Sky Link

Sky Link by Shiro Yamada

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


**** Sky Link-Ritsuki is wandering through life with no goals and no purpose. His divorced parents went their separate ways and he goes to university at the request of his aunt and uncle. He doesn't realize that the stranger that crashes into him is about to bring some unwelcome change to his life.



Takagi is the new instructor in East Asian Studies, a job that he never thought he would be cut out for or be good at. He crashes into Ritsuki outside the university and feels an instant connection. Takagi doesn't hide his attraction for Ritsuki and tries his hardest to break through Ritsuki's defenses, even as an admirer of Takagi's insinuates himself between them.



Both men have something in their pasts that they want to forget or just surpass; for Takagi-a famous journalist before he started teaching-is the death of a colleague and for Ritsuki it's a little unclear as the guy that seems to be stalking him is never really identified (was it a gang member, a psycho ex,...). Takagi sees something of himself in Ritsuki, but he also realizes it's not just their kindred spirits that brings them together; like him, Ritsuki loves to watch the sky.



Takagi makes Ritsuki a promise, for him to study photography. If he gets good enough, Takagi will take him anywhere he want to go....half a year later, Takagi fulfills his promise.



*****You through a kaleidoscope pt. 1 & 2-Kazu & Yuki are friends. Half Japanese and half English Yuki has always been bullied for his looks and Kazu has always protected him, even though he always looses the fight and ends up getting beat up; but Kazu can't help it as he's always loved Yuki. The only problem is that he's never confessed his feelings and feels he doesn't deserve to-he's always believed that he destroys all the beautiful things he touches.



Then Kazu's friend shows an interest in Yuki and he makes the choice to finally reveal his feelings. After all, Kazu's favorite things are rooftops, bicycles, riverbanks, children's books, kaleidoscopes...and snow (yuki).



These stories were sweet and full of hope. The character's emotions were beautifully portrayed and the illustrations were really well done.





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An Even More Beautiful Lie

An Even More Beautiful Lie by Kei Kanai
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kurosu enrolls into Teio Art University at the last minute, surprising his friends as he barely had a passable grade in art and has the minimum of talent for it. It's there that he becomes a fan of Yukari's work, and so is pleased when a chance meeting brings them face to face.

But Kurosu learns little by little that Yukari lives and breathes for his art, that apart from keeping his bed sheets clean and changing his clothes as soon as he gets home everything else falls by the wayside. Yukari warns Kurosu that he doesn't have anything to give, aside from his body, that painting is all he thinks about.

Instead of heeding Yukari's words, Kurosu takes it upon himself to care for Yukari; preparing his meals, fixing stuff around the house, and even bathing him. Like a painter with a blank canvas, Kurosu fills the empty spaces with color and warmth; his strokes sure and bold as he tries to bring Yukari to life.





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