Do Whatever You Want, Vol. 1

By Yeri Na
NETCOMICS, 196 pp.
Rating: 13+

Do Whatever You Want explores the friendship between two high school students, Jinwon and Hosoo. Both aspire to pop music stardom, vowing “to ignore girls until they make their big singing debut.” Though neither boy thinks of himself as gay, the intensity of their friendship inspires gossip among their classmates and alarms Jinwon’s mother, who takes a dim view of their frequent sleepovers. (Yaoi fans take note: it’s quite clear from context that these overnight stays did not lead to steamy, four-alarm encounters.) Jinwon, too, questions his feelings for Hosoo, wondering if he’s developed a romantic attachment to his pal. Further complicating emotional matters are Hosoo and Jinwon’s entanglements with two girls: Soomin, a loner with a defiant attitude, and Dana, a shy newcomer who longs for a close friend of her own.

Don’t be fooled by the cover art: Do Whatever You Want remains firmly grounded in reality, focusing on familial relationships, school bullies, and clique dynamics rather than the perils of celebrity or the challenges facing hot guys in love. The simplicity and naturalism of Na’s artwork suits the story’s matter-of-fact tone, though some readers—especially those accustomed to the heavy stylization found in many licensed yaoi titles—may find it too plain for their tastes. Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Na’s story is her depiction of Jinwon and Hosoo’s friendship. The tenor of the boys’ interactions and interior monologues reminded me of bishojo drama more than yaoi. We’re not sure if Jinwon’s feelings for Hosoo have shaded into the sexual, or if he’s just experiencing the excitement of making a friend who shares his dreams.

I had a few reservations about the first volume. The opening thirty pages are rather confusing, interrupted by periodic flashbacks to the beginning of Hosoo and Jinwon’s friendship. As a result, Soomin’s character isn’t so much as introduced as inserted into the story without much explanation of who she is or why she finds Hosoo intriguing. I also found the pace rather languid; not much of consequence happens until the final scenes in volume one.

That said, Do Whatever You Want is a welcome palate cleanser for readers tired of the forced hijinks, formulaic plots, and two-dimensional characters found in so many shojo and shonen-ai manga. Yeri Na’s low-key, conversation-driven approach to storytelling yields an honest, funny, and poignant look at high school friendships that dares to suggest that boys can form intense, emotional attachments to one another. Highly recommended for fans of Fumi Yoshinaga’s Flower of Life.

Volume one of Do Whatever You Want will be available on February 5th. To read the first chapter online, click here.