Lightasus's Favorite

Hello! This is Yamane Ayano. Thank you very much for purchasing "You're My Secret Promise in Viewfinder". A new volume after two and a half years... did you all enjoy it? This time it took longer than usual to release the volume for the tseries and I apologize for making you all wait. Even though I previously said I would try harder, due to my health problems, I wasn't able to draw much, and ended up causing tremendous problems for the editor and the printing office instead... However, this new release has given me some relief. I was not aware of how poor my drawing skills were until I began doing the revisions, so I redrew quite a few of them, just like I usually do with every volume. Please try not to compare them with my old work in the magazine T.T

This volume doesn't have many love scenes since the story is progressing, and I apologize for that. I have to keep my patience as well when this happens. The cutesy and juicy scenes I wanted to draw were replaced by bloody battles instead. Akihito's weakened spot and Sudou's touchiness irritated me, so I put effort into drawing Akihito's butt crack which can be seen during the catfight (being rubbed) and the gunfight scenes in the latter half of the book. I had spoken to my editor about my desire to draw Akihito and Asami escaping through the secret passage in the apartment after being cornered, and my wish partially came true! My highlight was Kirishima in pajamas... ^^ With the scene where Akihito was hanging from a crane, I felt a little violence fit the situation. The uke hung up like a sandbag... Such manly manliness (I'll shut up now...)

These days, the rules and regulations on explicit artwork has become stricter, so the private regions have been left undrawn... It's really a shame >.< There might be audiences who are okay with censorship of the genitals as long as the two men are in love, but I prefer to have a mind-blowing, vividly rich erotic love scene ^.^... I want Asami and Akihito to keep having a thrilling type of "chase or be chased" relationship, even in bed <3.

15 years have passed by without me realizing it until someone told me, and it's kind of scary if I think about it, but this is a long series that moves at a rather slow pace; however, this is the speed at which I draw, so what I can do is to make sure I work as hard as I can. To those who look forward to my work, I am very sorry. It would be lovely if you could all support Akihito and not let him fall down the rabbit hole, and support Asami, who has enemies who both love and hate him. And the character you have been waiting to see again might appear in the story!

Lastly, for the longtime fans of the Viewfinder series, new readers of the story, the letters, presents, and cheerful tweets: I always get such encouragement from all of you when I need it. This series would not have lasted this long without you. Thank you so much!

The editors and editorial department that work together with my slow drawing hand and who come up with various plans and ideas to make the story more appealing, the god-like skilled artisan who brings the beautiful colors, the printing office and agency that keeps their doors open until the last second, and the book stores - I appreciate all the people involved in publishing. I will try hard to make the future stories more entertaining, so I ask you to continue to support me!

February 29, 2016
Yamane Ayano

Begins after this page: http://www.mangago.me/read-manga/you_re_my_loveprize_in_viewfinder/mh/v08/c050/9/

They both lock their lips together. Asami lifts his hand to caress Akihito's chest and Akihito lets an 'ouch' slip out. Asami comments on how Akihito is always covered in bruises, then proceeds to lightly bite his neck. He then says Akihito is someone who refuses to stay in the sidelines, and that's why he keeps getting hurt, but that still, he won't restrain himself. They then proceed to kiss and Asami uses his hand to jerk off Akihito. He breaks the kiss as Akihito cums.

Asami then asks Akihito if Sudou pulled his pants off, to which Akihito stays silent while blushing. Understanding from his silence that it was the case, Asami asks if he did anything more. Akihito, in a bit of a panic, promptly answers that no, he didn't. Asami asks him to show him, so Akihito goes on his four legs to give Asami a view of his ass. Asami looks at his anus, and comes to the conclusion that he indeed didn't, as the 'color looks good'. He penetrates it with two fingers.

Akihito then wonders about Sudou; when he was using his ass, was he fantasizing about Asami? Asami fills him and they both kiss each other again. Asami looks at him with a satisfied expression, and Akihito thinks that it was unforgivable, that Asami is his, and lifts his arms to reach out to Asami...

I'm not used to write in English in a novel-like way, so this is pretty bad, but I hope it wasn't TOO bad :P

http://tieba.baidu.com/p/4944628800 , enjoy(⌒▽⌒)

I have to say that initially I wasn't too exited about what the new Viewfinder novel was going to be about, but boy have i changed my mind... :) From the first three chapters alone that novel is a gold mine in terms of information. So I highly recommend to anyone to buy it once it comes out in English. I know, I will. I'm completely hooked.

What is really great is how the author gives the reader facts that tie in perfectly with adult Asami (I will post just a few under the Spoiler tag in a moment). And I'm really liking the story thus far. I thought it would all be a bit silly, since they are in high school - not at all, on the contrary. Both Asami and Kuroda are very much dealing with "adult" things and adult problems.

SPOILER
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On thing that I know will make a LOOOOOOOOT of Viewfinder fans really happy (I know it did me!!!) was something that I had always secretly been hoping to be the case:

1) ASAMI COOKS!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Asami knows how to cook and he is really, really super good at it!!! That made me so happy. I just wonder, what made him NOT cook in his adult life (empty fridge before Akihito and all) or nowadays leaving it all up to Akihito... From the novel you would think Asami can't even cook an egg, so this was such a pleasant surprise (for me, at least).

2) The part-time job? Asami works... wait for it... as a BAR TENDER!!! Yes, he has a job as a bar tender despite being under age. He owns the keys to the bar, he takes car of the bar, mixes the cocktails and cooks the food. He does curry, Italian food, sandwiches etc. for Kuroda (who starts hanging out there before the bar opens) on a regular basis and Kuroda says the food is delicious.

3) Asami does NOT have a part-time job, because he needs the money. There are other jobs that would certainly pay better. He works there because it's a great way to garther information and connections. He tells Kuroda that he wants to open up his own place one day. (I LOVE how that ties in with the story of adult Asami!!!)

4) Kids in school are talking and warn Kuroda. They overheard their parents saying that Asami's dad was "not a Yakuza, but worse than that: someone who was hugely influential in the world of business and politics" (again, I LOVE how that ties in with what YA wrote about Asami in his profile, those are the exact same words she used for Asami!). The kids also tell him, that Asami is dangerous, too (again, they've heard their parents talk).

I hope this really gets people interested in the novel and a lot of folks will end up buying it once/if it's translated. :) Just had to share these bits, as I know a lot of people will love that info.

Ayano sensei posted this picture on her Twitter pic.twitter.com/ZiE4E1JcWL her cats sleeping on her workdesk and theres a little teaser of a page shes working on. It definitely has Akihito in it and it looks like they landed in a mountain region or in the countryside. Bottom line is that it looks like they got away safely!

http://www.b-boy.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/0411.jpg

Its not much of a preview but its them together! And YA is the cover artist for the next release!! Looks like to manga is back on track guys(⌒▽⌒)

Chapter 4 - SPOILERS
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Really not much happening in that one. But some interesting bits of info:
- Asami doesn't currently live with his dad. And it's also not clear where he stays, exactly, and whether the parents are separated or maybe his mother his dead. Completely unclear. His dad's men ask him to "go back" (not specifying where that is), but he refuses.
- It's interesting how adult Asami and adult Kuroda seem to have followed into their father's foodsteps. Asami's dad is described in the novel as "worse than the Yakuza, a man who has huge influence in the world of business and politics" (which is exactly how Asami is described in the character profile). And in the novel it says that Kuroda's dad is a high-ranking judge and that he is trying to become head of the Supreme Court. So Kuroda followed his dad into the legal profession just as Asami followed his dad into the shady world of mingling with the head honchos in business/politics.
- Remember when I said I was hoping there might be a connection to the book that Asami gives to Kuroda as a gift in the novel? Well, it seems I was right about that: Kuroda is interested in a book, a foreign novel, and when he spots it in a bookshop, he bumps into Asami who eventually buys the book for himself, but promises to lend it to Kuroda in a few days time, right before Kuroda has to leave for cram school. But then the last line of the chapter says that "that promise was not going to be fulfilled"...
So it seems that one, "stuff" is going to happen within the next chapters (aka shit is going to hit the fan) and two, I think that Asami, because of what's going to happen, will never get around to lend Kuroda the book as he had promised to - and that this is the very book that Asami gives to Kuroda in the manga that night at the penthouse when Kurodo says "You still remembered". :)

P.S.: If anyone wants me to NOT post these little bits of info, because they find it's too spoilery, please say so. I'm deliberately trying not to give away the plot and I also won't be doing summaries, just post some odd new facts that might be interesting. Hope that's okay.

I found the spoilers ! (づ￣ ³￣)づ

http://www.weibo.com/p/1008088894554c5aacd66e862845947bfe56ec?k=%2525E6%25258E%2525A2%2525E7%2525B4%2525A2%2525E8%252580%252585%2525E7%2525B3%2525BB%2525E5%252588%252597&_from_=huati_thread#_rnd1488296945423

Finder no Souen - chapter 2, part 5 - SPOILERS (and a WARNING, not for the faint of heart, this is dark stuff, even though I made it as brief as possible)
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So... this is the tough part that one of our Anonymous posters had already mentioned. You have been warned...

Kuroda was heading to the train station to go to cram school when the gang, that had been threatening him, extorting him and beating him up before, got hold of him. The kidnapped him and he was taken away, bound, blindfolded and drugged. He is taken to an empty room in an underground club and then gang raped repeatedly by the gang (10 men in total) who take turns and keep giving him more drugs. Kuroda loses track of time (and also consciousness at some point), but it seems this has been going on for days. When he no longer reacts to what is being done to him, the boss of the gang wants to dispose of him by shooting him dead. That's when Asami shows up and kills every single one of them with his knife, until only the leader of the gang is left standing. The gang leader puts a gun to Kuroda's head, threatening to kill him, if Asami doesn't put down the knife. Asami does so, but as the gang leader goes for the knife, Asami kicks the gun away from him. The gang leader then pulls out his own knife. He and Asami circle each other. Kuroda takes hold of the gun and aims at the gang leader, but Asami tells him not to shoot the man. Asami manages to break the gang leader's hand and then, getting him in a chokehold, breaks his neck. Asami then tells Kuroda to give him the gun as he had no need for it. Asami finds the keys and frees Kuroda from his handcuffs. Noticing he has been drugged, Asami looks around and finds the syringe with the drug they gave Kuroda and pockets it (personal note: I guess to give it to the doctors at the hospital, so they know what they're dealing with). Asami then puts his jacket around Kuroda and tells him he is glad to have found him in time (personal note: okay, that's relative...). Kuroda then loses consciousness.

*****

I find it so profoundly sad that Asami made sure it would be him who killed the gang leader, and not Kuroda. I mean, Asami is still a teenager, too. He prevented Kuroda from becoming a killer, thus saving that last bit of innocence that Kuroda had left. :(

So it's been a while since I translated Ayano's French interviews. Here's one to help waiting the next release (in 1 week (≧∀≦)). From 2010!

- Hi Ayano Yamane. For starters, how did you become a mangaka?
A: In fact, I started as a doujinshi artist. At the time, I was having fun drawing a BL version of a known manga. A publisher then noticed my work and I became a professional mangaka. But now I create my own characters.

- Who are your reference authors?
A: I have a lot ! (laughs)
They are mainly shonen manga authors like Masami Kurumada and Takehiko Inoue.

- What are your sources of inspiration for drawing your male characters?
A: For the Uke, Akihito, I draw inspiration from characters typically shonen. For the Seme, Asami, it's just my fantasy (laughs).

- What is the ideal man to you?
A: Beautiful, rich, gentleman and kind. Here you go ! (laughs)

- As far as your works are concerned, what are your limitations when it comes to censorship?
A: In Japan, censorship is very harsh. But truth is, I put myself my own limits, especially in certain scenes so that it doesn't go too far, that it doesn't get too raw. I prefer to respect the artistic side. My editors do not forbid me anything actually. It's actually the opposite, they prefer to push the author rather than censure them. (laughs)

- The BL genre has arrived quite recently in France, but has quickly conquered a predominantly female audience. What do you think are the reasons for its success?
A: Initially, it was mysterious to me too. But when I discovered and started reading BL, it didn't displease me. In fact, I think it's the same for all women. Because women love this purely romanticized and romantic side. There are no women and therefore they cannot identify with the characters. They find themselves immersed in a typically masculine world to which they cannot access or participate. And somewhere, there is admiration for this inaccessible world.

- Have you ever fantasized about someone you knew and put them in one of your mangas?
A: No, because that would prevent me from fantasizing. Knowing the person takes away from the dreamy part. So it would cool me off and I would not be interested anymore...

- In the end the secret of BL would be fantasy and its inaccessible aspect?
A: Yes, indeed. The attraction of BL lies in the imagination, what happens in women's heads, the things they imagine about men and what happens between them. This has nothing to do with manga aimed at a gay audience, which are more realistic, where the authors do research in Shinjuku (gay district in Tokyo). In BL everything comes from imagination. Maybe what I write doesn't match with the reality but that isn't the intention to begin with.

- Have you ever considered writing in another genre? Like shojo mangas?
A: In fact, I am a fan of shonen and don't read much shojo. So I could not even if I wanted to.

- Currently, what are you working on?
A: I work on two series at the same time: Crimson Spell and Viewfinder

- And you have many assistants to help you?
A: No, two assistants. The chief assistant and another for the frames. And if necessary, a friend comes and gives a hand. But even with more assistants, I wouldn't go faster. Everything depends on me since I draw all the boards.

- What is your pace of publication?
A: I only do 20 pages a month. For a mangaka, it is really little. Once, I made 40 pages in a month to complete a series but I nearly died, I couldn't take it anymore. (laughs)

- This is the first time you have come to France. Were you able to enjoy it outside of Japan Expo?
A: Yes, I was able to make some visits. As I also draw a fantasy manga, I took the opportunity to document on architecture, especially castles. It was very beautiful, and very different from what I can see in Japan. I have been to the Chateau de Loire and to the Chateau de Versailles. I was in total awe.

- A final word for your French fans?
A: I will try to draw a beautiful love story. Be patients, I'm working for you. Thank you very much.

Here's a really short description of the rest of the Kuroda part of the novel.
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The rest of the Kuroda part is long but it almost all takes place recovering at Asami's. Asami takes Kuroda back to his home, a huge Japanese mansion of his mother's family where he has a room in an isolated wing. He tells the school Kuroda is sick, and has Kuroda tell his parents he's staying with a friend to study. Asami takes care of him for about 2 weeks until New Years Eve, washing him, tending his wounds, feeding him, and calming him through flashbacks and even holding him when Kuroda cries. Asami is gentle and kind but only thinks that Kuroda is strong and he'll be fine. The idea of rape doesn't seem to bother him, except that it happened to his only friend.

Oh, he gives Kuroda a Christmas present at one point, most of the money the gang had taken from him, and the book he'd promised to give him. Kuroda doesn't see anyone the whole time he's there, and they're never seen in the novel. Nice mother.

Asami's father calls him and asks about the killing and tells him he has to come home, overseas. He's resigned and thinks his trial year as a high school student failed- he never fit in and didn't make any friends, except Kuroda.

Eventually Kuroda leaves, and they both basically say they'll be friends forever and can always count on one another. Kuroda tells him something important, that no matter what he ends up doing, he needs to remember that he's himself.

Asami leaves his mother's, reconciling himself to a life on the other side, his emotions numbing as he walks to the car (parked in an alley down the street?) that's taking him to the airport. A child runs into him, obviously Akihito, who glares, shouts, runs away with a bloody nose and he laughs and remembers Kuroda's words about staying true to himself. Then he blanks his face and gets into the car and it drives away.

That's it for this section.

About the rapes, Asami doesn't seem to feel emotional about it. The act of rape doesn't seem to bother him. His friend being hurt bothers him. He'd have felt the same if Kuroda had been shot, but he'd still use guns. I think with Takaba in chapter one there were two things involved. One, he was attracted to Takaba beyond belief for him. Two, he saw someone on a path toward death, knew how stubborn Takaba was, and knew he needed a lesson he'd never forget if he was going to live, and Asami wanted him to live if only to play with him. Also, Asami believes strong people survive and get past rape, lesson learned, so Takaba would. So to him rape is just a thing, just something to use or to overcome. He knew Takaba would be hurt, but that was the point he wanted to get across. Pleasure and pain.