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Manga-ka: Yuki Shimizu
Publisher: BLU
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: May 2008
Synopsis: “The flashback continues… After Haruomi saves Kiichi from Miyamoto, he decides to look for his long-list twin brother Tien – who unexpectedly shows up at the Aoe household to kidnap Kiichi! Will Tien finally forgive his brother for abandoning him? And with all that Haruomi and Kiichi have been through, will these two become more than just friends? Find out how Haruomi and Kiichi get together in this love-filled volume of Love Mode!”
Prepare for a big page count here with volume nine of Love Mode. The back story of Aoe Kiichi and Haruomi continues where volume eight left off, the two in the manicial clutches of a man seeking Kiichi’s body for himself.
I honestly didn’t expect Haruomi and Kiichi to get two whole volume to themselves. While I missed some of the other characters, I certainly didn’t mind this blast to the past. Kiichi is a really interesting character (he just does not get a break!) and I love learning so much about his past and relating it to the way he acts in the present. While I didn’t find Haruomi nearly as interesting, he none the less proved himself to be an admirable guy.
Things are also a dramatic twist with the return of Haruomi’s twin brother, whose abandonment issues were certainly heartfelt. It’s too bad he won’t have his own exploration chapters, as Yuki Shimizu sadly points out in the after word.
I hadn’t mentioned it in my review of book eight, so I have to point here in volume nine’s review on how much I appreciate the world BLU has done with the series. The clean and simplistic cover suits the story perfectly and the binding of the book is really good, especially evident with a book so thick. Also, they made a great choice in maintaining the name honorifics because character interactions and relations wouldn’t be the same without them.
So in short conclusion, with a heaping dose of action, drama and passionate love making, Love Mode volume nine continues the tradition of quality and entertainment this series is known for. If you haven’t done it yet, I recommend picking up a copy of volume one and diving in so you can join us readers at number nine with full satisfaction.
Review written June 27, 2008 by Lissa Pattillo
Book purchased online from Chapters
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