Fake

This is one of my all-time favorite manga, and it also happens to be my first yaoi. If you're a fan of the genre, this is absolutely essential reading.

Story: The plot isn't overly complex, but it's intriguing and easy to follow. It doesn't conform to typical love stories; there's something uniquely captivating about the relationship between the two main characters. As NYPD detectives, Dee and Ryo face numerous crimes, many of which have personal connections. It’s incredibly addictive!

Art: Sanami-sensei’s artwork can appear quite rough initially, and it may take some time to get accustomed to her style. However, her skills improve as the series progresses. While the first volume might seem the roughest, it’s important not to judge the entire work by its initial appearance.

Characters: There are plenty of characters, but the two leads, Dee and Ryo, stand out with their distinct personalities that make them endearing. In my view, JJ is the most irritating character. Given the serious tone of the manga, his antics can be particularly annoying.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and have already read it twice!

Although I'm not really into shounen-ai/yaoi, I have to say I absolutely loved this series!

FAKE is one of those stories that most people wouldn't think to read. Admittedly, the art can be a bit off-putting since it doesn't follow the traditional manga style and can sometimes look very awkward. But it's truly a shame that not many people will pick up this story!

Let's start with the plot. Although it has a pretty generic base (two NYPD detectives solving crimes and living life), it's actually much more in-depth than you'd think. Each case the characters solve adds to the story. Some introduce characters, some help the reader understand Dee or Ryo's past, and some just help bond the characters together. The love that blooms throughout this story isn't your typical shounen-ai, cheesy romance either. It takes a long time for the characters to really start something, even starting it out as a bad joke gone awry. The story chronicles the struggle of one man learning to come to terms with who he is.

Another thing I love about this story is the fact that, although Dee is particularly more dominant than Ryo, there was no defined uke/seme. Both men gave off a strong sense of masculinity in two very different ways, and there was no girly cop-out. Also, the sub-romance with Bikky and Carol was absolutely adorable and gave non-shounen-ai lovers a nice refreshing pause from the hectic man-on-man police romance. It helped to show development in the people around Ryo and Dee and showed their effect on others in their lives.

Alright, now let's talk characters. FAKE has a very diverse set of characters. From the hardworking and fatherly Ryo, to the lazy, goofy playboy Dee, to the protective and bratty street punk Bikky, to the sweet and outgoing Carol, not to mention the flamboyant, jealous, and obnoxious JJ! These characters, along with an outstanding supporting cast (I say outstanding because this is one of the few mangas I've ever read where the minor characters have actually stuck with me by name) set FAKE apart from any other manga. Each character grows and changes as the story progresses, and they learn a little bit about themselves. This makes the story feel more real than any manga I have ever read.

The romance between Dee and Ryo was an idea I never thought I could like. It felt strange looking at yaoi in such a realistic light. Normally, you see shounen-ai like Gravitation and Loveless where the story is either so ridiculously outlandish that it's hard to relate or that the realistic side of the story is masked in high amounts of comedy. FAKE does a fantastic job of utilizing comedy but does so in just the right amount that the true story isn't hidden by it. Instead, we are left with a realistic fiction that, to someone like me who has dabbled only in plot-based yaois, comes as a bit of a shock. But once you get past the fact that it's raw boy love, you start to really enjoy and relate to it. I found myself hanging on to the romance with every thread of my interest.

All in all, I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes a good romance (especially if you have a soft spot for yaoi) or to anyone who can relate to the story. In fact, I'd just plain recommend this to anyone who likes a well-done story! The art may take some getting used to, but it certainly is worth the time!

FAKE might just be the most romantic series I've ever come across, regardless of whether it's shounen-ai or not.

The plot essentially revolves around two police officers in New York City who fall in love; it's quite straightforward. They work on cases, unwind after their shifts, and so forth. However, some of the cases they handle do get rather intense.

Adapting to Sanami Matoh's art style takes some time; many characters look similar, and older characters are illustrated quite roughly. Nevertheless, apart from that, her artwork is distinctive, and her character designs are truly beautiful—not thin or pretty-boy-like as you'd typically find in manga protagonists.

It's the characters that truly captivated me—they feel incredibly real. Dee and Ryo are outstanding characters, constantly questioning themselves and grappling with their emotions and life challenges. Their humanity shines through, and as you read, you can sense their pain.

I can't recommend this series highly enough. If you're a fan of shounen-ai, it's an absolute must-read. :)

Fake, truly anything but. The story is absolutely amazing and wonderful. I have yet to come across anything half as romantic, whether it's yaoi or not!

Story- 10

A lot of the time in yaoi manga, once the romance fades, there's no reason to continue reading due to a lack of a good plot, but Fake breaks this rule! Since it's about cops and detectives, you can expect plenty of mystery and suspense.

Some of the crimes might seem a bit outlandish, but if you've ever watched a crime show, this isn't anything new nor does it disrupt the plot.

The only thing that continuously grated my nerves was that the author of Fake included two characters from her other manga, where they had supernatural powers or something... Although this was only displayed about twice, the whole 'superpowers' thing just seemed a bit too much for me, especially coming from a buddy cop manga?

But overall, the story is nice and well thought out. The author made the plot thick and engaging, one you won't get bored with.

Art- 6

The art is definitely not top-notch, considering this manga came out in the 90s and all. Trust me, when I first picked up this manga, I was a bit shocked.

But there are times when the art is okay. It's never so bad that I can't read it, but expect to see the characters in awkward poses and with odd facial expressions throughout.

Character- 10

Definitely high up there. I'm actually not annoyed by any characters in this manga, which is really rare for me. The two main characters are both well done, and the supporting characters also have great depth!

While some characters are obviously only around for comedic relief, it's appropriate—if the manga went into great detail about the minor characters, it would probably be annoying.

Enjoyment- 9

If you like yaoi or just romance in general, you'll love it. Also, there's enough action and mystery to keep it from getting too mushy. And also—there is no weeping uke here, which I love! They both have guns, they are both sexy bishies, what's not to love?

Overall- 9

A definite 9 that I would recommend to most anyone. You'll be sure to remember it because even though it's not the longest manga, it is definitely one of the most well-thought-out, unique, one-of-a-kind stories.