Loveless Vol. 1

By Nadia Oxford     May 01, 2007

I’ve been curious now for awhile to see just what was making fangirls squeal so much about Loveless. The premise sounds like your typical fighter manga, but with the addition of bishounen and romance. With the release of the anime last year, I had to give this title at least a try.

The world of Loveless is similar to the modern world, but children have cat ears and tails until they loses their virginity. Thus technically speaking our main character, Ritsuka is a catboy, but he doesn’t have any cat-like personality traits or actions. The story opens with Ritsuka going to a new school. As the volume goes on, we slowly learn that Ritsuka has amnesia, or rather multiple personalities. Two years ago, “Ritsuka” died, and the new Ritsuka appeared, who is apparently different from the other personality. His mother has gone insane, refusing to accept this stranger is her son. Frequently, she lashes out and attacks Ritsuka, which explains why he’s always got bandages on his face. Things weren’t too bad until the violent death of his older brother, Seimei, who had always provided a refuge for Ritsuka. Seimei was found by Ritsuka in his classroom, or more precisely, sitting in his desk. (Hence the need to switch schools...)

After school, Soubi, one of Seimei’s friends, is waiting for Ritsuka. While walking, they meet Breathless, a two-girl fighter unit team. A lot of terminology is used that both we and Ritsuka have no idea about. Soubi drives off Breathless on his own, telling Ritsuka that he’ll explain later, but to look for Seimei’s will. At home, Ritsuka searches Seimei’s computer and finds a document, stating that if Ritsuka is reading this, then he was murdered by Septimal Moon. Oh, and that he has passed his fighter unit over to Ritsuka.

Soubi was Seimei’s fighter unit, as it turns out. They comprised the Beloved fighter unit team, as Beloved was Seimei’s “true” name. Now Soubi is a member of Loveless, as that is poor Ritsuka’s true name. Ritsuka resolves to find this Septimal Moon and avenge his brother, the only person who loved him. Of course, that won’t be an easy task. First, Soubi needs to train Ritsuka to be a sacrifice. Complicating things is how Soubi keeps telling Ritsuka that he loves him. Ritsuka asks him if this is part of Seimei’s order, and Soubi indicates that it is. However, words have a power of their own...

Fights between units have a certain code of conduct. Teams are made up of a fighter unit and a sacrifice. The fighter uses words of power to attack and defend, and the sacrifice takes the damage dealt to their fighter through the form of bondage. What these fights are over is still unknown, but it’s clear that Septimal Moon has something to do with it.

On the side of the main plot is Ritsuka’s new best friend, Yuiko, who is determined to be good friends with him, regardless of whatever he thinks. Near the end of the volume, Ritsuka acquires another semi-friend/school rival in the incredibly short yet smart Yayoi. Yes, he has a girl’s name. Apparently, there’s going to be some meaning to that in future volumes. While Ritsuka is facing rather unnatural circumstances, he has this school friendship circle to give him some normalcy.

The artwork is average to good, and the panels veer away from being too busy, despite the massive amounts of information being piled on. The character designs are solid, with everyone having their own look and style. I really liked the cover. You don’t often see pink and orange on a manga cover.

Story-wise, the next volume would have to be exceptional to keep me as a reader. It was just too much background story and information being poured in at once. I know the intention is to let the reader learn alongside with Ritsuka, but it just feels annoying and not intriguing at all.

I really don’t like the shota-con angle to Loveless. It just sets off my inner alarm, when a vulnerable twelve-year-old starts hanging out with a college student, who proclaims to love Ritsuka and mentally calls him “adorable” and “cute.” A few times, I lost myself to the feeling and just accepted it as I do with yaoi that tends towards the sadomasochistic, and with the sacrifice bondage angle, Loveless sits a little too far over the fence for my tastes.

Loveless is great for people looking for tragic love, where pain and love co-exist. The story looks to have a lot of potential, but I don’t know if I myself can gloss over the elements that I find uncomfortable.