Yaoi Blog

Adventure!

2011-03-09T07:34:00.000-05:00

I may not be as knee deep in BL as I was a year ago, but I try to keep up with what's current. Recently I fell upon a discussion where individuals commented on how they were sick of reading BL where it was just about the men falling in love. They wanted something more. They wanted action and adventure with a nice side of love. What these ladies failed to realize is BL is a sub genre of romance; therefore the focus is romance. If the story's focus is adventure than it is an adventure story; it's no longer in the realm of BL just because two guys fall in love at some point in the story.

Think of it this way, it's like reading a mystery novel and then giving it the critique that it focused too much on mystery and the romance should be at the forefront of the story. Sounds a little absurd, right?

Mystery is read for the mystery, adventure for the adventure, and BL for the boys love.

I am not implying genre's can't mix and have awesome little spliced babies, this happens all the time. We've all read or seen a good action/romance. But you're misleading yourself if you come to the BL genre expecting the action to be something other than what goes on between the sheets.

Hello new year!

2011-01-04T08:56:00.000-05:00

Couldn't keep up with the blog after I got hired. But I'm back on the job market so I'm looking to start updating this thing again. I miss rambling about all things BL and slashy. For now have a page from a Junjou doujin I failed to complete last year before leaving for Japan.

Cheap Cheap Cheap's the Name of My Soul

2010-09-07T21:59:00.000-04:00

Right Stuf has the Oofuri S.A.V.E Edition as part of their weekly special. It's going for 18 dollars, which is a pretty sweet deal for 26 episodes including a dub track. Usually I'd check and see if Best Buy is selling it for around that price or less, but since their anime section keeps shrinking and shrinking, I doubt I'd even find Oofuri there.

I'm trying to save money, but I'll probably buckle and end up ordering a copy tomorrow. Oofuri totally failed at getting me interested in baseball the way Hajime no Ippo had me suddenly flipping through channels searching for boxing matches. I watched purely for Mihashi. He's like crack to me. Now that I think of it, personality wise, Ippo and Mihashi are kinda similar. In fact I watched HnI for Ippo. I guess I have a thing for wimpy guys. And Mihashi is the king of wimps.

This series is also very slashy. Like, Prince of Tennis slashy times 10. So, if you're a slash fan and you haven't read or watched this series, I AM DISAPPOINT.

Disney Kink

2010-08-26T10:28:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, I'm still going on about Disney slash because it is my thing right now. If it's your thing too then head over to the disney_kink community on Live Journal and add to the huge list of request. The meme allows all sorts of pairings and perversions so you don't have to hold back. I was surprised to see so many request for The Great Mouse Detective. People actually liked that movie? Hardy-har-har! Also, when filling a request you are allowed to do fics, vids, art, pretty much anything. Yay, for options!

I haven't made a request but I am currently working on filling a prompt. No, it's not Dean/Dimitri, but it's something close to it and a whole lot better. I actually didn't post here yesterday because I was so engrossed with writing for the meme. It distracted me!

T_T

2010-08-24T17:48:00.000-04:00

Rest in peace, Satoshi Kon.

It Does Exist

2010-08-24T13:21:00.002-04:00

Found me some Dimitri/Dean Slash.

Not finding this was totally my bad for always spelling Dimitri's name with an E in the beginning. So, nothing ever popped up when I searched. Oh, mighty English degree, I have failed thee!

Boys in Skirts

2010-08-24T11:39:00.001-04:00

This whole boys in skirts thing seems to be a new trend for the guys in Japan. I really can't tell the difference between a prepubescent boy or girl in a dress, but I guess that's the point. We're all pretty much unisex in looks until glorious puberty hits. So it has to be the thought of the images being male which gets the guys excited because there really is no way to tell unless those skirts are being flipped. I may be alone in this analysis but these magazines as well as Boku no Pico seem like voyeuristic forms of pederasty. A way of participating in the old practice without actually participating. If you don't know what pederasty is I'm going to direct you to Dirk Deppey's article here and also to a Frontline video which looks at the practice in Afghanistan. Both will help you better understand the history and the practice and maybe shine some light on why these boys in skirts magazines are springing up in Japan.

As for females, I know there's an audience for this material (you need look no further than y!gal for proof). I doubt it's huge and I'm pretty sure the reason for this is rooted in history as well and is linked to the woman's role in the home. If your job is to raise young boys it's probably not beneficial to look at them sexually. With female roles changing and so many females opting out of childbearing more females might join the ranks of men who like boys in skirts. However, I do not see this group growing in countries such as the US. Christopher Handley will probably serve as a warning to individuals interested in shota or magazins such as Oto☆Nyan. So, maybe in the US, the shota audience will shrink.

I'm still waiting for someone to create a magazine dedicated to men in skirts. I love me some cross dressing men.

Going Global

2010-08-23T18:15:00.000-04:00

Ah, Global BL. BL with origins from outside Japan. Or, as I see it: a mishmash of a marketing scheme and Japanese purism. Love it!

No. No I don't love it. I've never been a fan of calling Japanese comics manga or Japanese animation anime. I do not live in Japan, and unless I'm speaking Japanese, usage of those words are unnecessary. I am not trying to be a word Nazi like John Locke and demand everyone apply the same definition to each word or not have so many words for one definition. It's an unrealistic goal. In this particular case I am a bit perplexed as to why an extra word is needed to distinguish a product. At its core, BL is romance shared between males. Does this change if a Mexican is penning the story? No. So why is global necessary?

Some part of me believes this has to do with keeping Japanese products exotic. Seriously, doesn't Global BL sound like a cheap knock off of the real thing? But I can't follow that line of thought because I know the phrase came from within my own community. So I'm doubly puzzled since us fujoshi tend to be very accepting of all forms of BL because in the end it's all about the love, baby.

I just can't willing go along with the segregation of a genre based upon the origins of the creator, especially when there is no core distinction between what the Japanese produce and everyone else. Yes, there can be sci-fi BL, western BL, and fantasy BL, but there is no global BL.

Where my girls at?

2010-08-22T21:04:00.000-04:00

When it comes to American mainstream comics and the two big companies, Marvel and DC, I have always felt they didn't do enough to reach out to their female audience. Oh, yes, DC had Minx, but that was doomed to fail. They did have some awesome titles, but I'm an old fujoshi and what I'm going to appreciate is not what a thirteen-year-old girl will appreciate. They're in the middle of puberty and their hormones are going all crazy--they want sex. DC gave them wonderful girlhood stories. However, the thirteen-year-old eighth grader who can't wait for Keith to message back he likes her too, isn't looking for the next Little Women. Twilight topping the hardcover graphic novel charts speaks volumes to this fact.

There's a lot of blame to go around when it comes to failing at appealing to females and after reading this article from The Comics Reporter, I believe the proprietors of comic shops deserve the same amount of blame. Tom Spurgeon outlines three arguments we could be having about comics. One particular question caught my eye: why are so many direct market comics shops still female unfriendly? Although he provides no answer, he touches on some interesting points, such as the comic shop location and environment, which are none to pleasing to females (or him, for that matter). I think the environment is very important reason females stay away. Because, lets face facts, usually enclosed with in the dark dank area of the comic shop are some really creepy people.

I understand some male comic fans may take offense to this, but allow me to elaborate on my own experience. When I first started going to a comic shop the guys were either mean jerks who sent out "you have no place here" vibes or they were creepy losers who sniffed around my skirt. Once, while sifting through old comics, I was approached by a guy who told me how he lived in his moms basement, collected Spiderman comics and ended by asking me for my number. Yeah, really made me feel comfortable. I don't know, I guess, for me, despite the darkness, despite the dankness, I had expected the comic shop to be a safe zone. A place where I would be accepted and respected because I shared a common interest. And I definitely did not go there expecting to be hit on. What amplifies this and made the situation seem worse to me is it happened in this closed in space where you're crowded by comics and people. I've been hit on in the mall or the library but the difference is these are wide open spaces with light. The openness put me at ease.

I can't blame the customers. People are jerks and they will put you in uncomfortable situations. Therefore the responsibility falls on the lap of the comic owner to make their environment as amicable as possible. So far, the majority of comic shops do not do this. I do not believe comic owners go out of their way to make females feel uncomfortable so comics can remain a male only club. I do believe these shops are owned by men who haven't an inkling how a female feels. So, I'm letting you guys know, if you have a dark, eerie, dreary comic shop where it's difficult to keep the people from overlapping, maybe it's time to call in a interior designer to work their magic. Not only will you benefit from more light and more room, you'll benefit economically because you'll gain me as a customer. And believe me, in this dire economy, you want my business.

Crossover Fun

2010-08-22T18:58:00.003-04:00

My sisters have been obsessed with these animation crossovers over at youtube. These are music videos where the creator will take a character from one animated movie and pair them up with a character from another. For example: Tiana / Dean, Cinderella / Beast, Gaston / Wendy. I have to admit, they are kind of addictive. I like coming up with the craziest paring I can think of and searching to see if someone has dedicated a video to it. Thus far, the oddest pairing I've seen was Hercules with Maid Mirian. Yes, that's Disney's Maid Mirian, who is a fox. So, yeah...

With all these crossover hijinks there is surprisingly (well, for me) very little slash. I would love to see someone hook up Dean (Iron Giant) with Demetri (Anastasia). It makes about as much sense as Hercules / Maid Mirian, but it must be done. Because I said so.

Out of the few slash videos I could find, this one is my favorite:

Go search and see all the crazy mashups you can find. And maybe, if you have the ability to do so, make one of your own. And if you are an awesome person you'll do Dean / Demitri. Because I said so.

Speaking of Marvel...

2010-08-21T21:15:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd point you guys in the direction of an X-Men comic I'm following on Y!Gal. Just check out Tracto's gallery to read his X-men Xposed. You can't go wrong with great art, a funny story, and a very naked Gambit.

More Tea, Please.

2010-08-21T17:09:00.003-04:00

Dear Travis Mccoy, if I were a billionaire I'd pay the fine ladies behind Teahouse enough to woo them away from Marvel so they can dedicate all their time to working on their comic. In my opinion, Teahouse is far superior to many comics published by DC and Marvel (btw, Marvel, I'm not a fan of retconning MJ's pregnancy).

I've been excited about the upcoming print release of the first chapter of Teahouse, which is odd for me since I'm not a big fan of print anymore. But this is different since it's a full color BL comic. I can't say no to that. I also can't say no to a bonus story about Rhys and Axis. Love. Those. Boys. So. Much. If you are super excited too I hope you're going to participate in the fanart contest. Entries are due the 31st of this month.

Speaking of fanart, why is Y!Gal not being flooded with fanart for this series? I guess everyone is too busy drawing Hinabn smut. Which, I won't complain about because I love me some ConWorth.

New Be-boy and More Tanaka

2010-07-07T21:50:00.000-04:00

The new cover image is up for this months Be-Boy. Since it was drawn by Suzuki Tanaka I of course had to gank it and post it here.

Nice summery feel. I do believe Ms. Tanaka is getting better at doing cover art. And I lol at the amount of text they cram onto these mangazines. More often than not the image is drowning in kanji. Anyway you can check out who's appearing in this issue here by clicking lineup, or just look below for a list of the creators and their works in English.

Hell & Heaven by Fuwa Shinri
Wakareta Otoko wa Ikaga desu ka? by Tateno Makoto
Furachi na Kyouken no Tenazukekata by Wasabi Maguro and Nakahara Kazuya
Ouji, Ikebukuro-kei by Sakura Sakuya
Mazu wa Ubaiai! by Sasamura Tsuyoshi
Soushoku Joushi no Otoshikata by Asou Kai and Satoko Ai
Sweet Life by Takamine Akira
Suki Tte ii Te by Haruno Hikaru
Sayonara Note by Tomoe Fumi
Love Erosion by Hashiba Mizu
Maniac ni Aishite by Higashino Yuu
Sex Pistols by Kotobuki Tarako
Hi wo Tojiru Mae ni by Masao Sangatsu
Aitsu no Daihonmei by Tanaka Suzuki
Boku wa Anata no Yoru ni Naritai by Aruku
Shizuka Hanabira Ringo no Kaori by Kawai Touko
Dekichatta Kazoku by Mikage Tsubaki
Hoshigarimasen Shukaku Made wa by Shuusai Fumiko
Yajuu Shugi--Tora Hen-- by Misasagi Fuhri

Pretty awesome lineup this month.

Where we belong

2010-06-27T10:56:00.000-04:00

TRU FAX: I see breast on the front page of Deviant Art more often than I see my own. I wonder if the creators of pieces such as this image (NSFW) ever get noted about their work being derogatory? I've read journal entries where artist who draw yaoi were nagged by fans not to do so. And you'll find a few artist on Y!Gal who are more comfortable posting their risque art there than on DA. I don't know, I just feel everyone should feel comfortable on DA regardless of what they draw. I know I've seen some very sexual girl on girl pics on DA and I doubt they receive the amount of complaints yaoi artist receive.

I guess, all I'm saying is an imbalance exist. I know, I know, we live in a patriarchal society so this is no big surprise. But since the majority of yaoi artist prefer using their DA more often than their Y!Gal accounts it would be nice if they didn't have to put up with any hub-bub. I just want them to feel as comfortable posting their hot man loving as the guy above felt posting his hot girl on girl photography.

The book review that grew into a great article

2010-06-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

Near the beginning of the month, the peeps over at The Comic Journal had a roundtable to discuss the book, Boys' Love Manga: Essays on the Sexual Ambiguity and Cross-Cultural Fandom of the Genre. Dirk Deppey's contribution was my favorite because he did so much more than review Boys' Love Manga. He also gave great insight on homosexuality, BL, yaoi, and fandom. In his blurb before the article he comments on how he had every intention to contribute to the roundtable on the book but his addition ended up spiraling out of control (Four pages worth, baby). All I will say is reading his four pages is probably a million times more beneficial than purchasing the above book.

Dirk Deppey's post, The Mirror of Male-Love Love, is four pages of great writing. He begins by explaining the history of--not homosexuality--but pederasty, which was prevalent at one time or another in many countries around the world. He does this to combat the assumption of some of the authors that homosexuality had been tolerated at one time. He then moves on to explain his own homosexual experience before diving into reviewing Boys' Love Manga. He ends by wondering why no one wrote about masturbation and then outlines the real difference between the top and bottom roles in homosexual sex.

He also wrote this:

I am a gay bottom. Oh, I can top, if that’s what circumstances require. I’m quite good at it, actually, but the reason that I’m good at it is precisely because I am a bottom, and therefore I know what a bottom wants from sexual intercourse.

Which made me think of this:

And then I wasted my morning rereading Carp. In Japanese. Oy Vey.

BACK ON TOPIC. The conclusion Dirk reaches in his essay are echoed in the sentiments of his fellow contributors. Why are people trying to make a simple equation so complex? Or as Dirk puts it:

We also need to finally learn to forgive each other for being fucking monkeys, and start understanding and celebrating it instead.

There's nothing deep and profound behind why females like yaoi and/or BL. Boys' Love Manga, for the most part, seems to try to explain a fandom to our patriarchal overlords who can't quite grasp why some of us don't fit into the rigid spectrum they created for us. So if you're white/male/cis gendered and can't understand why girls love BL but you totally believe the hot lesbian stuff you watch online is a-okay, this may be the book for you. However, if you frolic in the land of BL and yaoi, Dirk's article will undoubtedly better service you. He's not trying to figure you out. He celebrates the fact we all like sex. And you know what, sometimes it's just that simple.

Here are links to the other roundtable articles if you're interested:

BL Roundtable: No Point, No Meaning, Maybe Tenure by Noah Berlatsky
BL Roundtable: Do we really need to spill this much ink over the question of whether girls like porn? by Shaenon Garrity
BL Roundtable: Anthropologize Me One More Time, Baby by Kinukitty
BL Roundtable: Conclusions: On Dream Police, Cigars and Maybe Not Shutting Up Forever Noah Berlatsky
BL Roundtable: Conclusions: I didn’t make him for you! by Dirk Deppey
BL Roundtable: Conclusions: Men Doing Makeouts by Shaenon Garrity

Lesson learned

2010-06-23T09:59:00.001-04:00

Pride month is winding down. In case you missed out on some of the awesomeness ontd_political has a couple of post collecting some very beautiful images of pride parades from around the world. Check 'em out!

Sadly, this month was also plagued with a few mishaps in the land of comics. Lets begin with Apple's infamous crusade against porn. In the middle of the month two comics, The Importance of Being Earnest and Ulysses Seen, were rejected by the Apple app store only to be approved when resubmitted with black bars blocking out any nudity. Later Apple backtracked and allowed the creators to submit unedited versions of their work to the app store.

Here is a montage of some of the censored images from The Importance of Being Earnest complied by Prism Comics:

And here are the images uncensored:

I believe the sad Keanu pic below parallels my feelings of this situation quite well.

Moving onto DC and their never ending problems with presenting characters that aren't white/male/cis-gendered. Gail Simone's Bird's of Prey was released this month and fans were shocked to discover she used a tired, sad, overused trope. In this most recent issue a homosexual male commits suicide after the death of a straight male he had been pining over died. Many fans saw this as ironic since Gail Simone became known for her Women in Refrigerators website, which chronicled the demeaning deaths of women in superhero comics. There was a big blowout on scans_daily with some back and forth between Gail and the fans that led to some hurt feelings but also to some awesome articles on homosexuals in comics, such as this one by neo_prodigy on noscans_daily. He gives an extensive writeup on the tropes comics tend to fall back on when it comes to writing homosexuals and explains why they shouldn't be used. I love the part on "the mythical straight boy unicorn". Here's a little taste:

Stop me if you recognize this plot device or some variation thereof. Miserable gay boy who has given up on love falls in love with the mythical straight boy. Gay boy in desperate need of being rescued falls in love with the mythical straight boy. Gay boy is persecuted by life and homophobes, who shall ever save him, the mythical straight boy. The gay boy is miserable and has no confidence in himself. Who teaches him to be cool, self confident and self reliant? The mythical straight boy. The gay boy is looking to recruit and win over that white knight. So who does he convert? The mythical straight boy. The gay boy needs saving? Who shall save him? I know, how about the mythical straight boy.

Gail Simone also read this article and posted about it in her blog in a response to the craziness which unfolded at scans_daily. Gail is human and is prone to make mistakes, but it seems she's taking the high road and learning from them. Hopefully we won't see so much fail in any of her upcoming releases.

We are nerds and the small little blips of fail in our community won't put a dent in the month long celebration of being yourself.

Party hard, people!

How not to write a review

2010-06-22T11:40:00.002-04:00

The Yaoi Review made me realize I need to stop reading reviews from yaoi blogs (the few that are in existence) after reading Jennifer's review for Incubus Master. She gives the plot an A+, the readability a B (wtf indeed), the sexual content an A-. The overall grade is an A-. What is saddening about this review--other than the outlandish grades--is the lack of substance. Instead of telling us what is exceptional about the plot, what sets it a part from your typical fanfiction and why you need to spend 3 dollars on each section, we are given smoke and mirrors:

What can I say? I love this plot. It’s always a good sign when you find yourself eagerly awaiting the next release. At no point in time did I find myself predicting where the story was going or thinking I already knew the ending. There are a lot of original elements to the story and I found it to be very engaging throughout. The synopsis provided for the story doesn’t do the story justice in my opinion. I think Yamila does a good job of 'going there' when tough situations arise in the story; not every element is sunshine and unicorns but that’s what makes the story a little deeper than most we get.

What about the story kept her waiting in suspense? What elements are original? How does Yamila go there? There is no elaboration. So, yes, I am frustrated--doubly frustrated since I am a English major--to read a review which tells me as much as the story's synopsis. And, yes, when I read a positive review with little to no substance I feel the writer is either purposely trying to mislead their audience or they have no writing skills. And not to be crude, I believe in this case it may be the latter. I understand reviews are opinions, but these blogs are not personal or casual blogs. These people are in contact with companies and undoubtedly believe their blogs serve a great purpose. They have the power to convince individuals to spend their hard earned cash. If you wield such power, it's your responsibility to at least learn how to write a good review.

Another aspect of her review I find quite puzzling is how Character Development received an A+ when she never discussed the character development. There is a section labeled "character" where she basically gives character descriptions:

Jinady, a human, is the main character the story follows. From the illustrations, he looks like your typical feminine long haired bishie and in some aspects he is but what I liked most about him is how the author chose to go beyond the typical bishie mold. Jinady not only is a bit of a slut throughout the story with his partner swapping but he also switches up once becoming the seme. I think it’s all his sexual risk taking that makes some of the sex scenes so steamy.

Figaru is Jinady’s main love interest although not his only one. He’s a demon who’s looking for love after losing his wife and although there are plenty of potential suitors, he knows he must be careful with who he partners with. Don’t feel sorry for Figaru when Jinady gets slutty, he’s getting his needs met as well!

There are plenty of other characters to keep the story interesting including a shape shifting demon named Gor, a slightly crazy transvestite named Leatha, spoiled brat and not to be trusted Rowan and our poor Vandrel, who is just too love sick over Leatha to make any good decisions

None of the above has anything to do with character development, which is about change and growth. So the reader is left in the dark as to why character development received an A+. We know Jinady likes to top and/or bottom and Figaru lost a wife but how does this add to the story? This information seems more like random facts than an in-depth dissection of a character.

Now, lets talk about sex, baby:

As I mentioned above, you get to see the sexual content illustrated and in color. Each part provides at least one sex scene and they are usually quite graphic and long. There are a lot of different partners written about so you definitely get some variety. I found the sex scenes written about Jinady to be the most appealing, probably because he’s the one we get to know the best (and is the most slutty!). The writing at times does detract a bit from the sex scenes and one of them early on didn’t really do it for me, moreso due to one of the characters involved but I saw improvement with each subsequent scene.

How does the author improve the sex scenes? What technique is applied to make them interesting? Is the sex there for mere titillation or is the reader able to garner any information about the characters through this physical act? Since one sex scene was found distasteful, mostly due to who was involved, is the only improvement whom Jinady is having sex with? What about the writing? How does the writing improve from what is presented in the free sample? As a reader all I gleaned from the above paragraph is there is graphic sex in each section and the sex scenes with Jinady are the best. The absence of how and why makes the writing come off lax and sloppy. It's that book report you wrote on the Giver in the fourth grade where you believed "it's cool" was a sufficient enough description to receive an A.

Look, I have yet to buy Incubus Master because I read the free preview and was not convinced it was worth so much as a nickel. These other reviewers have read the story and it's their job to convince me I am missing out. A good review would pique my interest and make me doubt my own preconceptions. The reviews I've read so far make me question whether or not these people have even written an essay for a class because rule number one of any essay is BACK UP WHAT YOU WRITE.

Furthermore, do not be quick to brush off those who only read the free sample. The job of the writer is to hook a reader with the first sentence. Incubus Master does not succeed at this task. So to casually forgive the poorly written opening and promise improvements in the sections which require payment is disingenuous.

Last and final scanlation post....for now.

2010-06-21T16:20:00.000-04:00

What bothers me about articles such as this one written by Kuriosity's Lissa Pattillo is she is placing all the blame for the downward spiral of manga squarely on the shoulders of the fans. Want to read manga? Learn Japanese. Want to own manga? Import from Japan. These are all great suggestions but they're very much detached from reality. The majority of individuals don't have time to invest into learning a foreign language just to enjoy a leisure activity and despite her skewed facts the majority of people do not have the money to import manga from Japan.

However, people are more than willing to pay for entertainment if they believe it's worth it. Sita Sings the Blues is a great example of how fans will clamor behind a product they like. Even though Sita was free to the public the creator, Nina Paley, made a fifty-five-thousand dollar profit. Paley embraced the internet and in turn was rewarded. Such an acceptance of the internet has yet to happen within the corporate world of manga. There's no Netflix for manga. But maybe the aggregator's have shown companies there is a need for a similar service for manga fans.

I believe, for the most part, the fans have done their part. We've shouted loud and clear, "we want this". Now it's up to the companies to provide. If they don't, we'll find our own way. People such as Lissa may point their fingers and cry "thief", but I'll sleep soundly tonight regardless.

Where do we go from here?

2010-06-20T09:29:00.001-04:00

This week DMP officially released information on their new translating venture to ANN:

The program is set to feature over a thousand manga titles or as many as "a few thousand," mostly in the boys love genre, to establish a following before branching out into other genres and possibly novels, Sasahara said. The business model will allow for DMP, the Japanese licensors, and the translators to each receive a cut of digital sales, and additional revenue will come from derivatives such as advertising, and possibly television or other adaptations of manga titles. Titles that perform well online may also go into print.

According to Sasahara, the venture was established as a reaction to the high up-front costs of licensing manga titles, coupled with long production time. He states that he was not aware of the Digital Comics Association's plan to work with U.S. publishers in a coalition against scanlation aggregators. He said that DMP's new program has been in development for over a year, and that "a few" unnamed content providers in Japan have verbally agreed to participate.

Sasahara also indicated that DMP would like to invite translation/lettering groups to the DMP offices at the company's expense for a presentation on the program in the near future.

It would seem DMP wants to become a legal BL aggregator site. But how do they intend on getting thousands of titles overnight? I believe they want those scanlations already in existence. All those titles Dangerous Pleasure, Nakama, and Arigatomina have been working on for years. I'm sure some scans will need touch ups here and there but for the most part I believe DMP just wants all these scans under their name. They're just doing what One Manga or Manga Fox already do but are actually asking the scanlators for permission to post their work and promising pay someday...maybe.

I can't really make heads or tails of this. My knee-jerk reaction is to not trust DMP because they are the big evil company who only cares about money. However DMP is at a disadvantage in this situation. They do not have the scans and they do not have the fans. By teaming up with scanlators they gain both. However, once DMP has a hold of those scans and the fans the power balance will shift, this is one reason why scanlators are probably wary about negotiating with DMP.

I wish the scanlators luck. And who knows, maybe this new initiative will transform the corporate manga world. A BL aggregator is a wonderful idea and if done right has the ability to be beneficial to all. So I'm just gonna wait to see how this all pans out.

Waaaaant....or maybe not.

2010-06-12T16:43:00.000-04:00

Found this gem while looking up on Sakira:

Ryo Mutobe! For me, she's one of those automatic purchases. If she made it and it's BL or yaoi--I want it. So off to Jpqueen I went. I was excited to discover they had a copy. They also had this lovely preview up:

I then scrolled up and saw this:

WTF indeed. The price caught me off guard because it's more than double the original price (680). Jpqueen usually charges a bit more for all their purchases, I know. But this is quite the increase. Look, this is what I paid for a new yaoi manga in 2008:

This was the usual one would expect to pay for a yaoi manga from Jpqueen around that time and before. Some people may wonder why I'm making such a big deal since BL manga in the US goes for about 13-17 dollars, depending on the publisher. The key difference is shipping. If I buy this and ship EMS I'd have to pay 33 dollars. There are other shipping options: air, sea, SAL, all cheaper but with no tracking. I could take a chance and ship it without EMS...

There's also the whole thing where I feel like Jpqueen just charges too much in general. In Japan used manga usually goes for about 1-5 dollars. Jpqueen seems to slap an extra 3-4 onto used manga and I don't understand why this is done. I guess I could understand if they were relying purely on sales from outside of Japan. However, I don't know. And I guess not knowing makes me hesitant to rush into making a purchase.

If I'm lucky some store like Akadot Retail will someday have a few copies for sale. Until then I think I'll hold off on this purchase. If someone out there is willing to cough up the dough you can purchase the manga here. If it's not there it may be because I somehow talked myself into getting it. Maybe...maybe...

Woooooo, cliffhanger!

Harder, Better, Faster, Cheaper

2010-06-12T11:47:00.000-04:00

The Yaoi Review has an article up on DMP's new effort in the digital market. Here's a little snippet:

DMP is working on a new ‘secret’ project for publishing more manga faster and cheaper than it is now. It would be via a digital format and they are looking to hire scanlators to help with this. Essentially, scanlators would be doing what they do now except there is the possibility of getting paid based on the sales of said manga titles they worked on. They also get to have their name on everything they translate and retain certain rights to the work they do. What rights I do not know. There is also the possibility of becoming a paid translator ‘if qualified’ and you’d be ahead of the pack when it comes to any other candidates that applied for the position.

Nine times out of ten faster and cheaper translates to cheap and/or free labor. DMP is hoping to snatch up scanlators with promises of "pay someday, maybe". This is a common tactic used throughout the business world and it's sad to see DMP being so open about it. I want to believe in this because having an American comic/manga company finally embrace digital media is great. Not paying people who work for you isn't so great.

However, Jennifer, Yaoi Review's blogger, finds the situation a bit ironic:

If I recall correctly, when a scanlator scanlates a title, the author and artist already did their work… where is their pay? Don’t they have a right to be “paid for that service regardless of the manga’s success” as in, even if it isn’t successful enough to be published in the U.S. or other countries, they should still get paid?

I think Jennifer probably doesn't remember the good ol' days when BL was not being sold in the US and scanlating groups such as Nakama were havens for us fans who were unable to get their hands on the real deal. Scanlators served and still serve a purpose to our community. Even though BL has finally found a way to our shores there's still a time delay. How long did we have to wait for Under Grand Hotel to make its way over here despite being a fan favorite? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for supporting the creator, but where would the fans for the work be if not for the scanlators? I wouldn't have discovered Suzuki Tanaka if not for Obsession. I know it's the same for many other fans.

DMP knows this and it's probably the reason why they want to integrate these individuals into their company. I applaud them for their efforts but find it deplorable if they intend on not paying the very people who created the fans who give them their profits.

He said whaaat?

2010-04-27T14:45:00.004-04:00

I'm sure by now the majority of anime fans have read Sherman's post on the demise of anime. He wagged his finger at illegal downloads which lead many to enter the age old debate on fansubs. In my opinion the argument detracts from the conclusion Sherman came to: Anime is going to die. What kind of over-blown, stupid, idiotic statement is that? It's just as dumb as when some stupid idiot over at Disney thought people didn't like hand drawn animation anymore. Such a big outlandish shocking statement does nothing to help his cause, especially when everyone knows it's untrue. Maybe dub anime will disappear. Such a possibility is plausible and having a honest open discussion about whether or not dubbed anime has a feasible future would be great. Such discussions don't grow from untruths or by pointing fingers.

Hmm...you'll do.

2010-04-26T14:32:00.006-04:00

Teahouse fanart! I'd write a review or recommend Teahouse, but I think it's too early to do either. There's only 8 pages so I say give it a go. But I can't really make heads or tails of it this early in the game. I don't think you will be disappointed since both creators are professionals and it shows in their work. I will say, so far, this is some of the best paneling I have seen in an online BL comic. Just lovely.

More on the entry from yesterday

2010-03-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted a link to Yaoi World after stumbling upon the site only to learn it was closing down, due to--well--craziness. I posted a link here on my blog so people could read the craziness for themselves. I feel I should have left some type of explanation because the entry itself can be very confusing unless you know the history of "Kira Takenouchi". And if you don't it'll take some time on google to unravel the whole thing. Below is a summary of who Kira Takenouchi is ganked from this website:

Kira Takenouchi is a controversial American yaoi author best known for her Ai no Kusabi-based doujinshi yaoi novel series, Taming Riki, which gained a worldwide following in the ever-growing underground yaoi movement when Takenouchi chose to sell her doujinshi series through the book publisher Yaoi Underground after seeking and receiving the approval of Ai no Kusabi copyright owner DMP/June. Despite receiving the green light to publish Taming Riki by DMP/June, Takenouchi has been denounced for selling the popular trilogy by critics who say she is profiting from another author's work. The book series is now being published by Yaoi House.

Takenouchi's books are extremely sexually graphic, depicting male/male (yaoi) sex, and have been banned in Singapore and Thailand.

The controversy continued in the spring of 2008 when Takenouchi, who suffers from severe bipolar disorder, abandoned her company Yaoi house while in a delusional mania state, leaving customers, investors, and authors to pick up the pieces. Takenouchi has since returned to the company and continues to generate censure for retaining the title of President, despite her now well-known mental condition.

This info, plus a bit more digging, helped make a lot of that crazy blog entry make sense. I mean, after searching the site it was quite obvious it wasn't a "yaoi" site, but one dedicated to Ai no Kusabi, which had me questioning it's motives before I moved onto the blog. The who debacle made me wonder if anyone actually took the site seriously. And, lol, wow, she interviewed herself and everything.

Anyway, tomorrow ends my daily updates. I want to apologize for some of the entries. Toward the end of my break I realized it would be a good idea to do my homework, so I wasn't able to devote too much time to each entry. I do have a bunch of ideas I'm slowly fleshing out and will hopefully see the light of day soon.

Ha-ha-ha--Wut?

2010-03-12T13:28:00.004-05:00

This is a bunch of craziness.

The difference between yaoi and bl

2010-03-11T19:36:00.004-05:00

I spent my morning blog surfing and happened upon the Yaoi Review. The webmaster restructured the way she does reviews on her site. There are four categories she grades: plot/readability, character development, illustrations, and sexual explicitness. The fact sexual explicitness is given its own section made me think about how many fans in the US think of sex when they think of BL. Why is this?

The majority of BL fans in the US didn't start out reading BL. Yaoi came first. With yaoi comes the expectation of sex. When fans move onto BL the expectation carries over. Because of this the line between Yaoi and BL has been muddled and mixed up to the point where the two words are used interchangeably. Or, in most cases, BL isn't used at all.

I don't have a problem with US fans calling BL yaoi. However, I think it is important for fans to know the difference between fan made works and professional ones. Yes, you can find BL manga where the whole purpose is to titillate, but this is also true of shoujo and shounen. Sex isn't tied to those genre's. Sex shouldn't be tied to BL.

Yaoi Prose: Incubus Master

2010-03-10T07:23:00.014-05:00

Oh, god, this is hard. Okay. When I workshop a story I have to look for the good and bad when I write my critique. Good followed by bad, bad followed by good, there has to be a balance. But when someone expects you to pay money for a story written with the same care and expertise as a twelve year old who writes Inyuasha yaoi, the game changes. It's not about helping a writer improve anymore, but helping you make a wise choice about where to spend your money.

This morning I read the free 3 chapter preview of Incubus Master by Yamilia Abraham. The story opens in the midst of a battle, I think. I'm not really sure. Nothing's really clear. All you know is something is happening. This is one of the major flaws of Incubus, the author takes for granted her audience is familiar with the subject matter. I most certainly am unaware as to what a Succubus or Incubus is and I'm sure I'm not alone in this lack of knowledge. It is the author's responsibility to find a creative way to weave a description into the narrative, but that's another thing Incubus has little of: description. This is all forgivable in the land of fanfiction where the audience already knows what the world of Gurren Lagann looks like or a batarang is a weapon and not just some funny sounding word. But when a author chooses to forgo much needed detailing the writing comes off lazy.

So, yes, there's this thing going on and Jinady, our protagonist, is swept up by a demon. End scene. In the next scene we learn he has been held captive and used as a sex slave by the demons in a cave high in the mountains. We are made aware Jinady is a pretty, pretty man before we're plunged into a long sex scene with an incubus. If the focal point of a story is sex you better have the skills to write one good sex scene. Sadly this is another of Incubus' shortcomings. Although, for once there is detail, the description is very cut and dry. Insert slot A into slot B. What really spoiled the sex for me is how the gasps and moans were written into dialogue. Instead of being sexy it has the opposite affect and makes the scene more comical. Come on, think of any bad!fic you read in the past and I bet you can remember the "oooohs", and "ahhhhhs". You got a smile on your face right now, don't you. Because it was funny! It's funny because it's unnecessary.

As an English major, the over use of the word that in this piece kills me dead. Also the back and forth between present and past tense doesn't help the flow of this already choppy work. Even if a reader is able to overlook such breaches of the rules of writing, the absence of detail will undoubtedly turn them off. Which leaves me to question blogs such as Kuriousity which reviewed this and didn't find many, if any flaws. What I want to know is if the site owner would go out of her way to purchase these chapters if she wasn't receiving free digital copies. I doubt it. Because if she wanted to read bad writing there's this site called fanfiction.net where she could get her fill for free.

What saddens me more than the bad writing is after chapter 2 of Incubus Master there are the glimmerings of a great idea that could have flourished if written by a more skilled writer. Or, perhaps, if she just had someone edit the story. Even a couple of proof readers. Any help would have been beneficial. Incubus Master does not read like a finished work. It's a first draft in need of extensive reconstructive surgery.

This mini review is on the first 3 chapters. Maybe I've piqued you're interest and you want to check it out yourself. But I cannot recommend anyone pay for this in good conscious. I advise you guys to put your money to better use and treat yourselves to a coke or a candy bar instead.

A Spotlight on Epic by E. K. Weaver Part 1

2010-03-09T06:37:00.006-05:00

If you go to ygallery, no doubt you've clicked the Today's Tops tab and seen E. K. Weaver's characters TJ and Amal a few times. If you watched her, you learned more and more about her characters through her sketches, comics, and illustrations. Her goal is to print the story of these two boys, but for now she's made them available to us through her website

So far there is about 57 pages of The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal up. I had wanted to wait until there was at least 100 pages before giving a small review, but currently there are a couple of things in Epic I find both interesting and problematic that I wanted to highlight here.

Today I'm going to focus on the two main characters and tomorrow I'll write about my thoughts on the art, layout, a dialogue. Beware, there are small spoilers ahead.

Epic opens with Amal (pictured above) storming out of a house followed by a woman. They talk, but Amal can't be consoled. He enters his car and drives around aimlessly before ending up at a bar where he gets plastered. I want to note this whole scene has no dialogue. While it does work stylistically, I feel we miss out on getting to know Amal. This detachment might have been done purposefully since Amal himself has become detached. She sets up a void between the reader and Amal that will slowly fill as the story develops. It can possibly work, but I won't know until there's more meat to this story.

Amal's character may be a skeleton that needs some fleshing out but TJ (above) will make you fall in love. He approaches Amal at the bar after over hearing a conversation he has with his sister where he declares he will drive cross-country to go see her. Obviously too drunk to drive, TJ escorts Amal home where the next day he updates him on a plan they had hashed out whilst he was drunk. TJ wants to tag along on Amal's cross-country drive, he even offers to cover all travel expenses. Why does TJ want to join Amal and why is he willing to pay for all expenses is a mystery Weaver sets up beautifully. TJ is a paradox. He seems very open and honest, yet he's shrouded in mystery. He's very charismatic, so as a reader you warm up to him instantly and you want to learn more about him. But can you trust him? Should Amal trust him? There are situations that transpire that makes TJ out to be a trustworthy individual, however, Weaver keeps throwing in these little tidbits that make you question TJ.

What we've had so far, up until chapter 7, is basically two people who share the same space but have no real interaction. When TJ speaks Amal hears him, but he's so far gone in his own little world he doesn't listen. I like this concept, but certain aspects of it can further alienate the readers. I believe the dialogue is working well, but there are places where the layout widens that gulf.

And I shall leave it there and pick up with layout tomorrow. See ya then!

Here, have some fanart

2010-03-08T17:35:00.002-05:00

I had originally planned on posting a review of the webcomic The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal but today has been especially busy. Lots of running around. I'll have it up tomorrow and hopefully other stuff if errands don't get sprung on me again. Until then, here's a WIP of a fanart I've been working on. See ya guys tomorrow!

The Winds of Change

2010-03-07T07:25:00.003-05:00

I had a different outlook for this blog when I started it a little over a year ago. My number one prerogative was to improve my writing. I had a professor who glorified review writing because of his belief in how it strengthened writing abilities. So I wanted to do reviews and reports on what was going on with the BL industry.

As time passed I realized the entries I really enjoyed writing were the ones where I focused more on the fannish things such as slash/yaoi or games. Then I remembered the reason I've been into this genre for as long as I have was because of the community. Even if BL ceased to exist there will always be a fan writing fanfics of Kirk and Spock having hot sex.

Even more than slash/yaoi I enjoy the original BL webcomics such as Starfighter or Honeydew Syndrome. I think my previous entries on what I wasn't buying should clue people into how I feel about the BL industry in America. What I like about these webcomics is how they're able to get their product to the fans without having to go to some big cooperation. I know any artist's dream is to get picked up by a comic company, either for money or exposure, but I like to think the internet is making it that anyone with an idea and audience doesn't need the industry anymore. And I think we might be seeing the beginnings of this in the BL world.

The direction of this blog will change to mirror my interest. There will be scanlations, doujinshi, fanart, and webcomics. I'll occasionally write about mainstream American releases, but this will not be the focus. I also want to try my hand at translating and maybe starting my own comic. I'll make news updates, but only on information I find interesting and want to comment on. If you're looking for something tapped into the mainstream world, try the The Yaoi Review. This blog will focus on the part of the genre I like the most: you guys.

That there's a smexy face

2010-03-06T17:56:00.006-05:00

Arigatomina released the DBZ doujinshi Animal Clock yesterday. It's Goku/Vegeta, and I must admit, I prefer Vegeta topping. This is probably because I haven't seen anyone really keep a seme Goku in character. He falls victim to the seme/uke dynamic and becomes rough and mean. That's not who Goku is. Why can't Goku be a seme and remain super sweet and adorable? I'd love to see that. Sadly, Animal Clock did not fulfill that desire. However, the artist knows how to draw one darn good Goku sex face. This doujinshi is all about the sex and what makes these scenes great are Goku's expressions. I just wanted to share a few of my favorite ones below.

Oh, half-lidded Goku, how can anyone resist you?

You can read this doujinshi online here. In order to access it you must know the username and password. If you don't know it, search the site.

Spring Break Marathon

2010-03-06T16:19:00.004-05:00

Spring Break is finally here. My plan is to update everyday until my return to campus Monday the 15th. Dedication! This has been a hard thing for me to do in the past. To keep me from slacking I will begin operation: No update, free pic. If I miss a day, the first person to comment on this post starting midnight the next day can request any yaoilicious pic from me. Basically this post is just a place holder for something that will never happen. EVER. You don't believe me? We shall see, my friends, we shall see.

Moments from Nagasaki

2010-02-22T06:41:00.003-05:00

Just sharing this picture of a lovely guy in drag at a doujinshi/cosplay event I went to in Nagasaki. This guy and his friends were quite annoying, but I forgave them because he was so cute. Sorry about the lighting. It was bad. The only good place for pictures was on stage. That's basically where the cosplayers hung out. This guy and his gaggle of friends, however, scampered around everywhere. Lol, I actually chased him down. I have a couple of other pictures I want to share as well as a sketch an awesome artist did for me of Kakashi and Iruka. This was my first convention ever and I quite enjoyed myself. Now to go to an American one.

Brother, where art thou

2010-02-21T13:11:00.003-05:00

Ever since I returned from Japan I haven't read comics, BL included. This mostly has to do with school and the amount of work I have to do this semester. Workshops. Ugh. So much reading. BUT I made time this weekend to read a couple of BL works and downloaded Giglio and Brother X Brother from Dangerous Pleasures. Giglio, by Inariya Fusunosuke, made me miss the time I devoted to reading my favorite manga genre. Brothers X Brothers, by Kisaragi Hirotaka, had me running to my homework.

This isn't the first time I've read Brother X Brother. In fact I can recall having a soft spot for this manga. However, whatever the author is doing with her current plot line isn't working for me. It's too predictable. I found myself rolling my eyes on quite a few occasions as I read chapters 12-15. And the sad thing is I like the characters and I feel there is so much potential for them to grow.

I mean, the author was pushing it with the whole "my ptsd makes me want to sex someone up". And maybe I could be more forgiving if that plot device was used for lots of sexing. The thing is, this story is definitely not sex driven, it's plot driven, therefore, the plot must be intriguing. And Brother X Brother just isn't anymore. For me, that is, what drove the story was the history behind Kaname and Masato. But with that all explained in previous chapters the mystery is gone.

From this point on there will be spoilers.

Okay, yeah, I like Kaname and Masato as a pair. But I don't dislike Souichirou and I can see him with Kaname, I just don't like how things seemed to have ended between Kaname and Masato. Kaname's all like "I'm gonna go get help for this problem I have" and Masato replies "yeah, you know, I think we shouldn't be using each other sexually anymore" and that's that. It shouldn't be so simple, especially if someone is suffering from PTSD, that's some hard stuff to overcome. I know Kaname wants to make a change, but I can't help but believe he won't need Masato there to hold his hand until he gets to a point of stability. Yeah, Souichirou is suppose to take his place, but the story would be far more interesting if Kaname and Masato continued on with their relationship as Souichirou realizes his feelings for Kaname, but recognizes that for the time being, Kaname needs Masato.

So, yeah, that's just my two-cents. Brother X Brother isn't godawful (this is), I'm just a little disappointed it hasn't lived up to it's potential.

Why I'm not buying Junjou.

2010-02-21T09:25:00.004-05:00

Last year RightStuf announced they acquired the rights to Junjou Romantica. Being the dreamer I am, I hoped magically somehow it would be dubbed. Last month all the specs for the dvd were released and I made my decision to forgo this purchase.

This is not a first for me. If you look at my dvd shelf BL is very sparse, almost nonexistent. Sad, I know, but for me, dubbing is a huge reason why I purchase anime. Oh, yes, sometimes a dub can be atrocious such as the redub of Macross (whose bright idea was that). But for the most part, there are days when I just don't want to listen to Japanese, because when you're still learning a language listening to the language you're learning is work, thus it's tiring. Yeah, there's subs, but I prefer to have the tv on and do other things while I listen. So, dubs, no matter how bad, are necessary. This hasn't just hindered my purchasing of BL but other series also, such as Tears to Tiara and Simoun. Especially since, for the most part, a lot of these are streaming online or I can catch them on the anime network. There are those collectors who just have to have the series they're into, but for me that was a phase I have long since out grown.

I understand BL is a niche market but I really do think they had a chance to snatch up more fans with Junjou. Not including a dub you're cutting out a part of your market. And believe me, there are many people out there who are turned off by subs. And if they weren't going to include a dub track they have to offer something to entice people like me. Blu-Ray would be nice, but if this series can't get dubbed there's no way it will get a Blu-Ray release. You can get me with extras. And a nice little bonus would have been the interviews with the voice actors you can find on youtube such as this one here featuring Kamijou and Nowaki's VA's:

Pencil boards, postcards, trading cards, keychains would have all been nice little add-ons. Come on, Right Stuf, woo me! I've already seen Junjou, now give me a reason to own it.

Up, up and away...

2010-01-06T09:25:00.004-05:00

Back home in the states and I'm welcomed by this news: Tokyopop is raising prices on their BL titles. BLU manga will now cost 14.99. This doesn't sit well with me. I know the economy sucks for everyone and TP probably is hurting for money, but I don't see how raising prices is going to help them any, especially when everyone is cutting back. And I doubt BL is on the top of anyone's buy list. I'm also not easily won over by their promise of bonus color pages. Going by their track record they can just as easily pull these pages without any explanation to the customers and expect us to keep paying the same price. This is probably why I'm not too keen about the new price because I don't know how long they will keep printing these color pages, nor am I confident this new price raise will prevent them from doing yet another, and another, and another.

I don't know. I'm all about supporting the genre, but I guess everyone has their limits and I think TP has reached mine. This isn't just about the raise in prices, but a lot of things TP has done over the years. So, this is more about not supporting a company then not supporting a genre. BL will continue to get my money one way or another, but TP won't.

In Japan!

2009-10-21T00:42:00.004-04:00

Oh, little yaoi blog, I haven't forgotten you. I'm just at a school that has really, really bad computers which makes updating all the more laborious and just not fun. Japan has been lovely. I'm in Nagasaki and I'm surrounded by beautiful green mountains. Because this is a BL/yaoi/slash blog I don't want to get too into what I'm doing here if it's not tied to those subjects.

So, yeah, Nagasaki, very beautiful, the nicest people in the world, but, very little doujinshi, from what I've seen. I found a place called Book Bank and they have a doujin section filled with Gundam, RoyxEd, and Oofuri. Their Naruto section is minuscule, which made me cry the saddest fangirl tears ever. But, I was lucky to happen upon a Naruto doujinshi Tanaka Suzuki did in 2000. I also snatched up that Code Geass doujin I wrote about in this entry. So many funny little panels in this one. Also, a lot of CC, which made it all the more awesome.

Used bookstores are my haven. You guys have probably heard of Book Off which is sometimes paired off with a Hobby Off and you can find used comics anywhere from 100 yen to 350 (of course there are those that cost more but those prices are just a fraction of the original price). I am partial to Book Bank though because they have doujin and a lot more BL than Book Off.

Anyway, I still want to try my best to keep this blog active while I'm here. So look for an update hopefully once a week starting from today. Oh, and I want to thank the people who left comments over the past few weeks. I hope no one thinks I'm going to stop posting because I don't get comments. This blog is personal so I intend on continuing it until I stop liking anything with boys loving boys. And I don't see that happening anytime soon :).

It's a revival! Hallelujah!

2009-08-23T13:55:00.003-04:00

So, way back when I actually updated this blog in a timely manner I wrote a post about the webcomic Tei and Riki. I mostly wrote some of my thoughts on why I believed the comic went from a comedy to an angst-fest. Not long after I made that post I received an email from the creator, Eve, who kindly informed me of the reason for the change. Being the total fangirl I am, I spazzed at receiving an email from the person who I give full credit for sparking my love of BL. Yeah, Yu Yu Hakusho got me into yaoi, but Tei and Riki introduced me to the world of original man on man lovin'. I really had no idea any of that even existed until I fell upon Tei and Riki. Plus, Tei and Riki was something my sisters and I would gather around the monitor and read together. Ah, memories.

One of the things I was hoping to hear from Eve was that she had a DA page or something going on at the Y!, but sadly, not a word. Until today. I recently received a message from some awesome person who has informed me that Eve does have a page over at DA and she is continuing Tei and Riki. I thought I'd pass this great news along to everyone else. So, if you're like me and been hopin' for new updates on Tei and Riki head on over here and check 'em out.

Sukitomo

2009-08-23T07:42:00.003-04:00

Last night my mom asked me to put a movie on, so I rummaged through my computer to find something she hasn't seen. I came across Sukitomo and remembered I had downloaded it from a BL website. So, I'm like, BL tonight, yay!

No. No yay. Because this movie is not BL. This is a story about a girl dealing with her feelings for her brother. Yes, her brother's best friend is in love with him, but the focus of the movie isn't on their relationships. We follow the little sister to school where she waits to here good news about her brother's boxing match, into her room where she complains about Yoshiki and makes a confession to her friend, and to the boxing ring where she cheers her brother, Tomokazu, on. Yoshiki does get a few moments here and there and we get one of those "oh noes I must protect you by throwing my body on top of you, oh, hello thar" scenes, but everything will inevitably lead back to the sister. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but you know how when you're expecting something to taste one way and than you get thrown off because it ends up being something completely different? That off kilter feeling can be a bit off putting.

Okay, there was no real boy/boy lovin' in this movie but snatches of it, so how did the movie fair overall? Sukitomo is every shoujo cliche tied up and wrapped with a bow. So, if you like seeing something you've seen a hundred times before, then go watch this on youtube right now! You'll love it! But everyone else might want to pass on this. Aside from the eye candy that is Saito Takumi, this movie is forgettable.

Mice, Carps, and Setona

2009-08-17T07:52:00.008-04:00

The first manga I ever read by Setona Mizushiro was X-Day. If I'm remembering correctly it was released when manga had just started to gain traction in the US market so there was some glut but it didn't flood the market as it does now. So I trusted X-Day would be on par with the majority of the other manga I had been purchasing. I enjoyed the first volume of X-Day but had a feeling, from the way the story had unfolded that it was going to end in a very predictable cliche shoujo way. It did. And so I was content with reading it during my lunch break at Waldenbooks and not purchasing it. Unimpressed by her writing I avoided anything by Mizushiro for years. Then one day as I scrolled through my LJ post I noticed a BL cover drawn by her. "So she does BL also," I thought to myself, "I bet it's just as cliched as her shoujo work". Oh, how wrong I was.

Setona Mizushiro's story about a gay man who is in love with a straight man and the trials and tribulations of their relationship is one of the best manga I have ever read. I know the premise sounds like every BL story in existence, but it's all about how you tell that story and Mizushiro tells it well. Her two characters, Imagase and Kyouichi are just...raw. You see their strengths and their weaknesses and you learn quickly that these two people aren't the nicest guys in the world. They have weird quirks, get jealous, cheat, lie, argue, shout at the top of their lungs, fight when they should be working on a peace treaty or not fight when they should put up a battle. This isn't a list of negatives, this is a list of realities. Of behaviors that make us human. Not bad. Not good. Just is. And just like us, they aren't aware of their feelings, nor are they quite sure of who they are, especially in Kyouichi's case. And Imagase, who comes off very self assured is always shaky because his foundation is Kyouichi. The whole first volume of The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese is a roller coaster ride that keeps going down. It's exhilarating and fun, but you need a brief reprieve so you can catch your breath. Setona never gives you a chance to breathe.

The second volume, The Carp on the Chopping Block Jumps Twice, the ride comes to a screeching halt and knocks all the air out of you. I use this analogy because as you slow down a feeling of relief shoots through your body before the sudden stop that jolts you. And although the first chapter, Melancholy Butterfly, starts out just as rocky as the previous volume Mizushiro ends it so bitter sweetly that one can have hope where there wasn't any before. Maybe things will work out? Maybe they can be happy together? What is interesting is Kyouichi is asking himself the same questions. By the third chapter, Owl, he seems to settling into the idea of a life with Imagase.

And that feeling, that possibility, is the one time you're able to sit back and inhale. Things do eventually come to a head but there isn't a crazy soap opera explosion. I think of Totally Captivated and how Mookyul and Ewon eventually have an all out war. I don't know what I expected to happen between Kyouichi and Imagase. If anything at all. But what transpires isn't at all a thunderstorm, but a light down pour. And for some reason, that made it all the more heart wrenching.

Man, I cried like a baby while reading this chapter and after. And it sucks that I can't say why because I don't want to ruin it for any of you who haven't read the latest chapter or even the manga. I will say hurry over to Presencedear and download it if you haven't. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Why aren't you slashing them?!

2009-08-14T08:43:00.013-04:00

And why haven't I ever made a post about these two? These two who? Why, Seiji and Kouta from Midori no Hibi. What is Midior no Hibi? It's a shounen romance comedy created by Kazurou Inoue where the main character, Seiji Sawamura's right hand is replaced with a green haired girl named Midori. There is also this guy:

Kouta Shingyouji is Midior's childhood friend. When Midori enters a sort of coma he takes it upon himself to find a way to awaken her. Deciding it best to overlook all scientific explanations Kouta instead focuses his attention on fairy tales, because they have indeed saved many a comatose individual. If he wants to wake a princess he must find a prince. And there is no better prince than Midiori's crush, school delinquent Seiji Sawamura. But when Kouta meets Seiji something unexpected happens:

He falls in love. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! What I adore about Kouta is we get to see his little boy crush develop. The audience is there from the sweet blossoming to the bitter end. We slashers get treated to many a slashy moment such as this:

And this:

And my personal favorite:

Ha-ha! Threesome.

Usually when there is a shounen romance and a guy becomes the object of affection of another guy it irks me because I feel the creator is trying to say "the main character is so special even guys want him" (a great example of this takes place in I"s by Masakazu Katsura). Although Kouta's infatuation with Seiji is used for comedic purposes I like the fact we see the relationship develop. We get to see him and Seiji become friends and how Kouta struggles with his sexual feelings for Seiji. It's all very adorable. And very cannon. So if you haven't read Midori no Hibi then GO READ IT NOW.

His Favoritest

2009-08-13T14:27:00.008-04:00

After years of avoiding it, I finally sat down and read Suzuki Tanaka's, Aitsu Daihonmei. The reason for my avoidance stemmed from reading the original release in Libre's Pheonix anthology. The topic given to the creators participating in the issue was basically ugly guys and the hawt guys that love 'em. In my opinion, no one actually stayed true to the topic (except for Saika Kunieda) because none of the ugly guys were ugly. One of the characters looked like he might've been a teenaged version of Timmy Turner from Fairly Odd Parents, but that's not ugly, just a little odd and kinda funny. What I didn't like about Tanaka's story is it seemed her version of ugly required having almond shaped eyes.

Almond shaped eyes?! Is that what got you all riled up, you oversensitive girl?! Well, yeah. It seemed illogical to me to have a trait that so many Asians shared labeled as ugly. It's like the pot calling the kettle black. Maybe it is a bit oversensitive to completely avoid a title because I don't agree with the premise, especially when I take pride in exposing myself to a variety of things so I can become more knowledgeable. I guess one of my problems with Aitsu is I was thinking too much like an American who has wide knowledge of American racism. Mind you, I am not saying that I found Aitsu racist, but my history with racism made me sensitive to the content. But Aitsu is created for the Japanese by a Japanese author and their rules of prejudice and racism are different from our own. So I concluded that it would be best for me to read the rest of Aitsu before passing judgment. And that I did. The whole almond eyes = ugliness is still something I want to explore but I have to admit that the story swept me away. Maybe because, I don't know, it had a hint of familiarity.

Hmmm...Two high school boys, one that's unattractive and the other is very attractive hook up. Attractive guy has jealousy issues and is always ready to jump the bones of his lover, although his lover isn't too receptive to his advances. Sounds kinda like...

Menkui! One of the big differences between Menkui and Aitsu is the prior one took place at an all boys school. In Aitsu, the main character, Yoshida is constantly being picked on by girls because their idol, Satou, lavishes him with attention. It makes me wonder if Kotori would have received the same treatment if their school had been co-ed. If anything the characters in Aitsu seem to be extreme versions of Kotori and Aikawa. I'd even go as far to say Aitsu is a parody of those high school romances Tanaka is so good at writing. Other than the extremities of the characters there's the fact that Tanaka doesn't really draw any backgrounds, which seems to compound the fact that this could quite possibly be a parody. Everything tends to be stark white. When she pans out on the school it's never a well detailed building, it looks like something your little brother might have scribbled on his math homework. And the building is very reminiscent of the thousand school buildings you've probably seen in manga and anime. Tanaka seems to be relying on her audience to fill in the blanks and parodies are always completely reliant upon the knowledge of the audience. And it is kind of weird seeing a Tanaka title without any sci-fi touches. So I am most definitely leaning in the direction that this is a parody.

I don't know. I can't help but see Aitsu as Menkui sans the whole sci-fi twist. It's just pure and utter high school romance fluff. Which, if that's your thing, you'll fall in love with this title. I still want to put on my sociologist cap and analyze it to death, but for now I'll just enjoy the syrupy sweet goodness of Satou/Yoshida. And, boy, is it good.

Will I ever be able to keep up with this thing?

2009-08-08T16:43:00.006-04:00

'Cause I would really like to. I know this is a personal blog and it shouldn't matter how much or when I update, but I made this blog for the sole reason to see if I could dedicate myself to something. And BL/yaoi/slash is something I'm very dedicated to...until life gets in the way. You see, I'll be going to Japan in the fall so I've been brushing up on my Japanese, translating doujin, and trying to complete this stupid Junjou Romantica doujinshi before I leave. Since I've been super focused on those things this blog has kinda been forgotten. Until I see something I just have to post about, such as:

Suzuki has made it onto the cover of B-Boy again. Yay, for more exposure for her, but boo for the bad cover art and for this series. I really need to make a post as to why I'm put off by this series. Anyway, go here to check out the previews (click on the line up bar) for this month as well as to see who's gonna be in the next issue. Yoneda Kou's on the line up, this makes me soooo happy. Maybe I'll pick this up while I'm in Japan?

Oh, and in case you haven't heard: JPQUEEN IS ACCEPTING ORDERS AGAIN!! They've scaled things back considerably, which is quite understandable given the current economy. At least they're still alive and kickin'. I wish them luck and I hope they're able to make it through these rough times.

Right Stuf <3

2009-07-02T20:36:00.007-04:00

I had a conversation with my sister today and told her how I was hoping some company would announce the acquisition of the Junjou Romantica anime today. "It's been over a year since it was released and it has a modest fan base, someone has to snatch it up", I told her.

Somebody did.

Thank you so much Right Stuf!

And then the dread sets in. God. I want this dubbed and I want it dubbed well. The last BL Right Stuf dubbed was Gravitation and that dub is just...well, it makes me laugh. That's good, right? Sometimes bad dubs are awesome. But I don't want dubbed Junjou to be awesome for that reason. So, please, Right Stuf, don't disappoint. And oh my, how great would it be if this got a limited edition that came with a Suzuki-san?

Also, that's not all. Right Stuf acquired Antique Bakery :). Ah, today was a good day for BL fans. What can make it better? An announcement of a simultaneous release of Ai no Kusabi. What's that? That's impossible? Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

Now go and celebrate my fellow fujoshi!

Edit: Oh-ho-ho, they already have websites up for both Junjou and Antique. Not much info up as of yet.

Edit #2: Someone reminded me on the Junjou community on LJ that the possibility of RS dubbing this is very slim because all their recent releases have been sub only. Which made me go "Doh" because I knew that. But, man, am I hoping so hard for this to be dubbed. I really super want to hear these boys in English.

Source: ANN

July 2009 BL Manga Releases

2009-07-01T16:34:00.007-04:00

Title: Breath Vol. 3
Creator: Chifumi Ochi
Publisher: Yaoi Generation
Pages: 174
Price: 12.99

Title: Junjou Romantica Vol. 10
Creator: Shungiku Nakamura
Publisher: Blu
Pages: 192
Price: 12.99

Title: Love control Vol. 2
Creator: Ai Hasukawa
Publisher: June Manga
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95

Title: Shining Moon Vol. 4
Creator: Ai Hasukawa
Publisher: June Manga
Pages: 180
Price: 12.95

Very sparse pickings this month. I'm fan of Love Control so I might pick this up so the other volume I have won't get lonely (but how can it when it's currently in the middle of a BL orgy on my shelf >_<).

Pretty, pretty covers

2009-07-01T08:10:00.004-04:00

Posting again so soon just 'cause I sincerely believe this is one of the best covers Ms. Tanaka has ever done:

So not a fan of this series (I do believe it's one of the only series I don't own from this creator), but I do enjoy Phoenix. I'll probably try and see about getting my hands on it. Maybe I'll put in one of those request to Jpqueen.

Also, I'm totally diggin' the new cover to Miyamoto's Please:

You can check out more of the covers to this months Libre releases here. And the cover and previews for the next issue of BexBoy will be up on the 7th of this month, so keep an eye out.

Jpqueen: Just a little break?

2009-07-01T07:39:00.003-04:00

A lot happened on the 25th of last week. Three greats passed: Fawcett, Micheal Jackson, and Jpqueen. What's that? You don't think Jpqueen is so great? Well, it is to many fujoshi. I for one was saddened by their news of their closing. All month I waited to see if they'd provide their customers with a further explanation. This Monday, Jpqueen posted the following message:

Future Schedule 29/06/2009
Currently, this web site has no items to sell. We take some rest at least for a month.
If the circumstance allows, we will return as smaller service.
If you have requests of products, please use "Looking For function" If possible, we will search the items during the interruption.
Thank you for understanding.

I hope they're able to reorganize during their month off. But if they decide to shut down permanently I can understand. Even I have scaled down my BL purchases this year. Whatever their decision, I wish them luck.

BL on Demand?

2009-06-12T09:04:00.002-04:00

Okay, so June is offering an on demand service for some of their books. Print on Demand isn't new, but I find the way June has theirs set up reminiscent of what I've seen popular online comic artist do. What June wants is for people to place pre-orders for a certain book. If enough people pre-order than they will get the book a month or two earlier than the original release. You can monitor how much progress has been made by a status bar. But wait a minute! The book will be printed regardless? The only bonus is the people who pre-order get it a few months before the rest of the public? Yeah... This would be odd if what they had up was a manga, because, lets face it, majority of fans already read scanlated versions of BL manga before they're even licensed by a US company. So, what June is offering instead is a early print release of a novel to pre-order customers. Novels are very rarely translated by fans, so this is a wise move by June because they're offering an item that has had little to no exposure. But, then again, this is a translated BL novel, and I've read very few reviews which were fond of these translated versions. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Review: Tea for Two -Vol. 1-

2009-05-10T11:28:00.000-04:00

Author: Yaya Sakuragi
Pages: 184
Price: $12.99
Publisher: BLU Manga
Summary from back cover: Clumsy Madoka Tokumaru can't seem to go a minute without breaking something. To teach him a little self-control, Tokumaru's sis forces him to help out the Tea Ceremony Club despite the hesitations of the club president, the graceful Kazume Hasune. Composed and cool, he is the exact opposite of the brash Tokumaru. Will the two be able to bridge their differences, or will a potentially hot romance become cool like iced tea?

Review: I've stated before how BL's strong point isn't typically the plot but the characters. This is a tried and true rule that if done correctly can produce some exceptional work. Tea for Two is an example of this done right. And although this first volume may have a few kinks to work out, it has way more right going for it than wrong.

The story opens with Tokumaru breaking his little sisters picture frame. She tears into him about his tendency to throw his weight around with no consideration for anything surrounding him. Refusing to have him destroy anymore of her things she demands he joins the tea ceremony club to learn composure. Enter Hasune, the club president and our premiere seme. He agrees to take Tokumaru under his wing, hoping to transform the rambunctious duckling into a graceful swan before the cultural festival.

Not much of a beginning, right? Everything I described above takes place within the first six pages. Because of this the plot comes out rather forced, as if Sakuragi couldn't wait to get Hasune into the story. I think the real problem for me is we hear and see more of Nagomi in those first three pages than we do of her brother, so you get more of a feel for her character than his. I understand manga creators are on a schedule and have limited time to complete chapters, but I think the story could only benefit by showing us Tokumaru's personality instead of having it explained to us by Nagomi. Yes, this would have taken a few more pages, but the opening to any story is very crucial and she risked losing readers by cutting corners.

But, despite this flaw, obviously many people continued to read and were smitten. What exactly were they smitten by? Well, when we finally get to actually see (key word here) these two characters in action you quickly discover how endearing they are. And, no, this isn't a story about opposites, in its essence this is a story about people learning to make compromises in relationships. Yeah, Tokumaru is super rambunctious and Hasune is super composed, but this never gets in the way of their relationship. Of course, true to the old addage: opposites attract, this is initially what draws the two to each other. But they go through the same relationship problems many couples go through regardless if they are alike or not. Every person comes into a relationship with different expectations, I don't care who you are, there's going to be something you expect the other person to do or be and you learn, hey, they won't and they're not. Of course this works vica versa and you can change or just keep on keepin' on. In this first volume you see Hasune struggle with this when they are approached by a group of high school trouble-makers. Oh no, what will our seme do?! What he does the first time (yes, it happens twice) takes me by surprise as well as Tokumaru. This is one of the highlights of this manga for me, Sakuragi makes her characters go against the BL norm.

Aside from our main couple there is another: Hasune's pastry chef friend, Keigo. The guy he's had a crush on since high school, Mizuki, dumps his girlfriend of three years, leaving an opening for Keigo to make his move. The only problem is that Keigo is too afraid to take that first step and Mizuki has suddenly become cold toward him. What's a seme to do? Not much of anything, it would seem. He mopes while getting advice from friends at the bar, Hasune, and even Mizuki's ex. This might be great for a character that has been a big part of the original storyline, but to watch a character you barely know mope about isn't very entertaining, especially when he's acting differently from what you've initially seen of him (some how his angst level jumps from 0 to 10 in this short). Despite these flaws I was taken by Mizuki and would love to see more of him. So if anything his presence saved this one-shot for me.

Speaking of extra characters, I think this is a perfect time to segue back to Nagomi. There are BL that are totally devoid of females and I believe they suffer for it. Tea for Two makes use of them and benefits greatly by their inclusion. Hasune and Tokumaru both have sisters and it's quite obvious that they play a huge part in their lives. In many cases Nagomi's interaction in her brothers life would have ended with his introduction to Hasune, but Sakuragi refuses to retire her and ends up making great use of her. She is, of course, a part of the tea ceremony club too. Hasune's sister, Kotoko, even gets her own little story at the end of the manga where Nagomi makes an appearance. This only makes the overall manga more endearing.

When it comes to the art I kinda have a love hate relationship with it. I would have never purchased Tea for Two if it wasn't for a 40% off sale at a local Borders that was going out of business. She suffers from the same "bad cover art" disease that plagues Tanaka Suzuki. And the alterations BLU made to the cover didn't help (they very rarely do). Also, Sakuragi draws her characters with very long pointy faces. Some day's I'm really feelin' this style but others her characters look like horses to me. But, this is Sakuragi's signature style. And I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on this story because they weren't a fan of her art. I do think she does a great job on everything from the eyes on up. But, lol, I guess that's not saying much.

Now lets get to the nitty-gritty and talk about the sex scenes. There are only two. One between Hasune and Tokumaru and the other is between Keigo and Mizuki. In both cases they're short and you don't see much of what's going on. In fact in both sex scenes the characters are still wearing clothes. This happens to be one of my kinks, so I don't mind it one bit. But if you like you're men to be naked and covered in all sorts of liquid for more than 10 pages than the sex in here will probably disappoint you.

But I'm not a gal that requires lots of sex in her BL (although it doesn't hurt to have it ^_-) and Tea for Two excels where it counts so that's why I'm giving it a:

KakaIru Anthology: After Class

2009-05-05T06:52:00.003-04:00

Came home this weekend and was welcomed by a nice little package with KakaIru goodness inside. After two weeks of waiting I received my English translated KakaIru doujinshi. A print of the cover in color was also included (pictured above next to the book) as a sweet bonus to people who preordered. It's 44 pages long with three contributors: Comichub, Pandabaka, and Nanaya. There is also a delicous pic by Kuma Wind included.

The first comic, Task, is by Nanaya and is 4 pages long. It opens with Iruka yawning and stating how tired he is. We learn by the second panel that Naruto has tired him out (who doesn't Naruto tire out). He runs into Kakashi and they have a super short exchange. And then: the end! If anything, I like to look at this short comic as a sort of appetizer, just a small taste of what will follow. And what follows is awesomeness.

Pandabaka is the main reason why I purchased this doujin. I like her sleek art style and the way she draws faces (I especially like the eyes). The story for her comic, Life is simple: Iruka adheres to the old adage carpe diem. I do find the dialogue lacking, but I chop it up to the fact that English aren't these creators native tongue (excluding the guest artist, Kuma Wind). But, where dialogue fails the art excels. The composition of the first page is breathtaking. The contrast between the white and black help to set a melancholy mood for the beginning of the comic. What she succeeds at is the way she seamlessly transitions from one mood to the next. The story opens with an air of sadness but as we reach the middle it begins to morph and by the end she leaves us on an upbeat note. Most of this is done through the art.

The final contribution to this small work is a nameless comic by Comichub that has its beginnings in a AU but returns to Konoha. How she does this is one of the most cliched story techniques (Spoiler!!! It's a dream), however it works in this comic and I wouldn't want her to change it. My only real problem was the abruptness of the ending. I just felt there was no closure. I don't think things had to be tied up in a nice little package, but I do believe a few more panels were needed to make the ending feel complete. Although I wasn't a big fan of the art, I did enjoy her story the most. It would be great to see her write a script for Pandabaka to draw.

I do appreciate that this doujinshi is very well put together. In fact, the print value is 10x's better than the print release of Totally Captivated, and that says something if amateurs can out do the so called professionals. So, if you missed out on this lovely anthology, sucks for you, 'cause it was a nice treat to read a KakaIru doujin and not have my 100 pound kanji book at my side as a translated one panel at a time. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on Pandabaka's DA page because she occasionally opens up an online doujinshi market. Although she's currently into Bleach (noooooooo) I'd love to snag some more of her prints.

May 2009 BL Manga Releases

2009-05-04T13:16:00.000-04:00

Title: Awaken Forest
Creator: Yuna Aoi
Publisher: June Manga
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95

Title: Hey, Class President!
Creator: Kaori Monchi
Publisher: 801 Media
Pages: 224
Price: 15.95

Title: Kirepapa
Creator: Ryo Takagi
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95

Title: Noodle Shop Affair
Creator: C. J. Michalski
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95

Title: Sex and Sensuality
Creator: Kaori Monchi
Publisher: Media Blasters
Pages: 192
Price: 11.99

Happy Yaoi Yum Yum is advertised on the Yaoi Press website for a May release, but Amazon has it down for a June one, I decided to go with Amazon's date since they tend to be more accurate. I know the releases look a little sparse. I wouldn't doubt if I missed some or if there were some releases from last month that got pushed back to this month. But, yeah, not a whole lot to choose from this month. This was released in Japan on the first:

Libre's release of Tanaka Suzuki's Aishiatteru Futari. The original version came out stateside last month under the name, Love Hurts (still hatin' that title). I tend to snatch up any Suzuki releases, but I think I'll pass on this. I know there will be new content but I was never a big fan of this particular manga. And that new cover does very little to entice me.

Yaoish Newsy Stuff -Edition 2-

2009-04-28T08:15:00.005-04:00

Deux Sale ends in 2 days
That's right, April 30th is the end of the $5 sale over at the Deux website. If you haven't already done so go ahead and check out their wares. Scroll down a little and you'll see the titles I recommend.

Y!Gallery
Lots of little improvements over at ygal. I think a few people will be happy about the new Robotics tag. But I understand how new filters can be annoying for those who have to go back and edit their entries. There's always that one jerk who will flag a picture instead of kindly telling the artist they've yet to apply the proper filter. So, go forth robot lovers and edit your pics before that jerk comes along.

My favorite change at Y! thus far? The new status icons. Wooooo, so shiny and sleek.

Jpqueen
If you browse and shop at Jpqueen you've noticed the new account page. But what is really cool is that they've instituted a point system. What Jpqueen did in the past was give you a ten dollar coupon for every ten reviews you gave. Now you earn points not only when you write a review for a product you purchased but also when you purchase an item you were looking for. Speaking of looking for items Jpqueen has added a form for those items that have never appeared on their website but you desperately want to find. They use to have something similar to this form in the past but they took it down for some reason. So, for all you people who have been searching for Hajime no Ippo doujinshi go and fill out that form! I know jpqueen tends to wait until they receive certain things from people who don't want their manga/doujin/or whatever anymore, but if there is a great demand for something maybe they'll actively search for it.

And, wow, I totally missed this...
It seems there's going to be a yaoi convention in the Midwest. Bishie Con will take place November 20-22nd in St. Louis MO. They have a couple of guest lined up and a few activities. Things will, of course, get more fleshed out as they draw closer to the event. But so far nothing has really caught my eye. That doesn't mean I wouldn't support them. If I still lived in Missouri you better believe I would have purchased my ticket already. I'm all about supportin' da fandom, baby.

Ippo updates and other junk

2009-04-20T11:35:00.001-04:00

New Ippo up. Not much of Ippo lovin' Miyata this time around. But it was very heavily Ippo/Kumi centric which is 20 million times better. Totally love that pic up above. It so looks like he's inhaling marijuana and the final image is the after affects, lol. You know it looks like that!

Mostly posting just to give a heads up to the two people who follow this blog XD. The next two weeks will be filled with finishing up projects and final exams. So unless House decides he suddenly wants to be gay with Wilson there probably won't be an update from me until May. When I'm finally free from the life-sucking clutches of school I want to give this blog a face lift and introduce the two characters that make random appearances throughout my post. I also have a few more reviews I need to get around to completing. And I promise, no more Static post for awhile.

Speaking of Static, before I give this blog a little break from it's awesomeness, if anyone clicked through the links I posted in the last entry that lead to some of the comics I drew it can be easily surmised that I like my Static to be HARDCORE. And, seriously, it's like one of the only things I slash where I want these guys to be going at it like two sex deprived rabbits. As I've stated previously, I tend to like more comedy in the pairings I slash. So Static Shock is really a unique case with me. I don't think I'll ever do KakaIru porn, or Itsuki/Kyon just totally going at it. And I really think this has a lot to do with the fact that I just don't find yaoi to be sexually appealing. Gaspity?! What? How does that make any sense?! But as I stated before, my doujinshi collection is filled with comedy stories. There is a rare occasion where I want one where its whole existence is dependent upon how hot the sex is, but for the most part, I prefer to laugh.

Beautiful by Bandou Emiri
This doujinshi just isn't funny but it's super cute, a double whammy, so I couldn't resist snatching it up

Don't get me wrong, I like looking at guys dripping in sweat and other bodily fluids as much as the next fujoshi. But, for the most part, the build of the guys in most doujinshi just isn't what does it for me. I love muscles, but the characters that most yaoi are based on, like, lets say, Naruto, just don't have that type of build. That's not to say the sex is automatically gonna be bad. A good sex scene is a good sex scene. But, physically, for me, the perfect situation is two muscular guys going at it. And what do you know, Hotsreak and Static fit the bill.

Now, here's my problem when it comes to me drawing this pairing: Muscles are hard to draw, lol! So, poor Static and Hotstreak don't come out looking as delicious as they do in the animation or the comic. It's something I'm working on changing, though.

Anyway, this so came out of nowhere. Better get back to work on these projects. Good luck to the rest of you guys in the midst of finals!

Hotstreak Loves Static

2009-04-18T12:46:00.001-04:00

In my first Static Shock post I discussed why the Hotstreak/Richie pairing irked me. This couple, though, makes up a very small percentage of Static slash. The overall majority of all slash is Virgil/Richie, also known as VR. I remember when I got into the fandom I was shocked by the fact people paired these two up. Yeah, it makes sense now, but back then I really only saw these two as best friends. Watching the series I just didn't find anything slashy about their relationship. Besides, why were people slashing those two when they could slash Hotstreak/Static?

When I'm asked why I like this pairing I always respond with the question, "Did you see the episode No Mans an Island". This is an episode from the final season where the two guys have been chained together at the wrist. There are quite a few touchy-feely moments and there’s this really sweet scene where Hotstreak opens up to Static (this really needed to be expanded upon). It's also made very obvious that Hotstreak respects Static. Now, there are some slashers who can take two characters who have never come into contact with each other and throw them together. Hey, that's their prerogative. But for me as well as many other slash fans, we like having something that can validate the relationship. A carrot, if you will, that dangles and tempts us. The majority of Static slashers found many situations questionable between Richie and Virgil. There are, and I'll give them that. But Hotstreak/Static is just way more sexy.

Now that you know why I slash these two, I'm going to share the crazy storyline I came up for them. If you're a Static Shock slash fan you've undoubtedly read a bunch of fanfics where Virgil isn't gay but Richie-sexual. Or, there are those that explore Virgil discovering his sexuality. I don't go with either of these scenarios. In my opinion, Virgil is straight. But, wait! How is it possible for me to put him in a sexual relationship with Hotstreak if he's not gay, bi, or just crazy about the flame-head? Because the relationship doesn't go past the sex part. Anal orgasms are one of the best a man can have. Static has his first anal orgasm with Hotstreak and becomes addicted. Hotstreak makes himself available to Static and he willing accepts. Many, many, times.

Hotsteark, on the other hand, wants to start a relationship based on more than just sex. In one of the scrolling comics I drew I had Hotstreak try to take off Static's mask, which Static objects to. Because this option is closed to him he tries to unmask him by pressuring Static to tell him personnel information (favorite color, favorite food, little stuff like that) so he can slowly piece together an image of who he is. Static goes along with this at first, but stops when he starts feeling as if Hotstreak is moving their relationship into territory it shouldn't go. Hotstreak, in turn, puts a stop to everything and makes himself very scarce in Dakota. And then I turn Virgil into a total jerk who takes advantage of his best friend's crush on him. So, see, I like using Richie too, just as long as he's topping. But yeah, no happy endings for anyone here. I tend to draw this out of order. Like the last part with Richie I drew is actually near the end. I left out the whole middle part and I haven't even finished drawing the beginning yet (just have it scripted). I'm just glad that so far each section has been able to stand on its own.

Hotstreak/Static is soooo my OTP. It's that one couple I always come back too. It may have something to do with them being my first slash couple. Aw, nostalgia. Anyway, just cause I love pimpin' these two here is one of the only Hotstreak/Static fanfics in existence. Go, read, and may you be blessed with plot bunnies.

Kisses Make Everything Better

2009-04-13T09:29:00.007-04:00

After reading the latest installment of Hajime no Ippo and seeing Ippo get all touched over Miyata for the one millionth time I was inspired to do some fanart.

I was also trying to catch up on the anime yesterday and found myself really missing the Spanish dub. I know Geoneon is now defunct, but I hope a Spanish company is willing to license and dub the new season with the same voice actors from the previous one. In my opinion, the Spanish dub is far superior to the Japanese original. Sorry, you Japanese purest, but it's the truth.

Don't be hatin'

2009-04-12T06:59:00.004-04:00

Anime News Network recently published a review for all three volumes of Menkui!, by Tanaka Suzuki. The reviewer makes it quite obvious that she was none too impressed with this series. That's fine. To each their own. But I did have a problem with a statement she made below:

Tanaka's artwork is perhaps her greatest asset when her storytelling capabilities are—as they often are—refusing to come to her rescue. She has a clean yet distinctively bold, confident style that has won her numerous fujoshi devotees. In some ways, it looks rather anime-like or perhaps Shounen Sunday-esque. She might have been a slice of life shounen mangaka in another life. Indeed, one wonders if she might not be wasting her time in BL.

Wait, but, what? Do I detect a hint of animosity toward BL? Why is it a waste for Suzuki to dedicate herself to a genre she enjoys? This comment exhibits how little the reviewer regards BL as a legit genre category. Now, maybe she doesn't see BL as a lucrative genre and she believes Suzuki is capable of making more money in shoujo or shounen. She probably meant for this statement to be a compliment. But this belief still undermines BL. As if to say BL is where you go to die a slow death. The thing is, that comment is saying BL is, for the most part, a waste of time. And how can I not take issue with that?

I don't want to come off as if I'm peeved by this, 'cause I'm not. But, I haven't for a while been a fan of the BL reviews produced by ANN. I know you can find more worthwhile reviews elsewhere such as the Fujoshi Librarian over at LJ. I guess, what bothers me is ANN is a staple for anime geekdom and as such they are a very powerful force. And what's that saying good ol' Uncle Ben told Peter Parker? Ah, yes: with great power comes great responsibility. Well, be responsible ANN. If you're going to do BL reviews maybe get someone who understands BL to review it. No one would want someone who isn't good at first person shooters to tell them whether or not Halo is a great game. Someone who has played many FPS's because they enjoy the games is a much more credible person. So, come on ANN; step up. Give me a veteran BL fan.

Yaoish Newsy Stuff -Edition 1-

2009-04-11T09:02:00.003-04:00

I'm pretty sure by now everyone knows about the Deux sale. In case you missed it somehow here's the link to the info page. I don't have to tell you that five dollars is an awesome price for a yaoi manga. Also, orders are open to fans outside the US. Yeah. Great sale. You know it, I know it, and your mom knows it. In case you're not sure what to get here are the titles I recommend:

Title: Lovers and Souls
Creator: Miyamoto Kano
Deux Page with summary and previews

Title: Say Please
Creator: Miyamoto Kano
Deux Page with summary and previews

Title: Future Lovers
Creator: Saika Kunieda
My Review
Deux Page with summary and previews

Title: Future Lovers Vol. 2
Creator: Saika Kunieda
Deux Page with summary and previews

You can't go wrong with Miyamoto Kano and Saika Kunieda. The sale ends April 30th. I know things are really tight for a lot of people now, but it would be great if we can help Deux weather this storm. Especially since they were awesome enough to give us comics by Saika Kunieda and Miyamoto Kano.

There's been a mod change over at Yaoi Gallery. For me, the biggest news are a few of the little tweaks made to the site. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me that there's now a "marked all as viewed" button in submissions. Submissions pile up so fast if you don' t log in for a few days and then you have to sit and wade through them little by little. Such a tedious task. So thank you yaoi gallery for this much needed improvement.

If you're a Bleach fan Pandabaka over at DeviantArt is selling a few doujinshi. Go check out her page for previews and info. She also has a couple of the KakaIru anthology left. The sale of the doujin ends April 15th. Only a few days left!

And I don't know how I forgot that Tanaka Suzuki's book, Love Hurts (that title hurts me >_<), was released this month. Get it for the story dealing with a boy and his crush on a girl who is obsessed with aliens. I know, not BL, but to be totally honest, it's the best story in the book.

Speaking of Tanaka Suzuki, did you check out her cover for Be-Boy last month. Suzuki's cover art is usually a hit or miss (mostly misses, though), and that one was a total miss. Sorry, Suzuki! This months cover was drawn by Shino Natsuho. Also, Yoneda Kou is in this volume. You're probably familiar with her doujinshi work if you're a fan of Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Or maybe you've read the DP scanlations of her manga, Doushitemo Furetakunai, (I ownz it). Either way, you know she writes great stories, so no doubt this one will be just as awesome.

And, wow, I see this pairing very super rarely.

Static Shock: Let the boy bottom!

2009-04-02T20:26:00.003-04:00

Part 2! And as the title suggest I want to focus on the whole seme/uke dynamic. If you read any Static slash than you know Virgil is the seme 99% of the time. Why? Yaoi, like any genre has a set of unspoken rules that people blindly follow. For example, how many doujinshi or manga have you read where the short guy tops? Very rarely happens, right? Just like short topping tall is a rarity the same goes for Virgil topping anyone. Strictly looking at female produced fanfiction and art in any slash community I began to notice that there seemed to be some type of rule that black tops all.

Why do females tend to want a black guy to top in his sexual escapades? And God forbid, what would they do if there were two black guys? Maybe this is why I’ve yet to find any such stories, it’s a conundrum they are unable to figure out. One of the rules followed to a T is that strong tops weak. Within the world of Virgil slash I don't believe this rule is obeyed. Instead, I feel Virgil is forced into the stereotypical role of a strong black male. I think this is done, not on purpose, but because whoever is writing the fan fiction or drawing the fan art is unable to see pass the stereotype portrayed in the media.

Now, another possible reason V is made to top can be because he's straight. Richie being homosexual is something that has pretty much become canon in the fan community ever since McDuffie clarified him as being gay on his forum. And here's another stereotype for ya: during sex between two men, the guy being penetrated is gay and the one doing the penetrating is straight. Twisted logic, I know. But, this is a strong possibility why V always tops.

Lastly, there are the Mary Sues who are using Richie as their surrogate. A Mary Sue in disguise is still a Mary Sue. So if you read a fanfic and the only flaw Richie has is his gay love for Virgil, than there's a good chance you're reading a Sue fic. And because it's a Sue fic, Virgil will fall in love with the perfect Richie and screw him like there is no tomorrow. Ah, amore.

No matter the reason why Virgil is topping, the mere fact he's locked into this role is unfair. V makes such a sexy uke. And this is what I shall explore in my next Static post. Until then, try and write a RV fic to pass the time.

April 2009 BL Manga Releases

2009-04-01T12:23:00.000-04:00

Title: Chocolate Surprise
Creator: Lily Hoshino
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95

Title: Idol Pleasures
Creator: Fuhri Misasagi
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95

Title: Junjou Romantica Vol. 9
Creator: Shungiku Nakamura
Publisher: Blu
Pages: 192
Price: 12.99

Title: Love Machine
Creator: Amayo Tsuge
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95

Title: Totally Captivated vol. 6
Creator: Hajin Yoo
Publisher: Netcomics
Pages: 200
Price: 9.99

Title: U Don't Know Me
Creator: Rakun
Publisher: Netcomics
Pages: 200
Price: 9.99

Title: You Will Drown in Love
Creator: Hinako Takanaga
Publisher: Blu
Pages: 208
Price: 12.99

Title: ZE vol. 2
Creator: Naduki Koujima
Publisher: 801 Media
Pages: 200
Price: 15.95

Oh, April, how I've waited for you. Lots of good releases this month: Junjou Romantica, Totally Captivated (it's the end ;_;), U Don't Know Me, You Will Drown in Love, and Chocolate Surprise are all on my buy list. Especially U Don't Know Me. I have a feeling Junjou will disappoint and this might be the last volume I buy unless it can step up its game (and seeing as how there's no huge arcs coming up with my two favorite couples gives me an even better reason to stop purchasing this series). You Will Drown in Love will probably be just as bad as I'm expecting it to be, but I loved Rei from the previous volume so at least I get to see him again (although I'd prefer him to be a seme, and with Haru). I hope you guys are as pleased with April releases as I am.

Oh, and Libre posted the covers for their April releases today. Meh. Nothing to my liking. But wait! Next month Suzuki Tsuta will have a new manga released. Hmmm, if I'm reading my Kanji correctly, it seems it might be Konoyo Ibun. I haven't read any of the previous volumes yet. Maybe I should give it a chance?

KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays -4-

2009-03-31T00:51:00.003-04:00

Race, Gender and Static Shock

2009-03-29T10:49:00.009-04:00

Static Shock is back on TV. You can catch it on Disney XD Monday-Thursdays. Since its return, there has been a slight resurgence of art and fanfics for the fandom. I've also seen the reappearance of my least favorite slash pairing in the series: Hotstreak/Richie. I don't typically care who people slash, but this pairing has always rubbed me the wrong way. A few years ago I got in a discussion with someone over at the Live Journal Static Shock community The Gas Station about Hotstreak/Richie. Five years later I still agree with our analysis on how race and gender played a role in the creation of this pairing.

There are people who don't agree with this. One girl who slashed the two teens wrote that she did so because she liked the whole bully/geek pair. She somehow ignored the fact that Virgil is a total geek. They both are. Virgil more so than Richie. Great proof of this is the fact that Richie was able to run a successful campaign for president at his school (elections are always about popularity and geeks rank low on the popularity chart). With that argument blown out of the water, what other reason is there to pair Richie up with a character he hardly comes in contact with? Because it's safe and comfortable.

If you grow up seeing white people with white people, black people with black people, and so on and so on, you're going to probably stick with this pattern, especially if you grew up in the white community. Don't believe this? Go to Amazon.com and type in interracial and be amazed by the amount of books about black females in relationships with white men. Although this doesn't in any way mirror reality (black females are very unlikely to date outside their ethnic group) it's done for the same reason you see so many stories about lower class females being swept off their feet by upperclassmen. It's all about climbing that ladder, and marrying white is about marrying up.

So how does this relate to Static slash? Because you're going to have people who subconsciously (or consciously) follow the stay with your own kind rule. So Static, who interacts with Hotstreak more, and shares many slashy moments with him gets passed over. But it's not because there's anything wrong with the him. Fanfics and fan art will have you believe Richie is just more desirable. There are many a story that have Virgil lament over his friend and the narration tends to paint him as this blue eyed wonder (even though his eyes are as black as Virgil's). In fan art Richie tends to make very feminine poses. And lets not forget he is the notorious uke of the Staticverse. Why is that? Doesn't this kill my whole theory about white people having power if Richie takes on a more feminine rule? No, in fact, it strengthens it.

I bet if you look through the Static Shock fan fiction you'll find Richie paired with a variety of people: Ebon, Shiv, Hotstreak and of course Virgil. Look again, and this time focus on who Virgil is paired with. I bet you're noticing his pickings are pretty sparse because again and again he's with Richie. Richie is valuable, so everybody wants him. This goes right along with what I stated above about "moving up". No, these fanfics are not about characters trying to make it, no romance overtly is. But, the fact that Richie is wanted more than his friend shows that he is worth more. This is how things work in the world. If everybody wants an item it because valuable. And Richie, it would seem, is quite valuable.

But what about him being an uke? Doesn't that downgrade his status? No. This also relates to the monetary system. In our society, women carry value. Although, this is an old system that is slowly deteriorating (depending on your location), it still remains with us to this day. Endowing Richie with female traits also endows him with value. And although, this is pretty much how I deem this to work in the majority of seme/uke relationship, it becomes even more complicated when you throw race into the mix. What you have in Static Shock is a bunch of minority characters longing for something better. Richie represents that something better. Even in the case of Hotstreak who comes off as a lower class white male. Despite the fact he's getting his butt pounded, obtaining Richie is obtaining the ability to move up a bit in the world. Ever play monopoly with someone outside your family and the way they play is completely different then how you usually play? Well, the same goes for slash. Although Richie's role as the effeminate uke would usually carry negative connotations with it, when you change the players to a different ethnic group the rules change. All of a sudden his role is elevated.

This is getting a bit long, and my allergies are killing me, so I think I'll break this up. Next time I want to focus on how black males fit into the seme/uke spectrum and then finish off with why I slash Hotstreak/Static and why more people should follow suit (other than the simple fact that it's super hot).

KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays -3-

2009-03-24T23:42:00.002-04:00

Hijacked!

2009-03-24T07:08:00.006-04:00

It's KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays! But oh noes, it seems Shinobu and his Australian friend from Junjou Romantica have taken their place! Those jerks! XD

Remember how I said I probably wouldn't have my Friday free? Well, that's exactly what happened. My freedom Friday turned into a work day. So I'm still playing catch up. But, there will be a little sketch up tonight of our two favorite gay ninjas. And to make myself accountable, if there isn't a sketch up by midnight tonight the first person to comment on this post after midnight can request a fanart from me, even a Hetalia one (oooooh). So, it's on!

Review: Blue Sky

2009-03-21T07:17:00.007-04:00

Author: Yuko Kuwabara
Pages: 200
Price: $12.95
Publisher: June Manga
Summary from back cover: At the Seiran boys' dormitory, there is a prophecy: the Chief Resident Assistant ALWAYS becomes romantically involved with his roommate during senior year. Wanting a little excitement in his life, Chief R.A. Ryoichiro Kihara rigs the room selection process and picks the beautiful Kyosuke Yoshimi to be his roommate. After all, what better way to test the prophecy than to see if it can work its magic on the cold and aloof Yoshimi, aptly named the "Beautiful Prince of Ice". But Kihara has a nickname too--the "Prince of Warm Sunshine". Can warm, spring sunshine melt the heart of the Prince of Ice? Will the prophecy hold true? Find out in this extremely popular manga by Yuko Kuwabara.

Review: This manga doesn't have much going for it. It's built on very old foundation that has propelled many a story forward, but Blue Sky doesn't do anything to expand upon such a solid base.

The prophecy, which could have been something new and different, is nothing more than a gimmick to make the story seem as if it is interesting. In the first and second chapter "the prophecy" is thrown into conversations for no other reason than to trick you into believe the manga actually has some semblance of a plot. Because the prophecy is so meaningless the relationship between Kihara and Kyosuke is just as meaningless. They don't know why they like each other, but they do. I've always disliked when this is used in stories and it's no different with Blue Sky. Give me a reason! And you know what, reasons make the story better (gasp, no way)!

Aside from Kihara and Kyosuke there are two other couples. Although their story lines are slightly better they suffer from the same disease that plagued the main romance, unoriginality. For example: Kyosuke's older brother is in a relationship with a nurse who isn't sure if he's loved for who he is, or because he resembles Kyosuke. This is actually a plot that is used in all genres of manga. Also, the big brother is identical to the seme in the third couple, Kaga and the nurse is Kyosuke's clone (so you do have a reason to worry, nursy). The lack of variation in the physical attributes of the characters confused me on many occasions. There were many a time I had to read parts over because I couldn't place who was who.

And what is up with these aggressive seme's? I don't mind a little roughness, but a lot of this behavior is borderline rape, and not the BL type, more like the Hot Gimmick type (I don't care if you like Hot Gimmick, a lot of what went on in there was just wrong). And no, Kyosuke's older brother, saying this to your lover is not romantic no matter the situation: I waited three whole years to get you--That's right, I waited! When actually...Back in high school, there were many times I just wanted to push you down on the infirmary bed and have you right there! But I held back! What, you want a prize for doing exactly what you're suppose to do?! Come on...But seriously, that language sounds suspiciously like shoujo manga. In fact, there are many incidents where I felt like I was reading a shoujo. And I'm sorry, if I wanted shoujo, I would have read a shoujo.

There are two things I will admit to: Kyosuke's brother makes some really sexy expressions and the third couple (?) doesn't have as bad of a storyline as the other two. But sexy expressions and a couple with a semi okay plot cannot save this manga. Go read Our Kingdom instead. I'd even recommend Gakuen Heaven over this, and I'm not even a fan of that series. But there is so much wrong with this manga, I cannot readily recommend anyone purchase it.

Because this isn't so horrible that I'd curse its very existence it gets a:

He Blinded Me With Sparkly Love

2009-03-18T19:27:00.008-04:00

The latest chapter of Hajime no Ippo is up at One Manga. Go. Read. Now. I don't want to spoil anything for you fans, so I'll keep my mouth shut. I will say I am quite happy with this chapter. Ippo finally verbalizes why he maintains his crazy obsession with Miyata. He even shows signs of being a masochist (read page 12). This chapter is also successful in killing whatever yaoi-ish thoughts the anime impressed upon me. I'm not saying you can't slash Ippo and Miyata. Please, do, have at it! But I can't because Ippo's love, in my opinion, is too pure. I just can't see him ever crossing over to the land of sex with Miyata. But Sendo/Ippo, now that's something I can work with.

Also, sorry for the lack of updates. Right now there's a loll in my school work, so hopefully they will become a bit more frequent. I need to make up for all the KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays I missed. If this Friday remains free (and with my current luck that is doubtful) I'll be able to catch up.

Catchin' up

2009-03-05T15:53:00.007-05:00

So, it's been a few weeks since I've been able to update (yay, for midterms). A couple of things have happened in the world of BL since then.

First, DMP has launched a new line called Doki Doki which seems to be a mishmash of BL and shoujo. I like to call it transition manga. Those manga you read when you're between the ages of 13-17. Before you move onto josei and more mature BL. I'm hoping soft titles such as Sea View will be the type of manga published under this label.

Second, in Deux's most recent newsletter they announced a new contest for the month of March: For this month, we would like fans to submit a wallpaper, static banner, flash banner or original art of any of our feature titles. Submissions would be judged on creativity and design. The prize would be advance copies of our March release titles. Not having to purchase Future Lovers vol. 2 sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. I think I might submit something.

Right Stuf is currently having a sale on all TokyoPop titles, including their BLU line. This will be a great time to snatch up great titles such as Tea for Two and Love Pistols (I'll never get use to calling it anything other than Sex Pistols).

For something yaoi-ish, someone in the KakaIru community on livejournal linked to a page that Halco stored some of her more naughty KakaIru pics. Go here to check 'em out. Please respect the artist wishes and don't post them anywhere without her permission.

Lastly, I'm just gonna pimp a little comic I've been following over at Y! Gallery. It's called Do Aliens Dream of Green Sheep and it's a real cute story about a man receiving a little help in love from a very interesting source. Be sure to rummage through the rest of Ealynn's gallery because her art is fantastic.

Matt and Adan from the "Do Aliens Dream..." series.

See ya guys tomorrow (hopefully)!

March 2009 BL Manga Releases

2009-03-01T06:04:00.012-05:00

Title: Hey! Class President vol. 1
Creator: Kaori Monchi
Publisher: 801 Media, Inc.
Pages: 176
Price: 15.95

Title: Future Lovers vol. 2
Creator: Saika Kunieda
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95

Title: Naughty But Nice
Creator: Naduki Koujima
Publisher: Deux Press
Pages: 176
Price: 12.95

Title: Cut
Creator: Toko Kawai
Publisher: June Manga
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95

Title: Manhattan Love Story
Creator: Momoko Tenzen
Publisher: June Manga
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95

Title: Our Kingdom vol. 6
Creator: Naduki Koujima
Publisher: June Manga
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95

Do you purchase your anime at Best Buy?

2009-02-20T11:52:00.004-05:00

Me too! This news is a mixture of good and bad, though. Starting March 1st 460 Best Buy stores will start selling their anime at 50% off. Awesome, right?! Now here's the bad part, after March 26th, 500 of these stores will only have 20 anime SKUS (wow >_<), but the top 200 Best Buy stores will carry 100 anime SKUS. So, yeah, that sucks. Whenever I wanted to purchase a new release I always went to Best Buy and the one I live near has a very broad selection. Hopefully the store I go to will be one that will have 100 SKU's. But call up your local Best Buy and see if they're taking part in the sale.

Source:ICv2

The Best Type of Crush

2009-02-20T06:23:00.004-05:00

Spring break is in two weeks! Unlike the small minority of people who go out partying, I’m part of the majority and I go home to chill. I plan on renting a few games to play with my brother, but I’m also looking into getting some movies. Now, I’m not a big movie person. I don’t go to watch’em in the theater, I very rarely rent ‘em, and I almost never buy ‘em. But I recently came upon a site that sells gay and lesbian movies and found a title called Schoolboy Crush. It has intrigued me.

This is a Japanese movie that follows a teacher who pays to sleep with a teen boy prostitute but, oh noes, the same teen ends up being a new transfer into his class. Sounds like your typical yaoi, doesn't it? The acting looks horrible and the guys are meh looking, but I have a weird love of all things terrible. I do, however, think the movie looks breathtaking. And I was all ready to purchase it until I fell upon this:

Bangkok Love Story is a movie from Thailand and it looks like a lot of fun. And that cover image, you gotta admit, is hot. I'm leaning more towards this one just because the plot sounds more interesting (and the guys are hotter). But I'm going to do more research on both films before I make a purchase. But in the end, it will probably come down to what my family will want to see.

KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays -2-

2009-02-17T11:45:00.005-05:00

Haven't been updating because of midterms. Hoping things will slow down after next week. But, here, KakaIru for you! Ha-ha, I like to think Iruka did that to himself in a last ditch attempt to escape from pervert Kakashi XD.

KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays -1-

2009-02-10T07:21:00.006-05:00

Tuesday and Thursday's are super busy for me, so I wanted to do something on those days that would be relatively easy for me to post. So, welcome to KakaIru Love-Love Tuesdays! On Tuesday I'll try and update with a sketch of everyone's favorite ninja couple. Mostly doing this to force myself to draw these two. They're one of my favorite yaoi pairings but I very rarely draw them.

Still not sure what I want to do for Thursday. So this week you might not see an update. But hopefully this weekend I'll be able to figure something out.

Gravitation's Yuki Eiri Needs a Sexy Voice

2009-02-09T07:45:00.008-05:00

I recently purchased Gravitation and have slowly been making my way through the DVD's. I've been trying to watch the English dub, but I can't ever make it through a whole episode before switching back to Japanese. If you've watched the dub of Gravi you know how bad the acting is. The only character I find slightly tolerable is Shuichi and that's only a quarter of the time. The biggest disappointment is Yuki Eiri. The English dub Yuki delivers his lines flatly and with no emotion, which is a stark contrast from the great performance Inoue Kazuhiko gave.

I want a Yuki with a deep gravely voice! What's that, yaoi fairy, there is such an English Yuki in existence and I can find it on YouTube?

Aside from being totally hysterical (funny sound effects ftw) you have to admit this Yuki is 100 times better than the Right Stuf dub. And maybe it's just me, but dude sounds like Steve Blum in my opinion. And Blum's voice is ooey-gooey sex on a stick (a very sexy stick). And Yuki needs to sound sexy! So, kudos to you, Cheapss Production's, whoever you are, for making my dream of a hot sounding Yuki come true.

Also, check out Right Stuf if you're looking for the DVD's for cheap. They only have volumes 1-3 in stock, but you won't be able to find them anywhere else for the great price of 6 dollars each.

EDIT: Oh-ho-ho, found more.

This is the second half of the first episode. So, yes, elevator scene again. But you know you love that scene. And I think I kinda miss the whiny Shuichi from the other one, lol. But, oh, more sexy Yuki? Yes please!

Here's the Youtube profile page for Laliophobia Studios. Check it out!

Be x Boy April Cover

2009-02-07T13:23:00.003-05:00

Libre has updated their Be x Boy magazine page. You can go there to check out the previews and see if any of your fave artist are in this issue. I usually like to check and see what to look forward to the next month. And lo and behold there was a nice little surprise waiting for me:

Tanaka Suzuki will be doing the cover art for the April issue of Be x Boy! I have been a fan of her work since I discovered it in 2002, and I can be wrong, but I don't think since then she hasn't done any cover work for this particular magazine (and if I am wrong, please do share her cover art). Maybe she did one during the run of Menkui!, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, snatching this up just to add it to my burgeoning Tanaka Suzuki collection.

Christian Yaoi Fans

2009-02-07T11:30:00.003-05:00

So I found this video on youtube and boy did it bring back some memories. Basically the video is girl confessing how she's a Christian and she *gaspity* likes yaoi. I know, in my case, it was something I really struggled with when I was a teenager. I’ve been reading yaoi fanfics and doujinshi since I was about thirteen. As I stated in a previous entry the only people I was open about it with were my two sisters. And just like the girl in the video who had to get doom and gloom from her friends I received the same talk from them. Constantly. Fire and brimstone and gnashing of teeth and all that fun stuff.

Did their scare tactics work? You better believe it. I would go for months without reading yaoi and BL but then relapse like an alcoholic. At certain points I had my sister trash my BL collection. Seriously. My Japanese Gravitation manga, my knockoff gravitation dvds, Menkui!, Bokura no Okuku, and I could go on and on, they all went in the dumpster. Gone. I had my sister toss ‘em because I couldn’t do it. I was quite obviously, a weak Christian. But why would I have her do something so wasteful? Why not sell the manga (which I wanted to do)? I can’t remember specifically, but I know there is a certain passage in the bible that had a group of people burning unholy books. It was better to burn the books then to spend an eternity in hell, I guess. And also, it was better to just dump ‘em because if I sold them I would be spreading temptation to others and that was just as wrong as reading the yaoi myself.

So, how did I rationalize my attraction to this material? I would tell my sisters I read it for the story, not the sex. Oh, wow. Really. How could anybody believe that? Especially when I read things like Under Grand Hotel. The thing is, they didn’t know I was reading such graphic material, so I could trick ’em. But how did I rationalize it to myself? At first I told myself I would eventually grow out of it. But as I neared my 20’s it was quite obvious it wasn’t going anywhere. So, next I turned to the bible and nowhere in it will you find Peter, Paul, Matthew, John, Mary, Job, or your mom ever say anything about how wrong it was for two male cartoon characters to engage in hot sex. So I had an out! I was free to read and watch as much as I wanted and have no fear of burning eternally! Right? Right? Wrong. The problem is I knew I was BSing and my sisters knew I was BSing and that just made it worse.

What turned everything around for me is when I said screw it and just opened up about it. I told my mom, my brothers, my friends, anybody and everybody who would let me ramble about it. I don’t want to sound cliché or corny but really and truly, accepting that part of me helped me let go of a lot of agony I put myself through. During my last years as a Christian, yaoi wasn’t a issue anymore. I accepted it and the people who filled my life accepted it. And boy what a relief it was to be as open about liking it as I was about liking something such as Final Fantasy VI (the best final fantasy EVER).

So, yes, it is possible to like yaoi and be a Christian and not have to feel guilty about it. I know in some family’s you can’t tell your mom, dad or your friends without severe repercussions, but as long as you’re okay with it, it’s not really necessary to tell anyone else. Life is too short, so if reading yaoi makes you happy, keep on keepin’ on.

Ippo, the Super Uke

2009-02-02T07:57:00.006-05:00

I was browsing through the Hajime no Ippo doujinshi on the Japanese Yahoo Auction page and it would seem the majority (if not all) of doujin available have Ippo as a bottom. When it comes to Miyata and Ippo, though, I just don't know. I guess I can see them switchin' it up, but then the real problem is I really can't picture these two in a sexual relationship. If anything, I see Miyata basically screwing with Ippo. Like leading him on and then pulling back just when Ippo thinks he has him. That sounds like a plot that could be used for a comedy doujin, which, yeah, I do prefer over the yaoi ones. Funny thing is I can so see Sendo and Ippo having sex. But when it comes to Miyata, I just can't see the relationship going past Ippo's crazy obsession. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Speaking of Ippo doujinshi, I totally want this one:

It's Takamura/Ippo. There's also a couple Sendo/Ippo ones I'd like to snatch up. Miyata/Ippo? No, no, no! I'm just not there yet. Maybe someday. But right now I'm content with Ippo being with everyone but Miyata.

February 2009 BL Releases

2009-02-01T15:14:00.011-05:00

BLUManga Releases

Title: Black Knight Vol. 4
Creator: Kai Tsurugi
Pages: 176
Price: 12.99
ISBN: 1427812810
Release Date: February 3

Deux Press Releases

Title: Love Round!!
Creator: Hinako Takanaga
Pages: 192
Price: 12.95
ISBN: 1934496553
Release Date: February
June Manga Releases

Title: Clan of the Nakagamis Volume 2: The Devil Cometh
Creator: Homerun Ken
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95
ISBN: 1569700338
Release Date: February 25

Title: Pure Heart
Creator: Hyouta Fujiyama
Pages: 184
Price: 12.95
ISBN: 1569700273
Release Date: February 25

Title: The Way to Heaven
Creator: Yamimaru Enjin
Pages: 200
Price: 12.95
ISBN: 1569700281
Release Date: February 25

Yet again I left some titles off because Amazon is listing them for a March Release. Love Round!! is suppose to come out March 1st, but usually books arrive in bookstores a week ahead so I went ahead and put it here because more likely then not it will hit bookshelves this month.

The Way to Heaven is the only title I'll probably pick up this month. Although the titles by Homerun Ken and Hinako Takanaga do peak my interest because I'm a fan of their art. As always, if I missed anything feel free to inform me and I'll add it to the above listing.

Review: Totally Captivated -Vol. 5-

2009-01-31T05:35:00.008-05:00

Author: Hajin Yoo
Pages: 184
Price: $9.99
Publisher: Netcomics
Summary from back cover: The new Director Kim confronts Mookyul on the young loan shark’s own turf, but Mookyul quickly cuts him down to size, leaving his bitter rival to vow revenge. Ewon continues his roller coaster love affair with the unpredictable and possessive Mookyul. Then, late one night he finds Mookyul’s foster father, Chairman Lee, waiting for him and the old man has a few choice words to say to Ewon. He even threatens Ewon’s life indirectly. Now, Mookyul faces a terrible choice. He must choose between his lover Ewon or his foster father Chairman Lee. But, whatever the choice, there’s going to be hell to pay.

Review: Volume five continues where the last plot thread left off, with Mookyul being greeted by a herd of unwanted guest in his office. But, you know what, Mookyul doesn’t care about those guys, I don’t care about them, and I’m quite positive you don’t either. What you want to know is probably what the above summary only touched on and that is the situation between Chairman Lee, Mookyul and Ewon. Are the Chairman and Mookyul really doing what Ewon thinks or does Ewon just have a dirty mind?

This volume brings the drama and then punches it in the face. And then spits on it. And then kicks dirt in its eyes. That’s how hardcore the drama is in this volume. I’m not saying it’s all drama all the time. The beginning chapters start off with Mookyul and Ewon going on a date and Mookyul uttering all his deliciously sweet, corny lines. But when it’s time to bring the drama, this volume brings it with a sledge hammer. It slowly creeps up on you and then…BAM! The culmination of this is a huge argument Ewon and Mookyul get in to. Reading these two go back and forth reminded me of one of those situations you might have had with a neighbor who is arguing with her boyfriend in her yard and you know you really shouldn’t listen, but you can’t help yourself and you peek your head out the window. But unlike your neighbors, who you end up calling the police on cause you really need to get back to sleep, you want to see Mookyul and Ewon’s argument through to the end. And, oh, what an ending.

The hardcopy of TC has been cleaned up, primped and pampered. Screentone has been added to many pictures, dialogue changed, Korean sound effects replaced with American ones, and some panels have been completely redrawn. You may think that redrawing or replacing images isn’t necessary, but what is provided on Netcomics is basically a first draft. And the final draft is always better than the first and you’ll completely agree with this once you find the panels that have been changed. Although I’m ecstatic about the changes made art wise, I wish they had left some of the dialogue alone. I understand there had to be some alterations made because when they first translate they’re doing a pretty rush job in order to keep the American fans up-to-date with the Korean online release. But when the majority of what is altered is the colorful language used by the characters then it begins to seem like they wanted to keep TC from having to be labeled as adult content. But I’m probably totally off target with my analysis.

My major problem with TC is with the print. The black tends to fade and has white specks. While reading through it (for the one millionth time) I was comparing it to the print quality to of Aishiatteru Futari and AF’s ink just pops off the page whereas TC is lucky if it can hop. Overall, I just think TC should get a lot better treatment. I’m quite positive this is Netcomics flagship title, so it would be nice to see it treated as such. That might be too much to ask for in our current economy. But, hey, I already shell out three extra dollars for all my other BL, so I wouldn’t mind paying more for better quality.

So, is it worth purchasing even after paying to read it online? Yes, yes, yes, a hundred times YES! Volume five of Totally Captivated is great fun and insufferably hard to put down making it an excellent addition to anyone’s BL collection.

Oh, Totally Captivated, you have yet to cease totally captivating me. You get a:

Reading this while listening to the Junjou Romantica OST’s is a total must.

Aishiatteru Futari Canceled?

2009-01-30T06:03:00.010-05:00

ANN reported on some Tokyopop titles that have recently been listed on Diamond as "canceled by publisher". Aishiatteru Futari (Love Hurts) is on that list :(. This is a BL title written by Tanaka Suzuki that contains a few stories. My favorite isn't even BL, it's the final one dealing with a guy and his crush on his best friend and...aliens? Of course aliens! This is Tanaka Suzuki we're talking about! In my opinion I find the characters more likable, the flow more fluid, and the story more Tanaka Suzuki-ish, which completely makes the manga worth getting. I understand everyone is cutting back, and nothing against TP for tightening its belt, it's just too bad that AF is affected.

But if you're looking for more Tanaka Suzuki, as I always am, Libre will be releasing the second volume of Aitsu no Daihonmei on February 10th.

This story was first released as a one shot in b-Boy Phoenix volume 2, which focused, basically, on unattractive characters (Saika Kunieda's story in this volume is hysterical). I guess people really liked Suzuki's story because we're now two volumes in.

You can check out the rest of Libre's February releases here.

EDIT: Aishatteru Futari will be delayed, not canceled. Yay!

Yaoi in the Classroom

2009-01-28T10:58:00.004-05:00

I have yet to have an English class where we didn't discuss whether one of the male characters in a book we're reading is gay. And every single time a student brings it up the professor is ecstatic. We then go through the story and find the parts that brings the characters sexuality into question. So, if anyone ever gets on your case for your crazy, yaoi obsession, just tell 'em you're preparing for college ;).

Gold Star Review: Future Lovers

2009-01-26T18:55:00.005-05:00

Author: Saika Kunieda
Pages: 200
Price: $12.95
Publisher: Deux
Summary from back cover: A romantic lover awaits you... in the future. Kento Kumagaya wishes for the simple things in life: to have a happy family with the ideal housewife, loving kids, and kind grandparents all living together, happily ever after. Fate, however, has other plans. Enter Akira Kazuki, a smart, beautiful and unrestrained gay man who shatters Kento's dream with a single night of wild and passionate homosexual sex. This is a romantic, sweet and funny story between two different people (in more ways than one) who unexpectedly find the same future together.

Review: Whenever I want to get someone whose life has been yaoiless to sample a little BL I always offer up this manga. The story is brilliant, the characters rememberable, and the art style unique. What more can one want from a manga?

Future Lovers starts by introducing us to Kento Kumagaya who has dreams of a wife, kids, and a house bursting with love. In order to achieve this picturesque life he first needs to acquire a wife. Too bad for him the story opens with his girlfriend throwing her drink at him and then storming out of the bar. An innocent bystander,Akira Kazuki, gets caught in the crossfire and ends up getting drenched. He casually clues in a clueless Kento as to why his date was so upset. When a girl asks you what you like about her replying "you're stable and you seem fertile, so we can have a lot of kids" isn't probably the best response. So, yeah, ouch, serious case of foot in the mouth. And we all know the best cure for that is a hearty heapin' helpin' of alcohol, which Akira readily provides.

Wait. Lets stop. Time to review our BL math. What does Alcohol + Two Guys equal? Sex! And Saika Kunieda must have peeked inside my brain because she knows exactly what I like in a BL sex scene. I've stated before how I love for my uke's to enjoy sex, and boy does this uke love it. Kento, shockingly, enjoys himself too, but by the next day he is determined to wipe his mind clean of his first homosexual experience and dedicate himself completely to patching things up with Yukie. Yukie will complete his dream of a perfect family. That gay guy from last night, psh, forget about it. But it would seem things like hot sex can't be forgotten so easily when the guy you slept with has been hired to teach at the same school you work at. Akira is just as surprised to learn he will have to work with a man who wants to keep their late night meeting a secret. But, hey, he's cool with that, probably not the first or the last time he'll have to pretend "nothing happened". But when that "nothing" happens a second time with Akira, Kento's dream slowly begins to morph into something he doesn't recognize.

If this plot sounds familiar, it's because it probably is. But the cast of characters in Future Lovers takes this tired old plot and revitalizes it. One of the ways Kunieda is able to do this so successfully is by using her secondary characters to reveal things about Kento and Akira. For example, Kento lives with his two grandparents. Their presence not only brings more life to the story, but it helps drive home how important family is to him. Also, in a lot of BL, side characters have a tendency to fade into the background, but in both chapters these characters have major roles in the story. I promise, you'll come to care for them almost as much as you do Kento and Akira.

Aside from the main story, Memory of the Future (love that title), there is a one-shot included in this volume entitled, Winter Rabbit. I started out excited about this story because unlike MotF, I've never read it. But after reading it, I was a little disappointed it didn't have same charm as MotF. Winter Rabbit has twice the angst and no humor. This is kind of a let down because I find comedy to be Kunieda's strong point. Needless to say I still enjoyed the little short about an older brother who falls in love with his younger adopted brother. This story could have focused on the sex, because, yeah, it is the issue. But instead, the focus is on the relationship between the two brothers and the abandonment issues the younger one never gets over and the patching up of both.

I have to comment on Kunieda's art. This is the first volume so as the characters develop emotionally so does the art go through changes. Kento and Akira won't really take shape artistically until the second volume. But what you get in the first volume is a sampling of what's to come (which is more awesomeness). Kunieda doesn't limit herself by just drawing one specific type of character. Our world is filled with many different people of many different shapes and sizes, this isn't always the world BL characters live in. But it is in MotF and it's really refreshing to see a BL that isn't filled with pretty faces. I think one of the reasons why I like Kento is because he isn't that pretty seme. He looks like a regular 9 to 5 guy, the average Joe anyone can relate to (plus he's kinda borderline bara and I loves me some bara). The paneling and layout flows really well. The transitions are so smooth it's almost as if I was looking at a storyboard. And really, comics should very much work like that. The pictures should be able to carry the story just as well as the words, and MotF succeeds at both.

Of course, because of my new very yellow banner I think it's quite obvious I really like Future Lovers. This review was hard to write because I really just wanted to fangirl the whole entire time. I hope you do pick up this manga and share it with everyone you know. And be sure to snatch up the second volume when it comes out in April. Deux will also be including the new story Kunieda did for the Libre re-release in the second volume. So get excited!

And if you haven't guessed yet, I gave this manga a:

A look back on BL webcomics of yore.

2009-01-25T08:50:00.006-05:00

One facet of BL I believe tends to get overlooked are webcomics and the role they played in introducing people to the genre, especially in the US. Although some individuals may still get their first taste of boy/boy lovin' from webcomics, my focus is on a time period before Gundam Wing, high-speed internet, and the formation of scanlation groups such as Obsession and Nakama made it readily available to all. I'm writing about the mid-to-late 90's. Although during this time it was possible to find yaoi, BL was almost non-existent anyplace outside of Japan. Yes, there were always little groups of people who swapped scans, and we had aestheticism that did reviews and provided translations and bunches of other services, but BL wasn't as accepted as it is today, so to create a BL webcomic took a lot of courage.

My first BL webcmic was a high school romance called, "Tei and Riki".

There are four chapters in the comic and to this day it remains incomplete. The story takes place in a Japanese all boy school and follows Riki and how his attraction to Tei turns both their lives upside down. The first three chapters are comedic as Riki forms a hairbrain scheme to get closer to Tei and in retaliation Tei creates one of his own to get Riki away from him.

Of course, as is required by romance law, nothing goes as planned for either of them. The two end up going their separate ways but because they operate within the same group of friends it isn't long before they have to make contact again. This happens at a ski resort where we learn Tei has issues and Riki isn't able to get over his crush. This fourth chapter entitled "Journey", diverges from the comedy path and takes on a serious tone. I remember being turned off by this chapter when I was younger and to this day it doesn't seem to blend well with the previous chapters. Tei's "issue" seems to come out of nowhere and the way Riki reacts to Tei's problem, I felt, was over dramatic.

Reading it now, I feel as if the creator didn't really have a clear direction of where her comic was going. Also, I believe she was being led by two different audiences. I remember around the time she started drawing the fourth chapter, the comic began being archived on a site for homosexual readers. And here lies the problem. BL, is for a straight female audience. But I believe when Eve, through her work, began to meet more people who were homosexual she wanted to stop making light of something that is a very serious issue for some people. I'm not saying it's impossible to make a story with both audiences in mind, but I don't think Eve knew how to do this.

Despite the unevenness of the writing, the artwork improves greatly by this point. The characters are better proportioned, her screentoning improves, and her backgrounds become more greatly detailed.

Isn't this page just beautiful? Really, compare it with the one I posted above it and I'm just floored by how much she improved. Anyway, if you want to read Tei and Riki yourself you can still find the website here. It's a fun read and you might enjoy watching the progression of the art as I did. I'm really curious what happened to Eve, though? I wonder if she kept drawing? Maybe I could find her on DA? If you have any info, pass it my way. I would love to see how much she's improved by now.

Hajime no Ippo: Now With More Yaoi

2009-01-23T15:29:00.014-05:00

The new season of Hajime no Ippo began airing this month on NTV. Because of classes and work I didn't get a chance to watch it until this past Wednesday. For any of you who are lost, Hajime no Ippo is a sports anime focused on boxing. Although I would love to claim it as the best sports anime ever, the only other sports based anime I've seen is The Prince of Tennis and saying it's better than The Prince of Tennis isn't saying much because everything is better than The Prince of Tennis (*hears horrified gasps from fangirls*). But, really and truly, it's awesome and I'd recommend it to anyone.

For those of you who have been following Hajime no Ippo, you know of Ippo's gigantic fanboy crush on Miyata. For a while I ignored the yaoiness of the situation, until I started reading the manga and it was as if the creator was just begging people to slash these two. Below is one of my favorite Ippo fanboy moments. He gets angry when Sendo goes upside Miyata's head.
Dude, Ippo didn't even react that way when bully's talked trash about his mom! But oh, touch his idol and IT IS ON! So, yeah, funny, ha-ha, and cute cause, gosh, he really likes this guy. Still, I don't slash.

Then I watch New Challenger and Ippo looks like this just because Kimura says he's going to spar with Miyata:
And then when the guys question him about his devotion to Miyata he looks like this and states:
Okay, first, that image, lol. I know I'm not the only one with a dirty mind here! You know that looks like something naughty is about to happen. Second, forget fanboy, Ippo, you are a complete and total fangirl. The blush! The fingers! The lip! You have all the physical symptoms of a fangirl. You're even hated by others for your freaky love:
But oh, the the fangirling doesn't stop there. While Kimura's out kicking Miyata's butt, Ippo begins to walk home but stops for a moment to reminisce about...his boxing career? No, because his boxing career is not even half as important as Miyata:
And I could go on and on, but all this Miyata lovin' got me wondering as to why there doesn't seem to be a female following for such a yaoilicious show. The only thing I can figure is females are turned off by the art style (and I will admit I'm not a fan myself) or they really do prefer pretty boy types to beefy, muscular guys (I know they do). But give Ippo a chance. You'll enjoy it, I promise. And here, a showering Miyata to entice you:
Wheee, this was a fun, meaningless entry XD. But, hey, it's Friday! Anyway, If you're interested in anything Ippo related here's the link to its wiki page. This will take you to its page on One Manga if you want to read the 840+ chapter series. But if you're interested in the anime I'd recommend purchasing the dvd's. Right Stuf is currently selling the individual volumes for 5 dollars a pop, which is a steal when you compare it to the collections they're also selling for 72 dollars each.

Btw, check out the opening for the new season. I absolutely adore it. What do you think?

Review: Junjo Romantica - Vol. 8 -

2009-01-21T10:21:00.002-05:00

Author: Shungiku Nakamura
Pages: 192
Price: 12.99
Publisher: Blu
Summary from back cover: When Usami can't write a teenage love story, it's up to Misaki to teach him the proper way to go on a "normal" date. As usual, things end up less than normal when family issues arise with the introduction of...Usami's father! It's time for Misaki to bite the bullet and say what he feels in his heart for Usami... And when Hiro finds Nowaki sleeping naked with a haughty hunk, will this spell the end of their relationship?

Review: We're eight volume's in, and it's very heartening to see a BL manga continue on for so long. But was Nakamura able to succeed in keeping the story new and intriguing? Maybe not so new, as she recycles some old plots, but definitely intriguing.

Towards the end of volume seven we were left with a obviously disgruntled Akihiko. We the readers know what's bothering him but for some reason Misaki has yet to figure it out. Volume eight takes Misaki further down his path of confusion and utter obliviousness when Akihiko suggest that Misaki should live on his own. Our spastic uke does what he does second best and totally ignores his lover while stressing to himself why he would say such a thing. This far into the series not asking questions is part of who Misaki is, and so we're stuck with having to see him come up with a million and one reasons why Akihiko says and does the things he does instead of going straight to the horses mouth. This plot device might work a couple of times, but by now, it's gotten old, as we see it repeated not just within the Romantica storyline but also in Egoist and Terrorist. Is it too much to ask to have a straightforward character who actually wants to work through their problems instead of angsting about it?

While wallowing in his angst, Misaki runs into a odd old man at the train station. This seems utterly familiar...Oh, wait because it happened before when Misaki met Akihiko's brother. I'm not quite sure what Nakamura is going for by reusing this scene, but it doesn't work. It was difficult reading through this part because of how similar it is to the other train incident. It felt like you were sitting in on a lesson of something you had just learned. You keep checking your watch as you eagerly wait for it to end. And boy was I glad when it was over.

Just when I've given up on this volume I reach the second chapter and I'm reminded why I like Romantica. Chapter two opens with Aikawa doing what Misaki does best, completely spazzing out. Akihiko only has a few more chapters to wright in his new novel but he wants to make his normal everyday characters have ritzy high class dates that normal everyday people only dream about. He needs to be shown what the rest of Japan does for a typical date and Aikawa asks Misaki to take on this task.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Misaki and Akihiko in this chapter. They chat casually with each other, and actually have a discussion that really goes somewhere without having Misaki totally freak out. If anything, for once, I just really enjoyed Misaki. There was less angst, more questions, and just Misaki being really super adorable (aquarium scene ftw). Throw in my favorite Usa-sibling and a super sweet moment on a ferris wheel and you've got yourself a winning chapter.

Next we're treated to an Egoist story (my personal fave couple). It was refreshing to read a whole chapter about these two instead of the tiny morsels served up in the previous volumes. The chapter opens with Hiroki walking in on Nowaki sleeping on the floor with his colleague from the hospital, Tsumori. Nowaki, upon awakening, sees how bothered Hiroki is and tries to reassure him that things aren't what they seem. Of course, Hiroki's still bothered, even more so when Tsumori throws himself on Nowaki, and later informs him that his lover was thinking about moving out. What, wait? Move out? But why? And here is the plot line we follow for the rest of the chapter, Hiroki going back and forth in his head trying to figure out why Nowaki would want to move out instead of *gaspity* just asking him! One of the things I've always loved about these two is how Hiroki's image of an "adult" is mirrored in Nowaki. Nowaki's always calm, straightforward, and knows how to read a situation and does what he can to control it. And his "adult" behavior shines through again in this volume. I find the final scene between the two very touching and although it's no library scene (omigod library scene, so awesome), the insight Nowaki gives Hiroki into his thoughts and feelings can only make you love him more. This chapter would be a lot better if we had more interaction between these two and less of Hiroki moping, it really makes the story drag on. And feeling like you have to plod through a story is never a good thing when you're suppose to be entertained.

This volume may not be one of the best in the series, but it does tie up some loose ends for Akihiko and Misaki, making it a must for all you Romantica fans. And the Egoist story is a nice little bonus for us Egoist lovers. But the first chapter really felt more like filler since nothing was really resolved and the repeat train incident was more boring than interesting and the egoist story could be a bit tedious to read at parts. But overall it was a good read which deserves a good solid:

English Kakairu anthology

2009-01-20T17:12:00.004-05:00

Art by Pandabaka

Comichub and her friends had put together a Kakairu doujinshi for a convention in Taiwan but because they are awesome they want to make it available to their English audience. Go here to find more information. I've already placed my order and I can't wait 'till February :).

Changes at Yaoi Gallery

2009-01-20T09:47:00.006-05:00

A little while ago, Yaoi Gallery banned all furry art, which angered a lot of people. Some artist left, others stayed and ranted, while a small minority rejoiced. Well, for all you furry fans, you can stop grumbling about how Y! has been so unfair to you and your love of tails, paws, and fur, for yaoi gallery has changed their terms of service once again and has retracted their previous no furry rule. Yes, furries are now allowed. And as much as I'm not a fan of the furry, I never agreed with the rule. So, celebrate my fellow artist. And if you left Y! because of the ban, come on home.

There have been other changes to the terms of service so head over to yaoi gallery to check'em out.

The best shirt EVAR

2009-01-19T19:56:00.004-05:00

Edit: The image is from Tea for Two Vol. 2 by Yaya Sakuragi.

You are correct, sir! No, wait, you're not.

2009-01-19T14:51:00.003-05:00

My mother actually said the above to me yesterday >_<. It is, quite honestly, one of the most absurd reasons I've ever heard for liking BL. Yeah, mom, I wish to become a homosexual male because I can't bear the horrible stigma I must live with for being a female attracted to men. If only I were a man things would be so much easier. Oh, if only...

Kidding aside, ever since I became open about this hobby my mother, I think, has made it her mission to try and figure out why I find hot guys digging hot guys interesting. Although I think the answer can be surmised from my previous statement, my mom isn't alone in her quest for knowledge. One of the most common analysis I've heard and read about is family or friends coming to the conclusion that you're gay. I've been asked this question also, by both my mom and my older brother. My little sisters, who knew about my love of yaoi and slash since the time I was 13, just didn't care. I wonder, then, if my mom and older brother had known about this for as long as my sisters did, would they be more understanding?

But that's the thing, I don't think a lot of my fellow BL fangirl's want understanding. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they just want acceptance. We want to be able to buy, read, write, draw, and chat openly about our hobby without having someone analyze the "why". Guys might be asked why they like the Chicago Bears, but they're very rarely asked to explain why they like football. But you better believe, nine times out of ten, a female will be questioned about her reasons for reading BL. I know, a lot of this has to do with the fact many religions denounce homosexuality and I know there's a lot of hurdles we're gonna have to leap before we get to that level where it's as normal as football. But I think that's what we're striving for is that level of normalcy.

But until then, I guess I'm just a girl who wants to be a boy.

Review: Vampire's Portrait -Vol. 1-

2009-01-18T07:40:00.008-05:00

Author: Hiroki Kusumoto
Pages: 200
Price: $12.95
Publisher: June
Summary from back cover: When young artist Lou catches the eye of the devastatingly handsome Sein on the street one afternoon, he thinks his new patron simply wants to commission a portrait for his wall...but what secret flickers within Sein's piercing gaze? At the very moment that Lou draws closer to his brooding boss, an arrogant rogue named Adam crashes the party and pulls the curtain back on Sein's blood-sucking identity. Lou realizes that his bond with Sein goes beyond mere portraiture and into the deepest recesses of his heart...but is this frightened boy truly ready to unleash an untamed beast?

Review: Remember in the novel Dracula how Jonathan Harker goes to work for the count? I always felt the chapters dealing with Jonathan being stuck in Dracula's castle were very homoerotic and found these chapters to be the most interesting and intense. Vampire's Portrait starts out with a very similar beginning as Dracula. Lou is commissioned to draw a portrait for the mysterious Sein. While he works for him, he stays in his home. Reading the first few pages that outline the setting I get excited and think I'm going to be reading a BL manga adaption of the novel. Although, there are tints of the original story here, Vamipire's Portrait fall's prey to typical BL storytelling and falls apart a chapter in.

One of the downfalls of this manga is how fast all the events unfold. Twelve pages in Sein is already baring his fangs. By chapter two we get the jealous "boyfriend", and Lou realizing his feelings. See, your average BL fodder and all within the frist 57 pages. All we need now is some type of zany misunderstanding that will cause an equally crazy situation. Oh, wait, there's one of those too...

But, you know what, this is BL, and BL doesn't tend to be about plot or story, what really saves it are the characters and watching them develop. Our protagonist, Lou, is naive, sweet, kind, adorable, and also a bit...crazy? After Sein digs his fangs into him, he notices music sheets scattered about the floor. He figures out Sein is the creator of a song his grandfather recorded and I guess from there he discerns him to be some poor soul who just wants the ability to see an image of himself (because, you know, vampire's don't have a reflection). I really don't understand it because even if I discovered the man who just dug his teeth into me was Charles Dickens you better believe I'll still be out the door faster then the Flash on skates. Isn't that how the mind works? Fight or flight? So either Lou doesn't have a brain stem, or he is indeed crazy.

Sein starts out as a jerk. Throwing a rich boy hissy fit and ripping apart Lou's portrait. But once Lou confronts him on being a vampire and the longing to see himself he settles down. The bad boy that plagued all of nine pages dissolves and we're left with a lethargic simpering seme.

Is there no one who will save this story?!

Enter Adam.

Adam is the "jealous boyfriend" I mentioned above, and he is the person who gives this story the shock treatment it so desperately needs. You see, Sein "feeds" off of Adam, and anyone who's read Dracula, you know this is usually linked to sex. So you can basically see Adam as Sein's lover. He's been with Sien for quite a while and here comes this nobody ragamuffin from the street wedging himself between them. Whenever Adam appears he steals the scene with his self-assuredness and calm calculating personality. The real highlight for me is near the end when he must go rescue Sein and Lou and I absolutely loved seeing the extreme worry that replaced the smile usually plastered across his face. I know in the end Adam is not met for Sein, but I'm rooting for him anyway.

Another highlight of this manga was the art. Sein's smiles are heartwarming and Adam's just delish. I'm really a fan of the way she draws the eyes of these two. I would have liked to see more background shots, more imagery of the city in order to get a better sense of things. But overall, I like Kusumoto's style.

But for all you sex fiends, who just want to know one thing, how much of it is there and how hot. Sadly there is none. So, if you're looking for hot vampire sex I'd look else where, namely Mika Sadahiro's Pathos, also released by June. But this story is more plot based.

To tie things up, Vampire's Portrait is a light story that tries desperately to be something more. This, like You Will Fall in Love is a great starter manga for those just getting into BL. But for us veterans this will barely whet your appetite.

Fun With Hunks

2009-01-17T15:07:00.010-05:00

If you're a fan of Masanori, the bara artist, then you probably know about his game Hunks Workshop. Although I happen to be one of those fans, I stayed away from his visual novel after playing the tedious Silver Chaos. Don't get me wrong, SC was fun my first time through(even if I did end up with the Priest and not Lawrence), but then it just gets boring having to fast-foward through scene after scene just so you can be rewarded with hawt sex. So, basically SC's sex scene's just weren't worth it (excluding the Prince and Might, gu-huh, so delish and the ending, so cute). But since I prefer bara guys to BL guys, I thought I'd give HWS a try and ended up playing through the trial provided at the Future Games website.

In HWS you play some lazy loser who goes to work as a manager at your uncle's all purpose business, Body and Soul (sound's like the title to an r&b album XD).
Upon arrival you meet the staff one by one:

Itsuki and Kazushi show up first. Itsuki seems like the carefree bubbly type whereas I'm guessing Kazushi is suppose to be the blond bombshell. I don't know what kind of job allows a man to walk around with his shirt open like that, but, hey, I ain't complainin' :P. But despite the nice view neither of the two have perked my interest. Next up is:

Daisen, I bet, is there for those people who have a glasses fetish. He's okay, but his hand seems to be eternally stuck to the back of his head. Poor guy. Still, I'm not intrigued, but then he showed up:

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winn~ah! Kengo is ooey gooey sex on a stick and I wants me a helpin'! For all you yaoi fangirls who haven't read any bara, I bet Kengo looks like a seme to you, right? Well, he isn't! Isn't bara wonderful?

Now, some of you are probably saying, "hey, games shouldn't just be about sex, they should also be about doing...stuff...stuff other then sex". Well, for all you stuff lovers you are made to put your managing skills to the test as you divide up the task between the guys. What I liked about this section is if you're not clear about what to do you get to choose which guy you want to explain it too you. Can ya guess whose sexy voice I chose to listen to?

Yes, Kengo, teach me, teach me good.

Now that I semi understand what the heck I'm suppose to be doing it's time to assign everyone to their job:
I made Kengo wash cars and his sorry butt ended up not making a lot of money. I should have assigned Kazushi to car washing duties. Quite obviously his exposed chest is just askin' to suds up cars. And, no, I have no idea what the heck that rose is for. Yes, I should've busted out my kanji book and translated all the words I couldn't understand.

Overall, I enjoyed playing this little trial game. I absolutely loved Kengo's voice (I have a thing for deep voices, but then, who doesn't), even if his sex voice is horrific. Seriously, go here and click on Kengo and you will hear one of the worst sounding sexual performances ever. I liked Itsuki's sex voice the best.

Anyway, if anyone's interested you can purchase the game here at Rainbow Shoppers. I really enjoyed the trial so I'm seriously thinking about setting myself back about 100 dollars. Japan, why are you so expensive?! If anything, give the trial a run through and have some fun. And be sure to check out Masanori's website for news and art.

Wow, this was a long entry. I think I deserve a drink, don't you? And drinks are always best with company.

Kanpai!

My Doujin Wish List

2009-01-13T11:27:00.011-05:00

Winter Comiket has come and gone so Jpqueen is receiving a large influx of doujinshi. I know Jpqueen isn't the only way you can get doujinshi, but it's a very convenient site and they've always been very capable in retrieving manga and doujin I've wanted. In my case, sadly, a lot of what they are receiving recently are for series such as Hetalia and Katekyo Hitman Reborn, the first is a series I very much despise (I'll save the why for another entry), and the other is just something I haven't gotten into as of yet. But there are a few that caught my eye and I thought I'd go ahead and list them here in case anyone else might be interested.

Series: Gurren Lagann
Title: Aku
Artist: Aka Karasu
Circle: Karasudou
Some of you Kakairu fans will be familiar with the works of Aka Karasu. I've always liked her inking style although I wasn't too fond of the way she drew Kakashi. He had a feminine look to him. I know in this doujinshi the focus is going to be on Simon and all his uke expressions, but I really super a lot like the way she draws Kamina. And when it comes to Gurren Lagann Kamina is what makes it or breaks it for me. Of course, with the previews supplied all you're really given is some eye candy, and you take a leap of faith when it comes to the story. Yeah, I know, doujin like this are basically pwp, but sometimes, after translating something the dialogue can really turn me off if it's too corny or just too horrible.

Series: Code Geass
Title: Mr. mystery
Artist: Sakamoto Mano
Circle: Hz
Not too fond of the art here, and I know, a lot of people buy doujinshi for the artwork. What actually caught my eye was the drama that seems to be unfolding on the preview pages provided. Take a gander:

Oh-ho-ho, someone got caught soap opera style! You know, I bet they aren't even having sex. It's probably going to be something really lame like the excuse Nowaki gave Hiroki when he was found sleeping on the floor with a colleague from work (but I loves u Nowaki so I believes you!). But then they probably are and that expression Lulu is giving CC of utter anguish and distraught is probably just his sex face. But, oh the drama! And I am all about drama, so this is total must for me.

Series: Evangelion
Title: Eigo to Koi mo Umaku naritai
Artist: Midori Kouichi
Circle: J.O.C e.go!! 　
I have a sweet spot for anything Kaworu/Shinji, because I believe these two were always gay for each other in the anime (the manga, not so much). I don't usually buy doujin for the sex, despite the few I've shown you here. Glancing through my collection one will quickly realize that I buy pretty much anything that can make me laugh. But this:

Kaworu's just making a total and utter mess of Shinji. And what I like is Shinji looks like he's enjoying it beyond belief. I like my uke's to like sex. And the sex here is just gah!, in a good way.

Anyway, I guess those are my top three picks. Go, buy, enjoy! And if you want, share with me some of the places you go to online to purchase doujinshi.

Review: You Will Fall in Love

2009-01-11T10:26:00.005-05:00

First, let me point out there is no color insert in this manga, and it would seem for the time being all Blu gn's are going this route. I've been a fan of the color inserts and will miss them. But, hey Blu, we're all suffering in this economic downturn, how about taking a dollar off the price tag if we're not going to get the color insert?

Now, to zee review. Here is the summary you will find on the back of the book:

Painful, heartbreaking memories suddenly surface for Haru when he agrees to fill in as teacher for the high school archery club. In his youth, Haru was a brilliant archer who competed for the national championship. But uncontrollable urges for a male rival forced him to give up on his archery dream and run away from his true feelings. Now that he's back in the bow-and-arrow game, Haru becomes drawn to the brother of his long-lost love--and he must find out if desire has taken on a new, seductive aim...

Let me correct something in that summary. Haru first becomes a substitute teacher for a class before he agrees to also substitute for the archery club, by this time he has already met Tsukasa. Next, I'm surprised they somehow left out the most dramatic part of the story in that summary, and that's Tsukasa's older brother, Reiichiro. Reiichiro plays a bigger role in this story than just a lingering memory. He shows up a quarter into the book and puts a strain on Haru and Tsukasa's blossoming relationship.

For those of you who like student/teacher relationships this will probably be right up your alley. And if you're just getting into the BL genre this is also a good book to start with. But for the most part, this is your typical student/teacher romance story: Student loves teacher, teacher rebukes student, student molests the teacher, teacher cries but likes it and the two live happily ever after. Sound familiar? You know it does.

But, you know what? I really liked the addition of Reiichiro. He added just enough drama to the story to keep me eagerly flipping from page to page. Other then the fact that I really enjoyed his character I also liked watching and reading the reaction Tsukasa had to him meeting up with Haru. And I appreciated that Reiichiro wasn't treated like some villain. I'd say buy the book just for him. And also, the Hakama. Guys + Hakama = Total Win. Indeed.

Where does this book rate smut-wise? On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being no smut and 10 being an orgy of deliciousness, I give this a 3. There's only one sex scene but there are no drawings that focus on anything lower then the torso. There's not even any tongue kissing (boo to no frenchin' I like me some tongue).

If you liked Takanaga's other work, such as Little Butterfly, or if cutesy art is your thing then this title should please you. But, for those of you familiar with BL, this isn't a title that will have you jumping up and down. But that's not to say you should pass on this book. It's a good read. It's no Future Lover's, but it's something nice to keep for a rainy day.

Ha ha ha

2009-01-03T08:46:00.004-05:00

I like buying crack doujinshi. The first doujin I ever fell in love with was a Yu Yu Hakusho one called, Don't Take Off My Sailor Fuku, which had Kuwabara and Hiei as females. And now I'm waiting on a package which contains a doujinshi with Iruka the size of a thumb and one having Iruka turn into a piglet. But, oh-ho-ho, this doujinshi, this one takes the cake, and the cookies, and the plates: It's a Tom and Jerry doujin >_<. A hard yaoi one. Now, Tom and Jerry has constantly made it onto the top 100 animation list for the Japanese. I can only surmise this is so because there is no dialogue and they don't understand all the cultural references in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, cause Tom and Jerry, in my opinion, is god awful. Despite the fact I'm not a fan of this cartoon, my crack senses are a flaring and screaming "buy now, you know this will be hysterical...and hot". So please, save me from wasting my money and waste yours instead. Go here to purchase this utterly crackalicious doujinshi. Hurry, before it's too late!

Farewell Moral Orel

2009-01-02T16:58:00.004-05:00

I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you...Orel.

Moral Orel is one of those shows that is so awesomely great it goes unnoticed by mainstream America. The final episode, entitled Honor, aired originally on December 18th, but I wasn't able to catch it until yesterday during the Moral Orel marathon that ran on Adult Swim for new years. If you haven't watched this fantastic finale, then you must go here now and witness its greatness.

Are there any Clay/Stopframe slashers out there? *Hear's crickets* Well, if you do exist than this episode shall please you (and probably leave you a little sad). To be totally honest, the whole Clay, Stopframe thing is one of the plot threads I've been following and I'm happy that it was not only a focus in this episode but ended so bittersweetly.

January '09 Boys' Love manga releases

2009-01-02T07:20:00.012-05:00

Junjo Romantica 8
Shungiku Nakamura
Publisher: Blu Manga
192 pages
Price: 12.99
ISBN: 978-1-4278-0707-6
Release Date: January 6

Tricky Prince
Yukari Hashida
Publisher: June Manga
200 pages
Price: 12.95
ISBN-10: 1569706077
ISBN-13: 978-1569706077
Release date: January 28

Don't Rush Love
Mio Tennohji
Publisher: 801 Media
184 pages
Price: 15.95
ISBN (9): 1934129283
ISBN (13): 9781934129289
Release Date: January 28

Take Me To Heaven
Yamato Nase
Publisher: Deux Press
176 pages
Price: 12.95
ISBN-10: 1934496510
ISBN-13: 978-1934496510
Release date: January 29

So far these are the only releases I could find. June had a bunch of manga that when I looked them up on Amazon had been pushed back for a February release. If that changes then I'll add them to the list. If you find any manga I missed feel free to leave a comment here telling me so.

Looks like all I shall be picking up this month is Junjou volume 8.

BL anime announcments thus far

2008-12-29T07:51:00.003-05:00

So here's what we have to look forward to in 2009:

Hey! Class President by Kaori Monchi. There's not a lot of information available so far other than PrimeTime will be in charge of production.

Sex Pistols by Tarako Kotobuki. This will be a two volume OVA.

Last, but certainly not least, a remake of Ai no Kusabi, by Rieko Yoshihara. This will be 13 volumes and released fall of '09.

I'm excited about Ai no Kusabi and Sex Pistols. Sex Pistols has always been one of my favorite boys love manga. The plot is very interesting and unique. If you haven't read this manga you might want to snatch up a few volumes before the anime is released. The one I'm least excited about would have to be Hey! Class President. The first and only manga I ever read from this creator was Imadoki no Shishunki (Awakening Puberty). I wasn't a big fan of the story or the art so I pretty much avoided any of her other work. But maybe this will be like Junjou, where a scoffed at it before it was released but ended up watching it and falling in love.

Source: ANN

KakaIru heading into 2009

2008-12-28T10:25:00.006-05:00

In japan the KakaIru fan community seems to be slowing down. Dying? Not quite, and probably not until we see the end of Naruto. But it has reached a sort of loll. One of the signs of this is when Halco of Chikadou fame announced in her blog that she would cease publication of any future KakaIru material. Halco, I believe, is one of the people who has helped shape Kakashi and Iruka by giving them traits that have become a part of fanon. These personality quirks such as Iruka's shyness and Kakashi's overactive libido can be found in many doujinshi. Not to say there aren't those that go against the norm or there isn't any tweaking between the artist. Sometimes Kakashi is super sweet, or kinda jerky, but undoubtedly he will also be a total horn dog. This shows how certain aspects have become a standard in this community.

artwork by Halco

This consistency found throughout the fandom is one of the reasons I find it so enduring. For me, it has become the definitive. Really. If I read a fanfic and Iruka is the seme or if I see a fanart with him on top I literally get pulled out of the element. This very rarely happens to me because I'm usually all about swithcin' it up. But when it comes to KakaIru I'm all about Kakashi being on top.

As the years continue to pass the KakaIru community will begin to dissipate even more. In order for it to regain some strength there will have to be a resurgence of new artist and writers willing to breathe life into the fandom. As much as the consistent characterization has given KakaIru staying power, I think changing it up might help revitalize it. Making Iruka an aggressive uke would be interesting. Or even just making them sex buddies while they carry on romantic relationships with other female Naruto characters would be a cool twist. Be creative! Although KakaIru will never return to what it was when Naruto was at its height in Japan I would love to see it go out with a bang. So keep it coming with the fanfiction, art, and comics, 'cause I'll be here to read, look, and buy.

artwork by Satoru Shigemi

Final Episode of Junjou Romantica

2008-12-27T19:44:00.003-05:00

So, there was no sex, a bad soundtrack, and very little terrorist, but you know what? The second season of Junjou is still good. If this season has accomplished anything, it has made me like the romantica pairing. They are still my least favorite, but I actually have come to care for them and appreciate their storyline.

It was a fun ride, and who knows, maybe it will get an OVA release some day. I doubt there will be another season, especially with the little material they have left to pull from the manga. And if there is an OVA release I can only hope it's terrorist, because their storyline deserves the attention.

Menkui! Libre editions

2008-12-23T10:23:00.011-05:00

So I finally got my copies of the Libre Shuppan editions of Menkui!, and I must say I am quite impressed.
Marvel at my mad camera skillz!
As you can see both books have new covers. Ooooh, shiny! I'm quite glad they replaced the old cover to the first volume because I was never a big fan of it. But for those who are, it's included as a color insert. I did, however, like the second cover and would have preferred it to the third cover insert included in volume two. Also the new volume two cover had me lol. Akaiwa is gonna poke poor Kotori's eye out with that pointy chin of his! Oh noes!
One of the great aspects of this two volume set is it excludes all the filler comics that were a part of the original releases. So all you get is ooey gooey Menkui goodness. Not that I didn't like the extra comics, but it's nice to have each story run into the next without any interruption.
The first volume includes Menkui! 1-4 and the bonus story about Kotori's older brother. The second completes Menkui! 4 and has stories 5-7 as well as the bonus story about Chikage's adorable little brother and his best friend turned boyfriend, Shinobu. Each volume also contains a new side story written by Tanaka. Her drawing style has gotten exceedingly better as the years passed, so it's nice to see her draw her old characters with her updated technique. And I swear, in the case of Akaiwa, there isn't some huge change, but she has somehow accomplished making him look sexier.
*drools*
There's something about Kotori that is different, but I just can't put my finger on it. I don't know if it's the length of his eyes, or his chin, or...I just don't know!
Whatever it is, my uber sweet looking Kotori has been replaced with a manly looking one.
I really like this new release and it shall be displayed proudly on my bookshelf right next to the older version (yes, I'm keeping them >_>).

No sex in the champaign room...

2008-11-08T19:42:00.003-05:00

...Or in Junjou Romantica, it seems. Have you been watching the new season? Things just seem, different, and the absence of sex scenes is just one of those differences that stood out to me. Don't get me wrong, sex scenes does not a good anime make. I guess I'm just curious how we go from sex in every episode to absolutely none. Did they get in trouble for being too risque? Okay, okay, the way I'm going on and on about this sex thing people are going to start to think that was my favorite part of the show. But it's not! Actually one of the things I really enjoyed was the soundtrack. I felt it gave those emotional moments life and vitality. I do believe that this show would not be as "romantic" without the music. But this new season doesn't make much use of the previous seasons soundtrack. In fact, they use mostly the same 3 or 4 bg's over and over again. And there is this one song they use repeatedly. You'll recognize it when you hear an accordion. Man, I am not feeling that accordion. It gives Junjou this European feel, like I'm watching Heidi or something, not a BL. And, not to be mean, but seriously, these new songs sound as if they were cheaply done. As if they just snatched 'em out of a public music archive (not to look down upon those because you can find some real awesome music there). But a lot of the music just sounds generic. Have you also noticed the near absence of chibi's? And if they are used they're not in Nakamura's unique style. I'm not just nitpicking, I'm trying to point out the things that have changed this season. Now for other people out there these changes might work for them, but I'm not one of 'em. I'm not going to stop watching Junjou, I still like seeing these characters animated and I LOVE the voice acting (<3 Nowaki), and I like following their relationships. I just think this season isn't as stellar as the first. And I'm still holding out hope for the terrorist couple. Hopefully this is the couple they will show next week, but I have a gut feeling they're going to save them for the end.

And God said: Let there be fluff!

2008-10-31T19:56:00.007-04:00

The Libre version of Menkui was released today in Japan with a pretty new cover, so I thought this would be a good time to reminisce about the first Boys Love manga I ever purchased. Menkui tells the story of Kotori, your average joe who has a thing for beautiful people (who doesn't >_<). Kotori ends up catching the eye of one of the hottest guys at his school, Akaiwa, and the two become an item. Doesn't sound too interesting so far, right? I mean, here you have your typical high school romance set up, be it BL, shoujo, or shounen. So what sets Menkui apart from the norm? If you are familiar with any of Tanaka Suzuki's work you will notice she likes sci-fi. Because of this love of the abnormal she has been able to put a twist on the conventional storyline. For example, in volume 2 of Menkui, Kotori is swept into a mirror world to keep a beautiful stranger company. And in volume 3 Kotori enters a different dimension where everyone is the opposite of their original personalities. This was something very different from the dead on romance stories I had been reading, so I was intrigued. Tanaka also has a great sense of flow which makes her stories an easy read (and easy for non-Japanese readers to follow). This skill is very helpful for the subtleties she makes use of throughout. One of the things I loved about Kotori and Akaiwa is they have this thing where they'll look into each others eyes and some how, without words, they reach an understanding. I know, I know, it sounds corny, but this is something Tanaka makes use of in many of the chapters, so it becomes a part of who these characters are. In the first volume when Akaiwa and Kotori are having an argument they do not make eye contact at all. When Kotori is looking at Akaiwa, Akaiwa is looking away. When Akaiwa is looking at Kotori, Kotori is looking towards the ground. Then at the end of the chapter Kotori and Akaiwa meet up, both of them have their eyes focused downward and then, they both look at each other. The scene prior seemed to illustrate how they had closed themselves off to each other, and now with this simple eye contact they had opened back up. Awwww, so sweet. But hey, I'm a English major I love analyzing things like this! For all you who read BL for teh SEX, I am sorry to inform you, there is none to be found here. In fact, all of Ms. Suzuki's works are devoid of it. Yes, there's a kiss here, a feel-up there, but there's no "Omigod, right there, I think I'm gon-gonna COOOOME". Yeah, none of that stuff people. Don't worry, Akaiwa feels your pain. Wanna buy the new release? Of course there's always Amazon Japan or if you are Japanese impaired you can always go to Jpqueen and check and see if they have it in stock.