Honey Darling

Would you still respect me as a critic if I admitted that I loved Honey Darling? Before you answer that question, consider the following evidence:

Exhibit A: The Cover. One of the characters is wearing cat ears and holding a cat. Gotta cover all the bases, I guess.

Exhibit B: Logic-Free Plotting. Chihiro rescues a kitten and names her Shiro. When Shiro develops a cold, Chihiro runs into the street, tearfully asking strangers where the nearest veterinary clinic is. (Presumably Chihiro has never heard of the Yellow Pages, directory assistance, or the internet.) He bumps into Kumazawa, who just happens to be a vet.

After Kumazawa examines Shiro, he berates Chihiro for being a lousy cat owner. Two minutes later, Kumazawa offers Chihiro a job at the clinic, even though Chihiro's only qualification is that he feels bad about neglecting Shiro.

Exhibit C: Chihiro's Job Title. Kumazawa cheerfully refers to Chihiro as his 'wife.' Why? Because no job could be more emasculating than being someone's chief cook, laundress, and maid' amirite?

Exhibit D: Situational Homosexuality (a.k.a. 'You're So Hot, I Made an Exception!'). Both Chihiro and Kumazawa are quick to establish their heterosexual bonafides at the beginning of the story. Which, of course, means that they will end up together at the end.

In a moment of juror nullification, however, I'm setting aside the evidence because I still loved Honey Darling, in spite of its dumber-than-rocks plotting, frequent recourse to cat ears, and retrograde depiction of married life.

My fondness for Honey Darling stems from author Norohiko Akira's ability to be sincere, silly, and creative all at once. Consider her use of perspective: most of the story is told from the nervous, fluttery Chihiro's point of view, but occasionally shifts to show us how Kumazawa and Shiro see things. These interludes are a subtle but effective reminder of how differently two people can interpret the same events; Kumazawa's internal monologue reveals his attraction to Chihiro, though it's easy to understand how Kumazawa's terse pronouncements feel more like daggers than come-ons. These chapters also underscore the pleasures of domestic life. All three characters ' and yes, I'm including the cat, since she's been given a voice ' clearly yearn for a sense of connection that transcends mere cohabitation; they're a family, even if it takes them the entire book to use that label for their relationship.

The other thing that prevents Honey Darling from being too sappy is Akira's omake. In the afterword, she jokes about Shiro's prominent role ' 'For the record, this manga is a boys' love story,' she declares ' and cheerfully pokes fun at yaoi tropes. As her comments and comic strips attest, Akira is fully aware that she's pandering to her audience ' an awareness that puts a pleasant, fizzy spin on the material, even when it's at its credulity-straining worst. At the same time, however, Akira never breaks the fourth wall or mocks her characters; the story is told with utmost respect for the characters' feelings, no matter how contrived the situation. Now that's hot.

Review copy provided by SuBLime Manga. Honey Darling will be released on June 12, 2012.

HONEY DARLING ' BY NORIKAZU AKIRA ' SUBLIME MANGA ' 194 pp. ' RATING: MATURE (18+)