365 Days of Manga, Day 193: Laugh Under the Sun

LAUGH UNDER THE SUN (Taiyô no Shita de Warae, “Laugh under the Sun”) ??????????????) • Yugi Yamada • DMP (2008) • Hobunsha (2005) • 1 volume • Yaoi • 18+
Once an aspiring boxer, Sohei has grown up into an unemployed layabout sharing an apartment with two high-school friends, graphic designer Naoki and freelance writer Chika, both of whom are openly gay. It soon becomes clear that Chika’s concerns about Sohei and his directionless life are more than just friendly. The sexual tension builds and builds while Sohei puts off admitting that he’s gay–oh, and works on reviving his career as a boxer, with Chika’s assistance. Yamada’s characters, with their thick lips and huge, liquid eyes, are sexy, and their personalities are a little more complex and mature than those of most yaoi protagonists. Beneath the sex, this is a nicely-observed story about a group of bohemian twentysomethings putting their lives together. Plus, there’s boxing! (Review by Shaenon Garrity)

I spent all of the past weekend moving boxes into my new house, so I missed two days of manga — sorry all! I’ll play catchup and get back to schedule soon, beginning with this review by the great Shaenon Garrity. Meanwhile, Saturday’s winner was Kathy M. of New York — congratulations, Kathy!

This photo was sent by one of the previous winners, Tricia. Thanks for sharing your manga with us! Meanwhile, if you’re going to be in Seattle on April 2-4, stop by Sakuracon, where King of RPGs artist Victor Hao and I will be doing a bunch of panels and selling art & tchotchkes in the exhibit hall. You can read more on the Sakuracon website, and I’ve also put a full list of our panel appearances here. Hope to see you there!