[rating:1]

Lily Hoshino’s Love Quest begins with that most Japanese of high school traditions: the love confession. Since this is a yaoi manga, it will come as a surprise to readers that the confession is made by a boy, to a…girl?! Never fear though- this is the only brief flicker of heterosexuality anywhere in this manga.

Unfortunately for high student Akabane, the object of his affections turns him down, saying she likes a guy named Moriya better. Furious Akabane goes in search of this Moriya fellow. The moment they meet, however, the sidewalk suddenly opens and swallows them whole.

They land in the middle of a forest (one, of course, coming to rest in a suggestive position atop the other). Almost immediately they are menaced by a huge dragon/dinosaur, but are rescued by a half-naked warrior woman. Marion can teleport the trio away from danger, but her magic energy needs a boost- a boost that can only be provided when two humans from our world exchange bodily fluids. Moriya doesn’t mind French-kissing a dude, but Akabane’s not too keen on it…at first.

It turns out Marion is the exiled princess of some kingdom or other who’s being hunted by the evil guy who deposed her (and who is also in love with his sorcerer/henchmen, an unbearably pretty man named Earl). Marion called for help from the real world, and Moriya and Akabane just happened to show up. Moriya has apparently been in love with Akabane for years, despite the fact that they have never actually met (as evidenced by Akabane not knowing who he was at the beginning of the story). As time passes (and by ‘time’ I mean about twelve hours), Akabane finds himself falling for Moriya as well.

Despite her dangerous position, Marion agrees to send the boys home. But what happens when they find only one of them can go?

If you think this synopsis is rushed and messy, just imagine what the actual manga is like. Hoshino takes what could be an epic plot (fantasy land/evil overlord/pursued princess/human saviors) and strips it down until it’s a porno script: every situation and even the fantasy world’s system of magic exists solely to force two guys to kiss, over and over. The history behind Marion and her nemesis is incredibly vague, the villains are left over from bad 1980’s fantasy films, and there’s no logic whatsoever behind the kissing thing.

Yaoi fans won’t even find any on-screen sex in the main story, just lots of snogging (though Hoshino adds an extra chapter at the end for those who really want to see Akabane and Moriya do it). A (very) short story is tucked in to fill out the volume. That one’s nothing but sex, so maybe it all evens out.

While the ending of Love Quest is left open, there’s no indication this will become a series. It’s kind of a shame; with more time Hoshino might have been able to flesh out her fantasy world until it was at least slightly interesting. Instead we’re left with this clichéd muddle of yaoi and fantasy. Actually, it may be best that Love Quest is only one volume. Hoshino’s characters are so paper-thing that multiple volumes about them might just be unbearable. The characters in the short story have no personality at all; they exist merely to get it on (they are college students who try to do some work and end up doing each other instead).

Hoshino’s art is skillful, if not unique. Since she’s primarily a yaoi artist, her skill at drawing women is surprising; the two female characters in Love Quest are both beautifully drawn. The men are yaoi-typical, from tall, dark Moriya to super-feminine Earl.

Despite the inclusion of actual females, Love Quest remains a bundle of yaoi clichés with no real plot or characterization. I’d recommend it, but only if you’re fresh out of every other yaoi manga in the world.

Details

Publisher: Yen Press
Author: Lily Hoshino
Pages: 176 pages
Format: Manga
MSRP: $12.99
Date of Publication: 10/28/2008
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