sleepy
No. 6, Volume 3 by Atsuko AsanoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This manga fascinates me. Rat and Shion (and Dogskeeper) are intriguing characters. They are so very different from one another, Rat cynical and world wise, Shion, naive and caring. Almost too much so. Rat doesn't want to care about anyone. He feels that would be a weakness. Even so he cares about Shion. Shion on the other hand admits to being attracted to Rat (which is why I put this on my lgbt shelf even though it's technically not yaoi that I know of). Rat is angered by this, thinking Shion throws words like attraction and love around to easily (In fact, if they do end up a couple down the road, this feels far more natural than any yaoi I've read, tenative, problematic, more real).
Back in No. 6 Karan, his mother, and Safu, Shion's would-be girlfriend are in trouble. Safu is hauled off to the correctional faculty for her looking into Shion's disappearance. Rat learns of it but keeps it from Shion at least until he can figure out a way into the impenetrable correctional facilty. Also, the scientists who created the fatal virus (or whatever) carried by strange bees are ready to unleash it on all of No. 6
Shion learns more about Dogskeeper who was raised by a dog (well a strange man who let his bitch nurse her with her own pups). She has him washing the dogs she rents out as heaters in her hotel. Shion is too slow and too concerned about everyone (and the environment) which Dogskeeper has no patience for. She's too poor and too beat down to worry about abstracts like concern for everyone. Rat too for that matter.
It's beautifully drawn, the storyline fascinating. I can't wait to read more. I recommend this one.
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