Wild Rock is a Yaoi novel. Yaoi is a Japanese art form, graphic novels about gay romances written almost exclusively by women and for women. These books can range from sweet romances to torrid sexual adventures. This book and this review deal frankly with sex between men. So if this is not your cup of tea, well you have been warned.
Wild Rock is set in the prehistoric world of cavemen and Saber-toothed cats. Yuuen is the son of the chief of his tribe. However he is delicate and slight of build, and not a very good hunter. As the story opens, he is out hunting with the warriors of his tribe when he is attacked by a Saber-toothed cat. He is saved by the quick action and strong spear of Emba, the son of the chief of the Lakeside Clan. Emba tells him in no uncertain terms that someone like him has no business having a weapon in his hands. His tribe mates are outraged, but Yuuen can’t argue with them.
Yuuen’s father hears the tale. He is concerned because his tribe is being marginalized. He needs to secure better hunting territory, and being able to use some to the Lakeside tribes land to give them access to the lake would make the tribes survival chances better.
Yuuen’s father Yuni has a plan. Yuuen will dress as a girl, and try to capture Emba’s attention. If he can be persuaded to allow access to the lake, well, that will solve most of Yuni’s tribe’s problems.
And while this might work (?) on the level of tribal politics, it does not help Yuuen’s self image. This causes problems, for him, for Yuni, who put him up to it, and for all those around him, brought down by Yuuen’s blues.
Nor does it work for Emba. He risks everything, coming into East Forest Tribe lands and demands that Yuuen be given to him, to live at his side forever. The tribes’ age old rivalry is put aside, and Emba and Yuuen are bound together forever. The wedding night is well, really hot.
The second story is an illicit romance between Yuni and Selem, leader of the Lakeside Clan, years before. Suddenly, Yuni’s actions in the first story are seen in a whole new light. It is a steamy little story.
The third piece is a little piece with Yuuen and Emba playing daddies with Nava, Yuuen’s baby brother. It’s just a happy little vignette, a peek at their happily ever after.
And the last bit is just a two page joke. It replays how Yuuen and Emba met, but this time the lion eats Emba, saving Yuuen a lot of trouble.
This yaoi is very traditional. It has the effeminate angst ridden uke (that’s the passive partner, or “catcher.”) and the strong masculine Seme (the active partner, or “pitcher” in western terms) who is very clear about what he wants and usually what his partner wants, long before the uke can work through his angst to figure it out.
The art is superlative. Yuuen has freakishly large eyes, like most Yaoi ukes but other wise, everything is normal, and wonderfully well drawn. The sex scenes are steamy, but not graphic. They do not show penetration, and only a few sketchy erections. The focus of the story is much more on the emotional content.
That said there are few Yaoi artists who can compete with Takashima for sheer technical skill with a pencil. The art really is the draw for these stories.
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