Product Description: What would you do if your crush of many years suddenly got married? After attending his beloved Saitoh's wedding, broken-hearted Nagai gets a little too drunk for his own good and lands himself in a hotel room with the bride's guest, Honda. To top things off, just when he thought he was getting over things over things he finds out that newly-wed Saitoh's bride has run away. What will become of this developing love-triangle?
The Number One Must Read of Yaoi This is my all time favorite yaoi and remains my number one even as my manga library grows. Yugi Yamada's artwork is beautiful, her story-line amusing, sweet and dramatic all at once. This is most definitely a must read for any yaoi fan. Steamy scenes, lovable characters, and a plot that makes you feel warm and fuzzy.
7 gold stars this manga is pure brilliance.
consistently wonderful art, storytelling, characterization, sense of humor. the main character's sarcastic streak had me rolling. just read the first 2 pages, and you'll see what i mean!
sexy.
all of the smut was VERY sexy. just graphic enough, but not so much that you feel you're watching bad porno, and not so little that you feel gyped and are certain the characters feel that way too.
i yearn for a volume two. this manga is my #1 top favorite manga EVER. (followed closely by love recipe, and second by the 'little butterfly' series.)
buy it. love it. pet the cover. re-read it again and again.
Hot, Sexual Chemistry! I have to admit to a history with this title. So many years ago, I struggled to translate the raws. Something about the artwork, the layouts, the smoldering looks, just caught me, and I *had* to know the story. Needless to say, with my pitiful, measly scraps of self-taught Japanese, I never knew much about the plot. So my soul was singing with ecstasy when I saw than June had published Vol. 1.
"Close the Last Door" starts out with Nagai Atsushi attending his junior's (Saitou Toshihisa) wedding. Not only has he been Saitou's extremely supportive senpai all these years, Nagai has been madly in love with him, as well. So he's understandably despondent over Saitou's marriage. Drowning his sorrows in alcohol, he ends up at the bar sitting by Honda Kenzou , a co-worker of the evil bride. With Nagai being too angry and hurting (and drunk) to be thinking clearly, and Honda-san lending a sympathetic ear, the whole story comes out. Nagai ends up passing out, and Honda-san helps him to a hotel room, even though he doesn't quite understand why he's helping this stranger out so much. Soon, some sexual sparks fly, but it seems to take both Nagai and Honda by surprise, and they back off pretty quickly.
The next day, Nagai finds out that Saitou's bride has left him, the very day after their wedding! (wow!) So Saitou's back to relying on Nagai and crying on his shoulder. Incredibly, it seems that Nagai may have a chance at Saitou, after all. Yet, why does he still have thoughts of Honda, even when he doesn't want to? This sets up the rest of the volume, a love triangle of sorts. Nagai still loves Saitou, so he can't understand his own feelings for Honda--and when it comes right down to it, can he really accept that he's--well, gay? And now, Saitou almost seems willing.... Throw in an ex-girlfriend, the runaway bride, and the story has a nice mix of gentle complexity.
On the surface, this story seems like a re-hash of so many boys' love stories, but underneath there is much more. I adore Yamada-Sensei's skillful drawing of faces, bodies, and especially her eyes. I can see the intense attraction between Nagai and Honda; I can see it in their eyes, their faces, they way they touch. Each time Honda and Nagai are even in the same room, I feel my heart beat faster. When they come together, their kisses make me swoon. The sexual chemistry between them is intense, and seems to build upon each encounter. I particularly like the touches of realism--no perfect first-time sex here! And sometimes things are awkward and comical. I love the careful attention to character development, making the mundane seem vital and new. They're not buff, macho stud-muffins, nor are they wispy, delicately beautiful youths. They seem like real men--real men filled with incredible sexual energy! There's also a fair bit of comedy throughout the story, which lightens the mood delightfully. At the end of the volume, I wanted to see these characters again, to get to know them better. Overall, it's sensitive, genuine, and hot, with a teaspoon of angst thrown in for seasoning.
Now, I have heard that the publishing company has not come forth with a date to publish volume 2. If they choose not to put out Vol. 2, that would be a crying shame, as we get to meet Honda-san's two older brothers--well, I think they are brothers, but I'm not too sure (poor Japanese, remember?). Anyway, that story looks just as fabulous as this one, being that Honda's big brothers are just as awesome and sexy as brother number 3. And we get to see Honda-san and Nagai from vol. 1 return (as far as I can recall). Please buy "Close the Last Door" and enjoy!
In a final note, I have to wonder about Amazon's decision to post reviews on boys' love manga from Publishers Weekly. It's obvious from their reviews that they neither appreciate nor approve of boys' love stories. While they are entitled to their opinion, I don't feel they need to intrude on the enjoyment of boys' love aficionados. We're not interested in their negative opinions, and they are certainly unhelpful in every sense of the word. Only someone who wanted to be convinced *not* to buy a boys' love manga would find them of any use. It's almost as if Amazon is trying to discourage the purchasing of these books.
Beer makes things interesting! If there is one thing I learned from this manga it is that beer inexplicably causes hot men to grope each other. (Of course, this is in opposition to what I learned in college, but no matter!)
In `Close the Last Door', the main character is Nagai, hopelessly in love with his old college friend Saitoh, who is getting married. He drowns himself in alcohol and is taken care of by Honda, who offers a special `comfort service' to the crying man. The path after this follows Nagai and Honda as they spend more `special' time together and brushes upon Saitoh who is beginning to rethink his thus far platonic feelings for his beloved Sempai Nagai.
I found several sections to be absolutely hilarious. Cute, innocent Saitoh dealing with the intrusion of Honda by behaving in an unexpected way and any scene with Nagai with his ex-girlfriend are pure gold for me.
I summation: though the story can be considered predictable, this is a light, fun, refreshing and entertaining read. As another reviewer mentioned: Get this!
Get this ! I am surprised by how much I like this. Close the Last Door is definitely Yaoi as it focuses on relationships among white collar workers, from break-ups with girl friends, to denial of one's sexual orientation to finally embracing it. The centre plot is the triangle relationship among 3 twenty something guys, Nagai, Saitou and Honda. Nagai "thinks" he is in love with Saitou as a person (nothing to do with the fact that Saitou is a man), refuses to admit he is gay but is infact attracted to Honda. Sweet Saitou is abandoned by his bride on his wedding and seems to bear more than respect for Nagai whom he clings to. Honda is the interesting seme, outwardly cool but inwardly just as insecure, as he vied for Nagai's attention. Fast paced and often humorous the relationship and characters development is an engrossing read. And of course the sex from just initial gropping, while pretending to be drunk, to hot coupling is quite quite erotic. I hope Vol 2 is not too far away.
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