Manga: - Alone In My King's Harem (Yaoi) (Yaoi Manga)

Alone In My King's Harem (Yaoi) (Yaoi Manga) Customer Review: I really enjoyed it
Anyone who is familiar with Lily Hoshino's work should know that her ukes tend to be very feminine, and very beautiful. Her art work for lack of a better word is amazing. This manga is no acceptation. While I would not call it yaoi, for most of the stories are more shounen-ai. I really enjoyed it. There were four one-shots, including the title piece, and a two-shot. All the one-shots were very fantastical, while the two-shot was more high school-it was also the most graphic in the manga.
My favorites in the manga were Alone in my Kings Harem and The Sea Bed of Night both of which were very sad and sweet. I would have bought this manga for those two stories alone.

Customer Review: Love it! Despite the bad reviews…
I had the pleasure of reading this over the weekend. I remember when it was first published in english, and due to the bad reviews I read here on Amazon, I steered clear of it. I'm very sorry I did so, because what I experienced while reading this manga was far better than any of these reviews will lead you to believe.

I agree with what's been stated repeatedly: this book is not technically yaoi, it is shounen-ai. Hoshino Ririi's uke boys are beautiful, much more beautiful than women, and do seem to be nothing more than women (or girls) with flat chests. However, Hoshino-sensei does not write your typical manga story, and I feel that her character designs compliment her stories quite well. Rarely with her work will you find the standard "schoolboy angst" or the "childhood friend/lover" story you've read a million and one times. Hoshino-sensei's stories are heartfelt, strange, and very touching. The first one-shot in this particular manga of hers nearly brought a tear to my eye. As someone who reads an average of 10 to 12 mangas per week (most of them unlicensed in America), that's really tough to accomplish, because I have seen it ALL!

Hoshino-sensei is a lover of fairy tales and fantasy, and her ukes reflect that in a very appropriate sense. There is no explicit sex, but it is obvious when the characters do have sex, and it is often. The art style is unique, the stories are very original and well-told, and to be honest, I'm upset that I waited so long to read it. The haunting imagery is somewhat similar to director Tarsem Singh's work ("The Cell", upcoming "The Fall").

Overall, I wouldn't just toss this one aside just because the ukes are especially pretty. Despite the fact that the stories call for that sort of character, the genres of yaoi and shounen-ai are not without their fantasies. Even some of the most realistic mangas ever drawn rely on incorrect (or impossible!) positioning, and an overall complete lack of sexual reality. No matter what your favorite yaoi title says, no lube=no fun. Period. Give this one a fair chance.