Little Cry Baby is that subset of boys’ love manga known as shounen-ai which features two males as romantic leads, but is usually non-graphic in the depictions of sexuality (whereas the other subset, yaoi, features graphic depictions of sex).  These stories by manga-ka (creator) Keiko Kinoshita

feature boys and young men who cry at the simplest things – mostly beauty, love, and secret romantic longings.

In the title story, the brawny Fujimoto secret pines for the willowy crybaby Yoshino, who thinks that Fujimoto is only playing with his easily breakable heart.  A salaried employee is attracted to a sassy co-worker, but the co-worker knows that his secret admirer is stuck in an arranged marriage in the tale, “Top Secret.”  In the sci-fi, “Raika,” a man who was estranged from his late father, finds himself stuck with the result of one of his father’s bizarre experiments – Raika, a dog his father transformed into a boy.  In “You are Mine…” and “…And I am Yours,” two high school boys who have been together since they were small children struggle with the fact that their relationship might be about to become romantic and physical.  Finally, an amateur magician brings joy to a tearful loner in “Flower Boys.”

THE LOWDOWN: Keiko Kinoshita’s tales are light-hearted romances between high school boys and very young 20-somethings.  The stories are more playful puppy love than hot and passionate.  By far, the best of the lot is the oddball sci-fi tale, “Raika,” which flirts with bestiality, although the two-part “You are Mine…” and “…And I am Yours” are not far behind in terms of entertainment.  Overall, Little Cry Baby is a fizzy pop drink with lots of warm, fuzzy feelings.

FOR READERS OF:  Consider this a primer for yaoi, but the audience for this will be mostly young and female.

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