From TOKYOPOP:
Ryo and Dee, two of New York City's finest, are called in to investigate the activities of some two-bit street punk. The operation quickly goes south when Dee is kidnapped and Ryo must put all of his skill and training to the test to get his partner back in one piece. Their partnership is on the line as electrified emotions raise questions within them that are hard to ignore.
I'll say this right off the bat- if you're looking for mindless smut, this probably isn't the manga for you.
With that said, though, it's a really great series. The characters are very realistic, with Dee being hopelessly in love (and lust) with Ryo, but Ryo being very confused about it all, unsure about if Dee is being serious and about what his feelings are for Dee. Bikky and Carol are also extremely adorable, and it's pretty amusing to see the interactions between them, Ryo, and Dee.
The plot is great, too. When I started reading, I wasn't expecting there to be much focus on their jobs as cops, but there is. They go after several killers, including the people who killed Ryo's parents when he was younger. Some of the stories really keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering if they'll catch the murderer or be murdered themselves.
All in all, I would say that FAKE is definitely a must read.
I really love this story. It's been a while since I've read it, but it's one of those that I can keep going back to over and over again. The characters feel real, not just flat and one-dimensional, and the sexual tension between Dee and Ryo is wonderful. It's not resolved quickly either, even though Dee practically throws himself at Ryo every opportunity he gets. So, in a way it's a tease, and on the other hand, it's more satisfying plotwise than manga than give you sex scenes, but they don't really mean anything and they're just sort of shoved at you for the sake of "look, here's sex".
Basic plot summary:
At the start of the story Randy "Ryo" Maclean joins the NYPD's 27th precinct, where he meets Dee Laytner, his new partner. Together they work to solve a variety of crimes, including murders, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and even bombings. Meanwhile, Dee has no problems letting Ryo know of his growing feelings for him, but can Ryo overcome his own uncertainties and return his partner's affections?
Review (no major spoilers):
Sanami Matoh knows how to tell a good police story, and even better, she knows how to handle romance. As far as yaoi mangas go Fake has one of the best written character driven plots. If you are looking for a yaoi where the main characters meet and five pages later are messing around in bedroom, then this is not the book for you. Fake focuses a lot on developing the characters and letting the plot unfold around them. The romance between Ryo and Dee happens gradually, in a more realistic way than love is normally depicted in yaoi. You really come to know the characters and care about them. Ryo is soft-spoken and polite. While Dee is more in your face and won't hesitate to say what's on his mind. None of the major characters in Fake follow your typical stereotypes because Matoh does her best to flesh them out and make them feel like real people.
Matoh's unique drawing style allows some pretty good facial expressions on her characters, especially with the eyes. Very few mangaka are able to have a character act and say one thing, but let the reader know that they are actually thinking something completely different just by the look in their eyes. Also Matoh-sama knows how to draw men. No little pretty-boys here. Dee and Ryo are guys who look like guys.
The sexual content in Fake is mostly mild until the last volume, but the constant sexual tension between Dee and Ryo throughout the series does more than make up for the lack of actual sex. Also there are many steamy make-out scenes involving the two. As for the sex scenes, there are no directly graphic depictions of genitalia and the scenes only last for a page or so. To a hardcore yaoi fan the sex may seem rather tame, but for someone just stepping into the wonderful world of yaoi Fake is a nice place to start.
Do understand, though, that Fake is not the kind of BL manga you read for the sex. There are plenty of other mangas out there that are nothing but one gratuitous sex scene after another. If that's what you want then you'll have to look elsewhere. However, if you are tired of the same shallow clichés and are searching for something with good plot, fleshed out characters, and a well developed loving relationship, then I highly recommend Fake. Seriously, I can't recommend this enough. This is one of the best character driven stories out there in the BL market. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.
I loved this series and I regret not having it on my shelf.
I read it a few times, but those times, I didn't quite get used to adult themed yaoi, and I wasn't so used to the art style yet. The last and final time though, I read it all the way through.
The artwork may seem to be eyetwitching, but as you read it, you get used to the artwork. It's old, but it's still classy.
The characters are enjoyable and fun. As the series progress through, the characters develop and grow with each other, especially our star couple, Ryo and Dee.
What I like about the series is that it's based in a different setting, like the office building, and it depends on where the case takes place, like an alley, boat on a lake, etc. It's different from the typical high school setting.
The plot is great. It deals with Ryo's past, and it starts to bloom from where it starts. Romance becomes part of the plot, and it's amazing how the characters revolve around it.
This series is great for anyone wants to try something different with adults.
From all the yaoi/shounen-ai titles that I have been reading I must say that this one is in my top 5 list.
The character design is pretty good and the artwork is constant throughout the series.
The way the writer/drawer depicts the humour scenes is also very well done and made me laugh time and time again.
Ryo as a young cop struggles with his feelings for the more experienced (gay) cop Dee.
Bikky - a young kid who tries to protect Ryo for the 'perferted' Dee- tends to get on my nerves but that could only be the artist intention as you feel what Dee feels: "Get lost you brat!"
The relationship between the two cops unfolds slowely while they are working on several cases.
This series has one particular thing that captivated my heart: the people around the two gay cops (including colleagues and friends) act normally, straight forward and open about gay relationships.
What a perfect world that would be!
The minor thing in this series is, that not all plots are totally understood by me and sometimes things go a little helter skelter and you loose track of what is going on.
But all in all this is a heart warming series that has to offer a good laugh, sweet love and some nerve-breaking action!