Kizuna -- Bonds of Love: It Doesn't Get Any Easier
Written: Feb 26 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good character/relationship dynamics, set-up for future volumes.
Cons: Chaotic, uneven graphics.
The Bottom Line: Rocky beginning to a very popular BL series: it gets better.
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| rmthunter's Full Review: Kazuma Kodaka - Kizuna Bonds of Love 1 |
I was somewhat surprised to find that Kazuma Kodaka's Kizuna (and try saying that five times real fast) manga wasn't on our database, so I asked our stalwart leads to add it (which was done so quickly that I had to scramble to catch up -- thanks, Patsy). It's one of those yaoi series that has been a run-away success and reached twelve volumes before it finally ended.
The first volume serves to introduce the main characters in the story. Kei Enjyoji and Ranmaru Samejima have been lovers since high school; they are now university students living together. Kai Sagano is Kei's half-brother, the younger son of a yakuza boss (Kei is the older) who has a whole suitcase full of resentment built up against Kei: Kai's mother died young and his father wanted to bring his mistress, Kei's mother, into the house, which Kai vehemently rejected. Kei also happens to have the man Kai loves, and Kai has no scruples about trying to take Ranmaru away. The fact that Ranmaru isn't interested doesn't seem to have penetrated. Ran was severely injured by a hit-and-run driver who was aiming for Kei; Ran saved his life at the cost of his own career as a kendo champion, in Kai's eyes another mark against Kei. Masanori Araki is a soldier in Kai's father's gang, as well as having been Kai's companion and bodyguard since childhood. He holds a great deal of affection for Kai, but the depth of those feelings isn't yet known. Kai hasn't really examined his feelings for Masa, but they run deep.
This first installment lays out some of the complications besetting Kei and Ranmaru in their attempt to make a life together, mostly in the form of Kai, who has left home after a blow-up with his father over his attachment to Ran and is staying with them. A professor at the university for whom Ranmaru works as an assistant in the archives makes an attempt to get into Ran's pants: he invites Ran out for a drink and spikes his tea with Ecstasy. Unfortunately for him, they're at the establishment in which Kai has just started working, and when the professor makes his move, Kai is all over him. Kai then takes Ran home and, not unexpectedly, takes advantage of the situation while Kei is at work. The rest of the episode is basically cleaning up the fall-out.
There is a side story that begins as a flashback to Kai's childhood, when Masa was like his big brother -- he promises to come to Parent's Day at Kai's school; although delayed by a brawl, he does make it, somewhat the worse for wear. As they walk home in the rain, Kai tells him he loves him and won't kiss anyone else. Back to the present: Kai apologizes for having kissed Ran, but promises that he'll only kiss the people he really loves.
Regrettably, this is not a strong beginning to the series: the story line is a little chaotic, although coherent in broad outline, and characterizations don't seem to be firmly fixed. Visually, it's very uneven, with sometimes dizzying variations in character designs, as though Kodaka hadn't quite settled on them -- there are passages, for example, in which it's easy to confuse Kai and Ranmaru. Masa, in particular, seems to vary quite a bit.
We do, however, get a good grasp of the dynamics of the relationship between Ran and Kei: while Ran is being effectively raped by Kai, he keeps calling Kei's name, which infuriates Kai. When Kei learns of it, he is devastated: Ran needed him and he wasn't there. He's also furious at Kai -- not to mention the professor -- and promises that they aren't finished with this yet. It doesn't help that Kai is adroit at taking advantage of Ran's prickly nature, to Kei's disadvantage. And then Ran gets all bent out of shape because he's convinced that Kei won't forgive him for sleeping with Kai, even though he was drugged. The strength of the bond between them becomes patently obvious: Kei is, of course, all forgiveness and regret that he wasn't there for Ran.
Happily, the series does settle down: volumes 2 and 3 are much more coherent, both in story line and graphics. Volume 2 is largely about Ran and Kei's courtship as junior-high and high-school students, and volume 3, the consequences of combining Ran's insecurity and temper with Kei's involvement with transvestites. (This is largely the material covered in the anime, Much Ado About Nothing.) Both also contain major stories involving Kai and Masa.
Nevertheless, I can't rate this one much higher than a three -- maybe 3.5, on the strength of the character development. But it does get better.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rmthunter
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Member: Robert Tilendis
Location: Close to the lake
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