God of Dogs (Inu no Ou)
Author: Satoru Ishihara
ISBN-13: 9781569705872
Manufacturer: Digital Manga Publishing
200 pages
Rating: Youth (16+)
Genre: Yaoi, BL
Themes: Mafia, assassins, violence, drama, action

Summary: The notoriously vicious Chinese Mafia has lost its next rightful heir…to sudden suicide! Now, the esteemed “God of Dogs” Tsai family must race against the ticking clock and hunt down the child of the deceased eldest son in order to preserve their ancient, sacred legacy.

According to Baka-Updates, this story is actually a sequel to a manga called Charisma and they say it is imperative to read Charisma first in order to understand this story. Naturally, Charisma has never been officially translated into English. I don’t know what kind of planning goes into choosing which books to translate but clearly in the case of sequels, the first book should definitely be translated.

Of course, I had no idea this was a sequel when I bought it. This explains why I felt I was dropped into the middle of a story and was utterly confused as to what was happening. There are many characters and I had a hard time keeping them straight. I went back and reread sections more than once. There is so much going on that I felt like I couldn’t keep up with the story. I’m sure, had I been able to read the Charisma first, I would have been far less confused.

The action is non-stop in this book. You are literally flying the whole time. Ok not literally, you won’t sprout any wings and take off into the sky but wow, does it ever move fast. I couldn’t help thinking this would make an excellent movie (of the live action variety though it would make a beautiful anime as well). Speaking of beauty, the art is just that, beautiful. It’s not typical to the 3 or so styles I’ve become accustom to since I began reading yaoi manga. Because it’s not the typical style it may be a turn-off for some but I found it incredibly appealing and I’m glad to have the book for that alone. The style of art reminds me of Mika Sadahiro’s Under Grand Hotel. It certainly suits the characters and story and really adds to the overall appeal of the book.

Despite the confusion and feeling like I’ve come in halfway through a movie I still enjoyed the manga. The characters are fascinating and I truly hope Charisma gets translated one day so I can have a better understanding of the story. It doesn’t end with this book either, so we’re plunked down somewhere in the middle and that’s all we get. Definitely frustrating. I’m not sure if there is another book to this series but I’d love to see where it ends (and begins). Even though it’s a full book it very much leaves you with the sense that you’ve just read a chapter ripped from the middle of a novel so if frustration isn’t your thing, you may want to skip this one. But it is clever, realistic and very interesting (not to mention very violent) so if you like that sort of thing, why not give it a shot?

It’s rated YA 16+ and is definitely suitable for teens. The story is violent but there’s no nudity and (sadly) no sex. There’s nothing that really screams yaoi in this story but there’s certainly a BL theme running through it.

Books On Order

Don’t Worry Mama
The Man Who Doesn’t Take Off His Clothes Volume 1
The Man Who Doesn’t Take Off His Clothes Volume 2
All You Need Is Love Volume 2
Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 2
Yakuza Café
I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone
Black Sun Volume 2
Noodle Shop Affair Volume 1
The Tyrant Falls in Love Volume 6
His Arrogance
Beast & Feast
Yellow 2: Episode 3
Under Grand Hotel Volume 2
Finder Volume 6
Il Gatto Sul G Volume 1
Border Volume 1
A Gentleman’s Kiss Volume 1
A Gentleman’s Kiss Volume 2
Good Morning
God of Dogs
Maybe I’m Your Steppin’ Stone
Finder no Hyouteki (Target in the View Finder) Characters Book

Books I Own

Ai No Kusabi Volume 2 (novel)
The Betrayal Knows My Name Volume 1
The Betrayal Knows My Name Volume 2
Bi No Isu (Japanese Language)
Black Butler Volume 1
Black Butler Volume 2
Black Butler Volume 3
Black Butler Volume 4
Black Butler Volume 5
Black Butler Volume 6
Black Butler Volume 7
Black Butler Volume 8
Black Butler Volume 9
Blue Sheep Reverie Volume 1
Blue Sheep Reverie Volume 2
The Crimson Spell Volume 1
Finder Volume 1
Finder Volume 2
Finder Volume 3
Finder Volume 4
Finder Volume 5
The Guilty Volume 1 (novel)
The Guilty Volume 2 (novel)
The Guilty Volume 3 (novel)
The Guilty Volume 4 (novel)
Il Gatto Sul G Volume 2
Il Gatto Sul G Volume 3
Immoral Darkness (novel)
Kizuna Volume 1
Kizuna Volume 4
Lies & Kisses
Maiden Rose Volume 1
Maiden Rose Volume 2
Men of Tattoos
Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 1
Otodama – Voice from the Dead
Sleeping With Money (novel)
Totally Captivated Volume 1
Totally Captivated Volume 2
Totally Captivated Volume 3
Totally Captivated Volume 4
Totally Captivated Volume 5
Totally Captivated Volume 6
The Tyrant Falls in Love Volume 1
The Tyrant Falls in Love Volume 2
The Tyrant Falls in Love Volume 3
The Tyrant Falls in Love Volume 4
The Tyrant Falls in Love Volume 5
Under Grand Hotel Volume 1
Yakuza in Love Volume 1
Yakuza in Love Volume 2
Yakuza in Love Volume 3
Yellow Volume 1 (Omnibus edition)
Yellow Volume 2 (Omnibus edition)
Yellow Volume 3
Yellow Volume 4
Yellow 2: Episode 1
Yellow 2: Episode 2
Your Story I’ve Known

E-Books

Yakuza Café
This Night’s Everything
On Bended Knee
The Devil’s Infirmary
Big Deal Volume 1 (novel)
S Volume 1 (novel)
S Volume 2 (novel)
S Volume 3 (novel)
S Volume 4 (novel)
Anima
Career Gate
The World is Full of Cheating Boyfriends
Gentle Cage (novel)
The Yaoikuza: Oruji
The Yaoikuza: Soboruji
Seven Days: Monday – Thursday
Seven Days: Friday – Sunday
Sadistic Boy
Cheap Chase
Selfish Love Volume 1
A Gentleman’s Agreement Between a Rabbit and a Wolf
Reset
Platinum Pasta
Security Issues (novella)
Neck-Tie
Caged Slave (novel)
The Lonely Egotist (novel)
Chayamachi’s Collection: NOIR
Viewfinder Series – Hard-Working Cameraman Akihito Takaba’s Fulfilling Househusband Life
Viewfinder Series – Akihito Takaba’s Refined Summer Vacation
Interval
Attacked on a Tiger’s Whim
Tired of Waiting for Love
Pinned!
Maelstrom
Bastard King
Endless Rain
The Faithful Dog Waits for Flowers
Touching the Night Stars

When I heard about Human Centipede and how utterly disturbing it was supposed to be I hesitated. Remember Cannibal Holocaust, I thought to myself. I don’t want to experience that again. Of course curiosity, as it always does, won over and I watched what has got to be one of the stupidest movies ever made. It didn’t disturb me, it merely annoyed me for trying so hard to be disturbing. It was also supremely boring.

So it figures, I thought. That sort of thing generally doesn’t happen. I am, after all, unshockable. Is that really a word? I don’t think so but it doesn’t matter. So it naturally stands to reason that when it comes to literature I tend to seek out the dark side of human nature. I wonder what it says about me and I blame those VC Andrews books I read when I was 11.

It was inevitable, I suppose, that I would find myself reading this particular manga – I actually didn’t realize it included content that I avoid until I started and then I pressed on anyway though I’m not sure why. Even as I started to feel a sort of sick feeling somewhere deep down I continued to read. After awhile I wasn’t sure if anything other than the pure horror I was feeling was pushing me forward. By the time I finished the manga I was reading this afternoon, I was sobbing. I was thinking about Cannibal Holocaust and how sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone. It wasn’t the subject matter in and of itself but rather that psychological aspect that I always look for that did me in this time. I can’t stop thinking about it. I sort of regret reading it right now though I know as some time passes, my stomach settles and I’m able to fully process what I read I will probably change my mind and stop regretting it.

Curiosity might not have killed the cat but it certainly did some damage to its psyche. That cat’s a bit of a masochist.

I’ve been neglecting my sewing completely.  Every night I think, tomorrow I will go to my sewing room and create something wonderful.  Then tomorrow comes and I sit around reading manga after I finish up with my work.  Go figure.

My birthday has come and gone.  It doesn’t matter how old I am!  Old enough.  I did get a wonderful surprise this year.  The weekend before my birthday I got a text from my best friend (the one who moved away) saying “Hi” or probably “Dude” since that’s usually how she starts off her texts to me.  I sent back “Yo” because that is my standard reply.  Then she texted back with a photo of my house.  I immediately started to cry as I leaped from my bed and ran up the stairs (incurring a horrible muscle cramp as I did) and ran to the front door where she was getting out of her jeep.  Many more tears followed.  I don’t really like pictures of myself in general and especially since I’ve put on weight but this sums up my reaction (I am the short one).

It was so nice to be able to spend a few days with her though it was also much too short. It goes without saying that I miss her. I’m not sure what month it was that we first met, only that it was summer, but sometime this summer will mark 30 years of friendship. That’s a long time.

So I downloaded (egads, yes) the first season and just sort of left it sitting there for awhile.  Then I knew I was going to Virginia and that chances were fairly high that I would be looking for something to do later at night so I copied the Black Butler episodes to my hard drive and off I flew.  And then I settled into bed the second night I was in Virginia and put my headphones on and I started the first episode.  Well, this isn’t too bad, I thought, I’ll watch another.

And then another and another, I was fascinated.  I was hooked.  Black Butler became the most amazing this I had ever seen.  Ok maybe I’m exaggerating a little but I fell in love.  (And just so you know I have purchased both dvds for season 1 – something I never would have done had I not downloaded it and watched it for free first.)   Again, me being me, I started to research this fantastic discovery of mine.  I wanted more!

This was November 2011.  This is when I discovered anime and manga (not that I didn’t know it existed, I certainly did) and that it contained a genre that may as well have been made specifically for me.  Yaoi.  I am not embarrassed to say that I love this genre.  And no Black Butler is not yaoi, it was the key that unlocked the door to something I never would have found had I not bought that doll and posted that picture and had that one girl not commented on that picture.  Fate was working for me.

I’ve been wanting to share my thoughts on the manga I’ve read and the anime I’ve watched but I hadn’t wanted to do it here.  I thought I could create a new page and write entries under that but it doesn’t look like Word Press functions like that.  Maybe I’ll just put the reviews behind click-throughs.  Mostly I wanted to write my thoughts because my friends aren’t into this stuff and I have no one to talk about it with like I would with tv shows or movies or other books I may have read.  It seems funny really discovering this now as an adult of however many years but I’m not complaining.  It just means I’m old enough to legally buy the manga I want to read!  HA.