Live for Love by Jun Mayama

愛に生きたいだけなのさ by: 真山ジュン

Live for Love by: Jun Mayama

Original Story by: Itsuki Sato

Rated:  18+

Price:  $12.95

Junè - BL/Romance/Drama

Review May Contain Spoilers

Nomura is at an all time low when he’s approached by Kiryuuin , the handsome owner of Kiryuuin Detective Agency.  With no better prospects, Nomura accepts a job when it’s impulsively offered to him.  So begins their friendship, which is about to be tested when Nomura’s adoptive family tries to persuade him to come back home.  Can the two men overcome their differences, or has Nomura lost the only real home he’s ever had?

I liked the characters in Live for Love, and found their daily struggles engaging.  The agency is just a step away from the poor house, and Kiryuuin constantly has a hard time meeting their financial obligations.  Rent, salaries, expenses – it’s just one big bill that he doesn’t have the money to pay.  Still, despite their no-frills existence, Nomura feels that he’s finally found a place of his own and he’s found contentment with his new life.  So what if he’s tracking down lost cats for a living?  At least he’s happy.

Nomura is one of those sad characters who has had a tough go of things.  Abandoned in a coin locker shortly after his birth, he was adopted by a well-to-do couple  when he was a teenager because of his high grades.  This new home didn’t bring him happiness however, because he felt that he was constantly under pressure to meet their high expectations of him.  After his adoptive parents had a son of their own, Nomura felt truly isolated and alone, and didn’t feel like he fit in at his home anymore.

Having finally found a measure of satisfaction with Kiryuuin, Nomura’s life is thrown into turmoil; his adoptive father is having health issues, and he wants Nomura to come back home.  Having set up a marriage interview for him, his parents once again pressure him to act according to their desires.  Now Nomura is unsure of what he should do – stay with Kiryuuin and face an uncertain future, or go back to his parents and live the structured life they have planned for him.

There is one rape scene that killed some of my enjoyment of the book, but otherwise, it was an entertaining tale with attractive characters, loads of drama, and some comedy to break up all of the angst.  Kiryuuin and Nomura are only truly happy when they are together, and despite the roadblocks to staying together, I wanted to see them resolve their issues.  When Nomura agrees to the life his parents want him to live, it’s obvious that he’s making a big mistake, but it also seems that Kiryuuin hasn’t left him any other choice.  Kiryuuin’s impulsive and selfish behavior has left an even bigger roadblock in their path, and it doesn’t look like anything is going to allow them to move beyond it.

The pacing is a little uneven, but a steady barrage of emotional turmoil makes for a gripping read.

Grade: B-

Review copy provided by June

This review was written by Julie for the MangaCast. Please drop by the Manga Maniac Cafe and check out the menu.  There’s always tasty reviews on display!