FM-PMS

current chapter word count: 5151 (this is getting scary!)
scene(s) worked on today: Subaru waking up, meeting Michiko
scene(s) done? There are a few spots, where more flesh and detail is needed, but not much.
scene(s) to come next: kids & Mariko
character finally filled in: Subaru
character learning a lot more than he wanted: also Subaru
character (almost) risking her head for that: Michiko
research of the day: Suwano chaya
quote of the day: "You might not be aware of it, but Seishiro is very protective about you."

Manga recommendation: Sakura Gari by Yuu Watase

Sakura Gari
by Watase Yuu

genre tags: historical (Taisho era), yaoi(not romanticized), for mature audiences

I've come across several of Watase Yuu's earlier works, such as Ayashi no Ceres, Zettai Kareshi and, probably best known, Fushigi Yuugi. While those were entertaining and in parts almost light-hearted reads despite prevalent darker subplots in them, they were a tad too much fantasy to truly "ring my bell". Enjoyable reads, yes, but all-time favorites, certainly no.

Sakura Gari (up to vol. 2) is different. The story plays in Tokyo during the Taisho era (1912-1926) and a lot of research and detail has been given for a believable setting not only of the locations, but also of characters being believable in their time, of their surroundings, interactions, living conditions and events. In end notes of the two volumes already published, Watase-san admits that she put years of research into this story project. She hasn't delved into the BL (or the yaoi) genre before, and believe me, it shows -- in a positive way.
The story is drawn in beautiful, detailed, sometimes almost painful art without the idealizations of characters and especially behavior found in most manga with a BL component. I truly enjoyed reading the first two volumes and am eagerly waiting for the final one.

However, if you consider getting Sakura Gari, be warned: this is not a love story. It is considerably darker than Watase's previous works (though this might be a subjective feeling, because this plot grabbed me a lot more than the others), containing violence (sexual and otherwise). It is clearly geared for a mature audience and the BL component is part of a very precise historical setting that is much more than a mere backdrop of the main characters getting into each others pants.