Boys Be  BOYB   (Tokyopop, 2004-2006) ™ and © 1997 Masahiro Itbashi and Hiroyuki Tamakoshi Read right to left; black and white series.

Here’s an original take on manga romance coming in the form of fairly realistic (with no fantasy elements; for once, love’s first kiss is more awkward than pure bliss) unrelated short stories about modern love. The first, best, and longest, involves an earnest young judo athlete sidelined by his brush with a pretty club girl who accidentally breaks his arm. He then has to decide between love for her and love of his sport. The other stories are a bit more intrinsically Japanese in subject matter, like the downside of getting your attractive girlfriend to dress up as a videogame character at conventions or Christmas Eve seen as mostly a chance to get lucky. Finally, a bunch of “office ladies” take pleasure in sexually teasing a hesitant high school boy. It’s lively fun with beautiful art and, though it definitely deserves a 16+ rating for its sexual situations, it’s more tease than pay–off—as in the way a couple’s trip to a Japanese love motel doesn’t go entirely as planned.

— S.A. Bennett

		Notes	Writer	Artist
	#1 Date: 11/1/2004 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#2 Date: 1/1/2005 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#3 Date: 3/1/2005 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#4 Date: 5/1/2005 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#5 Date: 7/1/2005 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#6 Date: 9/1/2005 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#7 Date: 11/1/2005 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#8 Date: 2/1/2006 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#9 Date: 3/1/2006 Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#10 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#11 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#12 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#13 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#14 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#15 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi
	#16 Date: Cover Price: $9.99 NM Guide: $9.99 No copies available		Masahiro Itabashi	Hiroyuki Tamakoshi