Little Butterfly

Something draws the cute Kojima to dark-haired loner Nakahara, something he cannot pin down. Maybe it is curiosity about this enigmatic boy, or maybe just a tingling uke equivalent of spider-sense. For whatever reason Kojima is drawn to the dark haired young man and attempts to talk or make friends at every opportunity. Slowly he beats down Nakahara's defences until the troubled boy finally opens up, and a beautiful (if outwardly utterly mismatched) relationship unfolds.

I'm pretty sure this has to be one of my favourite mangas ever, so you'll have to excuse me if I gush. It really does have those kinds of beautiful romantic moments that make your heart flip a little. Some people hold up Only The Ring Finger Knows as the sweetest highschool romance in BLdom (not that I remotely agree, I think it's dull as anything), but here stands my challenger, Little Butterfly. This story doesn't intend the set the world on fire with wild innovation, it's an old idea done with talent, flare and originality, and for that I salute it.

Little Butterfly begins with a simple premise; two very unlikely boys becoming friends and falling in love. One has a very troubled home life and this provides most of the angst over the course of the plot. The story is very well constructed, with the timings of certain events nicely placed for maximum emotional impact. Nakahara and Kojima themselves are fully realised as characters, engaging, and so very real in their personalities and interaction. I know people just like them in fact. Kojima's blinding yet honest naivety is especially endearing and leads to some of the manga's sweetest moments. I really can't praise this manga enough for its consistent characterisation and story-telling.

The artwork too feels full of life, and is wonderfully versatile. Utterly beautiful and wonderfully composed where it needs to be, it flits quite often between real and imaginary scenes in order to compliment the writing. In one memorable scene Nakahara comments that he sometimes feels like he is floating out to sea while everyone and everything passes him by. The moment taken by the artist just to draw Nakahara on a raft floating out to sea beautifully realises the thoughts of the character and fixes them in the reader's mind. Hinako Takanaga is not afraid of letting her metaphors creep into her art.

As far as I'm concerned this is what I wish all mangas were like. A great story solidly told with excellent characters, and most of all, longevity. Little Butterfly is beautifully made, as is all Juné, and is one story from cover to cover. There are a few brief bonus scenes at the back, but they are centred around the main characters and only serve to deepen our understanding of them and their relationship. Most importantly, there are two more volumes, which (having read the second but not the third) would seem to be of equally excellent quality.

Little Butterfly is a beautiful story in all respects; masterfully told, wonderfully illustrated, and very fulfilling for the reader. The story has length, without being drawn out, and as such is incredibly satisfying. Value for money in every way. Go forth and buy. Fly my pretties, fly!