Boys Next Door/Shounen Zanzou

WARNING: This post contains suggestive material, if you are easily offended by murder, prostitution, homosexuality, and such, please… save the time and don’t even read this and flame me, because that is just a waste of webspace.

I read <I>Boys Next Door</I>, although it is a yaoi manga, I think even people that don’t like yaoi will enjoy it. And although this was only one book, I think it would have to be my favorite manga, ever.
The story is set in modern day(I think) Los Angeles, where a serial killer called the "Blindman"(because all his victims were blindfolded) has been killing young boys(most of them young prostitutes). The beginning takes place when "Blandman" is captured, the whole neighborhood is shocked to find out that it is <a href=http://www.vectorstar.net/~kizuna/kizuna/boys_next_door/adrian.jpg>Adrian Grey</a>, a 27-year old Elementry school teacher. When they discover that Adrian is "blindman" they also find his last ‘victim’ <a href=http://www.vectorstar.net/~kizuna/kizuna/boys_next_door/laurence.jpg>Laurence Hill</a>, a 14-year old prostitute.
At this point Adrian recalls back to the time where he fist met Laurence. Laurance had his per iguana’s collar, which he had left at the scene of the crime. Laurence had seen him kill the boy and was now attempting to blackmail him. He tells him he will give him his iguana’s collar back, in exchange for <I>freedom</I>.
And this is just the beginng of Adrian and "Laur’s" love affair, which is only short lived.
While Laur tries to escape from <a href=http://www.vectorstar.net/~kizuna/kizuna/boys_next_door/dallas.jpg>Dallas</a>, his pimp. Adrian tries to help a young girl in one of his classes, <a href=http://www.vectorstar.net/~kizuna/kizuna/boys_next_door/vicki.jpg>Vicktoria "Vicki"</a> from experiancing the same traumatic childhood as he did.
And don’t even get me started in Adrians childhood. Throughout the manga, he often experiances flashbacks about when he mother left him in the carnival. And then there’s the thing with his mother’s death… Oi.
And the end of it brings us back to the present time, where he has his trial, and then the things that happen after that… whoo
I’ve never had so much emotion while reading something, as I did with this manga. It was original, and in a way… Laur and Adrian had an almost <I>Romeo & Juliet-esque</I> love….

I know I suck at reviews, oh well….

Ha, I know how to interest people in this interesting story about forbidden love. 😀

Okay, dear Shriners, think carefully: Who is the author? Huh? Forbidden love, does that ring a bell?

Yup, Angel Sanctuary. This is a Kaori Yuki manga…

I haven�t read it yet, but I plan to… as soon as it gets released. It will be, but I don�t know when…;) Something to look forward to.

Angel Sanctuary- I’ve only seen the first DVD of the anime.
I want to see more.

Anywho, I know a site where you can get the translations for "Boys Next Door", I would be more than happy to give you the url. ^.^

If you’ve been to the Square Gallery, they have the Cover Art for Boys Next Door in the Angel Sanctuary Section.

I’ve messed with that picture using photoshop so much for my site too….

And I was so mad to find the only Boys Next Door fansites in Japanese and German. >.<

Heh, you better buy the manga of Angel Sanctuary. The anime only tells a tiny fraction of the actual story… Think the first three of 20 manga, leaving out some important and interesting characters… such as Zaphikel, Raziel, Noise, Voice, Sevothtarte (sp??), Metatron, Kirie… loveable, scary, interesting oddities. And scenes. (Sigh) And it looks ugly, compared to the manga.

As for the cover… I have a pic of it somewhere… Good old Yuki-style.
I don�t need translations since I will get an official one this autumn or so…

Heh heh, yeah… the manga is alwaays better than the anime, in my experiances, anyways.

Actually, there are a few exceptions….

Well, in this case, of course the manga is better, because it is the original story, the anime is just the adaption.
Same goes for Kenshin, very very much.
But take Slayers, for example: Here the manga is an adaption of the TV series, and it lacks a lot of feeling, gags etc.

However, I don�t think any anime could possibly convey the atmosphere of a Kaori Yuki manga…

I agree.

I didn’t like the <I>Tenchi</I> manga much… it was just kinda…