Naoyuki is being reluctantly dragged to the "Maria Elena" bar by his girlfriend, Yuka,  who wishes to see the contest-winning bartender that she's heard works there, but Naoyuki has little use for cocktails, and he is trying to get out of going in when a voice from his past changes his world forever.  It is none other than the very handsome Shinobu, who dumped him four years before, broke his heart when he disappeared without a word, on the very day that Naoyuki was about to confess his feelings for him! It seems that he works at Maria Elena now, so Naoyuki is compelled to enter the establishment.  Fixing Yuka a cocktail, Shinobu mixes Naoyuki something non-alcoholic – a virgin breeze, he calls it.  And oh the memories that come flooding back at that!  Which is how we begin How to Capture a Martini, by Makoto Tateno.

Highlights

He had thought he was over the heartache that Shinobu caused, so why is Naoyuki returning to the Maria Elena?  He has a girlfriend, why does he want to see Shinobu, when the other man is so cold to him?  And yet here he is…. He opens the door to the bar…. to find Shinobu stretched out over it, being taken by the bar owner from behind!  Shinobu sees him, and never misses a beat, as Naoyuki leaves, crying. 

Shinobu finds Naoyuki afterward and tells him he sees who he wants and does who he wants, whenever he wants.  Furthermore, he says it has always been that way, even when the two of them were together!  For his words, he receives a slap across the face from his betrayed lover.  Naoyuki, who is not much of a drinker, gets plastered, and ends up outside the Maria Elena again, falling asleep, dreaming of a time long ago, and matching rings that were intended for himself and Shinobu.  Which is when he finds himself being relieved of his wallet by a passing thief, which contains all his money! 

Suddenly broke, he is offered a position at Maria Elena by the owner, and he accepts it, as much to be near Shinobu as for the money.  Is this a healthy thing to do?  The more he sees him, the more he wants him – and the worse Shinobu treats him.  And he endures seeing him with other men, breaking his heart all over again.  How much must one person endure until they give up?  Is there a limit to how much love will take without bleeding itself dry?

Overall

How to Capture a Martini will grab you by the heart from the first pages, and it won't let go, not until you see the story through! Naoyuki is so in love with Shinobu that you can't help but feel for him – suddenly having his lost love reappear in his life like that.  You know that he has to be thinking there is a reason for it, a purpose, more than just random occurrence.  But the more he tries to pierce that armor of indifference that Shinobu wears, the more he is repelled.  Until Shinobu crosses one line – a line which Naoyuki won't cross – he won't betray the purity of his love, the truth of his feelings, for anything, not even a chance to have sex with Shinobu again.  I have never felt so passionately about a yaoi manga as I did this one. 

I ached for Naoyuki, even as I rooted for him to succeed in bringing his lost love back to him.  I cried for him, and with him, feeling his pain, wanting to make it better, and fearing the worst.  This is another great read from Makoto Tateno.  I love her stories, which ring so very true, and her heroes are so handsome, so easy on the eyes.  I've already re-read this – more than once – and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates good yaoi.  Or to anyone who loves a love story.

After the main manga are a few bonuses – a short tale featuring the owner of Maria Elena and his younger brother.  It's really cute, but beware – if you are uncomfortable with incest, don't read it.  Then there is "Freedom From Constraint", which has to do with two young boys, the tightness of school uniforms, and the relieving of said tightness.  A final bonus brings back Naoyuki and Shinobu for a little bartending fun!  Another triumph for Makoto Tateno – she never disappoints!

ComicsOnline gives How to Capture a Martini 4.5 out of 5 sweet martinis. This volume is now available at Amazon!