Loveless, Vol. 1 (2-in-1 Edition): Includes vols. 1 & 2 (1) - Softcover

Kouga, Yun

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1421549905 ISBN 13: 9781421549903

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC, 2012

Synopsis

The long-awaited continuation of the best-selling series, a masterpiece tale of intrigue and innocence lost.

Reads R to L (Japanese style) for teen audiences.

When his beloved older brother is brutally murdered, Ritsuka is heartbroken but determined to search for answers. His only lead is Soubi, a mysterious, handsome college student who offers him an intimate link to his brother’s other life: a dark and vibrant world of spell battles and secret names. Will Ritsuka’s relationship with Soubi ultimately lead to the truth or further down the rabbit hole than he imagined possible?

About this title

About the Author:

Yun Kouga began her career as a doujinshi and debuted in 1986 with the original manga Metal Heart, serialized in Comic VAL. She is the creator of the popular series Loveless and Earthian, along with many manga and anime projects, including character design for Gundam 00.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 10 Up-After the death of his brother, 12-year-old Ritsuka meets a mysterious college student, Soubi, who claims he will protect him from Septimal Moon. Soubi is devoted to Ritsuka and expresses his love of the younger boy through gifts, acts of ritual devotion, and combat matches where the two are psychically linked as "fighter" and "sacrifice." This bond overwhelms all other relationships, including the nascent friendship between Ritsuka and bubbly blond Yukio, and Soubi and fellow artist Kio. Children and virgins are drawn with cat ears, while adults are not. This helps fetishize Ritsuka as a pet-the psychic combat literally manifests a collar and chains on him-while also muddling the dominance-tinged way in which Soubi feels obligated to help Ritsuka. Kio goes so far as to call him Ritsuka's slave. Soubi is further positioned as both a brother figure and a parent substitute, making the lingering sexual tension between the two convoluted in a manner more messy than complex. However, the author illustrates emotional interplay between the two in such a way that readers are meant to think that this is a meeting of soul mates. Other characters play the critical surrogate and express discomfort with the relationship, but their concerns are brushed aside as irrelevant compared to the repeated drawings of Ritsuka and Soubi yearning for each other. This is nothing so much as a jagged piece of emotional wish-fulfillment and sadomasochism disguised as a combat series.-Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NHα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1421549905
• ISBN 13: 9781421549903
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 376