Wednesday 9 March 2016

YAOI REVIEW: HIS HOUSE BY HAJIN YOO


His House
Art/Story: Hajin Yoo
Genre: Boy's Love
Rating: 13+
Publisher: NETCOMICS
Reviewed by: Sandra Scholes

Synopsis:
Gangyoo is an orphan and handsome to boot, but he's also a survivor. As women instantly fall for his charms, it's a no-brainer that he can hire his services as a phony boyfriend to women who are in desperate need for male company. And as he's in college he needs more than anything to graduate, but his hopes could be dashed when his new girlfriend turns out to be - a boy!

Review: 
Known for her novels in the Totally Captivated series, Hajin has taken a different route for her new series, His House. Gangyoo is only one payment away from getting his goal of making it as a college kid and graduating, but it's no fun for him when the guy who wants a date is a kid called Soohyun, the kid he hates most of all. Why on earth would he want to date him, let alone be his pretend boyfriend, but for cash, Gangyoo is known for doing almost anything.

For the women who can't get a man, paying boyfriend rental to Gangyoo Lee is the perfect answer to their woes. When they are at work, they feel the stares and the jealous looks they get when he comes to see them. It's all pretend, of course, but they don't know and what makes one girl in particular smile is that if they knew the truth about Gangyoo, they could spend the night with him too!

Privately, he hates his life, has less cash than he wants and going into a career is his only way of being proud of himself - after his father died, he also needs to find someone of meaning in his life. He might be sad, but doesn't lack direction. All he has to pay his way through college is being an escort for Moonshine, a bar that doubles as an escort agency that prepares their men for the worst sometimes, and his boss does, but only on this one occasion. His new fake boyfriend, Soohyun lives in a mansion, is rolling in money, is handsome, but he is wheelchair bound and Gangyoo wonders why he wants him of all guys to pretend date him.

One thing I loved this manga for is it's done entirely in colour, which for someone like myself who has been reading manga for over ten years is a bonus. Hajin's art as her fans already know is unmistakeable, and only her covers have been so enchanting and colourful - until now. I like how Hajin has put Gangyoo in a difficult position of having to entertain Soohyun at his house even though he treats him bad, and won't allow him to kiss him or do the things that make him one of the most sexy men at Moonshine.

Summary: Hot, comical and in colour: This stands out as one of my current favourites from NETCOMICS.