is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

written and illustrated by

Hinako Takanaga is a Japanese yaoi manga artist from Nagoya. She has also provided illustrations for several yaoi light novels by other authors, including '' The Guilty'' by Katsura Izumi. Most of her works have been translated into English and German (chiefly b ...

. It is published in Japan by Kaiōsha, and is licensed in North America by

Digital Manga Publishing Digital Manga is a California-based publishing company that licenses and releases Japanese manga, anime, and related merchandise in the English language. Digital Manga also owns and operates eManga, a digital publishing site for manga and l ...

, in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan, in Germany by

Tokyopop Germany Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed ...

and in France by

Taifu Comics Taifu Comics is a French manga publisher established in 2004. Titles *'' +Anima'' *'' Akumetsu'' *'' Bond(z)'' *'' Challengers'' *''Cobra'' *'' Crossroad'' *''Cut'' *''Densha Otoko'' *'' Girl Friends'' *'' Hanjuku-Joshi'' *'' Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu'' ...

Plot

When the cheerful junior high student Kojima decides to make friends with the loner Nakahara, he discovers that Nakahara has a lonely home life, as his father is distant, and his mother is mentally unhinged. Kojima finds that his feelings for Nakahara are romantic, and Nakahara confesses his own feelings towards Kojima. Nakahara applies for a scholarship at a distant high school to escape his home life, and Kojima, despite having much worse marks than Nakahara, decides to apply for the same school, so that they can continue to be together. Nakahara helps Kojima study, but Nakahara's sexual advances on Kojima are rebuffed. Nakahara has a crisis at home and stays at Kojima's house for a while, and their relationship becomes more physical.

Publication

''Little Butterfly'' is written and illustrated by

. Kaiōsha released the manga's three '' bound volumes'' between January 10, 2004 and February 10, 2004. It is licensed in North America by

, which released the manga's three volumes between May 17, 2006 and January 25, 2007. Digital Manga Publishing is republishing ''Little Butterfly'' in an

omnibus Omnibus may refer to: Film and television * ''Omnibus'' (film), a 1992 French short comedy film * Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes * ''Omnibus'' (British TV programme), an arts-based documentary programme * ''Omnibu ...

edition to be released in February 2010. It is licensed in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan, which released the manga's three volumes between August 8, 2005 and December 23, 2005. It is licensed in Germany as ''Kleiner Schmetterling'' by

, which released the three volumes between August 2005 and January 2006.

Reception

Mania Entertainment's Julie Rosato comments on the manga's "so sweet that it actually hurts" relationship between the protagonists. A review of the second volume of the manga by Rosato comments on the lack of relationships like the ones between the protagonists in the

yaoi , also known by its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that depicts homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created by women for a female audience, distinguishing it from the equivale ...

genre. She also comments on the "odd blurring effect on a handful of pages". Of the third volume of the manga, Rosato comments on the protagonists "open dialogue never took a back seat to the romantic "action" - quite often a pitfall in this genre". Active Anime described the art as "graceful and beautiful", and the story as being "mature and sophisticated".

References

External links

*{{ann, manga, 6064 2004 manga Josei manga Yaoi anime and manga Digital Manga Publishing titles

Plot

Publication

Reception

References

Further reading

External links