Length: 22,000 words approx
Blurb
A robot fanboy. An erotic voice actor. Will their secrets overwhelm their love?
Sato doesn’t get out much. The anime company accountant spends his days at a desk and his nights working on his own small-scale robots. His geeky life is like a dream, but it has just one piece missing…
The world only knows Aoi for his moans. The erotic voice actor has legions of fangirls obsessed with his gasps of simulated ecstasy. And his new boyfriend Sato can barely handle the attention.
As Aoi’s popularity rises and secrets about his past begin to reveal themselves, can the accountant and the voice actor rise above their problems to create something real?
Year One is a short story anthology collection unlike anything you’ve ever read. If you like geeky settings, and sweet romance, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s slice-of-life story.
My review:
This is the published version of Amy Tasukada’s monthly newsletter about Aoi and Sato. The reader is treated to a glimpse of the couple’s lives every month and because of the format, it’s low angst.
Aoi and Sato are cute and I love following along as they grow closer as a couple over the year and being there for important milestones like moving in together. I appreciate how they both are trying to show their love and appreciation for one another. Like in the March chapter when Sato wants to dazzle Aoi with his cooking for White Day, but even though he’s planned it perfectly and practiced the meal several times, he fails when when the big day arrives. He’s understandably miserable, but Aoi does his best to cheer him up. I love those intimate moments between them.
Both characters are adorable. Aoi’s job as an erotic voice actor (a professional moaner) is very creative, but Sato is my favorite of the two. He’s a bona fide geek and lives for gundam and spread sheets, but he’s not portrayed with any negativity. Instead, Amy Tasukada celebrates his geekiness and I love that.
One of my favorite things about Amy Tasukada’s writing is her meticulous research. Every little detail is correct and it’s evident that she’s spent hours and hours checking her facts and getting everything just right. One of my pet peeves are when authors get easily googlable facts wrong, so I really appreciate a writer who’s done their due diligence.
I can’t write this review without mentioning the fabulous illustrations. Every month there’s drawing to go with the story, and Alexandra Pilzner has done an amazing job in capturing Aoi and Sato. I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite, but it’s between March when Sato burns dinner, or June when Aoi hides from the cat in the bathroom (look at that little paw under the door! So cute!)
If you’re in the mood for a quick, sweet read with lots of Japanese flavor, this is just the story for you.
September 11 – Bayou Book Junkie, Gay Book Reviews
September 13 – Wicked Reads
September 15 – The Novel Approach
September 20 – Alpha Book Club, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Nell Iris, Bayou Book Junkie
Author Bio
Amy Tasukada lives in North Texas with a calico cat called O’Hara. As an only child her day dreams kept her entertained, and at age ten she started to put them to paper. Since then her love of writing hasn’t cease. She can be found drinking hot tea and filming Japanese street fashion hauls on her Youtube channel.
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The story is called The Christmas Day Date and will be featured in an anthology together with four other holiday stories, written by my friends 
