Successful businessman Homura Yasobe has it all – he’s young, handsome and is being groomed to take over his father’s role as head of a Yakuza faction. But he harbors a dirty little secret: his lover is Touji Karasuma, the young, ruthless and future leader of a rival gang. Despite the risks, the two continue to carry out their love affair in secret. Discover Romeo and Juliet, Yakuza style, in this exciting first volume!
So this is going to be an icky analogy. You have a scab and you pick at. It heals, you pick at it again. Why? You want it to scar. You want it to be imprinted on you like a tatoo. It has to be a part of you...forever. Now why did that gross thing stick out for me, that's Homura and Touji's love. Touji is the never healing wound, the scab is Homura's loyality to the group and while they almost had a thing going on back in school Touji called it off because he knew he was walking down the yakuza path. Once Homura joined with a rival gang well it was like gangbusters. Hearts and candy, blood and bullets...as long as nobody knew anything. Touji wanted to scream it from the mountain tops that they were lovers but Homura put a muzzle on him.
Enter gambling puppy Host type. He's eating his heart out for his Boss Homura while he works off his father's debt. He sees Homura and Touji in a compromizing pose and uses it to force his affections on the reluctant love interest.
Homura might hold Touji's love leash but never forget that Touji is the heir apparent. He easily removes the puppy from Homura's host club and ensnares him into his own club with the strict view of keeping them apart. I just kept waiting for Touji to pull out the metaphyiscal newspaper and smack the puppy into oblivion. The puppy's persistence can be admired but I don't think he knows he's trying to shove his way into a long lasting love.
This manga was an emotional rollercoaster! It opens with the sweetest relationship I’ve ever seen between rival yakuza, to the point where I could feel my heart swell, then threw in a third wheel and made me cry. I hate that trope, but usually it’s an unrequited love interest who makes a mess of the main characters’ relationship by constantly getting in the way. In this manga, he actually succeeds, and it broke my heart.
The two rivals are both heirs to their respective gangs, and as rivals they must keep their relationship a secret. But the uke’s employee discovers their secret and threatens his boss that he’ll tell everyone unless he’ll go out with him. That was when I felt a sense of dread. But I was relieved when his boss tells him where to go, and that if he dares breathe a word he’s a dead man. Now THAT’S a yakuza leader!
But when his boyfriend begins behaving jealously about the whole thing and they have a huge fight, he does relent and go on a date with his employee. And even after reconciling with his boyfriend, at the end of volume 1 he genuinely appears to be developing feelings for the other man. (But I’m still 5-starring this because it ends well for my boys at the end of volume 2!)
This was just wonderful! "A Gentleman's kiss" is a story about the "forbidden love" between two Yakuza members from opposing groups. I loved Touji's and Homura's relationship, I loved how they're both men, I loved that when Touji got angry Homura said "No" and stopped him, I loved Touji's plan to get them together. I also loved Kyoya, who I felt really sorry for and I hope he'll find a nice young man to love. Just about perfect, really, and definitely one of my favourites. I also loved the book about Homura's younger brother.
Romance, angst, and lots of jealousy. This about the romance between the two sons of rival yakuza groups. Both are heir apparents to those opposing factions. Homura and Touji’s love affair has been a well kept secret. But things change dramatically when Kyoya falls for Homura. I am such a sucker for yakuza romances!
An enjoyable first book about my favorite older brother (from Zettai Unmei Houteishiki) though things look rocky for the two rival yakuza "leaders"... Actually I've read both books countless times, I just enjoy their relationship so much. Lol