Canis: Dear Mr. Rain, by Zakk, is the second title to be released under Fakku’s new BL manga line, Kuma, and I’m delighted to report that this one is a winner!
Synopsis:
Satoru has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle. He’s a successful hatter and has planned a big event for his store’s third anniversary, but he’s short on staff and his remaining employees are threatening mutiny is he can’t find some temporary workers by tomorrow. Luckily, he practically trips over Ryou, a young man who’s in need of a place to crash and whose handsome features make him an ideal hat model. Ryou agrees to help during the anniversary festival, in exchange for Satoru providing him with a place to stay for a few nights, and the event winds up being a huge success! Satoru is pleased with what a wonderful job Ryou did, but the mysterious young man seems haunted by his past and keeps making alarming statements which have Satoru concerned. Can Ryou learn to move on and make a new start? Or will his dark past continue to drag him down, and possibly Satoru along with him?!
Review:
Dear Mr. Rain is this first book in the Canis series and it does an excellent job of establishing the compelling bond between our two leads. Ryou grew up unloved by his parents and spent his teens desperately trying to carve out a place for himself where he felt like he belonged, even if that meant walking down a criminal path. The only way he knows how to get by is by making himself useful to others and, while that worked for him in his old life, once things went wrong he wound up alone again and completely directionless. When Satoru finds him, he’s unable to conceive of a way that he could move forward with his life and he’s prepared to die. Thanks to Satoru’s kindness, however, he finds hope and starts being able to think of the future again, though those thoughts only seem to extend so far as: “I’m going to stay by Satoru’s side forever!” Ryou is nothing if not devoted, and he quickly latches onto Satoru, who mostly seems bemused by the situation.
Satoru seems to feel somewhat responsible for Ryou and wants to help him, but there’s more to their connection then just that. He’s felt drawn to Ryou from the start and his feelings are only growing deeper as they get to know each other better. The two of them have a ridiculously cute dynamic: Ryou is very earnest and mellow, whereas Saturo is more emotional and loves to tease Ryou. I’m looking forward to seeing their bond continue to grow and, hopefully, turn even more romantic, as progress has been a little slow on that front, so far.
This volume feels like it was laying a lot of groundwork for the story. On top of establishing the main characters and their relationship, we’re also shown glimpses of Ryou’s former life, adding an undercurrent of tension to the plot, since the dangerous world Ryou comes from isn’t one that can be easily discarded. It’s only a matter of time before his past catches up with him and there’s no telling what that could mean for Ryou and his relationship to Satoru. I’m excited to read more and discover what’s in store for these two young men in the next volume! Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for the sequel.
Canis: Dear Mr. Rain proved to be the start of a very engaging story. I found the unique art style to be striking and I was charmed by the sweet and humorous relationship that develops between the two main characters. What’s more, thanks to the exciting hook of the ticking timebomb that is Ryou’s past, I can’t wait to read volume two! Boy’s Love fans, don’t hesitate to pick this title up!
Final Score: 8 out of 10.
What did you think of this series? Let me know in the comments.
For more information on this manga, visit Fakku’s website.
You can also check out some of my other recent Boys Love reviews:
- Melting Lover Review
- Therapy Game Vol 1 Review
- There are Things I Can’t Tell You Review
- Toritan: Birds of a Feather Vol 1 Review
- Koimonogatari: Love Stories Vol 1 Review
If you enjoy reading my reviews, please consider supporting me through Kofi.
Al's Manga Blog 