Clear Skies vol. 1 by Akira Sugano and Etsumi Ninomiya review

Clear Skies vol. 1

Author/Artist: Akira Sugano/Etsumi Ninomiya

Publisher: Juné

Rating: YA – Ages 16 and up

Genre: Yaoi, Comedy, Drama, Romance

Grade: B

*** Review originally appeared at The Journal of the Lincoln Heights Literary Society at http://liheliso.com/buzz/. Check it out! ***

Clear Skies was a yaoi novel before it was made into a two book manga series. Feel free to check out my previous review for the novel . The first volume of the series covers about the first half of the book.

Taiga Obinata is the man of the house. He is the oldest male in his family of rowdy younger brothers. There is an older sister they look up to, but she does her own thing most of the time. We have the opportunity to see that when Shuu Asuou and a yakuza punk named Yuuta show up on the Obinata’s doorstep. According to Shuu, he and Shima (the sister) were recently married. No one believed him until a phone call from Shima sets them all straight. No one seems cool with the arrangement, especially Taiga. Taiga is an editor for a sci-fi magazine and Shuu is an author for the same magazine. Not only are they coworkers but they are former classmates as well. It seems we are in for a wild ride.

I have had the opportunity to read both the novel and the manga. I have to say I much preferred the manga. There seemed to be more humor involved. Often times when Jou and Yuuta (one of the Obinata brothers and the yakuza punk) would start to fight there would be a bell in the drawn in background with sound effects sounding the beginning of a round. Also when Shima would call it reminded me of the old Charlie Brown cartoons. You know, the adults didn’t speak understandable language but you still knew what they were saying based on the responses the kids gave back. It’s the same way with Shima. The art was quite enjoyable and the premise was fun. It is pure sugar all the way through. With it being a two book series it ends on a cliffhanger. Juné did a great job with the presentation, as always. If I were to recommend these titles, I suggest picking up this manga. I definitely giggled more at the manga than I did the novel.