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I have to admit I was really hesitant to start this series, but after reading this mangaka's 'Steal Moon' and 'Blue Sheep Reverie' series I had to pick this up. I am so glad I did.all three books are amazing. Not only are they hot, but they are full of characters that actually feel like they could be real people and not 'typical'. I loved the story and that made this yaoi so much more enjoyable.
And the adult scenes, of which there are at least one per book, aren't bad either. I read all three books of "Hero Heel" over the course of two days, I hated putting it down for even a second. There is also a true sense of suspense in the plot. The covers don't come close to doing justice to the interiors. Yes, the TV series costumes look amazing in their variety and levels of detail. The plot covers a year+ of their lives, and their development is on the page for us to actually see. What I found unique about this series is that the characters changed and grew as it went on.
Anyone who's been reading BL manga for a long time will understand why this is a wonderful and rare thing. And I chalk it all up to the fact that this series spanned three books, so the mangaka had the time and space to create a more fleshed-out story. I'm so glad that I tend to read my *other* piles of manga while waiting for series like this one to be completed. They are actors on an action TV series and the plot makes it clear from the start that the work is fairly dangerous. Finally, the art - wow. Backgrounds are fully fleshed and varied, and the action sequences are fairly understandable. And don't buy one volume at a time - your hands will feel empty between purchases. Don't miss it.
There's so much tension and interesting character development that I had to grab for the next book as soon as I finished the one before it. Have I used the word "intense" yet. I really couldn't guess or spot how the love quadrangle would end up until the very, very end, and that is also a pleasant change of pace from the usual telegraphing many other BL plots give. Tension also builds for the characters' physical well-being. Well, there you go.There's quite a bit of Makoto Tateno's work in English already, and while I like most of it, this series is definitely the pinnacle of her translated work - so far. ~_^
Although I was rooting for happy ending, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Katagiri. I had a very enjoyable time reading this whole series. That's how good it was. Sawada is pretty awesome too. The sex scenes were the hottest yet in this series. I love Makoto Tateno's artwork in this series.
He was so generous and kind. I read this book in one sitting on a car trip, even though I get carsick easily. He was one of my favorite characters, perhaps because he was so unassuming. The costumes on the tv show are amazing. I love Minami. He sort of got tossed to the wayside though.
Very gratifiying:) Overall five stars.
He is such a cool, cool seme, his silence and near cynical outlook of life, making him such an interesting character. We know the outcome of this quadrangle love story. This story just gets better with each volume as the emotional struggles among the 4 actors deepen. Katagiri may have most readers' sympathy by the end of Vol 3 but then I never rooted for him.
Sensei really has a fun time drawing the costumes :). I really have a wonderful time finishing this series in one go. As the story progresses we almost fully understand Sawada's feelings and he remains a mystique till the end. The 4 guys may have similar features (something sensei could improve on). However it is the emotional battle to get there which holds my attention from Vol 2 onwards as I naturally root for both "hero" and "villain" to be together.
Minami brought to the brink of despair by Sawada's rejection is one vulnerable character with a naivety and "goodness" which I find sometimes frustrating but then he is forgiven because he is afterall the uke hero. but they are 4 distinct characters and their emotional struggles to hold on to the one they love makes Hero Heel one captivating Yaoi. The TV action hero series, in which the 4 guys starred in, serving as a background is refreshing and it plays like a sub plot. I quite like Takagi, the more mature uke who learn the hard way there is no second chance in love, and find myself rooting for his and Sawada's reconciliation but that will not be the Yaoi ending we want. Who is my favorite character.
It is ofcourse Sawada. LOL.I enjoy Hero Heel a lot. And the sex in Vol 3 is both sensual and sexy, and a bonus point to sensei for the condom :).
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