Blue Sheep Reverie
Story and Art: Makoto Tateno
Published by the Juné Imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
ISBN13: 9781569706060
ISBN10: 1569706069
Review by I-hsiu Lin
A man searching for the one who killed his girlfriend. Becoming a bodyguard to seek revenge. A blue ring, rival gangs, fights and guns. Sounds like a manga for guys rather then a manga about boys love. But skillfully woven together by Makoto Tateno, it’s a story that envelopes everything and sets the stage for Steal Moon. First, it was Blue Sheep Reverie.
Kai has his own motives in mind as he launches himself at Lahti, the strongest leader in the group ‘Sarte’. His girlfriend, Maria was killed two years ago and the thing missing from her body was a ring. The same one that Lahti wears. To find out why she died and who killed her, Kai joins the group as Lahti’s bodyguard or “shield”. The closer he gets to Lahti, the closer he gets to the truth. But the truth isn’t what he expects it to be and it may just be too much for him to bear.
Personally, I was ecstatic when I learned that Juné was putting out this manga. In Steal Moon, Lahti and Kai were minor characters. Of course, no backstory was needed in order to understand the plot of that story, but to see their history fleshed out explains the bond and trust that they share. Both Kai and Lahti are physically strong. However, it’s refreshing to see a strong character accept their weaknesses. He needs a body guard for the moments he drops his guard or misses something. Invincibility is boring and Lahti is imperfect which livens up the story and makes it real. His imperfection is shown even more as the plot progresses.
The dramatics between the two characters are intense. Trust that was not easily built is simply broken. However, the ties between them hold them together. These kinds of characteristics are found in many of Tateno’s works and I always enjoy reading about them. Something that I also come to expect and it still surprises me: the little twists she places in the story. It’s something that allows Kai some closure on his past so that he can face his future with Lahti.
The third chapter gives a different turn as Kai’s childhood friend appears to call him back to the ‘light’. Lahti gives him the chance to leave but everything rides on his decision. Of course, we can already guess what it would be….
In true Tateno style, the tension between the two characters are not the only thing pulling the story along. There is a lot action, and the sci-fi plot (although incomprehensible at times) is pretty strong. Two gangs fighting for power with assassination attempts at all sides. It matches the turmoil in Kai’s heart and mind.
Tateno is working on volume two of this series so I’m definitely looking forward to it!