By Leroy Douresseaux
January 19, 2009 - 12:38
Rated “YA” for “Young Adults 16+”
Akira Togawa may be an average high school student, but he is in love with his older stepbrother, Satoru. Make that was. A scruffy photographer named Kaoru Nakahara came into Akira’s life when he began work on a campus photography project. Kaoru fell head over heels in love with Akira, and he wouldn’t take even Akira’s loudest “No!” for an answer, but Akira eventually fell in love with Kaoru, too.
As Camera Camera Camera, Vol. 2 opens, Akira gets a shocking phone call about Satoru, but that’s not his only problem. Akira also finds himself fighting a diminutive, 16-year-old, male model named Daisuke Kotoko for Kaoru’s attention. Meanwhile, a mystery woman comes back into Kaoru’s life, and Akira may finally learn why Kaoru doesn’t like to take photographs of people.
THE LOWDOWN: The drama continues as the Boys’ Love (BL) drama, Camera Camera Camera, moves steadily, but with much commotion, towards its conclusion. Creator Kazura Matsumoto presents such well-developed characters, and while she doesn’t offer much psychological insight into them, she does connect them through love and obligation. All that passion, concern, duty and commitment make for tasty conflict, jealousy, and rivalries, but it’s all smooth and entertaining rather than being dark and tiresome. Matsumoto is an all around good artist, but her stylish facial drawings immediately capture attention. It is funny; however, that her drawing style made Akira’s face look like the mug Michael Jackson is currently sporting.
POSSIBLE AUDIENCE: Not only is Camera Camera Camera quality BL manga; it’s also a Young Adult drama that may appeal to teen BL fans as much, if not more, than older readers.
B+
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