New Be-boy and More Tanaka

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.

In Japan!

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 :).

His Favoritest

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?

'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.

Pretty, pretty covers

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.

May 2009 BL Manga Releases

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.

Be x Boy April Cover

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.

Aishiatteru Futari Canceled?

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!

Menkui! Libre editions

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 >_>).

And God said: Let there be fluff!

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.