Demian Syndrome

Oki, Mamiya. Demian Syndrome. Orig. pub. in Chara. Trans. Jouhoku Scanlations and Storm in Heaven. Japan: Tokuma Shoten, 1999. Scanlation. 13 November 2010.


Medium: manga

Genre: yaoi, shounen ai, school life, drama, romance

Synopsis:
Returning from living abroad in the USA for four years, Takayama tries to renew his relationship with childhood friend Azuma by enrolling at the all-boys academy Jouhoku. However, Azuma is cold and distant. Takayama struggles to fit in and to break down the walls his friend has built in his absence. 

Notes:
Continually references Herman Hesse's Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth. Despite highly melodramatic psychological plot, Oki-sensei's manga is successful at keeping me hooked. This may be due in part to the fact that it resists the YAOI motto (yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi), spending an enormous amount of time developing the plot and psychological tension between Azuma and Takayama before bringing in any physicality. In fact, there is no yama at all until the fourth volume. Despite the story's obvious interest in the boys' romance it does not neatly fit into the BL category. Also, the illustrations are appealing bishounen with a pleasing gothic twist. (Esp. see the dj Demian Maiden with its dreams of wind up dolls.) Oki-sensei makes use of the Christian private school setting to include crucifix imagery and intricate scroll patterns.Not licensed in English at time of reading.

Read:
Volumes 1-4