Love Mode, Vol 5
Author: Yuki Shimizu
Publisher: Blu
American
release date: May 8, 2007
Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Yaoi Manga/216 pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★
After moving in with
Reiji, Naoya’s life has changed for the better, including a new school. On the
first day of school, Reiji and his brother Kiichi pick up Naoya to celebrate.
As usual, Reiji seems irritated by the close relationship between Kiichi and Naoya,
and his brother accuses him of being jealous. Naoya keeps his part-time job,
intending to reimburse Reiji for at least some of the money the man has spent
on him.
The relationship between Naoya and Reiji is
beginning to subtly shift, with each man thinking of the other a lot, even if
neither one admits to it. However, forces are at work that threaten to tear
them apart. On his way to school, Naoya is stopped by a man who asks if he is
Shirakawa Naoya. Upon learning that he is, the man says he has orders to bring
him to the mansion where his grandfather awaits. Grandfather? Seriously?
Meanwhile, Reiji learns that one of his clients is being blackmailed.
Naoya opts to live with his grandfather, but for
altruistic reasons, believing himself to be a burden to Reiji. Reiji accepts
his decision, although he leaves him with something to remember him by before
he goes. Life with his grandfather isn’t always easy either. All of Naoya’s
stuff is disposed of, anything which connected him to his former life, including
the keys to Reiji’s apartment, which is thrown out into the enormous garden.
Try though he might, Naoya can’t locate them. On top of that, young Wataru, who
was supposed to be the heir to Naoya’s grandfather, is angry at Naoya’s arrival
and jealous that he has been supplanted in his adopted father’s affections.
Reiji pretends to be unaffected by Naoya’s absence,
but even Kiichi can see the truth about Reji’s feelings for Naoya. He and Naoya
reconcile, but an unexpected crisis threatens to tear them apart permanently.
This volume of Love Mode brings the love story of
Naoya and Reiji to a dramatic climax – literally and figuratively. Naoya does a
lot of maturing, and learns to be his own man and make his own decisions. The
scene we’ve all been waiting for between Naoya and Reiji finally happens, so
yay for that! There’s a lot of drama between Naoya and Wataru, who not
surpriisingly feels abandoned in favor of the “true” heir. Reiji is forced to
examine his own feelings for once and not hide everything away beneath his oh
so cool exterior. Things should be smoother from here on out.
Another great volume, look forward to the next!
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