The Two Lions is the fifth volume written and illustrated by Nagisa Furuya, author of All about Ocean Blue and Blue Summer, published by Seven Seas Entertainment.
THE PLOT
Not long after he starts university, friendly, big-hearted Junpei runs into the very unfriendly Leo. As they speak, Junpei learns that they went to the same high school and that Leo was the “Demon Lion” feared back then as a secret gang leader. After those days spent as a lonely, misunderstood high schooler, Leo escaped to a faraway college to make new friends. Junpei becomes his first and vows to help Leo make more, but are his feelings for Leo stronger than friendship?
A DELICATE CARESS
The Two Lions is a standalone volume that tells the evolution of the relationship between two boys who attended the same High School and meet each other again at the University. Leo and Shishido have only one thing in common, the meaning of their name. Beside that, they are like the sun and moon and just like the two celestial bodies, they chase each other in this story that is, like the preavious ones, sweet and delicate as a caress and at the same time profound and engadging.
The author, who is known for the delicacy of her style, keeps it even in this boyslove story that alternate seriousness and spontaneity. The love story is a crescendo made of personal thoughts about present and past, reality and appearance, right and wrong.
In The Two Lions, there are many different themes discussed with the usual lightness that characterizes the mangaka’s style and her stories.
SLANDERERS
One of the theme we can find is what we can define “slanderers”. The slanderers are those people who spread false rumors and stories about someone, affecting his/her image and reputation and making him/her appear like he/she actually isn’t.
It’s Leo’s case who was isolated in the High School due to unfounded rumors who depicted him as a violent and aggressive bully. So, he chooses to attend a far way University in order to leave the bad experience behind and start a new life. When he meets Shishido and recognizes him, he sees his chance of a new life in danger, so he is hostile towards him.
“I don’t…have friends. And this is because at the Kawanami they said a lot of false things about me. Due to this, people have always stayed away from me… So for the University… I wanted a place where no one knew me… where to do things in the right way”
Shishido well understands the desire of his old classmate and he does not want to hinder him. On the contrary, he wants to help him and suggests him to be his first friend. So, their relationship starts and becomes always more and more profound for both of them even if in different ways.
BE KIND AND STRONG
Another theme, that contributes to make the story deeper is linked to the concept of “strength”. What does be strong mean? It’s just something physical? or there is something else?
To explain this to a young Leo is his grandpa. He is an ex soldier who trains him to be strong in order to defend himself and, when necessary, also the other ones.
The grandpa explains him that there are many different types of strength. “Be strong… and in the same way kind” he tells him but Leo is too young to fully understand. Once adult, the boy understands that being strong is not something only physical.
You can be physically, mentally, emotionally strong and in many other different ways. You have to be strong to forgive who hurt you, to not hold grudge, to forget. You have to be strong to not give up, to not run away in front of an adversity, to bear the pain.
Leo is strong, he is both physically but above all emotionally because, despite what he suffered in the past, he does not allow it to affect his present. Moreover, despite all his doubts about his strength and how to use it, he has always done the right thing, that is saving an homeless man from a bunch of idiots in a park or a classmate from a bully.
Shishido is also strong but in different way. When he understands that he feels something for Leo that is more than a friendship, he tries to hide his feelings, to “close them in a drawer” like he says. This requires strength. Keep going on requires strength and courage.
SIMBOLOGY
Strenght and courage are two traits usually associated to an animal that is the lion and here we are at the last interesting theme to talk about of TheTwo Lions.
As aforementioned, Leo and Shishido have opposite personalities. The first one is a person of few words, reserved and quiet. The second one instead is sociable and extrovert. They have only one thing in common and this is the meaning of their name. Leo derives from Latin meanwhile Shishido is Japanese, both mean “Lion”.
Names are important, they identify and distinguish, they contribute to define the person or the object they refers to. Names have history, meanings and values, so choosing those name for the protagonist was a thoughtful choice for their characterization. Leo and Shishido have the personality traits of the animal that their names represent. Even their look remind it, Shishido’s hair reminds a lion’s mane meanwhile Leo’hair, before dying them black, were light brown like the King of Wild‘s fur.
TO CONCLUDE
So to conclude, strength, courage, love, friendship are some of the ingredients of this story that confirm the talent and the unique style of the mangaka. The Two Lions is an enjoyable and engadging entertainment that also makes you think. It’s perfect for those who love sweet boylove stories, for those who love standlone stories that leave a mark and obviously is a must-have for all Furuya’s fans.