Bram Stoker had his Dracula, Sheridan Le Fanu his Carmilla,  Anne Rice presented us with her Lestat and Kouta Hirano graced our lives with Alucard.  Now Sakyou Yozakura brings to us the latest in a long line of vampiric heroes – Yuki Akabane.  But wait, there's a twist!  Yuki is not quite a vampire, he is simply descended from a long line of vampires.  He has no problem in bathing in the rays of Sol, nor does the smell of garlic make him cringe.  Which isn't to say that he likes to spend any time in tanning salons, or  that he douses his food with the pungent leek.  And naturally, he won't live forever.  But despite the fact that the vampiric blood has thinned out quite a bit over the years, one trait still remains – how he does love the taste of blood!  Which makes his job as a nurse in the donation center of the hospital just that much sweeter!  He works in a veritable hemoglobic smörgåsbord, and everyone there considers him to be a white-robed angel!

Highlights

 

As Blood Honey begins, the donation center's donor nut has snuck in under the radar which is supposed to keep someone from donating their blood too often – his real name is Osamu Mayuzumi, but today he is using a fake card in the name of an alleged friend, Taro Yamada. Yuki, while appreciating his enthusiasm, tries to explain to Mayuzumi that rules are rules, perhaps he should come back next week. But the mild-mannered man falls upon his knees and humbly says that he cannot do so, as he knows that Yuki will not be there then – and Yuki is the only one he wishes to draw his blood! The surprised yet compassionate Yuki gives in, not wishing to see the other man suffer, and draws the blood.  Afterward, he speculates as to what to do with it – without a genuine card, it isn't fair to place it in the pool with the rest.  Perhaps a little snack would be in order?  So Yuki drinks the blood and, to his surprise, he discovers that he has never tasted anything so delicious before!  When Mayuzumi returns to the donation center just days later, rather than the proscribed two weeks, Yuki hits upon a plan….

 

He reasons with Mayuzumi that since he wishes to have his blood drawn, and since Yuki likes to draw blood, they should conduct these activities away from the donation center – on the qt, as it were.  So Yuki invites him to dinner, cooking lots of blood-replenishing foods, the better to build up the other's blood supply.  Yuki's boss, Dr. Shimizu, even comments that the nut isn't stalking them any more, and Yuki hides a knowing smile.  At the dinners he prepares so well, he is getting to know Mayuzumi, discovering that he is a cram school teacher who works hard to prepare his students. At the donation center, even Yuki's co-workers notice the change in the nurse, speculating that perhaps he is in love.  If they only knew!

 

Then Mayuzumi calls out of the blue, says he is nearing his limit and can't come over!  Yuki tells himself he can handle it, but as time goes by, his mood grows worse, and his imagination runs rampant, envisioning Mayuzumi with other nurses, and he becomes a grumpy Gus.  Desparate, he decides to risk getting some blood for himself from the storage room, but he is caught by Dr. Shimizu, who tells him he will not say a word about what he is attempting to do, if he gives up his body to his superior!  What is Yuki to do?

Overall

 

When Mayuzumi unexpectedly saves the day, he presents an untenable situation for Yuki, so he lets the man know, in no uncertain terms, that he must remedy the problem – by becoming his permanent blood donor!  The two settle into their new relationship, but where will it go, and will it become something more than supply and demand?  How will the complication that is Kirosu be handled?  And will Yuki and Mayumayu ever consummate their relationship with this pest around?

 

I had mixed emotions when I began this manga, but quickly got caught up in it, and discovered a real blood-sucking comedic gem, with a yaoi twist.  Yuki the nurse is quite adorable, and Mayumayu, the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll type, has a completely different side to him which is fun to watch unfold!  I swear that in one panel, he reminds me a lot of Stephen King!  In the chapter "Blood Honey S", Yuki and Mayumayu have had enough of Kiri and his antics, which continually interrupt them so that they still haven't consummated, after a month of being together, so they send him away on his winter break to a temple to receive discipline training – a temple run by none other than Mayumayu's friend, Taro Yamada (see, it wasn't a fake name!)  What happens there is a whole other story, and I enjoyed it a great deal, as these two men come to grips with themselves and with one another!

 

The artwork in Blood Honey is totally cute!  I especially loved the full color picture of Yuki in his vampire garb, complete with blood red cummerbund, and dominatrix black high-heeled boots!  This manga is from the Blu line, so it is intended for mature audiences, as it does feature graphic nudity, explicit sexuality, use of alcohol and mild violence.  Yaoi fans will enjoy its blend of sensuality with comedy, with a vampiric twist – I know that I did!

 

ComicsOnline gives Blood Honey 4 out of 5 stamina meals.