Book Review: One is Enough

Title: One is Enough

Author: Love, Julianne Neville (Translator)

Publish Date: August 12, 2014

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕

My Thoughts:

Let me start by saying I read a lot of BL. I’m familiar with all the common tropes and clichés. Unfortunately, Love’s “One is Enough” just doesn't stand out from the many BL manga available. The story begins with 16 year old Matsumoto Yuu stumbling into a dark room where he meets bleeding upperclassman Mizushima Shizuku. From there on the story moves at a fast pace hitting trope after trope – love at first sight, tsundere seme, annoying uke, non-con situations, love triangle, etc…. The heart of the story had potential but everything moved too fast and the story telling suffered for it. Both main characters are emotionally fragile but the story only briefly touches on why and then moves on without a real resolution.

 I had a difficult time sympathizing with Mizushima and Matsumoto, I just didn't like them. The character I did like however was Matsumoto’s friend Sora. He was strong and unlike Matsumoto, he was able to pick himself up and move on. Yes, he did let Matsumoto take advantage of him. And yes, to some extent he took advantage of Matsumoto, but in the end he still behaved as his friend and helped him, even at the cost of his own happiness.

Sometimes I’m willing to overlook some story flaws if the art is good. But art, like the story was rushed and inconsistent. Some pages would have clean lines and nice paneling and then two pages later the art looked like a rough draft or incomplete. I think that if the mangaka could have expanded the story into two volumes the art would be more consistent, the story would have flowed better and the reader would have a better idea about Mizushima’s back story and Matsumoto’s struggles as he discovers his sexuality.

Overall “One is Enough” is not bad, but it’s not good either. For someone who is new to BL this might satisfy them, but for those who read BL on a regular basis, the story feels rushed, incomplete, and unsatisfying.

I received this ebook for free in exchange for an honest review.