This short story collection by the popular author of the Boys’ Love manga Antique Bakery
and Solfege
presents five intriguing tales of turbulent male romance. In the title story, a successful young doctor whose parents are eager to see him settle down faces his repressed feelings for a needy male friend. “My Eternal Sweetheart” tells of a man-hungry teenager who uses his older brother’s genius at making androids—here called “sexaroids”—to create an all-male bevy of sexual playmates, and things take an unexpected, disturbing turn. In “Fairyland,” the last two people on a deserted earth find each other, try to make sense out of their bleak situation and collide with the tragedies of loneliness and alienation. A May-December marriage and its collapse is the focus of “One May Day,” and “Pianist” traces a musical prodigy’s rise and fall, punctuated with promiscuity and hubris. Each vignette is emotive and thought provoking, showcasing Yoshinaga’s superior storytelling and strong characterization, and showing why she’s one of the stars of this popular genre. (July)
