365 Days of Manga, Day 196: Fake Fur

FAKE FUR (???????) • Satomi Yamagata • DMP (2007) • Houbunsha (Hanaoto, 2004) • 1 volume • Yaoi • 18+
Fake Fur relates the loves and heartbreaks of teenage Yamashita and his turbulent road of self discovery. Starting in his senior year of high school we follow the openly gay Yamashita through his doomed, unrequited love for his best friend, his loss of faith in following his heart and finally redemption in the hands of someone who can truly love him. The art is clean and simple, using sparse backgrounds and focusing on the reactions and emotions of the characters. However, even with the charming art, the storytelling steals the show. Fake Fur is narrated in the first person by Yamashita, who is poetic in his conflicted emotions, but when Yamashita speaks aloud with others the dialogue is firmly grounded in reality and each character has a unique voice. Altogether this is an excellent tale of quiet conflicts between the heart and the body that never strays too far into the realm of melodrama. (Review by Leia Weathington)

Today’s winner is Kurt L. of Utah, and today’s review is by comic artist Leia Weathington! Congratulations, Kurt!