Winter Demon Volume 4 Review

Winter Demon, Volume 4 

Author:  Yamila Abraham

Distributor:  Yaoi Press

American release date:  2008

Format/Genre:  Manga/Yaoi

Publisher/Industry Age Rating:  Mature

Overall Personal Rating:  ★★★★

Similar series or titles to check out:   9th Sleep

Ever since Lord Ryuuto took mortal form to help Doctor Takuma heal the soliders, they have been growing closer, even though the timid Doctor will go no further than kisses with the demon.  He is so afraid of what will happen, that he tries to keep his last patient as long as he can, but Ryuuto dismisses him, so now they are alone, other than for Takuma's ill sister.  Their solitude is broken by the approach of a demon- it's Fuyu, bearing Hakuin in his arms, begging the doctor to please heal him.  And as Takuma does so, two couples are left to take the measure of one another, to observe - to watch and to learn, one couple from the other.

Synopsis:

Takuma observes the tender relationship between Fuyu and Hakuin and wonders can he and Ryuuto have the same thing?  Fuyu, aware now of the purification of himself that has been practiced by Hakuin without his knowledge, wants to ascertain that even without it, he would love and cherish the monk.  Both demons have fears of losing themselves somehow by being less demonic, and both fear hurting the ones they care about.

Ryuuoto and Fuyu have a demon to demon talk, and Ryuuoto decides to try the purification thing.  But somehow it doesn't go quite as planned.  And Fuyu has Hakuin cease with his purification treatments- with its own backlash.  To further muddy the waters, Priest Shidan informs Fuyu that he really needs to service Figaru - he has this once a month need to be sexed up thing going on.  But Fuyu, who is happy in Hakuin's love, doesn't want to mess with that.  Although, now that he's not purified, things aren't running quite as smoothly as before.

Will Figaru be the monkey wrench that bolluxes everything up, or the savior that is just what everybody needs?

 Commentary:

And now we complete our journey in this fourth volume of Winter Demon.  There is a great deal going on here, much to think about, lessons in love that everyone can take to heart and consider.  If there is an underlying theme here, I think it is that of partnership - one person cannot do and be everything for another, but together, the sum is greater than the individual parts.  Fuyu, when he loses Hakuin's purification, is not himself, but when he has it, the two of them have it all.  It has to be the purity of their love that makes it so, not just the spell itself.  And after all, is that such a bad thing?  Takuma and Ryuuto too must face their own personal demons, and learn from them - Takuma learns trust, and Ryuuto learns temperance, and taking it slow and easy.  Together, I think they can make it.  If Ryuuto can explain the Figaru thing, that is.

The last volume of the series is a very satisfactory one, leaving you to bid a fond farewell to these two couples, with great hopes for their future together.  If you've read this far, for heaven's sake, don't stop now.  This is a gotta read volume.  If you're just starting, go back to the beginning, or you'll miss out on a great journey.  I still am not totally enamored of the artwork, but I've gotten used to it, and although it doesn't showcase the writing as well as I'd wish, it's adequate for what it's meant to do.  For after all, the story's the thing.  And the story is well told.  So simply enjoy.

Winter Demon Volume 3 Review

Winter Demon, Volume 3  

Author:  Yamila Abraham

Distributor:  Yaoi Press

American release date:  2008

Format/Genre:  Manga/Yaoi

Publisher/Industry Age Rating:  Mature

Overall Personal Rating:  ★★★★

Similar series or titles to check out:   9th Sleep

Hakuin and Fuyu deliver the healed girl to her home, which is in the monk's village of Morikoku.  Fuyu wishes to spend the night, to get a chance to fondle Hakuin in privacy now that the girl is gone, but the monk insists they  need to get to Priest Shidan to fix the demon whip, so Fuyu contents himself with telling Hakuin, in very graphic language, just what he would like to do to him, as they go on their way.    As they near the priest's house, they run into another demon - one who has eyes for Fuyu!  It turns out to be none other than Figaru.  It seems that Shidan cannot fix the weapon, he must take it to his mentor, who cannot abide demons, so only Hakuin  may accompany him.  Which leaves Fuyu alone with the horny incubus!  Although Shidan does contain him in a magic circle, the only concession he is willing to make to Fuyu's safety.  Thanks a lot, Priest Shidan!

Synopsis:

Alarming news arrives the next morning, and the two demons set off after Hakuin and Shidan.  Which is just what Shidan's mentor wants, for this is a trap she has laid purposly for the Winter Demon - she has a score to settle with him for some past wrongs.  In the aftermath, Hakuin broaches a rather delicate subject - that Figaru needs Fuyu to heal.  To what lengths will the demon go in order to please his little monk?  And what of his new knowledge, of things he wasn't meant to know?  Hakuin isn't healing properly, he needs to see a doctor, so he asks Fuyu to take him back to Morikoku, to Doctor Takuma.

In the Epilogue, we meet Doctor Takuma, who is searching for a particular medicinal leaf he needs to help heal his sister; his supply is out so he is searching in a dangerous area, as there is said to be a demon there.  But he is determined to help his sister.  He is discovered there by the demon, Lord Ryuuto, who takes him to help his ailing wife - but he wishes her taken out of life, not brought back!  (As a healer, he could cure her himself, but he cannot kill her)  When Takuma eases her from her pain, Ryuuto says he can use the spring whenever he likes, but he won't agree to heal Takuma's sister.  The doctor returns to avail himself of the wonderful hot spring, and he finds himself fascinated by the conversations he has with the demon. Ryuuto realizes that the doctor feels an attraction for him, and he is certainly attracted to the human,  so he makes him a rather unusual proposal - of marriage!  The confused doctor returns home to think.  But his ruminations are interrupted by news of a battle - there are wounded coming, lots of them.  And he receives assistance from an unexpected source!

 Commentary:

By now, the story of the Winter Demon has wrapped itself about my curiousity and my need to know.  The character development is good, as we follow these two in their courtship.  I hope that Fuyu's newfound knowledge won't queer things for them - no pun intended.  And I hope tha the will be able to overcome his past.  To err is human, to forgive divine.  Does this go for demons too?  There are some interesting questions brought into play in this volume about relationships, intimacy, and sex versus love.  This is probably the same school of thought used by those who seek out sex therapists, the rationale being that it's medicinal, not sexual.  You'll have to decide that for yourself.  But there's certainly stuff to mull over in this volume.

The addition of Doctor Takuma is an interesting one - now we have a potential new couple on our hands, and a rather comely one at that.  Ryuuto seems to have promise, but at the same time he's a bit of a bad boy; automatic turn-on for a lot of women.  I am curious to see how this thing with him and Doctor T works out.

Winter Demon has not only founds its pace, Yamila Abraham is hitting her stride, and hitting it well.  The action flows smoothly, with a good balance between action and introspection, never leaving out that element of heat, in the form of the demon's narrated fantasy (with visual aids, of course!), which is pretty damn hot.  I, for one, hope Fuyu gets his way, I'd surely like to see that.  At the end of the volume there is a preview for Volume 2 of another Yaoi Press offering, Dark Prince. 

We're almost to the finish line, enquiring minds need to know - will Fuyu prove that his love for Hakuin is genuine, and will the purification mumbo jumbo prove to be just that, and not the glue that binds them together?  Stay tuned, yaoi lovers, for the last exciting volume!

Winter Demon Volume 2 Review

Winter Demon, Volume 2  

Author:  Yamila Abraham

Distributor:  Yaoi Press

American release date:  2007

Format/Genre:  Manga/Yaoi

Publisher/Industry Age Rating:  Mature

Overall Personal Rating:  ★★★★

Similar series or titles to check out:   9th Sleep

According to Priest Shidan, Hakuin's touch is purifying to Fuyu, and that being the case, there must be some redemptive qualities to be found in the Demon.  And although Hakuin has not forgotten or forgiven his rape by the demon a year ago, he is willing to forgive him, once he feels he is worthy of such forgiveness.  In the meantime, he's leading the Winter Demon around by the nose in order to get him to do good.

Synopsis:

They travel to another village to seek medical aid for a young girl named Kyoko.  Along the way Hakuin speculates that since she has no one, perhaps he should marry her - which thought is most displeasing to Fuyu, especially when Hakuin denies that he and the demon are lovers.  Reaching the village, they learn that the healer they seek, Lord Zengosaku,  only serves the nobles.  They go to the castle anyway, and when they meet the healer, he explains that his only patient is the very ill young son of the lord.  But when he sees Fuyu, he gets an idea.  The boy desires to see magic.  Perhaps if Fuyu will perform for him - in disguise, of course, lest he frighten the boy - he will help to heal the girl.  Although Fuyu is less than enthusiastic over this idea, Hakuin accepts the offer.  The healer says he will heal the girl over three sessions, and Fuyu is to give three magic shows. Hakuin chooses to share a room with Fuyu, and when the demon shows signs of wishing to depart, Hakuin begs him prettily, for his sake - and then grants him permission to brush his hair!  Not quite what the demon has in mind, but it's all he's getting.  For now.

That night, as they sleep - Hakuin lying contentedly in the confused demon's arms - Ratsu the Fire Demon momentarily appears, and Fuyu realizes that the demon whip needs fixing, but he purposely does not tell Hakuin.

Each performance is more demeaning than the one before, and Fuyu is more than fed up.  Only his feelings for Hakuin keep him in check.  But sometimes, even so, he gets a bit out of hand - and his own reactions to those times confuse him greatly.  He doesn't mean to hurt the monk, and yet he seems to keep doing that.  Finally, for the last performance, he is requested to appear in Samurai armor, which gives the demon an idea, and a way to get the heck out of Dodge.

As we return to our epilogue, Figaru, we find that Figaru and Ichiro are doing very well in their newly discovered blissful honeymoon existence.   Priest Shidan accidentally interrupts a lovemaking session, wishing to send Figaru to the market.  Ichiro must go with him, lest the demon frighten the villagers.  They start to taunt Ichiro, until they see who he is with, and he begins to gain a grudging respect he never had before.  Ichiro runs across Matsuyo, a young girl who is a distant relative, whom he hasn't seen in quite a while. When he mentions her to Priest Shidan, the priests asks didn't Ichiro propose to her two years before - and a can of worms is unexpectedly opened, to Figaru's dismay.  Although it kills him to do so, he encourages Ichiro to court and wed the girl.  Without his Iover, the incubus is growing ill.  He has to do something about his needs, but what he does isn't pleasant, and the priest is horrified at what he discovers.  As is Ichiro.

A second chapter of Winter Demon finds Fuyu and Hakuin traveling to a village where the demon whip can be repaired, when they receive a request to help another village.  Fuyu is adamantly opposed, feeling it is imperative they get the weapon fixed as soon as possible, but Hakuin agrees, so they end up spending the night.  Fuyu then tries to soothe some of Hakuin's fears of intimacy.  Can he make it all better?  Or at least start to?

 Commentary:

As I had hoped, the artist was changed from the first volume, and while the artwork is not up to Japanese standards, it is better than the first book. The relationship between Fuyu and Hakuin is developing, but at Hakuin's pace.  Naturally he has reservations, and is quite conflicted.  On the one hand, this is the same demon who brutally raped him before and thought nothing of it - on the other hand, under Hakuin's purifying touch, this same demon has begun to change into something softer and nicer, one that appeals to Hakuin.  Yet naturally his body remembers, and it's hard not to fear the demon's touch.  Which only makes their relationship that much more realistic to me, and it has me actually rooting for Fuyu, cause I think he just needs the chance to be good, and to divest himself of some of his less charming ways.  Which only goes to show, as Anne Frank reminded us - there is good in everyone.  And I have just one thing to say about Fuyu - he is totally whipped!

Ichiro broke my heart, though, when he left his demon, and it was hard to watch Figaru react as he did, even if a bit understandable.  All I can hope is that he will return to his incubus in the future, otherwise he is a very cruel boy.

The artwork is getting better, the story is as good as always, and I find myself caught up in the characters.  For me, the characters are what makes the story.  Plot is important yes, but only as devices to bring out what is inside them.  In this, Winter Demon succeeds admirably.  There is a cute one panel bonus story at the end which is sure to produce a smile.  And glancing ahead, I already know that Figaru and Fuyu are going to meet - what fun!  This second volume is even better than the first, I anticipate the third eagerly.

Yamila Abraham gives us a unique world of demons and monks, throws them together in a cooking pot, and then lets us taste what comes out.  Yummy!

Before you read this, read Winter Demon 1, then try Wild Rock.

Winter Demon Volume 1 Review

Winter Demon  

Author:  Yamila Abraham

Distributor:  Yaoi Press

American release date:  2006

Format/Genre:  Manga/Yaoi

Publisher/Industry Age Rating:  Mature readers

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Similar series or titles to check out: 

When three cruel fire demons threaten a peaceful village, they appeal to the monk Hakuin to save them, although he must drag himself out of his self-imposed solitude to do so, where he has attempted to escape some unpleasant memories. The oldest of the three demons, Lord Ratsu, makes no bones of his interest in Hakuin.  Fate intervenes in the form of a message from another village, which is being tormented by the winter demon.  The same winter demon that Hakuin is all too painfully familiar with.  The other monks see it as a sign that he should go back and deal with this demon, then bring him back to fight the fire demons.  What else can Hakuin do but agree, for the sake of his village?  Even if it isn't exactly his preference to do so.

Synopsis:

Hakuin goes to the village and encounters Fuyu, the Winter Demon once more, making a bargain with him.  In return for his help against the fire demons, Hakuin will of his own free will pledge himself to the winter demon. On the return journey, Fuyu decides he wishes to spend the night in a village along the way, anad Hakuin has no choice but to agree, even though he is impatient to get back.  They share some pillow talk, but nothing more, the demon overjoyed to have Hakuin back with him.  Their return to the village is less than they'd hoped for - the fire demons have killed all the monks but one, in their fury at finding Hakuin missing.  When Fuyu first encounters the fire demons, he discovers to his dismay that Ratsu is bigger and stronger than he.  Not  only that, but he states his intention to make Fuyu his uke!

Fuyu returns to Hakuin, telling him that he needs a special weapon to defeat these fire demonds, and he needs Hakuin's help to get it. Hakuin goes alone to do Fuyu's bidding, knowing that the winter demon's presence will not be appreciated,  but after he leaves, Ratsu imprisons the winter demon and ravishes him, giving him quite the taste of his own medicine.  And suddenly, Fuyu realizes how his victims must feel, and the knowledge is anathema to him. After an unexpected release, he tries to explain his feelings to Hakuin, who seems indifferent to his revelations.  A showdown with the fire demons is inevitable - none of them will be the same again, and Fuyu finds himself thinking of someone else, for a change, putting his welfare first.

Figaru is the epilogue to Winter Demon.  Ichiro is a villager who has severe self-esteem issues, due to the harsh words of his fellow villagers.  While chopping wood one day, he glances up to find that he is being observed - by a demon.  The next day the demon returns, and Ichiro asks him what he wants.  The demon, whose name is Figaru, thinks that Ichiro is handsome, and as an incubus he only wants to touch him.  He brings him water for his thirst, and Ichiro is suspicious but he drinks it anyway.  The demon begins to touch Ichiro, gently, but an interruption by Ichiro's mother brings that to a halt - for now.  The mother suspects that her son is getting it on with some hag from the village (cause surely no normal woman would want him) and spies on him, discovering he and Figaru, and following them to the demon's hut.  She runs to the village priest with her suspicions, even as Figaru makes love to Ichiro, but the priest, for his own reasons, thinks that maybe this is a good thing, and that Figaru might be a good demon, not a bad, the idea having been put into his head by what has happened with Hakuin and Fuyu.  But he promises the woman that he will investigate.   And to do so,  he forces Ichiro to help him ensure the incubus!

Commentary:

I really liked the story of Hakuin and Fuyu, and I see great potential there.  It was inevitable that these two end up together, at least sexually, but I see that they can become more than mere bed partners.  It isn't stereotypical characterization, nor is it one-dimensional.  Fuyu is shaken by his own traumatic experiences with the fire demons and made to look at himself in a harsh light.  And while Hakuin cannot forget the circumstances that have brought them together, at least for now he is open to possibilities, which is more realistic than him simply turning around and proclaiming his love for the demon who possessed him against his will.  That being said, I am not overly fond of the artwork.  American mangas have a disadvantage over their Japanese brethren, in terms of longevity and practice of the mangaka's art, and the result is that they are way behind in terms of quality.  Some of the men in this manga look just like women, and I find that disturbing.  Sure, you can have pretty men, I'm all for it - but I don't want them to look like women.  Or even act like it.  I liked the way that, by the end, Hakuin is practically leading Fuyu around by the . . . um, nose.  Yeah, nose.  But the artwork plays second fiddle to the story anyway, so I concentrated on that, and enjoyed the tale from that perspective.

I thought Figaru was really sweet, and I loved the way that he made Ichiro feel special, when his own people made him feel unloveable and worthless.  I hope we see them again in future volumes.

Extras:

There is a bonus story called Pinfeathers,  involving two men on a mission, one of whom is very gung ho about nature, the other a killer, and how they get along, considering their diametrically opposed values..

 Overall Grade:        B

I couldn't in good conscience give this an A because of the artwork, but I think the artist has changed in the next volume, so hopefully it is for the better.    Definitely pick this one up, it's a good read and worth checking into.

"In the Radius": If you like Winter Demon, try Wild Rock.