Dream with Our Eyes Open

At the beginning of this police buddy series, handsome young Caucasian-Oriental investigator Randy MacLean has just been assigned to the same New York City precinct as brash, good-looking detective Dee Laytner, who is told that this is his new partner. Dee, who is obnoxiously confident and decisive, forcefully romantic, and pretty completely uninhibited, begins crushing on his new partner almost immediately. Quiet, steady Randy - whom Dee quickly starts calling by his Japanese name, Ryo - is extremely confused by his partner's displays of affection, which rapidly escalate to stolen kisses, but doesn't seem to be able to get mad at him. As they solve crimes (yes ... they - fight - crime!), often risking their lives, Dee's interest in Randy remains fierce and steady, while Randy is gradually forced to confront the truth about his own romantic preferences.

The story is further complicated (or enriched, depending on your point of view) by the two orphans Randy takes under his wing. Bikky, the mixed race son of a drug lord who dies during Dee and Randy's first case together, is ferociously protective of his new not-quite-father and resents Dee's advances. He also has a puppyish crush on Carol, the young blond pickpocket who joins Randy's household a bit later. Far more unlikely is the fact that Carol - at 13 years old to Bikky's 10 - actually takes this quite seriously and seems to return his affection. Bikky and Carol's adventures with their school friends - and sometimes with criminals - often intersect with Dee and Randy's work.

Let's face it - as a crime series, Fake is pretty damn silly. The portrayal of New York City is often so far off that it's utterly hilarious. The way that the other cops tolerate Dee's over-the-top demonstrations of affection for his partner - and the equally showy antics of another young officer who has a crush on Dee - is ridiculous. The Bikky-Carol storylines sometimes have some rather squicky elements, especially when they flash forward to where Carol is 18 and Bikky 15. But the relationship between Dee and Randy has an emotional intensity - and even realism - that completely appeals to me, and by the end of this short series, I was definitely in my happy place.

Potential readers should note that this shounen-ai series becomes yaoi toward the end of the final volume. The rating is "Older Teen - 16+" - but not everyone's parents will be equally calm about what's shown "onscreen" at that point.