From the author of Three P, fans of voyeurism shouldn’t let this title escape their notice.
Creative Staff
Story: Hiroshi Itaba
Art: Hiroshi Itaba
Translation/Adaptation: uncredited
What They Say
Matsuno, a former employee of a big enterprise, quit his job to work at a rural hot-spring inn renowned for its romantic matchmaking efficacy. One day, after a hard day’s work, Matsuno accidently shares a bath with the head mistress of the inn – and has sexual relations with her. What will be the outcome of this casual fling?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Like other Project H releases, this volume costs a little more than the average manga volume, but is oversized with two double sided colored pages.
When I previously reviewed Hiroshi Itaba’s first work, I criticized it as being almost too chaste for erotica. One of the chapters in that work involved the erotic potential of having sex without a condom, the existence of which is almost never referenced in H manga that I’ve read. It’s clear Itaba is writing for a difference audience here, because the risks and rewards are far greater this time.
Itaba’s art is exceedingly detailed, to the point where some pages are almost cluttered with action and movement. Breasts are rendered lovingly, but unfortunately other parts of the anatomy are whited out in censorship from the original. It’s a shame, too, as it would be interesting to see his eye for detail applied to other places as well. You can expect a lot of motion and dynamism, but he also has a tendency to draw too many lines, making blushes faces look a little too hashed out. Fans are likely to be more pleased than not in the detail he provides, however.
Fans of exhibitionism and public displays of affection are going to be pleased by this collection, which takes place at a Japanese hot springs resort famous for being a location where amorous encounters take place. These are said to be so frequent that male staff members quit after a few days, being unable to contain their desire. I’m not sure how realistic that is, but it does mean that our protagonist has his pick of any woman he chooses, and that just so happens to be the overbearing okami of the inn. The two lovers get off to a bad start, but after bathing in the nude together, things quickly take a turn for the romantic.
Their duties to maintain the inn provide a great variety of lovemaking opportunities: In the closet, watching on while a lesbian idol and her lover make beautiful music together, for example. In the scenic hot springs themselves, for another. How about hidden in a thin layer of steam, right beneath a busy public bridge for a third? Can they be seen or not? The voyeuristic and exhibitionist charge provides a lot of the thrill to the lovers in this volume.
Perhaps the most remarkable chapter is the last, however, which provides an interesting look at the erotica of a different culture. A Japanese woman retreats to the bathroom where she discovers a couple of foreigners attending to business. She watches excitedly, and it’s hard not to be amused at how they are rendered, with blonde hair and big noses, the woman’s chest overflowing and the man’s chest covered in hair. Is this how Caucasians are eroticized overseas? Readers may not be fully gratified by the depiction, but it’s a fascinating detail nonetheless.
In Summary
Hot and Steamy lives up to its name, especially to those who enjoy voyeurism and exhibitionism. The traditional Japanese location also gives it a certain cultural specificity that some are looking for as well. Itaba’s art is richly detailed, with the exception of the censored bits, and invites multiple read-throughs. I’m pleased to see Project H continuing to add variety in subject matter, so that people of any persuasion might find something to their taste.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 18+ Adult
Released By: Project-H Books
Release Date: Jan 16, 2013
MSRP: $17.95
