Storyline: 9.75
Suspense: 8
Humor: 7
Relatability: 9
Originality: 10
Overall: 8.75

Comments: I know what you're thinking: Oh look, another cat-boy manga, how exciting!! Mangas and anime with cat ears, mainly geared for sexual purposes, are a dime a dozen nowadays. And if you looked at the cover of Loveless, I'm sure you'd file it into this category as well. Thing is, Loveless is the farthest thing from just another manga made for XXX purposes.

The book opens up with a conversation between a younger and older brother, in which the older brothers tells the younger brother his true name Beloved. The younger brother remarks on how such a name is fitting for his brother, who is loved by everyone. But just a week after learning his true name, the elder brother is discovered murdered...

The plot then jumps to the current time and you learn that the younger brother is named Ritsuka Aoyagai, a 12 year-old student. From there the plot centers on Ritsuka trying to discover why his older brother was murdered, and even on Ritsuka himself--as he has many issues hidden beneath the surface.

I cannot stress how strong characterization is in this book. On first impression, you might think that Ritsuka is just a normal, intelligent, and somewhat of a loner of a 12 year old. But that's just the surface. You later learn that Ritsuka is the victim of child abuse, and that 'Ritsuka' isn't 'Ritsuka,' as he cannot remember anything before his 10th birthday, as the Ritsuka today didn't exist then. Even the second main character, Soubi Agatsuma, is surprisingly deep. While initial impressions may lead you to believe that he's just a cookie cutter, older, distant, 20 year-old who has too much friendly interest in Ritsuka, it turns out to be much more than that. Over the course of the volumes (9 is currently in the works) you discover snippets of the characters, who feel surprisingly and realistically human. Even Ritsuka's older brother, Seimei, isn't what he appears to be--despite Ritsuka's eschewed view on him. One of my favorite scenes is when you get to see Seimei through Ritsuka's eyes, and then on the next page, you see the same exact Seimei through the eyes of everyone else.

Even the depiction of fights in Loveless is decidedly different--battles take place with two partners, the Fighter and the Sacrifice. There are no physical weapons, only words, which when spoken turn into a physical manifestation, a la magical spells. "True words are bullets, sent flying the second you open your mouth."

And yes, there are cat ears. But, after the first volume or so, you probably won't pay too much attention to them. In Loveless, cat ears are a physical display of one's virginity. It adds an interesting dynamic to the world, being able to see just who has their virginity just by looking at them.

As a warning though: despite it's bright colors, Loveless is incredibly dark. It's not for people who want to see the world as all smiles and rainbows--there are scenes of child abuse, rape, and beatings, just to name a few. And yes, there is shounen-ai (boy-love) in it. But don't get me wrong, it's not like the characters have sex left and right (in fact there is no sex in Loveless period), but there are occasions where Soubi kisses Ritsuka (yes that's a 20 year-old kissing a 12 year-old). But it is realistic, Ritsuka does flip out when it happens--he doesn't understand why Soubi would do such things. Of course, there's some humor in it as well; however, the main focus of Loveless is on characterization, and the relationships between people--no matter how convoluted they are. So if you have a chance, it's definitely worth a read. Loveless is defiantly different. Give it a shot; it might very well surprise you.