Manhattan Love Story cover image.

Drama/Romance; Rated “M” for “Mature Audiences 18+”

In the yaoi manga, Manhattan Love Story, by Momoko Tenzen, romance blooms in a series of interconnected vignettes.  Each Manhattan-set tale has a title with a theme built around flowers, and the characters are connected to one another in a romantic six degrees of separation.

In the heart of New York City, Dan “Diamond” Loving works as a florist, selling bouquets of flowers to fellow New Yorkers looking for a little romance in their lives.  Dan is having his own love affair; it’s a secretive one with the owner of the flower shop – a wealthy, powerful, and handsome young CEO named Rock Melville.  Getting together for dates, however, can be difficult because both have busy schedules, so Dan wonders if Rock will ever be able to make the commitment necessary to not only keep their love alive, but also make it something deeper.

THE LOWDOWN:  Manhattan Love Story is a strongly romantic boys’ love manga.  There is little explicit sex (but enough to make it yaoi), and creator Momoko Tenzen conveys passion and urgent need through her lush shojo style art.  An atmosphere of love and romance wafts over this narrative, as characters connect with one another through intimate conversation and gentle touching.  The seme-uke (top-bottom) dynamic is strong in these stories, especially in the Dan Loving/Rock Melville romance.  With his long blond hair and feminine physical traits, Dan even plays the part of the woman in this relationship, making Dan and Rock’s back cover portrait look like an illustration on the cover of an American romance novel.

There are also a number of other engaging romances here featuring characters connected to either Dan or Rock.  Kirie Kanan (Dan’s flower shop coworker) and Kirie’s former homeless lover, Kenji, offer a few chapters of playful, romantic bickering.  Overall, this collection is just a really fun, fun read.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Yaoi readers who prefer emotive romance instead of sex will want to try the highly enjoyable Manhattan Love Story.

A-

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