Finder Series (also known as either Viewfinder Series or You're my Loveprize in Viewfinder) is a Boys' Love manga written and illustrated by Yamane Ayano of Crimson Spell fame. The manga began serialization in Be x Boy GOLD in 2001 and is still ongoing as of 2022.
The main plot deals with freelance photographer Takaba Akihito, who stumbles upon a secret deal being made by crime lord Asami Ryuichi, after which their lives have been endlessly entangled with the other's.
Of course, that is not all Akihito has to worry about, not when someone like Asami has made plenty of acquaintances and enemies alike, and Akihito's association with the other man has ended up throwing him into the fray...
The series currently consists of eleven volumes:
- Target in the Finder (Finder no Hyouteki)
- Cage in the Finder (Finder no Ori)
- One Wing in the Finder (Finder no Sekiyoku)
- Prisoner in the Finder (Finder no Ryoshuu)
- Truth in the Finder (Finder no Shinjitsu)
- Passion in the Finder (Finder no Netsujou)
- Longing in the Finder (Finder no Katsubo)
- Secret in the Finder (Finder no Mitsuyaku)
- Heartbeat in the Finder (Finder no Kodō)
- Shining Moon in the Finder (Finder no Mitsugetsu)
- Furthest End in the Finder (Finder no Saihate)
Two novels have also been released:
- Stigma in the Finder (Finder no Rakuin)
- Blue Flame in the Finder (Finder no Souen)
This series contains examples of:
- Age-Gap Romance: Akihito and Asami are 12 years apart, with them being 23 and 35 years old, respectively, by the start of the story.
- Alice Allusion: Asami, when lecturing Akihito tells him that, "it gets more dangerous the further [he] goes down the rabbit hole".
- Angry Collar Grab: Asami does this once to both Akihito and Fei Long, respectively, on two separate occasions. For the former, it was when Akihito confessed that he leaked vital information to Fei Long in exchange for his friends' safety; and for the latter, it was when Fei Long remarked that the distance Asami is putting between him and Akihito might end up straining their relationship.
- Armor-Piercing Question: When Akihito was still in Fei Long's custody, Fei Long asks the former he ever heard Asami say that he loves him, which leaves Akihito stumped and speechless.
- Art Evolution: In the first few 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.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Asami and Akihito; although it takes until the Naked Truth arc for them to realize that they hold some form of attachment to the other. And even then, it takes until the end of the Pray in the Abyss arc for them to finally reconcile with the fact that they have fallen in love with each other.
- Babysitting Episode: One of the extra chapters from Volume 9 focuses on Akihito having to take care of Takato's infant son, and on how Asami reacts to the whole situation.
- Big Brother Is Watching: One of Asami's henchmen is stationed outside of Akihito's apartment complex.
- Big Damn Heroes: Asami comes to save Akihito at the end of the Naked Truth arc.
- Bittersweet Ending:
- The entire Pray in the Abyss arc ends on this note, with heavy emphasis on the "bitter". Although Yuri is killed for good and Aaron and Sudou are at least severely wounded, Chernobog is still at large and gets away with the stolen shipment. Then on the main characters' side, while Fei Long and Mikhail survive the shoot-out, both Akihito and Asami come really close to dying from their wounds and are currently comatose in the hospital.
- Volume 12 has Asami susccessfully rescue Akihito from Simon's clutches, and while Akihito slowly loses his drive to kill Asami, which he was conditioned to do for months, he still has yet to recover his memories, with the author even mentioning that Akihito won't be remembering Asami any time soon. Not to mention, Simon managed to flee and plans to use Sudou as his "trump card", and Aaron is revealed to still be alive (albeit wheelchair-bound).
- Bondage Is Bad: Both Asami and Fei Long use bondage and certain other "props" while having their way with Akihito. Asami still makes use of the BDSM from time to time even after forming a genuine relationship with Akihito.
- Breather Episode: The Escape and Love arc. While it still has a few moments of tension, the arc is relatively short and nowhere near as high-stakes in comparison to either the Naked Truth or the Pray in the Abyss arcs, and focuses mostly on the development of Akihito and Asami's relationship after the events in Hong Kong.
- Brick Joke:
- In an extra from Volume 3, Asami jokingly suggests to Akihito that he can provide him with a more comfortable and cushier place to live, to which Akihito vehemently declines. In the end of Volume 6, Akihito moves into the other's apartment to hide from Momohara Ai's fans, who started harassing him out of the suspicion that Akihito is dating said idol in secret.
- Another extra had Akihito play a prank on Asami by taking a photo of him hugging a mascot in his sleep, with the plan to use the image as his screensaver. A few volumes later, the same photo is seen as Asami's photo caller ID on Akihito's cellphone.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Yan Tsui harbors feelings that are clearly not very brotherly towards his younger brother, Fei Long. Subverted in that they're not actually brothers.
- Bullying the Disabled: Simon in the Innocent Eye arc, showing that he's more than earned his Morally Ambiguous Doctorate. While Sudou did cause most of the problems the main couple are currently faced with, Sudou at present is nothing more but an amnesiac and lethargic man whose mental capacities are no better than a child's — which cam make it a bit difficult for the reader to witness his beating.
- Chekhov's Gun: The panic room that Akihito accidentally stumbles into while cleaning Asami's apartment, since they both hide there later on when a group of armed men intrude the place.
- Chromosome Casting: Quite expected for a Boys' Love title. Women just don't exist in the franchise other than as background extras.
- Coitus Uninterruptus: Asami's got amazing stamina for a 35-year-old.
- Comatose Canary: As Asami lies unconscious in a hospital after the fight with Chernobog's forces, Fei Long tells him to get his ass out of bed and wake up. Asami does so.
- Crossover: The extra celebrating the manga's 20th anniversary features a (non-canon) crossover with the characters (particularly the main couple) from Crimson Spell and A Foreign Love Affair.
- Cry into Chest: Once they finally meet again in the end of the Naked Truth arc, Akihito breaks into tears while leaning onto Asami's chest. Shortly after, he does this again when he sees that the latter had reopened his injuries while trying to get him back.
- Culture Equals Costume: Fei Long and his group all wear changshan
, or modernized versions of one. - Damsel in Distress: Fei Long gets kidnapped by Car Fu and a photo of him bruised and tied up makes Mikhail surrender to Yuri in order to save him. Though Fei Long eventually subverts this trope as he breaks both of them out with his bare feet.
- Darker and Edgier: Although the manga still has its fair share of humorous moments as well as the occasional fluff, Finder Series is nevertheless the grittiest of all of Ayano Yamane's works.
- Deserted Island: When the hijacked chopper that Akihito and Asami were on ended up crash-landing, they get stranded in an island with plenty of nature and marine life, but nothing else. Although it allows them to keep themselves sustained and sheltered while waiting for rescue to arrive.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: When Akihito and Asami talk about Sudou, Akihito realizes that the reason Sudou was crying when he first saw the man was because he got caught doing business behind his boss' back. However, he only realizes too late that he had actually voiced out his thoughts when Asami proceeds to tease him for spying on them.
- Dirty Cop: Yama in the beginning of the series. It is implied that Asami has a substantial number of officials in his payroll.
- Dirty Old Man: Sakazaki applies for the trope, given that he tries to sexually assault the much younger Akihito in terms of information.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Asami kidnaps and violates Akihito because he took pictures of his club. However, the author did lampshade that the first chapter only happened that way because it was meant to be a one-shot; and she would have written the prologue differently if she knew from the start that Finder Series was going to be a long-running manga.
- Do You Want to Copulate?: In the Pray in the Abyss arc, Fei Long asks Mikhail if he would help him get some "sleep". The meaning is clear, and so is Mikhail's answer.
- Drugs Are Bad: Fei Long invokes this trope when he threatens to forcibly get Akihito addicted to hard drugs should the other get on his bad side.
- Dying Declaration of Love: Attempted, at least. When Asami seems to have been fatally shot by Sudou, he tells Akihito that he loves him before passing out. Although the epilogue of the Pray in the Abyss arc reveals that he ultimately survived.
- Enemy Mine: After Sudoh lost his standing with Asami and nearly his own life, Sakazaki brings in Asami's adversary Mikhail to help him; although this trope is eventually subverted because Sudou won't have it and simply adds Mikhail to his list of people he'll try to dispose of.
- Erotic Asphyxiation: In the epilogue of the Naked Truth arc, Asami and Akihito have sex while the former chokes the latter as a means of replacing the bruises Akihito got from being strangled by Yuri.
- Evil Laugh:
- Sudou at the warehouse when his plan to lure everyone there worked out.
- Asami has a naughty chuckle going on whenever Akihito is involved.
- Yuri does the evil laugh a few times.
- Fei Long's backstory has his brother Yan Tsui do this often.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: Both Asami and Fei Long shoot at each other several times but never manage to murder the other. Given the fact that both of them are perfect shots, their claims of wanting to kill the other are quickly revealed to be obvious lies. The first volume even has Fei Long deliberately missing both Akihito and Asami three times, even though he could have easily shot dead both of them then and there, making it clear that the only reason both of them lived to go on telling their tale was because Fei Long let them.
- Flower Motifs: In an artwork, Asami is pictured holding out a bouquet of red roses to Akihito. In another artwork, Fei Long 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 Fei Long's backstory are titled "Flower in the High Loft", and he is drawn surrounded by various flowers.
- Friends with Benefits: Although the "friends" part of the trope is highly questionable, it is clear that Akihito and Asami's relationship early on was mostly sexual in nature. It's only halfway through the Naked Truth that feelings even start being part of the equation.
- Gayngst: Downplayed; while Akihito often questions if he's really attracted to men or not, he's more conflicted about who he may be getting attracted to, what with Asami having connections to the criminal underworld and all.
- Gayngster: Boys' Love elements aside, criminal organizations, the Japanese yakuza, the Chinese triads and the Russian mafiya are always front and center in the overall plot.
- Genre Shift: It's subtler than most. Majority of the manga's plot is about the feuds between various criminal organizations or the leaders of said organizations, to be more specific. But by the time of the Innocent Eye arc, the nature of the ongoing plot starts to become more akin to a spy action thriller.
- Get a Room!: When Mikhail tries to make a pass on Fei Long at the casino ship, Asami bluntly remarks that they should take their flirtations somewhere else.
- Going Cold Turkey: After Akihito gets rescued in the Innocent Eye arc, he starts suffering withdrawal symptoms (e.g. convulsing and elevated heart rate) as a result of no longer being administered the usual dose of drugs that kept him amnesiac and complaisant.
- Going for the Big Scoop: The manga starts with Akihito performing this trope, unaware of what he'd end up getting swept into for the long run.
- Gunpoint Banter: Asami and Fei Long do this a lot, since as both Akihito and Mikhail point out: they both do not actually want to kill each other.
- Harassing Phone Call: Played for Laughs in the New Year extra where a drunk Akihito keeps on ringing Asami's phone and spouting various kinds of nonsense, much to the latter's annoyance.
- Has a Type: According to the character book:
- Asami likes spunky and gutsy people.
- Fei Long's type is someone whose common sense is different from his own.
- Mikhail seems to have a thing for people with pretty hair.
- He Will Not Cry, so I Cry for Him: Akihito for Fei Long in the Naked Truth arc. The act moves Fei Long, especially since the young man is showing him compassion despite the fact that he took Akihito's friends hostage and took Akihito himself captive as a boytoy.
- Honey Trap: The first chapter of the Innocent Eye arc reveals that Akihito lost all his memories and it was implanted in his mind to kill Asami, which he nearly succeeded at doing via seduction.
- I Have No Son!: Toh towards Fei Long: "After all, he is the mafia's child." Well, the feelings mutual with Fei Long's You're Not My Father proclaim: "My father died in my arms! The man standing there is my enemy, nothing more!"
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: The trope happens in the Innocent Eye arc when Asami confronts Akihito (who is still brainwashed) in Simon's mansion. Although he's unable to help Akihito remember anything, their clash nevertheless helps him realize that Akihito's memories are still there, albeit buried very deeply in the recesses of his mind.
- Improbably Cool Car: Subverted by Mikhail, who in spite of his playboyish Russian mafiya persona, drives a Mini... because he likes the interiour lighting.
- Improvised Weapon: Given his reluctance to use a gun, Akihito employs this trope on more than one occasion.
- In the Pray in the Abyss arc, Akihito makes use of a frying pan to knock out one of the mooks who was about to shoot Asami.
- Akihito uses a tea kettle full of hot water to stop Alex from chasing him when fleeing the hotel in the Innocent Eye arc.
- Interrupted Intimacy:
- In the Innocent Eye arc, Asami chats with Fei Long via video call with Mikhail stepping into the screen moments later whilst half-naked. When the call ends, Mikhail gets Fei Long back to bed to continue where they had been interrupted before.
- Played for Laughs in the crossover extra. Just as Asami and Akihito are about to have some fun on a couch, both them and the couch suddenly get teleported to the world of Alsveith, where Vald and Halvir are.
- Intimate Psychotherapy:
- In the epilogue of the Naked Truth arc, Akihito is slowly forced to confront the fact that what happened at Hong Kong and at the casino ship has left more than just some physical scars. It eventually culminates in him and Asami having both rough and passionate sex to help the former get over what happened.
- After the Pray in the Abyss arc, both Fei Long and Mikhail have problems sleeping because of nightmares and are haunted by their pasts. Their attempt at self-therapy leads to some rough, steamy sex.
- Lap Pillow: During the Pray in the Abyss arc when Fei Long and Mikhail are imprisoned together Mikhail asks to borrow Fei Long’s lap but the latter refuses. Fei Long however relents and pulls Mikhail’s head into his lap when he starts to have a breakdown from being tortured by Yuri, as he had in the past.
- Lie Back and Think of England: At one point during the Naked Truth arc, Fei Long gets drunk and corners Akihito, forcing Akihito to drink alcohol before the former forces himself on the latter. Unable to run or fight back, Akihito endures the encounter by fantasizing that he’s with Asami instead.
- Lighter and Softer: The extras are much more lighthearted compared to the chapters of the main story, as it focuses mostly on the hijinks that Akihito wittingly or unwittingly gets into, or in some of his more normal (as normal as it can be for them) day-to-day interactions with Asami.
- Lightning Glare: Beware the high voltage at the Asami vs Fei Long pyrotechnics show!
- Macguffin: The disk Akihito is given and that brings Fei Long in the equation.
- The Mafiya: Mikhail and his hitherto nameless group of Russian gangsters. Yuri was one of them once, but he is now with Chernobog.
- The Masochism Tango: Much of the early period of Akihito and Asami’s relationship was built on this. They would cross paths (sometimes during a dangerous situation), Asami would push Akihito to have sex with him, Akihito would outwardly protest but internally desire it and then after sex they would part ways. Asami initially enjoyed this dynamic because he knew that despite fighting him Akihito genuinely desired and enjoyed what they did together, but after the Naked Truth arc the novelty wears off for Asami and he demands to Akihito that he be upfront with him about his feelings and stop acting like he doesn’t want to be with Asami. Akihito does so.
- A Match Made in Stockholm:
- Akihito and Asami. The latter kidnapped Akihito, who fell in love with Asami later on.
- Averted with Akihito and Fei Long; although Fei Long soon forms a genuine attachment to Akihito, with the latter also seeing the former in a more sympathetic light, they do not form a romance of any sort.
- Meaningful Echo:
- Both Akihito and Asami mention at point about how the other's very presence caused their emotions and feelings to be tossed around and left in a turmoil. In the Naked Truth arc, it's Asami who says this to Akihito, and in the Escape and Love arc, it's the other way around.
- Once they reunite by the end of the Naked Truth arc, both Asami and Akihito confess that they couldn't stop thinking of each other the entire time they were apart. They make a similar confession in the Pray in the Abyss arc after getting stranded on an island, since by then they haven't seen each other in months.
- When Akihito was still held captive in Hong Kong, Fei Long asked him at one point if Asami ever said that he loves him, to which Akihito was unable to answer because Asami never said such to him. Fifty-or-so chapters later, this changes when after Taking the Bullet for Akihito, Asami straight-up tells him that he loves him before succumbing to his wounds. And for bonus points, he actually says "aishiteru" — which is rarely said in Real Life due to it being a profoundly deep declaration of one's love and affections.
- Meaningful Name: The "finder" part of the manga's title refers to a camera's viewfinder, and Akihito works as a photographer for a living.
- Mêlée à Trois: During the Naked Truth arc, there is a three-way gang war between Asami's group, Fei Long's triad and Mikhail's mafiya.
- Mistaken for Cheating:
- In the Pray in the Abyss arc, both Akihito and Asami worry that the other is having another lover on the side, unaware that the other person is thinking the exact same thing.
- The trope is Played for Laughs in the extra chapter for Volume 12, where Akihito mistakenly assumes that Asami and Kuroda bumped hips after a few drinks. When Asami realizes that Akihito was suspecting, he quickly shoots down the possibility and even remarks that the three hours they spent in the room after drinking was actually an agonizing time.
- Mooks: The lower level mafiosos.
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Dr. Simon Novak in the Innocent Eye arc. He specializes in poisons and brainwashing drugs.
- Mushroom Samba: In a (non-canon) short story during the time Akihito and Asami were stranded on an island, they encountered some poisonous mushrooms that make them have crazy hallucinations about driving to a resort and acting like newlyweds on a honeymoon. They're as baffled as the reader is once they snap out of it.
- Nebulous Evil Organisation: Chernobog. The name fits the group all too well, given that in Slavic mythology, Chernobog is the deity of misfortune.
- No Fame, No Wealth, No Service: Asami's exclusive and members-only Club Sion has this vibe.
- Nonchalant Dodge: Even when a brainwashed Akihito attempts to attack him with a knife in the middle of coitus, Asami just hardly moves his head to dodge the weapon. He doesn't even do so much as flinch.
- Noodle Incident:
- The tomato body scrub has left Asami chuckling and Akihito unable to look at tomatoes, let alone eat them ever again.
- Akihito is mentioned to have a juvie record, though it's never mentioned just what he did to even get said record.
- Not Good with Rejection: Fei Long, Yan Tsui; and in the Pray in the Abyss arc, Asami seems unable to handle any suggestion that Akihito might leave him.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: The focus of the Escape and Love arc is Akihito coming to terms with the fact that nothing can ever really come back to normal for him even after he's freed from his life of captivity in Hong Kong. This is especially the case where his relationship with Asami his involved; whatever they have now, it is undoubtedly different from what they had before.
- "Not If They Enjoyed It" Rationalization: Both zigzagged and played straight. Akihito is frequently assaulted by multiple characters (Asami, Fei Long, Sakazaki to name a few) and each have pointed out that Akihito responds to them despite his protests. The zigzag comes from Akihito’s responses to Asami compared to everyone else. With Asami, Akihito does protest but he also acknowledges that he genuinely desires and enjoys what Asami does to him, which serves to be a source of embarrassment and shame for him for a period of time. This trope however is played straight with his interactions with other characters (such as Fei Long and Sakazaki), as Akihito’s protests are genuine and he is revolted by the acts, despite being told that he’s enjoying it.
- "Not So Different" Remark: In the Naked Truth arc, during their confrontation in the casino ship, Fei Long tells Asami that they are both alike in how they are willing to do anything to get a hold of the person they desire.Fei Long: Go ahead and look arrogant, as if everything is going exactly the way you want it to. But Asami, you are also nothing more than a man who rashly storms into enemy territory to get back something you hold dear.
- Not Staying for Breakfast:
- Early in Asami's and Akihito's relationship, Akihito would either run at first chance or kick Asami out. This makes the scenes when they spend the night in bed together in the aftermath of sex an apparent hint that their relationship is growing deeper and more intimate.
- Fei Long with Mikhail. The first time they do it, he leaves right after sex, much to Mikhail's disappointment. The second time, he sneaks out before dawn without Mikhail even noticing.
- Official Couple Ordeal Syndrome: Sure, the manga goes full-throttle with the sex from the get-go, but the romance between the two protagonists is surprisingly a slow-burn one, what with their contrasting personalities and backgrounds, as well as the difficulty both have in either reconciling with their feelings or even communicating about it the normal way. It also doesn't help that there are countless people trying to go after one or both of them, which interrupts or delays any time their relationship develops a bit further. Worst of all, when they finally get to sort their feelings out and confess their love for each other in Volume 11, they nearly die from their injuries shortly afterwards... and Akihito ends up with amnesia before being kidnapped and brainwashed.
- Offing the Offspring: Fei Long's biological father tries to kill him.
- Offstage Waiting Room: The five-month Time Skip of chapter 89 has most characters in one. We only know that Kirishima has been trying to deal with Asami's businesses while his boss was missing and had been searching for him, while Fei Long was searching for both Asami and Akihito. The rest? Not mentioned. Then again, Asami is not much better, as he is forced to stay at his brother's home to recover from his injuries and without any contact to anybody.
- Oh, Crap!: Akihito has this reaction everytime he does something that gets him tied up at the mercy of either Asami or Fei Long.
- One Head Taller: The height difference between Akihito and Asami is undoubtable, as both stand at 175 cm and 185 cm, respectively. To a lesser extent, Akihito doesn't stand as tall as Fei Long, whose height is 179 cm.
- Only a Flesh Wound:
- Wounds in general seem to do little harm to most characters. With Asami, they certainly don't keep him from having sex in the climax and epilogue of the Naked Truth arc. This is eventually subverted when he nearly dies from his wounds in the Pray in the Abyss arc, and he was forced to be bedridden for a few months while recovering from his injuries.
- Subverted with Fei Long. The first gun wound nearly kills him, the second leaves him incapacitated and bedridden for days - though psychology might add into this effect.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: In the aftermath of the fight with Chernobog, Fei Long tells an unconscious and severely wounded Asami that he won't let him die, because if anybody were to kill Asami, it would be him.
- Only Six Faces: The mangaka's mastery of the male anatomy is undisputable, but the characters's face design becomes a liability as the supporting cast grows larger since the characters' bone structure remains mostly the same and only the facial hair, scars, glasses or hair color end up being the only distinguishing traits among them.
- Opposites Attract: It's made abundantly clear that Akihito and Asami are from different worlds, and their personalities and outlooks are as different as yin and yang. Sometimes, it's this very aspect that causes a conflict in their relationship, since Akihito is left with doubts about his place in the other man's life. But at the same time, it is because they're like water and fire that they can't help but be drawn to the other.
- Over-the-Shoulder Carry: Asami does this practically every time Akihito is being difficult. Also once to Fei Long because he's unconscious, but doesn't get far due to being attacked.
- The Patient Has Left the Building: After the shootout at the warehouse, Sakazaki smuggles Sudou out of the hospital.
- Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: A variation; when Fei Long pins Asami down during their fight in the casino ship, Asami warns Fei Long that he can kill him if he wishes, but he won't feel any better doing it.
- Questionable Consent: Akihito and Asami's first few encounters always involve a lot of coercion on Asami's part. It does not help matters that Akihito always protests at first, and it’s only the fact that Akihito reluctantly admits to himself that he likes it and the fact that he fantasizes about these encounters when he pleasures himself that makes their initial encounters only questionable consent. It's only during the beginning of the Naked Truth arc does he actually give verbal consent. By the end of the Naked Truth arc, the consent in their sex is no longer questionable since Akihito clearly says out loud that he wants to remain around Asami.
- Rape as Drama: Fei Long violates Akihito to get back at Asami, then kidnaps him and takes him to Hong Kong, where he keeps Akihito as his boytoy. Asami is duly pissed. Things only get worse from there, especially for Akihito.
- Remember the New Guy?: The Innocent Eye arc has Asami's older half-brother show up, who was never mentioned before, and Finder no Souen gave the impression that Asami was an only child.
- Right Through His Pants: In the many sex scenes of the novel, Asami is either fully or partially dressed.
- Rivals Team Up: The Pray in the Abyss arc has Asami and Fei Long team up against a Russian anti-government organization that's threatening both their territories. Said teaming-up includes fighting side by side and saving each other's lives, but not without them constantly trading barbs with each other. Later on, Mikhail joins in too.
- Rooftop Confrontation:
- The last two chapters of Volume 8 has Asami trying to fend off Aaron and his men on the rooftop of his apartment while ensuring that he and Akihito get to escape, to which they do.
- The climax of the Pray in the Abyss arc has Mikhail and Yuri engage in combat in the rooftop of an abandoned building, and Mikhail eventually gets the upper hand after he gets a gun and shoots Yuri in the head.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Asami and Akihito. The former is a calm and collected crime lord and the other is an sweet-hearted and happy-go-lucky photographer.
- Sequel Goes Foreign: The second half of the Naked Truth arc takes place mostly in Hong Kong, the events during the second half of the Pray in the Abyss arc occur in Macau, and the Innocent Eye arc is set in Poland.
- Sex for Services:
- Akihito performs oral sex to Sakazaki as a trade for information, although he clearly hates having to do it.
- Fei Long accepts spending a night with Mikhail, if the latter in return helps get rid of the Russian organization threatening Akihito and Asami's lives.
- She Will Come for Me: The "won't" variation. While holding Akihito captive in the second chapter, Fei Long wonders out loud what to do with him in order to upset Asami the most. Akihito bitterly remarks that no matter what he does, Asami won't care and appears genuinely surprised when Asami does, in fact, come to rescue him. During the Hong Kong arc, Akihito wonders whether or not Asami will rescue him a second time (or if he's even still alive to do so).
- Shoot Out the Lock: Played for Laughs; Asami unloads a few bullets on the door of one of his rooms after he realized that Akihito installed a lock on said door. Akihito is understandably freaked out by the act.
- Shoot the Messenger: The Russian mook who informs him that Arbatov has kidnapped Akihito gets turned into a sieve of bullet holes, and even Kirishima seems disturbed by the display of raw emotion. Although it should be noted that Asami only started pulling the trigger after he talks to Akihito over the phone and noticed that something was off, which then enraged him into actually shooting the messenger.
- Significant Name Shift: In the early stages of their relationship, Asami addresses Akihito on a Last-Name Basis and only rarely calls him by his first name. It's not until the Escape and Love arc that he switches to a strict First-Name Basis with Akihito.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Akihito and Asami's relationship in a nutshell, and they both like it. Simply put, their relationship is a tumultuous one and they often bicker, but they almost always eventually end up on the bed (or any other nearby furniture) in some way.
- Slipping a Mickey: Asami does this to Akihito in the Naked Truth arc. In some compensatory justice, he is later drugged himself by Fei Long in the Pray in the Abyss arc.
- Slut-Shaming:
- At separate instances, both Asami and Fei Long call Akihito a slut for being responsive to their touches; though considering that they drugged him beforehand, it comes across as hypocritical on their parts. The trope takes its toll on Akihito during the Hong Kong arc, during which he wonders how much abuse he can take before breaking down completely.
- Fei Long gets a similar treatment as well by his adoptive brother Yan Tsui, which is way beyond hypocritical as it was him who made Fei Long use his sex appeal for the benefit of Baishe and the family in the first place— and because his own feelings for Fei Long are far from brotherly.
- Smuggling with Dolls: The key to the storage locker containing an important deed is hidden in a stuffed animal belonging to Tao.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Both Akihito and Fei Long. Their pretty faces and slender figures have only gotten them unwanted attentions and a big pile of misery.
- Stalker with a Crush: Akihito sometimes thinks he is this to Asami. Asami does not mind, as he will always welcome Aki with his gates open. After the Hong Kong arc, Akihito gets a stalker with a crush of his own.
- Successful Sibling Syndrome: Yan Tsui with Fei Long.
- Suddenly Shouting: In the penultimate chapter of the Escape and Love arc, when Akihito and Asami talk over the phone about how their business are likely to clash every now and then given their respective line of work, Akihito goes silent for a few seconds before abruptly yelling at Asami to piss off and hanging up.
- Surprisingly Happy Ending: Volume 13, and with that the Innocent Eye arc overall, ends on this note. Simon and Aaron are only implied to be dead, and the matter involving Chernobog and the deal that Asami has made with his family remain unresolved. Though Maxim was successfully rescued, and Akihito had fully regained his memories and reunites with Asami for good, with both now 100% certain that they mutually love each other.
- Take a Third Option: In the Escape and Love arc, Akihito is presented with the opportunity of getting a good scoop by apprehending the stalker who's been harassing Momohara Ai, and turning him in to the police. The only problem is that the man stole a gun from Asami, and if he is to be surrendered to the authorities, Asami may end up getting implicated as well. The dilemma frustrates Akihito to no end, but the finale of the arc has Asami take the gun from the man in a confrontation, allowing Akihito to get the scoop without the worry of leaving any loose ends.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome:
- Asami fits the trope to a tee.
- Fei Long also qualifies for the trope, but he is more beautiful than handsome.
- Through His Stomach: Although Asami successfully rescues Akihito from Simon's mansion in Chapter 5 of the Innocent Eye arc, the latter has still a long way from regaining his memories and remains hostile towards Asami. The latter is eventually able to slowly but surely get rid of the younger man's killing intent by giving him meals (which Asami prepared and cooked himself) and letting him eat them at his own pace and time.
- Together in Death: Invoked at the conclusion of the shoot-out of the Pray in the Abyss arc where Asami shields Akihito from a potentially fatal bullet right before declaring his feelings for him. Akihito tells Asami that he loves him too and, before both seemingly fall to their deaths, Akihito shoots Sudou. But as the aftermath proves, both aren't dead, just comatose.
- Trap Is the Only Option: In the Innocent Eye arc, when flying to Warsaw to retrieve Akihito, Asami is warned by Fei Long that this is very likely a trap, and he's also aware of this himself. Even then, he walks into it with open eyes, and only realizes just what kind of trap he's walking into once Akihito seduces him before brandishing a knife at him.
- Trauma Conga Line: Both Akihito and Fei Long get their fair share of this, no thanks to the people who are either attracted to them or want them dead for their own goals, or even both.
- The Triads and the Tongs: Fei Long's Baishe, which is the dominant crime organization operating in all of Hong Kong.
- Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: The Pray in the Abyss arc comes down to this with Chernobog (Aaron, Yuri and their troops) facing off against Asami's group plus Akihito, as well as Fei Long and Mikhail at a certain warehouse. To add, Sakazaki and Sudou also aren't far behind, and both Mikhail's men and Baishe's forces are on their way.Tagline: Let's settle this.
- Unequal Pairing: Asami and Akihito. In the Pray in the Abyss arc, this is the main hurdle in their relationship and it's taking its toll on Akihito far more than getting kidnapped and abused ever did.
- Use Your Head: Akihito's hands are tied up when he's captured by Sudou. Once Akihito has had enough of the other man's insanity, he soon retaliates by ramming his head against Sudou and even headbutting him.
- Water Wake-up: Aaron does this to Fei Long after kidnapping him by Car Fu.
- Wham Episode: The first chapter of the Innocent Eye arc, which is also the final chapter of Volume 11, reveals that not only was Akihito abducted, he doesn't have any of his memories and is even brainwashed into an assassin hell-bent on killing Asami.
- Will They or Won't They?: Played with. Akihito and Asami do get into a relationship that becomes more emotional as it is physical as times goes on; but a lot of things between them are left unspoken, especially when it comes to how they truly feel for the other. So it is less about when they will get together and more of when they will properly communicate with each other about their relationship, especially in a situation where they are not under attack.
