By Tohjoh Asami
Overall: Pretty Much Awesome
Smex Factor: Red Lantern
Art: Generic
Status: 3 Volumes; Complete
(Note: This is the prequel to Denkou Sekka Boys -Chouhatsu-)
Review: THUNDERBOLT BOYS-- GOOOOO!
The great thing about Denkou Sekka Boys is that for the most part, it doesn't take itself very seriously. It does borrow a lot of dramatic clichés from typical BL manga, but the characters are really what make the story interesting.
Natsui's the more interesting of all of them. He was a glasses-nerd (their words, not mine) for all his life until tall, stoic Yasaka picked up his glasses and discovers, WOAH, THIS GUY'S A KNOCK-OUT (beauty). Not that he said this out loud, of course. In three volumes, Yasaka says all of about three nice things to Natsui. His silence, however, makes it all too obvious to his friends what his REAL feelings for Natsui are though. Well, Yasaka is a man of action. He'll say cold things to Natsui's face, but coddle him like a doll when Natsui's not looking. (This sounds impossible, but coddling done while the coddle-ee is not looking is a frequent occurrence in tsundere relationships.)
But Natsui: secretly a pretty boy, but completely oblivious to the fact that he's attractive. After all, if people had been calling you ugly for years, what would you believe? Luckily, he doesn't despair over his "bad" looks, but rather considers himself an average guy. (Tell that to your stalkers, Natsui.) The kid attracts a lot of unwanted attention, not helped by his doormat personality (much to Yasaka's chagrin).
Natsui's also really stupid, as is on par with characters of his type (ie, oblivious). On the other hand, he has surprising moments of clarity that make me like him more than I otherwise would. He also seems to take pride in his masculinity, however lacking in testosterone he might seem. It's good to see such a rollover, worry-wart character retain a multidimensional sense of individuality. (Not to say he isn't a useless guy-- Natsui is really an idiot. He's just more observational than most.)
Yasaka is quiet and brooding. He can also be a bit of an idiot, and it's not as though he never talks. He has friends too. Or at least one friend. (Itsuki can't be Yasaka's only friend, can he? Can he!?) Either way, he's as playful, stupid, and awkward as any high school boy, just a little less vocal about it.
The thing that I really like about Denkou Sekka Boys though? It's funny. Through all of the little melodramatic plot devices, the manga-ka remembers to throw in the jokes. I don't get sick of the characters embarrassing themselves or acting like morons. I like it. The dumber they are, the more I can relate to them, or see them as people I might actually know. Which, of course, makes them more enjoyable to read about.
On the other hand: Tohjou-sensei, people don't have feet that big. Or legs that long. Please adjust accordingly. (I have recently been informed that Tohjou is dead, as of 2007. But the chances of her actually stumbling across this, finding it interesting enough to read, actually being able to read this, and actually taking my advice are so slim that it wouldn't even matter if she was alive. However, being dead doesn't excuse your poor proportion execution. EVER.)
The series ends on a cliff-hanger, and one can assume that there was some problem with the publication. Although the series does pick up again in Chouhatsu, the story is never satisfactorily resolved. (And it didn't end on a cliff hanger because she died. How would there be a sequel if she was dead? Was she only mostly dead?)
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