What would you do if you found a stranger collapsed in the rain, and he told you he came to Japan to die? That’s how Canis: Dear Mr. Rain begins, and I was hooked right away. I first discovered ZAKK’s art during my Tumblr days, and I loved it so much that I started buying the Japanese manga before they were ever translated.
Canis: Dear Mr. Rain by ZAKK is the first book in the Canis series and is a complete story in one volume. It was published in English by KUMA in 2020. It was also ZAKK’s very first published book in Japan, which is wild because it reads like the work of a seasoned pro.
Satoru Kutsuna is a 29-year-old hatter who runs his own shop in Tokyo. He’s talented and passionate about his craft, but he can be tough to work for and has a hard time keeping staff. Right before a big sale, he’s short on help and has no idea what to do.
On his way home, he finds a young man lying unconscious in the rain and takes him in. That young man is Ryou Kashiba, a 19-year-old who just arrived from New York. He’s charming, laid-back and a little mysterious. When Satoru casually asks why he came to Japan, Ryou gives him a chilling answer: “To die.”
To repay Satoru for helping him, Ryou agrees to work at the shop for a couple of days. After that, he plans to carry out his final goal.
A Sweet Story with a Dark Shadow
This is what makes Dear Mr. Rain so special. On the surface, it’s a cute, funny story about a grumpy hatter and his new helper. Ryou is earnest and mellow, while Satoru is emotional and loves to tease him. Their banter had me smiling the whole time.
But there’s a darker story running underneath. Through flashbacks, we learn bits and pieces of Ryou’s past. He’s an orphan who grew up neglected and got mixed up with the mafia in New York. ZAKK doesn’t give away everything at once. She drops hints that keep you turning pages and wondering what Ryou has been through. I loved the slow reveal of Ryou’s background. It gave me important insight into why he was out there in the rain in the first place.
The two men are 10 years apart and come from completely different worlds. One builds beautiful things with his hands, and the other has only ever followed orders just to survive. Watching them slowly figure each other out is the heart of this book.
One small detail I loved: it rains at every important moment in the story. That’s where the title comes from. It’s such a simple touch, but it gives the whole book a moody, romantic atmosphere.
Since Satoru is a hatter, we get to see how much hats mean to him: how he makes them, the styles and the way a hat can change someone when it’s worn by the right person. Ryou even models for Satoru, and those scenes are some of the most stylish pages in the book. As a collector who loves handmade crafts, I really appreciated how much love ZAKK put into showing Satoru’s work.
The romance here is not rushed at all. They watch each other, learn how to live together and get used to having each other around. Satoru starts to realize his feelings, but Ryou is a lot slower to understand his own.
If you’re looking for steamy scenes, this isn’t it. The romance is very tame, but there’s still so much tension between them. Sometimes a look or a small touch says everything.
ZAKK’s art is gorgeous and unlike most BL I’ve read. It’s part cartoon and part lush fashion illustration, with a Western-influenced style. She plays with light and shadow, and her panels are packed with little details. It might take a few pages to adjust if you’re used to the typical BL look, but once you do, it’s beautiful.
Fun fact: ZAKK also creates manga as Hachi Ishie, including the Cruella manga for Disney and VIZ Media.
The KUMA paperback is really nice quality, and it comes with its own dust jacket with vibrant colors on the cover. KUMA later released a revised edition with new material and a new cover. I own the latest version KUMA released, and the quality is impressive.
My favorite moments are all the times Satoru and Ryou tease each other at the shop. Their teasing is the foundation of the story, and those interactions are key to developing their bond.
Canis: Dear Mr. Rain is a beautiful start to the Canis series. It’s sweet, funny and a little heartbreaking all at once. It works well on its own, but it makes even more sense once you read the sequel, Canis: Dear Hatter. The ending will have you reaching for the next volume right away.
I thoroughly enjoyed Canis: Dear Mr. Rain by ZAKK!
Who it’s for: BL fans who love slow-burn romance, readers who enjoy a little mystery and danger, and anyone who appreciates gorgeous, one-of-a-kind art.
Buy from Amazon: Canis: Dear Mr. Rain
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