breath vol. 4 by Chifumi Ochi review

breath vol. 4

Author/Artist: Chifumi Ochi

Publisher: Yaoi Generation

Rating: M – 18 and up

Genre: Yaoi, Drama, Romance

Grade: A-

I want to first make it known that there may be spoilers in regards to previous volumes of the series, and I heartily apologize. Now that that's out of the way lets get to the review!

Ain't nobody happy in the fourth volume of breath. Now that Ten has successfully separated Arata and Yanagi and he's somewhat happy that Arata is back within his grasp, or is he? Arata has always dealt with a huge inferiority complex towards Ten but because (in Arata's mind) Yanagi chose Ten he no longer wants to spend any time with his brother. He's so heartbroken he has no appetite and what he does eat he vomits almost immediately afterwards. Arata isn't the only one who's screwed up over this. Yanagi goes back to his playboy ways only more so. He's drinking more and sleeping with just about anyone without really thinking about whom he's sleeping with. It seems that those around him are a little concerned.

One evening Yanagi and Arata bump into each other on a crowded street. Because Arata hasn't had a proper meal in ages, he passes out in the middle of the crowd. Yanagi swoops in to rescue the damsel in distress. Their feelings finally come to the surface, but because of this meeting things take a dramatic turn in the end.

Chifumi Ochi-sensei has dialed up the angst yet again. I really appreciated this volume because it delves into Ten and Arata's relationship and how Arata's inferiority complex became so engrained that he became dependent on Ten. Also Ten's true colors are showing, and he is Satan in human form. OK, that may be a little over the top, but he's pretty darn evil. One thing I liked about this particular volume is at the end Ochi-sensei presented us with a gag chapter featuring all of our favorite characters in a Snow White setting. Arata is Snow White and Ten is the wicked Stepmother (tee-hee). It was definitely a great addition to the book.

I am thoroughly and totally addicted to this series. Not only does it have physically attractive characters, but also the sex is hot, the story is engaging, and is a great title all around. That is one thing I like about series. You are able to delve more into the characters and really get a feel for them. With a story like breath there is no way you could make it an interesting story with just one volume. Each character is fascinating and interesting and seeing how their minds work is what makes this a really great read.

I know I say this every time but I love Yaoi Generation's way of publishing. The books are about the size of the original Japanese tankobon, they have a full color cover sheet, the paper is brilliant which makes the images leap right off the page, and it's so easy to hold and read.

I so can’t wait for the final volume, especially the way the story ended this time around. I am going to have a very hard time waiting for it. This is a title I definitely recommend and I've even bumped up the rating because I've been enjoying it so much. To quote LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow "but you don't have to take my word for it." You'll find other glowing reviews of this series all over the net, or check out my reviews of vol. 1, vol. 2, and vol. 3.

***Review Copy provided by Yaoi Generation***