Sounds of Love

Review Date: 2009 February 09 06:48

Reviewed by: Priss

Released by: Luv Luv

Publishing Country: USA

Author: Rin, Tanaka

Age Rating: 18+

Page Count: 224

ISBN-13: 9781934496374

ISBN-10: 1934496375

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Summary

Musical maestro Kyoichiro is a popular pianist known as "The Conjourer of Melody".

His charm and talent are matched only by his arrogance, an aspect of his personality that infuriates incenses his sweet manager Kazune. Thankfully, their frustrations are work themselves to an exquisite crescendo, as Kazune performs for him professionally and passionately as his lover.

With a boyfriend who plays himself with a playboy's pretence, Kazune's confidence is put to the test, is he merely stringing her along as an instrument of his pleasure?

Review

'Sounds of Love' was not a by any means, a symphony of sensuality. Unlike a successful serenade there is no rise and fall, no arresting rhythm of the narrative flow and very little energy in the erotica. I wasn't charmed by Kyoichiro nor caught up in Kazune's crisis of confidence. Romantic music, like manga, is about communication, conveying the core of the composer's emotion, holding the audience rapt. Like a bad concert, I struggled through each piece of Tanaka's story, with only a languid interest in her lukewarm love story.

The art is adequate while not especially memorable. The strength is in Kyoichiro's characterisation, delivered by his design – a handsome fop with a cold eye, he is only element that carries the tune of this tale through to the conclusion with any real energy.

Filler pieces featured are 'Prince of Love', a story similarly spun from the lives of talented creative characters, which centres on a writer and his ex followed by office romance 'Little Lovers Hands'. While the latter is marginally superior to the other chapters, it's not particularly pleasurable to have something slightly sweeter after a long course in drudgery. A good after dinner mint, after all, does not make up for a mediocre meal.

Rating: 5/10

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