Finder Series



The Finder Series (also known as the Viewfinder Series) is a series of Boys Love Manga by Yamane Ayano. The "finder" part of the title refers to a camera's viewfinder. After far too long in licensing limbo, the series has been acquired for English re-release by DMP; as of May 2011, the first three volumes have been published.

The main plot deals with freelance photographer Takaba Akihito, who stumbles upon a secret deal being made by Yakuza boss Asami Ryuichi. Asami punishes Takaba by kidnapping and raping him, and extremely angsty romance ensues. Various side stories of other relationships are included.

The series currently consists of six volumes:
 * 1) Target in the Finder (Finder no Hyouteki)
 * 2) Cage in the Finder (Finder no Ori)
 * 3) One Wing in the Finder (Finder no Sekiyoku)
 * 4) Prisoner in the Finder (Finder no Ryoshuu)
 * 5) Truth in the Finder (Finder no Shinjitsu)
 * 6) Passion in the Finder (Finder no Netsujou)

A seventh, "Pray in the Abyss", is being serialized in Gold magazine; chapter 4 is due out February 28, 2012.

This series contains examples of:

 * A Date with Rosie Palms: Akihito after running into Asami in the street. A few hours later Asami shows up in his apartment.
 * A Match Made in Stockholm: Akihito and Asami. The latter kidnapped Aki, who fell in love with Asami later. Averted with Akihito and Feilong.
 * Art Evolution: In the first chapters Akihito had a more boyish look and Asami was more rugged. As the story goes on Akihito's features become prettier and Asami's become more refined.
 * Artifact of Doom: The disk Akihito is given and that brings Feilong in the equation.
 * Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other: Asami and Takaba
 * Badass in a Nice Suit: Asami. The only time he wears casual clothes is during the vacation in the island, and they're very high end casual clothes.
 * Battle Butler: Kirishima, he is Asami's assistant and a capable fighter. In a side story he is shown cooking and ironing Asami's clothes.
 * Bastard Boyfriend: Asami. Up to Eleven.
 * Berserk Button: Akihito for Asami.
 * Bishounen: Everybody. Especially Feilong and Takaba.
 * Big Brother Is Watching: One of Asami's henchmen is stationes outside of Akihito's apartment complex.
 * Blue Eyes: Some of the color artwork shows Akihito with pale blue eyes, but he's frequently shown with light brown eyes.
 * Bondage Is Bad: Both Asami and Feilong use bondage and "props" while raping Takaba. Asami still makes with the BDSM even after forming a relationship with Takaba.
 * Brains and Bondage: Asami fits it perfectly.
 * Break the Cutie: the entire Hong Kong arc was basically seeing how much rape and physical/mental torture could take before he snapped. It took a lot.
 * The High Loft arc describes how Feilong's world falls apart after he meets Asami. He's later explicitely described in Naked Truth Zero as being so broken that he doesn't even care about.
 * Can't Hold His Liquor: Both Akihito and Feilong have low tolerance for alcohol.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: Feilong sure acts like one along with a Woman Scorned attitude.
 * Coitus Uninterruptus: Asami's got amazing stamina for a 35-year-old.
 * Creature of Habit: Kirishima fits the bill being very professional and punctual. At times he even comes across as a Schedule Fanatic.
 * Culture Equals Costume: Feilong and his group all wear changshan or modernized versions.
 * Darker and Edgier: No sappy romance here. OK, a little, but lovey-dovey feelings of like-OMG-true-love don't exist in here. We are talking about tough love, fights for dominance and kinky sex.
 * Dirty Cop: Yama in the begining of the series. It is implied that Asami has a substantial number of officals in his payroll.
 * Dirty Old Man: Yuri.
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Asami kidnaps and rapes Akihito because he took pictures of his club.
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady: Feilong, until he starts speaking.
 * Dying Declaration of Love: Yoh.
 * Easily Forgiven: Akihito forgives Feilong rather quickly. Asami on the other hand wanted to kill him.
 * Not really: Asami had several opportunities to kill Feilong, and he's a dead shot. Yet he never does anything more than disarm or at worst non-lethally injure Feilong. Even Akihito points out in the end that neither Feilong nor Asami actually intends to kill or be killed by the other.
 * Evil Laugh: Asami has a naughty chuckle going on whenever Akihito is involved. Dirty Old Man Yuri does the evil laught a few times and also in Feilong's backstory his brother Yangzhue.
 * Face Death with Dignity: Yoh.
 * Fish Out of Water: Akihito thrown in the world of crime.
 * Flower Motifs: In the artwork Asami is pictured holding out a bouquet of red roses to Akihito. In another Feilong is depicted as having received blue roses. Both Asami and Mikhail are in the same panel as well. Also may count as Foreshadowing. The chapters that introduce Feilong's backstory are titled Flower in the High Loft and he is drawn sorrounded by various flowers.
 * Foe Yay: Feilong and Asami, particularly on Feilong's side. Also Feilong and Akihito.
 * Front Organization: The Sion Group
 * For the Evulz: Mikhail Arbatov seems this. He gives no reason in getting involved in the casino deed debacle other than because it was amusing. But it can just be Obfuscating Stupidity.
 * Gayngst: Takaba, after being raped by Asami
 * Gayngster: Asami, Feilong, and several minor characters.
 * Going for the Big Scoop: Takaba in the beginning of it all, causing himself much grief.
 * Hot Guys Are Bastards: Asami, Feilong, Mikhail.
 * Hot Scoop: Takaba.
 * Housewife: Kei Kirishima is a marvelous cook and irons Asami's clothes.
 * There's also an extra in volume 6 called "Takaba Akihito's Fulfilling Life As a Housewife"
 * Incest Is Relative: Feilong's older brother Yanzhui had not very brotherly feelings for him. Subverted in that they were not actually brothers.
 * Intrepid Reporter (in training): Takaba.
 * I Have No Son: Tou toward Feilong. "After all, he is the mafia's child."
 * "It's Not Rape If You Enjoyed It": Akihito and pretty much everyone. Asami's justification for repeatedly raping Akihito is basically, "You're obviously getting off on it, so you must not be that upset."
 * Feilong says this when they first meet and again in the Naked Truth arc
 * Last Request: Yoh. He just wishes for  to be the one to kill him.
 * Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club: Club Sion
 * Lima Syndrome: Asami developed feelings of Akihito after kidnapping him. Feilong as well to a lesser degree.
 * Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Feilong. So shiny...
 * Lust Object: Akihito.
 * Feilong for Yanzhui. And in his jealousy, Yanzhui extends this to anyone who supports Feilong as the future head of the organisation.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Arbatov plays the irresponible playboy but he his the head of the Russian mafia and he does outplay Feilong in some instances all while acting like a fool.
 * Oh Crap: Everytime Akihito does something stupid that gets him tied up at the mercy of Asami or Feilong.
 * Older Than They Look: Takaba is 23, and yet he looks like he is 17 or 18. Mikhail thinks that he can't be a day over 18 and the police chase him away because he looks underage.
 * Melee a Trois: During the Naked Truth arc there is a three way gang war between Asami's yakuza group, Feilong's triad and Arbatov's mafiya.
 * Made of Iron: Asami going on a mob war was only weeks after being severely injured. Kirishima is shot on the ship and gets up and kills several mooks.
 * Man of Wealth and Taste: Asami; wears custom made designer suits and only smokes Dunhills, among other things.
 * Meaningful Name: Akihito means bright, Feilong means flying dragon.
 * Hard to miss in Feilong's case, since he is downright called a dragon on two of the four chapters' opening pages in the High Loft arc.
 * Mob War: Several, as secondary plot points.
 * The Mole or Reverse Mole depending on which side you take: . At least until he decides he wants to serve both sides at once and becomes the Double Agent.
 * Mooks: The lower level mafiosos.
 * No Fame, No Wealth, No Service: Asami's exclusive, members only Club Sion has this vibe.
 * Noodle Incident: The tomato body scrub has left Asami chuckling and Akihito unable to look at tomatoes.
 * Not with Them for the Money: Akihito gives off this vibe.
 * Pet the Dog: Akihito realizes that Asami is not a monster when a child gets ice cream on his very expensive suit and walks away unscathed and with a new triple scoop cone.
 * Questionable Consent: Akihito and Asami's latter encounters always involve a lot of coercion on Asami's part. It does not help matters that Akihito always protests at first and only during the beginning of the Naked Truth arc does he actually give verbal consent. And even then he is under a lot of pressure.
 * Rape as Drama: Hot Chinese mafia boss Feilong also rapes Takaba, to get back at Asami. Asami is duly pissed. Things get worse...
 * Real Men Hate Sugar: On a side story Asami has to eat some sweets to show himself as a good guest and is evident that he loathes sweet stuff. And he likes scotch. Akihito on the other hand loves eating sweets, something Asami mercilessly teases him for.
 * Right Through His Pants: In many sex scenes Asami is fully dressed.
 * Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Asami and Akihito, arguably. The first is a calm and collected crime lord and the other is an hyperactive and happy go lucky photographer.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
 * Sherlock Scan: Asami has very sharp eyes. Hardly any detail escapes him.
 * Shoot the Messenger: Asami empties a clip on a guy Mikhail sends to inform him that they have Akihito.
 * So Beautiful It's a Curse: Both Akihito and Feilong. Their pretty faces hand hot bodies have only gotten them unwanted attentions and a big pile of misery.
 * Smoking Is Cool: Asami and his Dunhills.
 * Stalker with a Crush : Akihito sometimes thinks he is this to Asami. Asami does not mind, he will always welcome Aki with his gates open. After the Hong Kong Arc Akihito gets a stalker with a crush of his own.
 * Stockholm Syndrome: Akihito is made of this.
 * Subordinate Excuse: Asami offers to pull  to safety, but he would literally rather die than leave   - and yes, it is for that reason.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome: Asami fits it to a tee. Also Feilong but he is more beautiful than handsome.
 * Those Two Guys: How Akihito thinks of Suoh and Kirishima. Although after Naked Truth that may have changed.
 * The Immodest Orgasm: Akihito, as due to his Uke status.
 * The Triads and the Tongs: Feilong and his group.
 * Triang Relations: Asami, Akihito, and Feilong.
 * Victim Falls For Rapist: Lots.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Feilong, full stop (toward his adoptive father Liu).
 * What Beautiful Eyes!: Takaba. Asami particularly likes them.
 * Wicked Cultured: Asami wears only expensive and finely tailored suits, drinks scotch, and smokes only Dunhills. Feilong as well with his traditional chinese costumes and appreciation of tea.
 * Yakuza: Asami and his group, and several rival groups.
 * You Got Spunk: Asami to Akihito. In his stats is even stated that spirit and moxie is what attracts him to a person. Others don't think so.
 * You Got Spunk: Asami to Akihito. In his stats is even stated that spirit and moxie is what attracts him to a person. Others don't think so.