Little Butterfly 1 by Hinako Takanaga (2006, Paperback)

If you like Yaoi you will love this book.It is a good story so traditional Manga fans may like it too but I think it is the best Yaoi story ever written.I was reading the forums on Amazon & someone recommended this book instead of a novel to someone else but since I am an Animé fan, I decided to take a chance on it. I am glad I did as it is so much better than I expected!If you are new to Yaoi style Manga, this is a great book to start with as you are starting with the best. The only problem with starting with this book is that most Yaoi stories will be a disappointment after reading this.

Little butterfly is a set of 3 books about two people who need each other & are lucky enough to become friends.In Volume 1, you meet Kojima & Nakahara who are the main characters of this story.This is a story about friendship that develops into a love story,a lot like a Manga version of Romeo & Juliette.Kojima is an impulsive,popular & friendly boy who sometimes says or does silly things. Nakahara is quiet, withdrawn & studious,while Kojima has a lot of friends, he is a loner & doesn't want people around him.Maybe that is why Kojima wants to make friends with him, for the challenge, but he chases him & keeps trying until Nakahara slowly lets them become friends.When they become friends,Kojima learns that while he has a loving, happy family, Nakahara is trying to escape a mother with a mental illness & an abusive father. The characters are very well developed with a great story so the book is very hard to put down.

I have read the complete trilogy & all 3 volumes are excellent. The title, "Little Butterfly" comes from volume 1 where Nakahara tells Kojima about butterfly's that seem to be so frail but have amazing courage and strength to survive storms and hurricanes,if you do not know much about butterflies you should research Monarch butterfly's to see what he is talking about.It doesn't take long but you will learn about their amazing travel & how they can survive hurricanes.It is a good title for the book & it will change how you think of butterfly's. The only thing wrong with this trilogy is that it is hard to get volume 2 but the story is so good I recommend it anyways & even if you only get volume 1 & 3 I think you will enjoy it anyway.

I have to admit that part of the reasons I like this book so much is that I identify with Kojima a lot & in one of the other volumes where he finds Nakahara's mechanical pencil & makes it into a shrine to help him study,well it wasn't a pencil but I do the same thing.Not only is Kojima so much like me but Nakahara reminds me a lot of one of my friends so the story means a lot to me but even if you don't identify with the characters I am sure you will enjoy the story. I really recommend you read this book, it is one of the best stories ever written & might be the best Yaoi story of all.

I hope you enjoy it - Dylan.

I bought this as a gift for my lover, and they very much enjoyed it. There's other volumes to this story and I will indeed to purchase it for him.