Scarlet

What brought me to write a review for Scarlet was not only because I enjoyed reading it quite a bit, but also because the description synopsis thing for this manga is just horrid. It doesn’t do it justice at all. IGNORE ITS EXISTENCE. The description makes this story look like another typical manga about the relationship between a frivolous, inconsiderate playboy and a pushover uke which it’s not...kinda. Rather than spoiling the whole manga for you, since it is a rather short story, just trust me when I say the characters are much more dimensional than the typical character you can find inyaoi, and more than that, it’s really a rather beautiful tragic love story. The love between Ryou and Akio is pure; they can’t stop loving one another other no matter what hurtful thing they may do to each other. Ryou, rather than an ignorant playboy like the description implies, is a lonely, childish and incredibly handsome man who basically has the mindset of a 2 year old, ESPECIALLY around Akio. Ryou depends on Akio and clings to him desperately, but strays easily since he’s (a) naive and (b) hates being lonely. Akio on the other hand, though shorter in stature and physical build, wears the pants in the relationship but dotes on Ryou in his own way. He consistently forgives Ryou for his infidelity but only when this evil little witch comes, does the real trouble start happening. After that, you basically go through a pretty crazy and twisted rollercoaster of how Ryou and Akio deal with their relationship and the painful trials they have to go through. Aside from the main story between Akio and Ryou, Scarlet also contains 2 extra stories and they’re both really cute too. The art...FANTASTIC. That is all. Just kidding. I’ve compared my thoughts with others before and many agree that you either love or hate Hiro Madarame’s art style. I personally love love love her art (yes, it deserves repetition), so I’m pretty biased on this section. The characters are just soo utterly attractive and when the occasional chibi pops up, you just can’t help but squeal and pinch the computer’s screen. Plus, the naughty scenes are super steamy ;D As far as enjoyment goes, it gets a pretty high grade on this. The main characters surprisingly didn’t bug me, the art was extremely pleasing to look at, my inner fan girl got all the naughty hot sex scenes she wanted, and I didn’t regret reading it or feel like I wasted my time. This may be just my personal taste, but I really enjoyed this story and I recommend it for anybody who is looking for a yaoi that’s a little darker, but also a little more emotion urking than the average yaoi out there. But with that said, Scarlet still has a wonderful air of humor to it, making this manga a story that maintains a good balance between the light and dark. Cheers. Now go and read it. Shoo, shoo.