateno's wispy, indistinct, yet very pretty art style employs the maximum number of bubbles, flowers and sakura petals per frame, floating through Masaya's inner monologues, memories and sparkly visions of Yuma. Once Masaya and Yuma finally plod their way into a kiss, the steamier scenes become so fuzzy and indistinct that you can barely tell what's happening, and certainly don't get to see anything interesting for all the bubbles and petals filling the frames.

However, all hope for Hate to Love You is not lost, as two important elements save the story from becoming the genesis of all yaoi clichés. First is that rarity in BL manga, a strong and likable female character named Akiko, who was the boys' playmate in childhood. Even though Akiko mainly appears as a plot device so Masaya and Yuma can confess their feelings to each other, she is a realistic character in her own right, and stands up for her own decisions. Her exit from the main story had me cheering her on, and part of me was left wishing for another manga volume to tell her story. Happily, Akiko appears again briefly, later in the manga, during the second saving grace of the story. The last chapter of the Yuma/Masaya story shows the characters a little bit older, wrapping up the last little threat to their relationship, the last little angst before their "happily ever after." This chapter feels more heartfelt and real, leaving the reader with a final smile and the knowledge that Masaya and Yuma will be all right after all.

In stark contrast to the bubbles and flowers of "Hate to Love You," the last short story titled "You Can't Call It Love" shows the borderline-creepy obsession a young man develops while watching, and eventually stalking, a neighborhood ladies' man. It's a strange and somewhat disturbing story, certainly not fitting with the atmosphere of the rest of the book.

As the first publication from Deux Press, the BL imprint of Aurora Publishing, which is in turn the English subsidiary of the Japanese publisher Ozora, Hate to Love You declares the standard of Deux's production quality. The first thing to say about this book is that it's quite heavy, much more so than similarly-sized volumes from other publishers. The higher-quality paper seems to be bound with very thick glue, accounting for the extra weight. Each cover has a fold crease imprinted into it so the book can be bent without breaking the binding. Aside from that, however, the only notable thing about the production is that Deux handles sound effects very well, by printing the English translation right beside the original Japanese characters in a way that doesn't disturb the artwork or the flow of the panels. Careful treatment like that is always nice to see, and being able to read the sound effects certainly enhances enjoyment of the story.

For all its flowery pinkness and storytelling devices that have become all too standard over the years, Hate to Love You is a pleasant, if unremarkable, volume of BL manga. Pretty schoolboys will always have a devoted audience, and Makoto Tateno's art is beautiful even after ten years, but for a first release, Deux might have picked something more relevant to current yaoi readers.