How the hell did I get wrapped up in Junjou Romantica? I will never really know. But one way or another, this series managed to gain a lot of my interest. Heck, I even got emotional at certain parts. I couldn't bring myself not to put Junjou Romantica on this list.
I started watching Junjou at the very beginning of the year. It was actually my very first (and so far only) shonene ai* series. I'll admit, however, that this was not a very good series to start with because...well...err...there was sex in nearly every episode. (not graphic, mostly implied) However, once I got used to those scenes, I was able to enjoy this series through all of its ups and downs.
There's not really a main story for Junjou. The series centers around three odd gay couples and their relationships. The main couple is Misaki and Usami. Misaki is the little brother of Takahiro, a man Usami was madly in love with. When Takahiro gets engaged, it almost seems as though Misaki has become his replacement. Despite his internal struggle, he can't seem to deny the fact that he just might be falling under the seductive Usami's spell.
Hiroki has been in love with Usami for several years. Apon discovering that Usami will never feel the same way, heartbroken Hiroki runs to the park to be alone. There, he meets Nowaki, a kind young man who has fallen for Hiroki at first sight. Hiroki tries to remain cool and nonchalant, as he usually is, but something in Nowaki brings out a side of Hiroki that he doesn't recognize, and certainly doesn't like.
35 year old Miyagi is Hiroki's coworker. He is recently divorced, and is going through a lot in his life. Things get much more complicated when his ex-wife's brother, 16 year old Shinobu, (umm big age difference much?) claims to be madly in love with him, and ends up living with him in his apartment.
So what's so special about these stories? To be honest, not very much. Every episode seemed to be basicly the same thing. There wasn't really anything original; anything we hadn't seen before. However, the way the stories are delivered somehow pulls you in. You don't really think about the lack of originality while you're watching Junjou Romantica. I give this series major props for so cleverly hiding these uninteresting storylines behind amazing delivery.
I felt like Hiroki, Nowaki, and Miyagi were the only three characters with any real depth. The rest of the cast, though entertaining, seemed rather generic and flat. Usagi was the steryotypical seme, Misaki, the classic uke*, and Shinobu...some kid trying to force himself onto a middle aged man. It's not that I really disliked any of the characters in this series--they were all very diverse and interesting--I just wish I had gotten to know them a little better. In the course of 26 episodes, (2 seasons, 13 episodes per season) I think they could have done much better.
The art was probably the weakest part of the series. I can honestly say nothing good about the art style. I constantly found myself confusing characters with other characters. There were literally only 3 hairstyles for male characters in this series, and 2 hairstyles for female characters. It felt like they picked a few hairstyles and faces, and tried some different combinations to come up with their characters. I know, it could be a lot worse, but the art was still pretty lame.
Now about the sexual content...like I said, it's mostly implied. You only see faces, hands, and sometimes upper bodies. The sex scenes in Junjou Romantica were actually very tasteful. You don't really see "sex" here. You see two men in love giving themselves to each other. The only problem I had with the sex scenes was that, although they were pretty at first, they got old very quickly. The sex was just excessive. As I said, they put one at the end of nearly every episode. Had they put only one every five or so episodes, it would have been easier to appreciate the beauty of these scenes.
So why did I like Junjou Romantica? Because, despite its many flaws, it has been the most passionate shonen ai series I have seen to date. I've realized that the reason I haven't had the desire to continue any of the other shonen ai series I have tried is because, on episode one, I always find myself thinking "Junjou Romantica was much better." So, for making me adore it for reason's I don't even understand, Junjou Romantica has stolen the number 10 spot on my list.
*Shonen Ai - centers around the love between two men
* In a Shonen Ai or Yaoi couple, the seme is the more dominant and seductive one, while the uke is the one who is seduced
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