Fumi Yoshinaga's: Lovers in the Night

by Fumi Yoshinaga, 菱川 (translator)

Hired as a servant by an Aristocrat family, Claude works hard to care for the family that took him in. But when the master of the house and his wife eventually pass away, Claude must keep spoiled son Antoine in line and teach him to be a proper gentleman. As the two become closer, a forbidden love develops between them... Famed Boys' Love manga-ka Fumi Yoshinaga, the creator of Gerard and Jacques and Antique Bakery, has crafted a tale of young loveres flourishing against all odds.

Genres: Manga, Yaoi, Romance, Graphic Novels, Boys Love, Historical, Queer

232 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Japanese: よしなが ふみ

Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.

Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.

In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."

Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.

She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.

Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.

Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.

Reviews

[Trin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need a yaoi guide -- something along the lines of DoestheDogDie.com -- that will just clearly tell me whether the book contains rape or not.

[Michalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting seeing how Yoshinaga Fumi's works develop over time and I could see the workings of Gerard and Jacques in this one. More like a series of vignettes than G&J this is still a good fun read especially if you like couples where one partner is staid and responsible and the other a little bit spoilt.

[Derekica Snake · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I think? Well, first off I absolutely loved Gerard and Jacques by the same author and then I find out the anime I simply adore - Antique Bakery is based on the manga artists work. So this is probably why I was friggin disappointed with this offering.

Why? Squick factor. Claude was a child prostitute at 11 years old which only seems to be because he is one quarter chinese. At 13 he gets picked up by a client to be a house servant. Finally at 23 the heir to the house is born and Claude basically raises Antoine in the manor of a gentleman.

Squick factor again. Antoine is 21 so this leaves Claude at 44 before the quits his job as a butler and jumps the little french roll.

Icky icky pitang - Antoine goes to a masquerade ball, gets drugged and raped. Rescued by a masked man who then takes him someplace else and finishes the job. Is it Claude? Don't know he denies it.

What does it have going for it. Well beautifully drawn men in the french aristocratic style. There one smoking scene of Antoine doing himself, front and back, as he longs for his lover.

I won't toss it but I will peruse the offerings and reviews before purchasing another Yoshinaga work.

[Mati · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are several types of yaoi manga. The most tricky one is with plot set in European history. Poor young orphaned boy who was forced to prostitution, but discovered by considerate customer who brought him to the aristocratic family in the tender age of thirteen. Oh yes pedo themes involved for the drama sake. However boy with Chinese origin was prodigy and made it in to the butler of bankrupting aristocrat who had terrible wife. Still no sex. Aristocrat had a son and there was the fist hint. Son and butler made it out after some romantic talks and musings about how spoiled the young lord was. Frankly said. Young lord was not only spoiled but also utterly stupid.
However I liked this manga. Nicely made.

[byo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so it's not what I expected, it's pretty smutty and there's only like four points were there's a definite line between love and sex but still, it was in my favorite kind of time period and reminded me of As Meat Loves Salt (but this one worked out better so it made me happier).

I love the time periods and how Antoine ends up being 21 or so but I always forget because looking at him and seeing how he talks screams 16 or something! Ending was great! "Oh Lord, I don't know how to express my gratitude to you...!" is in more ways than one the best line in that book!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Love the awesome and frequent smex! I think this will be one of my new favorite yaoi manga!

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked it, short, cute, simple and sweet... and bratty!

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really impressed with the plot line of this story, and the slight written in satire.

[Jessica Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something to being an old fan of yaoi and queer manga from the ‘days of old’. Back when our manga came wrapped in plastic and you were more likely to find the plastic was there because of a single gay kiss (Looking at you Eerie Queerie) or because of the giant chunk of smutt throughout the whole volume. It was really hard to tell when we didn’t have the internet to look up titles or mangaka to see which it would be. Yaoi was a niche market most didn’t pay attention to and often the stories we got were self indulgent on a very special level. This was not the place for deep storylines or complicated narratives that would rock your world (though occasionally you were lucky and found those). Instead this was the territory of very attractive men sleeping together with the flimsiest of excuses. It wasn’t about the realism. It was all about the fantasy and how pretty that fantasy was...

Read the full review at Well, Are They? A Queer Review Blog -
https://wellarethey.blogspot.com/2024...

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read another manga before this one, and unfortunately this review is going to be a bit of the same. I liked the art style in this one a bit more, but it still wasn't for me. If I don't enjoy the art, it's really hard to get into the story. I think I may have to just stick to the fantasy type manga since that seems to be what I mesh with most (with a few exceptions).

[Tina Olah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice art and character designs, though the stories mainly felt like background for the prOn. One of the major chapters is apparently only in another book too, making this volume feel a little disjointed. CONTENT WARNING: the book contains scenes of questionable consent, and one outright non-consensual scene. TAKE HEED.

[Roo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard 90s yaoi. Unnecessary rape scene, uncomfortable age gaps, etc. Mostly enjoyable characters, but I was reading it out of curiosity and I'm not terribly interested in seeking out anything else by the author.

[Curious Madra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love its couple and historical setting

[DARK ROMANCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Fumi Yoshinaga yaoi. Loved it! The story and art were gorgeous!
Triggers: one brief scene of child abuse and one of rape. The main couple is very loving.

[Freddie C]

big bookie buns

(PLEASE SOMEONE WRITE GAY SHIT THATS NOT GROOMING AND ALSO BORDERLINE INCEST)

[二六 侯 · Rating 2 out of 5]

管家少爺這篇好像只有對腐女Service，沒在鋪劇情。（寫於2008年12月12日）

[Dean MacKinnon-Thomson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A solid, cute yaoi manga. Don't let the 2/5 star rating fool you!

Solid characterisation, much better than is normally expected in yaoi manga. The characters come across is having hidden depths which don't depend on either relentless comedy or endless hints to come across.

That said, while loving the main protagonists, I felt the plot was thinner than could have been expected. But then that is why I call it 'cute', because this isn't 'risqué' (obviously it has plenty of juicy man-on-man sex, but its yaoi DUH!).

Arts wise, the quality of the sketches is okay, just... okay. Not bad, not good. Alright.

If you like sweet, heart-warming yaoi then this has to be worth the effort. But just remember, this isn't a high drama thriller, more an intimate love-plot with requited love galore :)

[小さな N (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)⊃ [_|_] ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought a whole bunch of Fumi Yoshinaga manga and this was the first one I tackled since it's a One Shot... well, technically. Unfortunately I didn't know that the characters were intoduced in a different book that I didn't have the chance to get. I guess you don't neccessarily need that story, but I'm a bit miffed and I'd still like to read it because I liked Lovers in the Night.

[k8inorbit]

r sez only semi-okay

[Reader17 Der · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this BL story

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as lovely and wonderful as Antique Bakery or Gerard & Jacques. But it's ok lah.

[QS · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so terrible I couldn't bring myself to stop reading it. I'm judging myself so hard right now.