Review: Totally Captivated -Vol. 5-

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?

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

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

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.

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

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 -

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

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

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

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

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

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-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.