This one, my friends... This one is utterly A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
I don't know where to start but one thing's for sure : it's a fucking masterpiece.
Who said yaoi doesn't have plot ? Who said yaoi is only about buttsex and cheesy relationships ? Who said yaoi is the dead end of mangas ?
OMG whoever ever thought that before will be completely stunned while reading that majestic piece of art !
Everything in this manga is soooo well-done I have no words to describe it.
At first I thought it was your typical crappy yaoi (something like : "you're gonna pay me back by having sex with me", "NO ! Whyy~~", "I know you want it !...". And bit by bit they're gonna fall in love and go beyond a physical relationship. But then shitty love triangle with the childhood friend... Ahem. Well I've read so many shitty yaoi I could basically write up the story xD).
Hopefully it didn't go in that direction AT ALL.
This manga has a seinen vibe. It's really deep and psychological.
Every character was badly hurt in their life. Everyone has secrets and they're fighting/trying to get revenge. But truth is they were just unlucky, and justice doesn't exist in the yakuza world. They really curse their own situation.
They have been tainted by their hardcore past and some seem to have real psychological problems, but even so they're just humans so you can't dislike them. Even the evil ones fascinated me : they really have no values. The only thing they stand for is a "code of honor" that doesn't even follow human rights (the world of yakuza is really ruthless). It really got me to think !
Female characters here are top-notch too !
Each character goes in the front row at one point so we learn all their stories. The all thing kinda works like a puzzle and each new chapter adds a new piece. The plot is so well thought-out, everything is so logical, so realistic, so freaking awesome...!!
And can we talk about the art ?? OMG IT IS FA-BU-LOUS !!!
But what got to me the most were the feelings. OMG it's as if i've been ran over by a truck.
The angst is so real it had me dying !!
I swear I felt so bad for the characters I couldn't even cry ! More like I wasn't allowed to cry !! They were so strong, so cool, fighting with everything they got. They didn't cry so I felt like I couldn't either (but tears still fell down).
Once you'll have read it you won't ever dare to complain again.
Now everytime I'm in a "bad" situation I'm like : "Girl. U serious ?? You pathetic little human ! Are you desperate ?? NO !! Have hopes disappeared ?? NO !! You don't live in Acid Town so get yourself together already !! Lift up your head and FIGHT"
If you haven't understood it yet : beware it's heavy stuff. So do yourself a favor and don't read it before sleeping.
Because I remember that when I caught up with the releases (I read everything in one go. I was sooo hooked !!) I felt so dead inside I didn't know what to do anymore... Just WOW.
MASTERPIECE I tell you ! :'(