Only The Ring Finger Knows

I hereby pledge allegiance to Digital Manga Publishing and you will too once you read this manga.

The first thing I want to mention is the cover because it was the first thing to impress me. I didn't expect much from DMP (maybe it's because I'm in England but I've never even heard of them) so when I FINALLY managed to get my hands on this meaty volume I was pleasantly surprised.

Slightly larger than the standard Tokyopop or Viz offering, DMP's new Yaoi Series features authentic right-to-left format, brief author profiles, a dust jacket and a lovely supple spine that actually allows you to photocopy it without breaking in half. Bliss.

For those of you without a fetish for binding, turn to the first page and you'll soon catch up to my current state of ecstasy.

Repeat after me: I hereby pledge allegiance to Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri.

The big pages are filled by exquisite images and a story even sweeter than our two bish: Wataru Fujii and Yuichi Kazuki.

The "Ring" in the title refers to what may be a Japanese craze or something created solely for the purpose of this manga. The idea is that couples wear matching rings to declare their relationship.

Wataru is single and his ring is one he bought for himself and grew attached to after losing it then mysteriously finding it again. We may not be talking about wedding rings here but it's still a big shock for Wataru when he accidentally switches rings with his senior Kazuki and discovers that they are identical.

Wataru has always admired Kazuki for his kindness which has contributed as much to his popularity as his good looks. Imagine Wataru's surprise then, when they finally speak to each other and Kazuki gives him the cold - no, the ARCTIC shoulder.

Despite this apparent animosity, the issue of their paired rings repeatedly draws them together and the more they clash the closer they come to understanding true feelings. The journey to that final realisation is a believable one.

Aside from the palpable sexual tension, this is light yaoi. They don't do anything more than kiss but even that manages to be passionate without relying on copious amounts of sweat and saliva.

The characters are likeable and evenly matched. Though evidently the uke (a.k.a. short), Wataru is far from the insipid cliche, nor is he feisty in a merely token way. He's as prickly as a hedgehog and Kazuki takes every opportunity to rub him up the wrong way.

In the end there is a full and satisfying resolution that ties up the story but leaves you wanting more of the characters.