is a three-volume Japanese

yaoi ''Yaoi'' (; ja, やおい ), also known by the '' wasei-eigo'' construction and its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created ...

manga that follows the relationship between a high school swim team captain and his young admirer. It was created by Ranma Nekokichi, and the

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

prequel offers a beforehand look into the characters' lives and relationships with each other. The manga is licensed in Russia by Comics Factory.

Plot

The series begins when a five-year-old boy named Matsui Takahiro is playing with his friend Teru and his dog; suddenly, they both notice a blue-haired young man staring at them named Yuuji. Matsui doesn't know him but is surprised to hear Yuuji say, "I want a dog" before leaving the scene. Many years later Matsui is now a teenager and is seen hanging out with his best friend Eiichi Yoshino, then after watching a high school swimming competition, he falls in love with the swim captain and decides, upon entering his freshman year of

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, to take up

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

. The two eventually become involved in a relationship. However, the swim captain's old gang isn't so keen on this new boy who is constantly occupying their friend's time and thoughts. Matsui's own friend is against the relationship, as well.

Characters

; : : A teenage high school student who is also the heir to a large business franchise. He is the captain of the swim team, and has had his eye on Matsui Takahiro for a while. Forced to take over his grandfather's company, Yuuji sees himself as the "fish in the trap", one who spends his entire life flailing helplessly in the palm of his grandfather's hand; unable to do anything to get free, unwilling to rebel, just allowing himself to be led and controlled. ; : : A troubled young boy who becomes involved with Yuuji Tsukamoto against his will. He harbors an interest in the older boy, but finds that he isn't quite prepared for the pace at which their relationship starts to blossom. He was once a loner, until he met his best friend, Yoshino Eiichi. He is devastated when he realizes that Eiichi, his most trusted confidante, also has romantic feelings for him. ; : : Matsui Takahiro's best friend, the bespectacled Eiichi is deceptively docile-looking and kind. After transferring to Matsui's school, he quickly befriended the lonely boy, and the two became inseparable. Once Yuuji Tsukamoto begins to seduce Matsui, however, Eiichi's dark side emerges, and he becomes violent and aggressive towards his former best friend. ; : ; : ; : ; : ; :

Reception

Jonathan Clements Jonathan Michael Clements (born 9 July 1971) is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shi Huang, as well as monthly opinion columns for ''Neo'' magazine. He is also the co-auth ...

and

Helen McCarthy Helen McCarthy (born 27 February 1951) is the British author of such anime reference books as ''500 Manga Heroes and Villains'', ''Anime!'', ''The Anime Movie Guide'' and '' Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation''. She is the co-author o ...

describe the OAV as being a funny "school shenanigans" story.Clements, Jonathan and Helen McCarthy 2006

The Anime Encyclopedia ''The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917'' is a 2001 encyclopedia written by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy. It was published in 2001 by Stone Bridge Press in the United States, and a "revised and expanded" edition ...

Revised & Expanded Edition. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, p. 180

References

External links

* {{J.C.Staff OVAs 1993 manga 1994 anime OVAs Drama anime and manga Hentai anime and manga J.C.Staff Romance anime and manga Yaoi anime and manga Japanese LGBT-related animated television series