Sensual Phrase: Vol. 3

by Mayu Shinjo

Synopsis
There's always a gaggle of pretty young girls hanging out backstage ready to provide "fan support" to Sakuya, the dreamy frontman for hard rockin' Lucifer. Unfortunately, the one girl he most desires doesn't seem to want him.

Or so he thinks.... In reality, Aine is hopelessly in love with the lanky, leather-clad heartthrob. But cruel circumstances have conspired to keep them apart.

Now Sakuya has been cast on a popular TV show with a co-star who just happens to be the first woman he ever slept with! It's no secret she's more than read for another romp with him. Will he be able to resist her sexual advances and hold out for the woman of his dreams...?

Review
I don't really take this series too seriously, because I know it's just erotic fluff. It's not the greatest thing ever, but I don't really hate it, so I keep reading.

In this volume, the whole Ralph Grazer arc gets wrapped up, a little too conveniently, if you ask me. But whatever. Then, we get thrown into another arc, this time with a past lover of Sakuya's, a famous actress, Ayako Sakura. She's still interested in him, of course, she has to be, because we need another conflict. I probably wouldn't care much if Aine had more confidence in herself. She constantly seems to be worried that she's going to lose Sakuya.

One nice thing about this series is that Aine seems to really like sex, as I think most people do, but society tries to get women to downplay that. It's actually refreshing to see a woman enjoying herself and asking for more. It's certainly not something I see very often.

Final thought: I'll read the next book.

Sensual Phrase: Vol. 2

by Mayu Shinjo

Synopsis
Working side-by-side on the set of Lucifer's brand-new music video, singer Sakuya and lyricist Aine discover they can no long deny their sexual attraction to one another.

But before sparks turn to flames between the two songbirds, the president of Lucifer's record company decides he wants a pieces of pretty Aine for himself. If she doesn't succumb to his desires, he's vowed to sabotage Lucifer's hit-making future!

Aine is forced to make a difficult decision. Does she rebuff her new suitor, or does she sacrifice herself for the love of Sakuya? Things get even more twisted when she discovers the president of Metro Records is, in fact, the half-brother of the man she loves!

Review
Well, one thing I'll say about Shinjo, she doesn't really prolong things unnecessarily. Maybe that's because she realizes she's writing mature material, not playing around with little teenage girls who aren't supposed to read naughty things anyway. I mean, she does tease a little, but then gets to the point, if you know what I mean. Of course, this does have the problem of eliminating the sexual tension, so how else is she supposed to keep the reader interested? The answer to that is to make a soap opera-like story, including highly improbable events that constantly happen. In this volume, it's the rich half-brother of Sakuya, who's bent on destroying Lucifer for some reason that's not really explained. I suppose that he's supposed to be like his father: he takes what he wants without asking.

I don't usually like soap operas, because their stories get out of hand and become so ridiculous that they're unbelievable, and I can no longer relate or remain interested in the story. So, while I don't mind the story yet, I guess we'll see how long I can stand it.

Fortunately, there isn't much of the music part of the story in this volume, so I didn't have to be bored or skip over parts. The author puts bios in, though, which I guess if you're interested in that kind of thing, you'll love it, but as for me, I thought it got in the way. Also, I wonder if the author should be showing you some of these things in the story, rather than telling you as an aside. Oh well.

Final thought: I'll read the next book.

Sensual Phrase: Vol. 1

(aka Kaikan Phrase)
by Mayu Shinjo

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
As a budding poet and lyricist, Aine is determined to make it big in show business. On her way to an audition one fateful day, she absentmindedly steps into the street and barely avoids getting struck by an oncoming vehicle.

Not only is the cute teenager lucky to be alive, but her brush with death turns out to be a date with destiny. The driver of the car just happens to be Sakuya, the charismatic and fabulously handsome lead singer for a band called Lucifer.

In short order, Sakuya and his crew compose a song using Aine's lyrics. The tune proves popular with the band's fans and Sakuya decides he wants a relationship, both professional and personal, with Aine.

But does Sakuya actually care for Aine, or is she just another sexual conquest for him? And more importantly: has the nascent wordsmith finally struck gold in the world of pop music, or has she simply sold her soul to the devil?

Review
I should warn you that this series is rated M, for good reason. It is erotica.

Now, as for the boy-band music part of this series, I don't care at all. That kind of thing has never interested me, so I probably read as much as I need to know, and I not pay much attention anymore. Even the author's side notes bore me to death, as she talks about this band and that band, and they're Japanese, so I don't even know who they are.

Obviously, the interesting characters are Aine and Sakuya, and their developing relationship. As erotica, I think it works quite well; I like how the author uses Sakuya to "tease" Aine, in an attempt to get more sensual lyrics from her. This way, the sexual tension is created, but doesn't feel forced or weird. Unfortunately, depending on what happens in the next book this will either get tedious by its forced continuation, or it will be resolved and the author will have to think of something else to keep the story going.

I think Aine is the typical Japanese heroine who, while she has to think about sex to write these lyrics, as soon as things start heating up, she starts stammering, blushing, and acting shy. It seems like an odd disconnect, to me. Is this some weird Japanese thing in which Japanese women are supposed to be asexual? I've seen something similar in hentai. Personally, I've never experienced anything quite like it here in the US. It could be some cultural difference.

Sakuya is the typical male protagonist -- he's perfect, good-looking, knows exactly what to do, is obviously very experienced when it comes to women, you get the idea.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. It's interesting enough to keep reading. I like erotica, and I like that the characters are actually people, rather than two bodies thrown together. I guess that's what porn is. It's a long series, though. How much will the author be able to keep up the tension? I guess we'll see.

Final thought: I'll pick up the next book.