more Clamp style pretty boys | Legal Drug Volume 3 (Legal Drug)

Not a Kid's Review | Legal Drug Volume 3 (Legal Drug)

books:


	• Legal Drug Volume 3 (Legal Drug) TokyoPop, 2005 - 184 pages average customer review:based on 20 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

It improves with each volume

I decided to pick this one up and after regular giggles and being on a Manga binge I picked up the other two books. First of all, let me say that it improves. The characters become more developed, the storyline starts to expand and loose its monster of the week feel, and the artwork improves.

The first volume I found to be stark, but with volumes 2 and 3 the artwork improved at a fantastic rate and I'm already attached to the series. If you like supernatural, comedy and a hit of yaoi go for it, the hints become more and more and if you look at the chapter break drawings it really brings questions to the mind.

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more Clamp style pretty boys

Legal Drug is CLAMP's finest artwork, or at least I think so. Pretty aka bishounen boys are what, in particular, I find my favorite CLAMP atribute to the manga industry becuase they are gorgeous, and this manga is chock full of 'em! Legal Drug, though the title suggests more, has no refrences to drugs-- the characters work in a convenience store, a la Osco Drug, so there are refrences to the characters selling condoms, lipstick, and, in XXXHolic, ekiyabe(hangover medicine). After reading the first three volumes of the manga, I have my own reasoning as to why it is called Legal Drug-- like a drug, this manga is extremely addictive, and the boys that are the main focus of the story sell legal drugs(medicine) where they work (a convenience store, as I said before, much like Osco Drug). I won't bother babbling on about the plot, becuase other reviewers have already, but I will ramble on about the yaoi and the rating. Legal Drug is rated T+ for older teens (16 and up), and I figured that this must be due to some scattered slight sexual refrences (Kakei's giving kazahaya a condom "just in case", Saiga and Kakei's "relationship", Kazahaya having to wear a dress three times, "boys are horny", and all the boys at the school in volume three that crush on Kazahaya)and the mild, scattered profanity (everything but the really bad words) in each of the volumes (especially volume 1). However, one whom is as obsessed with manga as I would know that there is the same amount of language, the same amount of sexual refrences (if not more), and the same amount of slight-yaoi-refrences-that-don't-quite-go-boom-this-is-a-yaoi-title in Hand's Off!, which recieved a teen (13 and up) rating. So I have to wonder-- does Legal Drug get worse, or is this a yet another misrated title that tokyopop has translated? And then there is the controversial yaoi theme that somehow flits across the manga chapters making all the girls squeal in delight. Legal Drug is not what I would call flat-out yaoi-- Kakei and Saiga are definitely not "straight"--but there is much speculation as to whether or not Kazahaya and Rikuo are enemies(well...they do hate each other), friends(probably not), or lovers *gags phenominally*, all the while hinting at their relatively more mysterious and complicated pasts. In conclusion, what is up with legal Drug? Basically, it is a really-gorgeous-boys-with-psychic-powers-who-may-be-lovers-use-special-methods-to-get-money story that manages to throw the spazzy babe, the big calm handsome guy, their super pretty boss, his lover, a supernatural drug store, fantastic powers, Suki, men in skirts, late night work gigs, mysterious pasts, beautiful girls, even more beautiful boys, and pretty, often goofy, manga artwork all into one (often) laugh-out-loud funny buddy movie style manga that could possibly be called CLAMP's absolute finest.

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Not a Kid's Review

Okay, if you promise not to tell, I'm actually fourteen, it's just easier to use this feature.

First issue: rating. The Legal Drug series is rated OT for Older Teen or 16+. But it shouldn't be, the only reason that it is, is because of a) a general shounen-ai feel to the whole thing and b) because it does grow progressively worse, but in my opinion, probably shouldn't exceed the T rating.

Second issue: Why is it taking so long for them all to come out? Okay, 1/5 of the story is out in volumes 1-3, but the reason it's on a temporary hold is because the magazine which originally published the series got canceled. So, yes, there will be about 12 volumes in the future, so just be patient. Rikuo's and Kazahaya's full stories will be published eventually in English, don't you worry.

Third Issue: yaoi. In no way is this series yaoi. For one thing, yaoi is more of a sexual exploit, close to cartoon guy on guy pornography (to give you something to relate to, the Graviatation series by Maki Murakami has no yaoi as erotic as it is- but the remixes do.) It has a touch of innuendo into shounen-si variety though, even though CLAMP revealed that it wasn't supposed to be a Boy's Love manga.

Now, I just want to say that this manga is definately one to check out. As you know, CLAMP is always good. Legal Drug may not be as complex or flashy as other mangas, but it does demand respect. They're relatively quick and easy reads. Though it isn't categorized as comedy, it should be (I love the extra at the end of the first volume, buy it for that reason alone. Hilarious.) CLAMP also seems to like to dress Kazahaya in drag, and you don't find me arguing. The third volume will have you laughing like a spider monkey on crack, and that's an understatement (I read it in the book store and no one would sit near me because they thought I was 'touched').

So, enjoy this delightful manga, and run, not walk, unless you have scissors, to the nearest bookstore and buy it.

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Fun, but sad

I really enjoyed this series, and I kept wondering when the next volume was coming out, but I couldn't find information about it anywhere. Finally, I stumbled on a fansite that claimed that CLAMP had abandoned the series. *sniffle* I hope this isn't true, but I thought that other people might want to be warned.

CLAMP has spoken!

In a recent interview with CLAMP, they stated that Legal Drug is not intended to be shounen-ai. As for the age rating (16 and up), everywhere else in the world has given Legal Drug a teenage rating (in the US, 13 and up), so I have no idea what tokyopop was thinking(we all must wonder that sometimes, nay?). Anyhoo, Legal Drug is a great series. Great artwork (were we expecting anything less from CLAMP?), hot guys (Kazahaya is really quite the bish ~_0), and an original storyline (it's awesome) make Legal Drug quite the fangirls' dream manga. Despite the profanity, sexual refrences, and "yaoi" theme(that really isn't), if I were to rate it myself, I would say thirteen/fourteen and up, because, being a relatively normal thirteen year old myself, I can truthfully say that most of us would understand and love it (I know I do).

Peace Out!

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Sent by Kakei to enroll in a mysterious high school, the boys must retrieve an equally mysterious ring. But Kudo and Himura discover that there is more to these hallowed halls than is out of the closet. And their discovery may very well uncover more about each other than they truly want to know. When the whole school decides to celebrate a marriage, more is set aflame than just hearts--which means that time is running out for the boys, who must find that ring before anyone thinks twice...about their relationship.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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