I must admit, by the end of this series I am less enamored of its wackiness and more overwhelmed by its creepiness. I still root for the lovers to finally admit their feelings, and the series inane hilarity has its moments, but the final volume’s scattered storylines and slapdash finish left me less than satisfied. Mitsuo’s family decides to move away from the city, and so, determined to stay with Hasunuma, Mikuni, and Echi, Mitsuo starts working at the only job he can find: a (female) maid. Of course, he ends up working for the bewildering Sanjaya brothers from volume three. Once Ichiro, Sanjaya brother number two–the bumbling Mikuni stalker, lets loose a Mikuni look-alike doll animated with Mitsuo’s desires, everyone’s feelings are expressed whether they want them to be or not. As a result, Mitsuo finally catches the clue bus about his own feelings for Hasunuma, but can he admit it? Of course not. In the most nonsensical plot point yet, Mitsuo decides he shouldn’t be in love with Hasunuma since everyone else is, and he believes Hasunuma will only be embarrassed and troubled by his confession. What to do? In a moment of panic, he blurts out that he actually loves Mikuni, and thus blows open the door for Mikuni’s lechery–not the smartest move, but Mitsuo’s never been all that sharp. Mikuni, who may be the smartest guy in this story, starts messing about with all of them, in his vaguely slimy way, and (finally!) Mitsuo starts to realize Mikuni has a scary side. In the end, Mikuni’s machinations force our destined lovers to confront each other, but not before Mikuni gets some serious groping accomplished.
In final evaluation, despite the silly promise of the first two volumes, this series devolves into too much groping and “hijinks” to keep my interest except for wondering how it will end, and even the end is annoyingly coy. Hasunuma remains the most normal character, but his earnestness and intelligence cannot blot out Mikuni’s nature or Mitsuo’s blankness–it makes you wonder why Hasunuma bothers in the end. For fans of shonen-ai, the series holds its appeal, but in the end the scattershot story and barrage of predatory sexual behavior keep it from being a recommended series.
Eeriq Queerie Volume 4
ISBN: 1591828619
By Shuri Shiozu
Tokyopop, 2004
