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You may have noticed a few changes around here at YaoiSuki. That's because we've moved to a new host, and in the process upgraded and altered a bunch of our features (most notably: embedded wiki and better forums). Unfortunately, we lost our user database in the move, so those of you who were signed up will unfortunately need to sign up again. It's a pretty painless process though!
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Written by Jen Parker
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Saturday, 22 September 2007 |
The Lily and the Rose (See YaoiWiki Entry)
Review through volume 1 (complete), no spoilers.
Sex rating: Hard R
Art: B+
Story: B
Action: B
OVERALL: B
This title from Dany&Dany offers historical costumes, political strife, religious conflicts, and of course, hot buttsex.
{mos_sb_discuss:11}
| Christophe is a priest who risks being defrocked when he rejects the advances of a perverted Cardinal. Alain is masquerading as a noble to gain favor from a countess in order to learn the identity of the person who killed his mother so that he can take revenge. The two are thrown together at the countess' mansion only to recognize each other as childhood friends-- and nearly lovers. |  |
Unfortunately, Alain has been given the task of setting Christophe up in a scandal so that the Cardinal can claim him, and Christophe's religious vows aren't much of a mood-setter either. Thus, conflict!
I'd just like to say right now that whether you're a fan of OEL in general or not, The Lily and the Rose is worth taking a look at for the art's sake. Yes, it's not 100% traditional manga style, but it's clear that Dany&Dany put a lot of effort into it, especially the costumes and patterns, with great result. You may decide it's not your kind of thing, but it's worth your while not to just dismiss it as OEL. (Or any OEL titles, yaoi or otherwise, these days-- the art quality in general is increasing exponentially.)
That said, yes, this is a period drama, and as such it's often a little bit melodramatic. But it's a well-done period piece in that it incorporates political and religious issues of the era along with the pretty costumes (and yes, they're very pretty...have I mentioned the patterns yet?).
That said, I do have a complaint. The couple, Alain and Christophe, have pretty much the exact same character design as the male leads in Dany&Dany's IDOL, which is pretty dang similar to the leads in Wishing for the Moon. They do very nice art, but can we have a couple that ISN'T a shoulder-length dark-haired guy combined with a guy with long, flowing blonde hair?
Also, if you're looking for lots of smut, you mostly won't find it here. Lots of drama, but only one solid sex scene, and that a short, not terribly explicit one. (Enough that I wavered on the NC-17 vs R rating.) But I found the story engaging and enjoyable enough. There was one moment where I feared that the creators were going to take the Super-Duper Easy Route Out, but they came through with a nice, solid ending.
Mangaka: Dany&Dany
Publisher: Yaoi Press (Upcoming Releases | YaoiWiki Entry)
MSRP: $12.95
Censorship: N/A
Warnings: Melodrama. Breaking of religious vows. Annoying priests and women.
Disclaimer: This was a free review copy courtesy of Yaoi Press. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 17 November 2007 )
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