I'm pleased to announce that one of the yaoi novels I recently enjoyed working on has been released - Love Water, written by Venio Tachibana and illustrated by Tooko Miyagi.
The Meiji Era is my favorite period of Japanese history. I find it fascinating because Japan was changing so rapidly then due to the opening to the west, with both predictable and unforeseen consequences.
Love Water is about Misao, a beautiful young man who has lived his entire life in an Osaka teahouse/brothel. Abandoned by his courtesan mother, he works to pay off his debts to the teahouse owner while dreaming of leaving for a new and better life someday. He has never even stepped foot outside of Osaka's redlight district, and so his dream seems bitterly far-fetched - even to him.
Into Misao's claustrophobic world comes Masaomi - a handsome man who wears western-style suits and trousers and who is the heir to a successful corporation. Masaomi is officially visiting the teahouse to see Ukigumo, the house's most sophisticated and sought-after courtesan. But then why does he continue to seek out Misao at every turn?
The cloistered and stiflingly-mannered world of a Meiji Era teahouse is brought to life in Love Water in intricate detail. Tooko Miyagi's illustrations are just stunningly beautiful - the best I've seen in any yaoi novel.
You can check out Love Water by clicking on my Amazon store in the sidebar, entitled "My Anime and Manga Books."
