New York, New York

Its a very heart warming story. I really enjoyed reading it. I actually cried at the end. Its about the story of a police man hiding his real self as a gay from all his colleagues, friends and family, and a very vulnerable but kind-hearted guy with a dark past. I remember reading how many times Kain Walker told his meeting with Mel Fredericks is a destiny. I really thought nothing much about this story but it turned out very good. I really recommend this story. I love it!

Honestly, I'm surprised New York New York doesn't have a higher viewership. It's a solidly good realistic-type bl manga, but being quite old (published in 1994) and having an art style that can get some getting used to probably causes its under-the-radar status. It is an enjoyable story that is easy to read and has a happy ending, despite the difficulties along the way, especially so in the beginning where Kain acts like a super bitch. This is where he gets his title of a "very unlikeable main character" but he changes significantly towards the ending for the better. The story has its fair share ofangst and sweet moments, but never gets too emotional. For some reason, I didn't feel very emtionally connected to the couple's relationship. There is a bit of distance between the characters and the reader. Despite that, I still enjoyed reading it because of these points: 1. The story followed through the time they met to their old age and death, something I really enjoy reading in bl manga. 2. The realistic style it had; it covered issues from prejudice against gays, the difficult process of getting the parents' blessings, the fear of coming out as a homosexual, child adoption and gay parenting, etc. 3. The 'love at first sight' encounter and the pure love Kain and Mel had for each other was pleasant to read about. Overall, it's a good title to pick up if you're in the mood for a more realistic bl story. The art can be iffy to some, I wouldn't say I really liked it (in fact it turned me off the first time I tried reading it, I only completed the manga on my second try) but it's not bad; just different from what most readers are used to.

First things first, if you do not like BL or aren't even interested in it or perhaps have not given it a chance, don't let this turn you away!!! If you're in for one of those dramatic, psychological trips then this is for you. A big trigger warning to those who are affected by some minor gore, self-mutilation, bigotry and sexual/phsyical abuse though. I read a lot of BL/Yaoi manga, and by far this one was incredibly touching and realistic to me. It's quite rare to find a realistic Yaoi that covers a lot of the true struggles of being a homosexual. What's interesting about thisone is that they decided to take the setting to an American state, New York. As a youth, I often find it difficult to get into manga that are made in the 90s, and it starts of incredibly cheesy. However, once you get past that the story just takes you in full blast and you're left wanting to read more, and more. CHARACTERS: 8 ART: 9 The characters are incredibly varied and it may be easy to find the main guy (Kain Walker) to be incredibly rude and unrelatable. However, to truly accept him you have to have an open mind and to realize that the setting is in 90s New York, and this guy is a cop that is going through a whole lot of internal struggle. Aside from the main character, the supporting characters are still very much dynamic and go through their own development alongside the main characters'. The art can be a little difficult to adjust because it IS again, a manga from the 90s. However, looking at it objectively, the details put in to this manga are freaking out of this world. It is like you're in New York, it is like you're running up along the east coast of America. The manga-ka does an exceptional job in adding a lot of emotion in to their work even through the background details. STORY: 10/10 Alright, without spoiling too much, this story covers a lot of the culture that is going on in New York at the time: STDs, the new and upcoming rights of homosexuals and transsexuals, crimes and murders, dysfunctional families (and seemingly functional ones but aren't so perfect after all) and a whole lot of psychological stuff. All in all, I've only read a handful of BL that covers the lives of gay couples in such a raw way. [SPOILER sort of] I especially do like how the story covers their whole life from their meet-up to the end, oh man I honestly have only read around three BL that do this and cover it spectacularly [SPOILER end] Highly recommended to those who wish to read some manga who are in for a novel type of set-up. Most certainly the story's development is something you do not want to miss :)