I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I have to start by saying that I almost didn't want to finish this book, and I am so glad I did. This is part of a series and this first book is the weakest of the books. It gets so much better. If you are questioning whether to continue on, go for it!

OK. Now for the real review.
Like I mentioned, this is part 1 of a 3 volume series, each volume broken into 2 parts. The series is the story of Ryuu and Hiro and how they navigate from friends to eventual lovers. Volume 1 is all about how the two guys meet and become friends. There is no romance whatsoever in this book. It is strictly about how they meet, how they get to know each other, and how they become friends.

While it was interesting character development, as someone who is not familiar with the Japanese culture (pop or regular), I had a hard time keeping up with some of the book. I didn't understand a lot of how the pop world worked, and there was no explanation of it. It was all assumed that I should know it as a reader. It also threw me for a loop when Ryuu called Takahashi by that name and then all of a sudden he started calling him Hiro. I can assume from looking into it that it Hiro is his familiar name and that is why there was a change, but some kind of explanation for the reader would have been helpful. Instead, it made it annoying at times to read the book. I still can not in any true complete way explain the pop culture of these boys (e.g., how does the talent mill work? for being "huge" pop stars, they seem to get around without being noticed anywhere-is that normal?)

I feel like this back story could have been quite a bit shorter. There was a lot of information in these many pages that I didn't need.

For a positive, part 2 was much more interesting than part 1. We really started to get to know the guys in part 2. Their humor started to seep through. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the part where they made a bet with each other to act like the other person for a day. It was funny, but it was also humbling (I think) for Ryuu to see how he is perceived by others.

This far in, I am really looking forward to the next volumes. I want to see how the friendship for these guys grows. And the ending to this volume--the last page or so? Loved it. ( )

*** Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ***

First off, I’m writing this after I’ve read only the first volume, and I think that’s my main issue with it. I’m very confused with the book.

It all starts when Ruyy is beaten in Tetris by Takahashi/Hiro. Ruyy doesn’t like losing, and he is determined to have a rematch and win. This strikes up an interesting, new friendship between the two. They go from playing Tetris to hanging out all the time. Through their spending so much time together, Ruyy learns a lot about himself. He learns to see himself through another’s – Hiro’s – eyes.

Hiro is pretty much the total opposite of Ruyy. He’s goofy and dorky, always sees the glass half full. On the surface, at least. But Ruyy is very good at observing his surroundings and the people around him, and he sees what’s underneath the funny guy.

Why I'm confused? Well, because that there is pretty much it for this book. It’s an easy read and yet not. The prose is quirky and funny, but it’s hard to see the progress of the story. What happens? Where is it all going? Not much and not far. This volume just sets the scene for the story and, based on other reviews, prepares the reader for what’s yet to come. Personally, I found character building lacking, especially considering the length of the book and the fact that there is no real progress here. I repeat: Where is it going?

I’m also not familiar with the J-Pop world at all, however I’m a bit more familiar with the Japanese culture through having read other books set in Japan with Japanese characters, so I knew to expect some aspects of the story.

As for my rating, it reflects my disappointment with Volume 1 and Volume 1 only. I guess it just didn’t click that this definitely can not be read as a standalone. Had I paid for it, I’d be inclined not to purchase the other books. There isn’t really much promise in Volume 1. Nothing much to whet the appetite and get you invested in these guys. ( )

My third work by this author. I'd been putting it off as it didn't look as interesting as the others I'd read by him. But I finally tried the sample, then bought.

There are various reasons I had been putting it off, the main one, or at least the one I wish to note in a review box is a relatively simple one. Most of the books I've read involving Japanese characters set in Japan have been written by westerners. I've only read two written by a Japanese fella living in Japan, and then three or five by a guy of Japanese descent living in the USA. Oh, then there was that All You Need is Kill book. And all those manga's I'd read. Well, the point I was attempting to make is that I wasn't really that sure I wanted to add yet another layer of confusion to my idea of what is Japan and what makes Japan Japan.

So, there was that holding me back.

The story involves 'idols' in Japan. Music people. Specifically Ryuu Shiwasuda and Hiro Takahashi, members of two different music groups. Told from the perspective of Ryuu, except for several blog entries, emails, and interview question answers from both that are intermixed in between sections of the book.

It's an interesting look at a particular aspect of Japanese culture I hadn't really thought that much about - the entertainment part. Those who make music, movies, tv shows, etc. I have no real idea how much to take what the author dishes up as based on reality, and how much is fantasy. I mean, I have a much better grasp of the situation, limited though it might be, of a book that involves an American actress, or singer, or the like. While I have nothing to base a pre-existing opinion on regarding Japanese entertainers. Other than the few movies, and books and the like that I've sampled in the past. Which doesn't really give a good foundation to determine whether or not all of this is just fantasy with a thin coating of 'this is Japan', or if there's a solid bit of connection between the Japan in the book and the Japan of reality.

I would probably say that Ryuu's character is of the kind I couldn't stand, but I was mostly able to see past that. I'm not sure I'd be able to be in the same room with Hiro - he's just too hyper.

I went into this book with two things in the back of my mind - I'd read two works by Gabriel previously - both involving graphic gay male sex. One, the Superhero one, seems to have been dripping with it, while the other, the fantasy one, seemed to have had a sex scene shoehorned in. So, gay characters will be involved. The second thing was something I saw while glancing through other people's tags. And noticing one or more had something like 'no-sex' or the like. So, gay characters without sex.

Hiro's orientation isn't exactly revealed in this first book, but Ryuu seems to be described as a straight man. Not even bisexual, but straight. So, instead of two gay men, I apparently have an open question and a straight man who like hanging out with each other. Considering that the things they do together, punching, hugging, wiggling near each other, are the same things both do with their fellow male non-gay members of their music groups, then the fact that they do that while alone with each other isn't actually an indication of anything one way or another.

(This is where being 7 or 20% into the second book before I write anything about the first can get things confusing. I know there's no sex in this first book, that's not the confusing thing. It's Ryuu's bumping into his ex-girlfriend part. And the scene in the shower where Ryuu has some quite happy thoughts about women. Those bits that reinforce the nature of Ryuu's orientation, at least up to this point in his life. I think both occur in the second book. Though the ex-girlfriend gets a mention or two in the first book).

Regardless of my lack of prior knowledge of Japan's music and acting scene, which will hence forth be 'contaminated' by what I read in this book here, the book was quite interesting and entertaining. The book does kind of end abruptly, though. Which is how I ended up 7 or 20% into the second book before I had a chance to write anything here. I just bounced over to the second book and continued reading. Those without that option might be annoyed by the abrupt ending of this book.

In terms of gayness - I had originally placed this book on my 'gay' shelf that I use to indicate gay male characters. I then briefly put it onto the bisexual shelf. But there's nothing in this book that indicates that any of the characters are gay or bisexual, so, I had to remove both shelves. Bisexual and gay turn up in the next book.

If you squashed book one and two together, then you can safely and easily use such tags like 'romance' and 'MM' or even, shockingly I know, 'bisexual'. But as it is, none of those tags really work here. Unless by 'Romance' you mean bromance. bro-mance. I guess I can call this 'music' and 'japan'. I'm not even sure I can call it contemporary - not having the knowledge needed to tell. Wait, I believe the book is set in 2012. So, contemporary. I can't actually use that tag/shelf though. As my only contemporary shelf is aligned with romance. ( )