At Sequential Tart, reviewer Margaret O’Connell takes a close look at Off*Beat and likes what she sees. But that’s just the beginning. Noting that Tokyopop tried to market Off*Beat as the first American shonen-ai (boys’ love) book, she launches into a fascinating discussion of the whole category, and how it differs from other gay-themed comics.
I love her shorthand summary of Off*Beat as “reminiscent of a shonen-ai version of Harriet the Spy,” even though she goes on to question whether the book fits into the shonen-ai category at all. Don’t be scared off if you don’t read shonen-ai; this article is actually a good introduction to the genre and has some interesting points that would apply to any love story. In fact, when discussing stories that don’t quite fit their genres, O’Connell draws on examples from sci-fi and chick lit. Now that’s eclectic!
For the record, I liked Off*Beat. In part, that’s because I missed Tokyopop’s attempt to sell it as shonen-ai and simply read it as a mystery with a touch of romance. Considered on its own merits, it’s a decent book, and Tokyopop does it a disservice by trying to make it something it’s not.
I think, instead of the first shonen-ai manga, it’s kinda the first slash comic. I’ve read a lot of stories that had similar themes in slash fanfic, and even the pacing reminds me of one of those epic Harry/Draco fics. ^_^