Silly Gossip (Yaoi Manga) - Nook Color Edition [NOOK Book]

Jayden

Noa

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The Digital Manga Guild and the localization team, BL Bang Bang

The Digital Manga Guild and the localization team, BL Bang Bang offered me the opportunity to review this via Emanga.com. I judge manga by the cover and my judgments are usually right. I was not wowed by Silly Gossip's cover and thus not interested, but in hopes of being surprised, I gave it a chance.

The Story: Nogaki Suzume’s Silly Gossip contains two unrelated stories. The title story clears the first seven chapters and is about talent manager Bidou "Rei" Reiji's pursuit, capture, and constant manipulation of his idol client Haguruma Narumi. The second story and final chapter in the volume, "Magic M.D.," is about an unfortunate mage, Rai, who is suffering from an abundance of cuteness and Magudora, the doctor who aims to cure him.

The Art: It was a bit too juvenile for me. Some of the facial expressions of the uke are exaggerated to the point where I'm put completely in the mood for Saturday morning cartoons--not exactly the tangent I want to wander off into when I know heavy breathing is just a page away. BUT. There was one panel where I could really feel Rei’s expression. The difference between it and all the others was like the difference between the look in Jim Caviezel’s eyes as he played Edmond Dantès and the look he had when he resurfaced as the Count of Monte Cristo. And just like Jim’s, Rei’s character was better for it.

The Characters: Brats and human-animal hybrids of a certain ilk—NO. Narumi's an indecisive tease who's ever-present lack of awareness fails to be charming or endearing. It’s often the uke's internal conflict that moves the story by creating engaging twists and turns. Narumi's not deep enough for that, so his resistance just annoys me. As for Rai, I know people like the neko-chans, but I can usually do without. Thank goodness neither one of these characters were the seme or I never would have survived it. Speaking of, Rei was an enjoyable seme. Right from the start he makes it known that he’s not blinded by celebrity and puts Narumi in his place. He wastes no time in revving up the perv engine and then steadily moves it into high gear. In addition to being a perv, he’s a caretaker—a role I like very much. And out of all of the characters, Rei had the best lines. Saying things like, “on the memo pad of my heart” and “Now submit as I deliver the naughty!” endeared him to me all the more. He wasn’t the only good thing in it. The 11th hour intro of Beniko Tsuguharu was great for “Silly Gossip” and Magudora, the doctor from "Magic M.D." was a letch and well, who doesn’t like a letch? But I think what I liked most was the mangaka’s full awareness of her creation. The comments she wrote about her story and characters as well as some of the character’s reactions seem to echo my thoughts on those aspects in a strange way. From her comparison of one of the characters to an animal to the perceived lecherousness of the doctor, I felt like I was reading her mind, but that’s not to say that the story was overly predictable.

I wouldn’t exactly rave about this title, but I did have some fun. Silly Gossip doesn’t require much from its readers in the way of participation and it isn’t pretending to be anything it’s not. But sans the gratuitous sex, it’s really just BL for the sake of being BL—not that there’s anything wrong with that. Personally, I can only take so much of these kinds of stories, but I don’t doubt that a great many people will find it to there liking and unapologetically so. Thanx to DMG & BLBB!

A Hilarious Relationship Between Two Fools

Narumi is a cute, talented albeit extremely dumb actor who recently got a new manager in Reiji. At first glance, Reiji seems like the sharpest, most competent and dedicated manager any performer could have asked for. Reiji might be capable of averting any scandalous gossip involving women that might ruin Narumi’s reputation but can he control his own perversion as he falls for his charge? How will Reiji get out of being blackmailed into submission by a former client who threated to spread the gossip of illicit relationship between him and Narumi?

“Silly Gossip” delivers a very comical love story between a talent manager and his charge that makes me laugh out loud while reading it in several places. Neither Narumi nor Reiji must have ever heard of the expression: “Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Thread”. I can understand why it is in Narumi’s simple character to rush into a physical connection with Reiji so as to keep him on the job and to constantly get the sweet treats from his favorite bakery. However, it is very amusing to see Reiji delude himself into thinking he has Narumi 100% under his control when the fact is, he has to put up with Narumi’s many violent fits to get cuddle time. This guy must be a closet masochist and I wonder who is the bigger fool? My suspicion deepens when Reiji’s ex-lover showed up just as the relationship between Narumi and Reiji was about to move from being purely physical to a more emotional level. It brings smiles to my lips to see the haughty, perverted manager finally being served his own medicine.

Overall, I find “Silly Gossip” to be a highly entertaining read. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light, cute and comical yaoi story. I am impressed by how well the localization is done. The translation and editing are good – the humor in the dialogues and story situations convey very well. The type setting was also done right – it makes the reading on digital platform very easy.

Disclosure: I would like to thank Digital Manga Publishing and Boys Love Bang Bang for providing me a complementary rental “Silly Gossip” for this review.

#1

Me first!!!

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