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I loved the story and that made this yaoi so much more enjoyable. Not only are they hot, but they are full of characters that actually feel like they could be real people and not 'typical'. I have to admit I was really hesitant to start this series, but after reading this mangaka's 'Steal Moon' and 'Blue Sheep Reverie' series I had to pick this up. I am so glad I did.all three books are amazing.
Well, there you go.There's quite a bit of Makoto Tateno's work in English already, and while I like most of it, this series is definitely the pinnacle of her translated work - so far. Anyone who's been reading BL manga for a long time will understand why this is a wonderful and rare thing. ~_^ Finally, the art - wow.
What I found unique about this series is that the characters changed and grew as it went on. And don't buy one volume at a time - your hands will feel empty between purchases. I'm so glad that I tend to read my *other* piles of manga while waiting for series like this one to be completed. I read all three books of "Hero Heel" over the course of two days, I hated putting it down for even a second. And I chalk it all up to the fact that this series spanned three books, so the mangaka had the time and space to create a more fleshed-out story. They are actors on an action TV series and the plot makes it clear from the start that the work is fairly dangerous.
Don't miss it. The covers don't come close to doing justice to the interiors. Yes, the TV series costumes look amazing in their variety and levels of detail. Have I used the word "intense" yet. There is also a true sense of suspense in the plot. And the adult scenes, of which there are at least one per book, aren't bad either. There's so much tension and interesting character development that I had to grab for the next book as soon as I finished the one before it.
Backgrounds are fully fleshed and varied, and the action sequences are fairly understandable. Tension also builds for the characters' physical well-being. The plot covers a year+ of their lives, and their development is on the page for us to actually see. I really couldn't guess or spot how the love quadrangle would end up until the very, very end, and that is also a pleasant change of pace from the usual telegraphing many other BL plots give.
He sort of got tossed to the wayside though. He was one of my favorite characters, perhaps because he was so unassuming. The costumes on the tv show are amazing. The sex scenes were the hottest yet in this series. Sawada is pretty awesome too. I had a very enjoyable time reading this whole series.
I love Makoto Tateno's artwork in this series. He was so generous and kind. I read this book in one sitting on a car trip, even though I get carsick easily. Although I was rooting for happy ending, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Katagiri. Very gratifiying:) Overall five stars. That's how good it was.
I love Minami.
The TV action hero series, in which the 4 guys starred in, serving as a background is refreshing and it plays like a sub plot. As the story progresses we almost fully understand Sawada's feelings and he remains a mystique till the end. The 4 guys may have similar features (something sensei could improve on). I really have a wonderful time finishing this series in one go. but they are 4 distinct characters and their emotional struggles to hold on to the one they love makes Hero Heel one captivating Yaoi. He is such a cool, cool seme, his silence and near cynical outlook of life, making him such an interesting character. And the sex in Vol 3 is both sensual and sexy, and a bonus point to sensei for the condom :).
We know the outcome of this quadrangle love story. LOL.I enjoy Hero Heel a lot. I quite like Takagi, the more mature uke who learn the hard way there is no second chance in love, and find myself rooting for his and Sawada's reconciliation but that will not be the Yaoi ending we want. However it is the emotional battle to get there which holds my attention from Vol 2 onwards as I naturally root for both "hero" and "villain" to be together. Katagiri may have most readers' sympathy by the end of Vol 3 but then I never rooted for him.
This story just gets better with each volume as the emotional struggles among the 4 actors deepen. Minami brought to the brink of despair by Sawada's rejection is one vulnerable character with a naivety and "goodness" which I find sometimes frustrating but then he is forgiven because he is afterall the uke hero. It is ofcourse Sawada. Sensei really has a fun time drawing the costumes :). Who is my favorite character.
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