Yaoi Manga Review: LOVE STAGE Volume 1

LOVE STAGE!!, VOL. 1
SUBLIME MANGA– @SuBLimeManga

STORY: Eiki Eiki
ART: Taishi Zaou
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Wally
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7991-7; paperback (May 2015); Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Love Stage!! is a boys' love (BL) manga from the creative team of writer Eiki Eiki and artist Taishi Zaou that was serialized in Asuka Ciel magazine beginning in July 2010.  SuBLime Manga began publishing Love Stage!! in an English-language edition in graphic novel form back in May.

Boys' love manga depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads, with its subset, yaoi (which Love Stage!! is), being more explicit.   Love Stage!! is about an average guy from a family of celebrities who becomes romantically entangled with one of Japan's most popular young male celebrities and idols.

Love Stage!!, Vol. 1 (Chapter 1 to 5) opens in the past.  A small boy is dressed as a girl for a commercial shoot.  His costar believes that the girl is really a girl, and he never forgets her... him.  Ten years later, the boy who dressed like a girl is Izumi Sena, now a beginning college student.  He is an unrepentant otaku (fanboy) and wants to be a mangaka (a creator of manga).  The rest of his family is in show business, and they want Izumi to join the family business.

Meanwhile, Izumi's costar in that long-ago commercial is Ryoma Ichijo, a hot young actor and idol.  The commercial in which he starred 10 years ago is going to get an anniversary sequel, but Ryoma will not return unless that “girl” from the original reprises her role.  What will he do when he finds out that she is really a he?

While the Love Stage!! manga is a romantic comedy, the early chapters are more comedy than romance.  Love Stage!! Volume 1 is not just funny; it's delightfully funny.  In fact, it is so comedy oriented that when some... heaving petting suddenly occurs, the change in tone is quite jarring.

Writer Eiki Eiki is a master of BL and similar genres, as well as shojo manga.  Artist Taishi Zaou has a beautiful drawing style that is perfect for shojo manga and makes her boys' love manga exceptionally pretty.  Together, they create something unique, manga that transcends genre.  That is Love Stage!!, cute and funny and popping with energy and I think the best is yet to come.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Manga Review: CRIMSON SPELL Volume 3

CRIMSON SPELL, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Ayano Yamane – @yamaneayano
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Ayano Yamane with Yukiko Whitley
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6423-4; paperback (April 2014) Rated “M” for “Mature”
178pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Tongues a waggin!  That’s for sure, in the latest volume of Crimson Spell.

Crimson Spell, created by Ayano Yamane, is a yaoi manga graphic novel series.  Yaoi manga are romance comics that depict relationships in which the romantic leads are male.  A subset of boys’ love (BL) manga, yaoi can also feature depictions of explicit sex between males.  A fantasy tale, Crimson Spell focuses on a handsome prince beset by a demon’s curse and the sorcerer who helps him fight that curse.

Crimson Spell revolves around 18-year-old Prince Valdrigr Alsvieth a/k/a Prince Vald, the eldest prince of the Alsvieth Kingdom.  An excellent and accomplished swordsman, Vald has been possessed by the sword, Yug Verlind, which has a curse that transforms Vald into a demon at night.  Halvir Hroptr a/k/a “Havi” is a sorcerer living in exile.  Because Havi is adept at breaking curses, Vald approaches him for help.  Havi discovers that intense physical intimacy helps tame the demon Vald becomes at night.

As Crimson Spell, Vol. 3 (Chapters 14 to 19) opens, Gileh, an ally and manipulator of demons, holds Havi captive.  Gileh wants to possess Yug Verlind, and now, he wants Vald to fight Havi to the death.  As incentive, Gileh threatens to kill Vald’s younger brother, Anri, whom he also apparently holds captive.

Forced to fight Havi, who is under an enchantment placed on him by Gileh, Vald transforms into full demon mode.  Halrein, a former friend of Havi’s, and Mars, a traveling swordsman who has pledged loyalty to Vald, want to help, but they are actually helpless to save Vald and Havi from death and destruction.

[This volume contains the bonus story, “The Fairy’s Cocoon.”]

As I wrote in a previous review of the Crimson Spell manga, the series seems serious about being fantasy fiction.  In some ways, it resembles sword and sorcery comic book adaptations of Robert E. Howard Conan the Cimmerian (or Barbarian) and is also visually similar to the various comics and OEL manga based on World of Warcraft.

Crimson Spell Volume 3 is filled with explosive fight scenes and raging displays of magic, and creator Ayano Yamane thrills her readers by placing her characters in peril that reads as being genuine.  Yamane also shows her serious-about-yaoi side with an entire chapter devoted to human sorcerer/human-demon hybrid sexual intercourse.  Apparently, Yamane thinks that boys’ love lovin’ should involve at least one guy being especially and exceedingly orally attentive to the penis.  Fun for all, for sure.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

www.SuBLimeManga.com
www.yamaneayano.com

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Manga Review: CRIMSON SPELL Volume 2

CRIMSON SPELL, VOL. 2
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga (Chara Comics)

CARTOONIST: Ayano Yamane
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: WOWMAX Media
COVER: Ayano Yamane with Yukiko Whitley
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6422-7; paperback (February 2014) Rated “M” for “Mature”
162pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Ayano Yamane is an international bestselling mangaka (manga creator) of such yaoi manga as A Foreign Love Affair and the Finder series.  SuBLime Manga is currently publishing an English-language edition of her yaoi manga series, Crimson Spell.

Yaoi manga are romance comics that depict relationships in which the romantic leads are male.  This subset of boys’ love (BL) manga can also feature depictions of explicit sex between male characters.

A fantasy tale, Crimson Spell focuses on a handsome prince beset by a demon’s curse and the sorcerer who helps him fight that curse.  Eighteen-year-old Prince Valdrigr Alsvieth a/k/a Prince Vald is the eldest prince of the Alsvieth Kingdom.  He is an excellent and accomplished swordsman, but when he first holds the sword, Yug Verlind, he takes on a curse that transforms him into a demon at night.  Halvir Hroptr a/k/a “Havi” is a sorcerer living in exile.  Because Havi is adept at breaking curses, Vald approaches him for help.  Havi discovers that intense physical intimacy helps tame the demon Vald becomes at night.

As Crimson Spell, Vol. 2 (Chapters 8 to 13) opens, Havi learns the origin of the curse on Yug Verlind that transforms Prince Vald.  Meanwhile, Havi’s former friend, Halrein, is ordered to retrieve the numerous magic tomes that Havi stole.

Vald and Havi meet Mars, a wandering swordsman, an encounter that leads them to a village in the midst of an invasion by demons.  There, unknown enemies plot to control both Vald and Havi.

The Crimson Spell manga is serious about being fantasy fiction, but is not high fantasy of the Tolkien variety.  Crimson Spell is closer to sword and sorcery, bearing a slight resemblance to some elements in the work of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Cimmerian (or Barbarian).  Some readers may find it a little similar to various comics and OEL manga based on World of Warcraft.

Crimson Spell is also serious about being yaoi manga, featuring oral sex and saliva-infused foreplay.  Creator Ayano Yamane takes advantage of what the fantasy genre offers, so she is quite imaginative in depicting who can have sex with whom… or what.  Those depictions of sex are bizarre, shocking, funny, and sometimes delightful.

Of course, everything is drawn in Yamane’s painterly art style.  Lovely renderings and lush compositions will dazzle the eye and is also good storytelling.  Everything about the characters, from their pasts and secrets to their goals and desires, makes them attractive to readers.  I look forward to future volumes of Crimson Spell.


A-

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Manga Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 4

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 4
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Shoko Hidaka with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5555-3; paperback (February 2014) Rated “M” for “Mature”
218pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

The fourth volume of Blue Morning, the yaoi manga graphic novel series from creator Shoko Hidaka, was recently released.  In yaoi manga, the love story features romantic leads that are both male.  This subset of boys’ love (BL) manga can also feature explicit depictions of sex.  Blue Morning focuses on Akihito Kuze, the heir to a viscount-ship, and Tomoyuki Katsuragi, his very capable butler, to whom Akihito is attracted.

After the death of his father, Akinao Kuze, 10-year-old Akihito moves into the Kuze mansion, as he prepares to inherit his late father’s viscount-ship.  There, he meets the Kuze family butler, Katsuragi, who is tasked with raising Akihito.  By the time he is 17-years-old, Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but also frustrated by the distance between them.

As Blue Morning, Vol. 4 (Chapters 16 to 20) opens, the truth of Katsuragi’s lineage has already been revealed.  With this truth revealed, Katsuragi leaves the Kuze household, and enters the employment of Soemon Ishizaki, the father of Akihito’s friend, Soichiro.

Akihito is determined, however, to have his way.  He attempts to live a life different from the one meant for him, and he breaks off his engagement.  He makes such a bold move regarding the standing of the Kuze family that Katsuragi is forced to counter them with strategy of his own.

The Blue Morning manga is a romantic period drama.  It is like a comic book version of one of those Merchant-Ivory films from 1980s and 1990s.  The series does sometime earn its “yaoi” label with a sex scene.  Blue Morning Volume 4 offers a torrid love scene that leaves the characters in need of a bath.  Everything that Akihito and Katsuragi can’t or won’t say to one another is translated into urgent lovemaking, complete with pants, moans, and groans.

Beyond the sex, there are more reveals.  Through the dialogue, Shoko Hidaka opens the characters, their lives and secrets, in ways that cement Blue Morning’s status as an exceptional character drama and period romance.


A

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Review: NightS

NIGHTS
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Kou Yoneda
TRANSLATION: Katherine Schilling
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
COVER: Kou Yoneda with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6409-8; paperback (January 2014) Rated “M” for “Mature”
248pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Kou Yoneda made her manga debut with No Touching at All (2009) and followed that up with A Singing Bird Can’t Fly.  Yoneda’s most recent work is NightS, a collection of yaoi short stories.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (BL) manga that features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

NightS focuses on three couples.  In the title story, “NightS,” 28-year-old Masato Karashima is a “transporter,” a man paid to smuggle anything from drugs to guns to people.  He is approached by Masaki Hozumi, a yakuza lieutenant who needs something transported.  Masato finds himself attracted to the older man, and so begins a cat-and-mouse game of lust and deception.  In this business transaction, no one is telling the entire truth about anything.

In “Emotion Spectrum,” high school student Kugo agrees to play wing man to Usui, a fellow student who is attracted to Kugo's flighty friend, Nakaya.  Results are unexpected.  In the two-part, “Reply,” shy mechanic, Seki, finds himself at odds with the salesmen at the auto dealership where he works.  Then, he meets the emotionally-reserved, matter-of-fact salesman, Keigo Takami, who is outstanding as a car salesman.  They like each other, but perhaps, not in the same way.

Obviously, a yaoi short story collection gives readers several stories to read, and if they are lucky, at least two couples trying to come together romantically.  The NightS yaoi manga offers seven stories of varying lengths, and best of all, three couples working towards a romantic conclusion... and some sex scenes.

I didn't find the stars of the “NightS” short story particularly interesting because of the awkward execution of the story.  However, the material – too much deceit, too much crime, and the stars seem doomed as a couple – was there to make this an especially good story.  Kou Yoneda just didn't make it happen.

“Emotion Spectrum” is the same: good idea that does not fully flower.  The deceit is fluffy, and it's a crime that the romance comes across as syrupy as a bubblegum pop song.  This couple may not be doomed, but they are destined to be uninteresting.

Luckily, “Reply” offers a more attractive couple and is an excellent read.  The romance is filled with captivating pitfalls, and the conceit: two guys who may be too different to be successful as a couple: works.  Because the romance is strong, I simply found myself rooting for these guys.  Keiko and Seki are the one couple in this collection that I'd like to see again.  I want to spend more NightS with them.

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

SuBLime Has the "Right Stuf" for Second Anniversary

GLOBAL YAOI PUBLISHER SuBLime CELEBRATES 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL MANGA SALE AT LEADING ONLINE RETAILER RIGHT STUF

Diverse Yaoi Imprint Marks Second Birthday With Up To 50% Off Selected Yaoi Manga Bundles And Individual Volumes

SuBLime, the global yaoi manga publishing initiative between VIZ Media and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate), marks its 2-year anniversary with the announcement of a special sale on print editions of a variety of celebrated yaoi manga titles from its catalog at leading anime/manga online retailer/distributor Right Stuf.

For a limited time through January 20th, yaoi readers can take advantage of 50% off select SuBLime manga bundles. This is an ideal opportunity to enjoy a specially curated selection of acclaimed SuBLime series for half-off their regular print MSRP. Access the complete list of SuBLime sale titles at RightStuf.com. For our global readers, RightStuf does ship internationally.

The following print bundles are available for 50% off:

AWKWARD SILENCE by Hinako Takanaga • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers •
Bundle Set Includes Vols. 1-4 • MSRP: $25.98 (U.S. / CAN)
Satoru Tono is too shy to speak to classmate Keigo Tamiya. Instead he fills his sketchbook with drawings of the boy he likes. But perhaps Keigo has noticed him too...?

HIS FAVORITE by Suzuki Tanaka • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
Bundle Set Includes Vols. 1-5 • MSRP: $32.48 (U.S. / CAN)
Yoshida is short, scrawny, and generally unattractive. To make matters worse, all the girls in his class hate him because Sato, the hottest guy in school, always uses hanging out with him as an excuse to turn them down. Is Yoshida just a convenient excuse or is there something more? Could this odd couple even make things work?!

PUNCH UP! by Shiuko Kano • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers •
Bundle Set Includes Vols. 1-4 • MSRP: $25.98 (U.S. / CAN)
High-flying architect Motoharu Maki loves looking at hot guys, and where better to find a lot of good-looking, well-toned hotties than a construction site? But after one visit, Motoharu winds up with an unexpected commitment. Ironworker Kouta Ohki is young, foul-mouthed, and not at all Motoharu's type!

Also, don’t miss special savings on all bundled manga packages featuring multiple titles by these celebrated yaoi manga creators:

Yaya Sakuragi Bundle – SALE MSRP $32.48
BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE, Vols. 1-4
HIDE AND SEEK, Vol. 1

Youka Nitta Bundle – SALE MSRP $27.98
EMBRACING LOVE, 2-in-1 Omnibus Edition, Vol. 1
SPIRITUAL POLICE, Vol. 1
STARTING WITH A KISS, Vols. 1-2

**Titles are rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers.

Readers can also purchase individual print editions of the above mentioned series for $6.76 each – a 48% saving off regular MSRP (omnibus editions are $8.84).

Also visit SuBLimeManga.com for an array of additional yaoi manga titles that are available digitally in a download-to-own format for $5.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and are viewable as a PDF on any enabled eReader device or computer, or also accessed via the online manga viewer found on the web site.

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at www.SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga and Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga.

About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi/boys’ love manga publisher, and is a partnership between VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate). This bold, global publishing initiative will present English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime will offer titles digitally worldwide available at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

Kou Yoneda Presents SuBLime "NightS"

GLOBAL YAOI PUBLISHER SuBLime OPENS 2014 WITH THE HOTLY ANTICIPATED NEW STORY COLLECTION NIGHTS – AVAILABLE NOW

Six Sensuous Romantic Tales From One Of Japan’s Most Acclaimed Yaoi Creators Debut In Print And Digital

SuBLime, the global yaoi manga publishing initiative between VIZ Media and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate), opens 2014 for yaoi fans with today’s release of NIGHTS, a collection of passionate yaoi stories by creator Kou Yoneda.

NIGHTS is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and carries a print MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. A digital version is also available for an MSRP of USD $5.99 and offers readers two methods of digital access to the volume on www.SuBLimeManga.com – a DRM-free downloadable PDF that is viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer, and via the online manga viewer found on the web site. A free online preview is also available on the SuBLime website.

NIGHTS is a collection of masterful, sensual stories by one of Japan’s most popular yaoi creators! In the title piece, Masato Karashima is a “transporter,” a man paid to smuggle anything from guns to drugs to people. When he’s hired by yakuza gang member Masaki Hozumi, he finds himself attracted to the older man, and what starts out as a business transaction quickly spirals into a cat-and-mouse game of lust and deception. In “Emotion Spectrum,” a high-school student tries to be a good wingman for a classmate, with an unexpected result, while “Reply” is told from the alternating perspectives of an emotionally reserved salesman and the shy mechanic who’s in love with him.

“Kou Yoneda is one of the yaoi genre’s most acclaimed creators and we are very excited to release NIGHTS, her first new work since 2011,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “Her latest title contains six exquisitely drawn romantic tales that feature a handsome cast of extremely sexy men, and also includes special bonus content and additional full-color pages created especially for this edition. We invite global yaoi fans to dive into the passion that happens once the sun goes down in this hot new release available now!”

Kou Yoneda made her manga debut in 2009 with No Touching at All, also available in English, which became an instant critical and commercial success. She followed up with A Singing Bird Can’t Fly and has also published a variety of doujinshi (independent comics) under the circle names "Raw" and "NITRO Koutetsu."

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at www.SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga and Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga.

About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi/boys’ love manga publisher, and is a partnership between VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate). This bold, global publishing initiative will present English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime will offer titles digitally worldwide available at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

Yaoi Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 3

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Shoko Hidaka with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5554-6; paperback (November 2013) Rated “M” for “Mature”
226pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Blue Morning, the yaoi manga graphic novel series from creator Shoko Hidaka, continues with the publication of a third volume.  Blue Morning is the story of Akihito Kuze, the heir to a viscount-ship, and the man he loves, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, the very capable butler who has taken care of him for the better part of a decade.

After the death of his father, Akinao Kuze, 10-year-old Akihito moves into the Kuze mansion, as he prepares to inherit his late father’s viscount-ship.  There, he meets the Kuze family butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, who is tasked with raising Akihito.  By the time he is 17-years-old, Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but frustrated by the distance between them.

Blue Morning, Vol. 3 (Chapters 11 to 15) opens with surprising news for Katsuragi.  The servants inform him that Akihito has now decided to handle Kuze family’s business interests himself.  It is a big leap for the young man, but his other changes to the household constitution may prove to be too much for household members to accept.

Akihito is so firmly focused on his future that he considers marriage and begins to court 15-year-old Chikako, the daughter of Duke Sajo.  Akihito asks the father of his friend, Soichiro Ishizaki, to act as a go-between in the marriage talks.  The father, a merchant, is willing, but what he wants in return may be too much for Akihito to give.

The Blue Morning manga does occasionally earn its “yaoi” label by depicting sex between its male leads, but depicting sex seems to be the least of creator Shoko Hidaka’s concerns.  This series is a character drama which seems to focus on three things:  a star-crossed romance, family history, and intrigue among the nobility and upper crust of society.

As such, it is an excellent read, and Blue Morning Volume 3 may be the best volume yet.  Hidaka always draws me in, slowly, with an easy pace, even in the scenes involving a shocking reveal.  Before I know it, I have bought into the plot, conflicts, motivations, and characters.  Maybe, Blue Morning is “Masterpiece Theatre” for the boys’ love set.

A

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Review: THE MAN OF TANGO

THE MAN OF TANGO
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Tetuzoh Okadaya
TRANSLATION: Ivana Bloom
LETTERS: WOWMAX Media
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6011-3; paperback (September 2013) Rated “M” for “Mature”
266pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Mangaka (artist) Tetuzoh Okadaya made The Man of Tango, a boys’ love graphic novel, her debut manga in 2007.  SuBLime Manga recently released a “revised special edition” of The Man of Tango.  This SuBLime Manga Edition of the book collects the prologue and five chapters that compose The Man of Tango, and also two additional tales, one an early and alternate version of the story (“El hombre del tango”) and the other an epilogue story (“Libertango”) that revisits the lead characters.

As some of you know, boys’ love (BL) is manga that depicts romantic relationships between men.  Yaoi manga is a subset of BL and features explicit depictions of sex between men, which The Man from Tango does (and boy, does it ever!).

The Man from Tango introduces Angel “Angie” Almódovar, a Latin American living in Japan.  Hailed as “the Man of Tango” because of his skills as a dancer, Angie believes that he has never truly felt the deep, fiery passion of the dance known as “tango.”  Then, Angie meets office worker, Hiromasa “Hiro” Koga, a half-Japanese, half-Latino who was born in Columbia, South America.

Angie is immediately attracted to Hiro; in fact, Angie feels seething lust for him.  Hiro tells himself that he is in no way interested in men, but what will he do when he wakes up in Angie’s bed?  What will Hiro make of those memories of physical contact and passion that crowd his hung-over addled mind?  Will he open his heart and his body to the persuasive dancer?

Perhaps, it’s just me, but I find The Man of Tango manga to be a little on the melancholy side.  There is plenty of humor, and the story occasionally brings friends of Angie and Hiro’s into the narrative mix, such as Angie’s dance partner, Benedict “Bene” Maria Cruz.  That gives the story a feeling of camaraderie and fun.

There are sex scenes in the story, and they can run for several pages.  They put the “yowza” in yaoi.  In fact, The Man of Tango does not come across as boys’ love, so much as it seems to be a gay comic.  Angie and Hiro are both so fit, so buff, and so butch that their physical intimacy has a pound-your-ass quality to it.  You can call it lovemaking, but it may be more accurate to use that “F” word for sex to describe it.

I think the melancholy comes from the darkness of Hiro’s past and the tragic fate of one of Angie and Hiro’s friends.  Plus, there is a flash-forward short story that looks at the characters a little too far into the future for my tastes.  Still, in the world of yaoi manga, The Man of Tango is definitely something different simply because there seems to be a realness about Angie and Hiro’s relationship that much of BL does not have.

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Yaoi Review: SLEEPING MOON Volume 2

SLEEPING MOON, VOL. 2
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Kano Miyamoto
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Kano Miyamoto and Courtney Utt
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5551-5; paperback (October 2013) Rated “M” for “Mature”
234pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Sometimes I encounter a situation in which the second volume of a manga series is so much better than the first volume, even when that debut volume is itself good.  That recently happened again, and I am totally wowed by Sleeping Moon Volume 2.

Sleeping Moon is a yaoi manga graphic novel from creator Kano Miyamoto.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.  SuBLime Manga is publishing Sleeping Moon, which follows a young man trying to unravel a family curse, as a two-volume graphic novel series.

Sleeping Moon introduces 27-year-old college student-teacher, Akihiko Odagawa.  He returns to his family’s ancestral home in order to solve the mystery of a rumored curse that brings early death to the male descendants in his lineage, the Sakaki Family.  There, he meets his Aunt Akiko and her two children, twin brother and sister, Ren and Eri. While in the home, Akihiko experiences a time slip that takes him back 100 years in the past to Japan’s Meiji Period, where he meets student, Eitarou Shinjou.  The two men form a deep emotional bond as they bridge time to unravel a family curse?

As Sleeping Moon, Vol. 2 (Chapters 6 to 9) opens, Akihiko surrenders to his cousin Ren.  Their relationship, which has already turned sexual, grows more personal and intimate.  Akihiko, however, cannot stop thinking about Eitarou, the relative that he visits when he can time travel at night.

Eitarou and Akihiko grow closer, and together seek the truth behind the curse on their family.  Its origins are buried in an incident involving the Shinjou Family, which was tied to the Sakakis.  What went wrong or what happened?  But the nearer the two men from different eras get to the truth, the more Akihiko’s body seems to fade away.

No wonder so many readers seem to love these love stories that involve time travel.  They can make for great reading, and the Sleeping Moon manga is a terrific read.  Correction:  Sleeping Moon Volume 2 is a great read.

After reading Vol. 1, I thought that Sleeping Moon had potential.  Its supernatural elements were creepy, and the romance was strong; however, as I read it, I thought that creator Kano Miyamoto was being cool and deliberate about passions and revelations.  With the four chapters that make up the second half of the story, Miyamoto seems to unleash a torrent of passion, longing, and rage.

OMG!  The revenge-ghost story part of Sleeping Moon suddenly becomes spine-tingling J-Horror.  There were times when I thought the bad spirits would emerge from the page and contaminate me.  I really invested myself in wanting a resolution to the curse.

Akihiko, Ren, and Eitarou form one of the best love triangles that I have ever found in a comic book from any country.  That is another element of Sleeping Moon in which I heavily invested my emotions.  I wanted Akihiko to be with Eitarou, but at the same time, I saw that Akihiko and Ren made a great couple – regardless of the incestuous nature of their love.  This is one of those examples in which the reader will be happy about the outcome, but still yearn for the other outcome.

This is one of my favorite manga and comic books of the year.  There is a nice epilogue, entitled “Waning Moon,” and it is a near perfect ending, but it just reminds you that the good time you had reading Sleeping Moon is about to end.

A+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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Yaoi Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 2

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 2
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Shoko Hidaka with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5553-2; paperback (August 2013) Rated “M” for “Mature”
202pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Blue Morning is a yaoi manga graphic novel series from creator Shoko Hidaka.  Credited as “Shouko Hidaka,” she authored Restart, a manga set in the world of male models.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Akihito Kuze is the heir to the viscount-ship of his late father, Akinao Kuze.  After the death of his father, Akihito, at the age of 10, moves into the Kuze mansion.  There he meets the Kuze family’s very capable butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi, who is tasked with raising Akihito.  By the time he is 17-year-old, Akihito finds himself relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but frustrated by the distance between them.

Blue Morning, Vol. 2 opens with a flashback.  Akinao Kuze, who is still living at the time, assigns a large number of books for reading and study to Katsuragi, his prodigy of sorts.  Whatever plans that Kuze has for his young protégé are put on hold with the announcement that a male Kuze child has been born.

Back in the present, Akihito has physically consummated his relationship with Katsuragi (i.e. had sex with the dude).  Now, he wants to grow closer to and more intimate with the butler, but Katsuragi’s attitude towards his young charge remains emotionally cold.  Now, Akihito is about to make a deal with Katsuragi, one that he hopes will keep the butler in the fold and maybe in his bed.  However, a party at the Marquise Moriyama complicates the matter with surprise appearances and shocking revelations.

The Blue Morning manga earns its “yaoi” label by depicting sex between its male leads.  Blue Morning Volume 2 offers some intense lovemaking, but this manga isn’t necessarily about sex.  Obviously, Akihito wants to have passionate physical contact with Katsuragi, but this story is strongly romantic and is about a committed relationship that could be the equivalent of marriage.  The conflict is that neither of these young men wants exactly the same thing, and the differences are just enough to create believable tension.  This relationship/romance could turn out bad for a number of people.

The high-society intrigue and class conflict (especially regarding the peerage system) make this manga seem like a comic book adaptation of something from “Masterpiece Theatre.”  Of course, Downton Abbey does not “get down” like Blue Morning gets down.

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Manga Review: HIDE AND SEEK Volume 1

HIDE AND SEEK, VOL. 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga (Asuka Comics CL DX)

CARTOONIST: Yaya Sakuragi
TRANSLATION: Satsuki Yamashita
LETTERING: Annaliese Christman
COVER: Yaya Sakuragi with Courtney Utt
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5572-0; paperback (July 2013); Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Yaya Sakuragi is a creator known for such manga as Hey, Sensei?, Tea for Two, and Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love.  One of her more recent series is Hide and Seek, a yaoi manga.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Hide and Seek, Vol. 1 (Acts 1 to 5) introduces Shuji Tanihara, a divorced single father who runs a modest corner candy shop, called Tanihara Store.  His young daughter, Chisuzu, is somewhat independent, so Tanihara is always looking for something to break the boredom.  Into the store walks a handsome pediatrician.  Takafumi Saji of the Saji Clinic is serious and reserved, but he has another side.  He is gay, and he’s about to put a romantic move of Shuji.

Although it has sex scenes, Hide and Seek Volume 1 is a gentle love story about star-crossed lovers.  It is a tale of two people who have different personalities, but can somehow become intimately tangled.  The dramatic tension comes from the fact that the leads may be star-crossed sex partners and star-crossed best pals, but they may not be able to have a long term relationship because of personalities and intentions.

Yaya Sakuragi slyly inserts the idea into readers’ heads that Shuji and Saji may not really be compatible.  Perhaps, there is a streak of independence or perhaps they are two alpha males.  Whatever it is, it made me think that every time I turned a page, there would be scene that would depict an end of the affair.  Anticipation is a good thing.  The best praise that I can give Hide and Seek Volume 1 is that I did not want the fun to end.

Fans of Yaya Sakuragi will be glad to know that Hide and Seek is a spin-off of her previous series, Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love.  Ryomei, the priest and patissier of the earlier series, turns out to be a friend of Shuji’s.

A-

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: Sleeping Moon Volume 1

SLEEPING MOON, VOL. 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Kano Miyamoto
TRANSLATION: Christine Dashiell
LETTERS: NRP Studios
COVER: Kono Miyamoto and Courtney Utt
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5550-8; Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Kano Miyamoto is a prolific creator of boys’ love manga and of independent or amateur comics (doujinshi). Sleeping Moon is a yaoi manga graphic novel series from Miyamoto. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters. The series follows a college student trying to unravel a family curse.

Sleeping Moon, Vol. 1 introduces 27-year-old college student, Akihiko Odagawa. He returns to his family’s ancestral home in order to solve the mystery of a rumored curse that brings early death to the male descendants in his lineage, the Sakaki Family. There, he meets his Aunt Akiko and her two children, twin brother and sister, Ren and Eri.

Eri remains mostly unseen because she has some kind of illness, and though he is distant at first, Ren begins to make moves on Akihiko. That isn’t the most shocking thing. While in the home, Akihiko experiences a time slip that takes him back 100 years in the past. There, he meets student, Eitarou Shinjou, who looks strikingly like Ren. Can the two men bridge time to unravel a family curse?

Not really sexual in terms of content, Sleeping Moon, Volume 1 is a supernatural mystery. There really is not a strong current of romance, for that matter. Instead, it is ghosts plus time travel; that can be an interesting combination, and it is here. The ghosts and spirits are especially creepy and menacing, and, in the early chapters, Kano Miyamoto teases them just enough to string the reader along with sightings and dark auras to stir the echoes of fear.

There is something oddly sweet about the time travel angle. This is a mysterious and less sci-fi kind of time travel. It is impressionistic and spiritual; therefore, this kind of “time slip” seems earthier than the usual future-tech histrionics. Yes, I do want more sex scenes in the next volume, but I also want to solve the mysteries of this engaging manga. Readers looking for romance, mystery, and the supernatural will want to try Sleeping Moon.

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: HIS FAVORITE Volume 4

HIS FAVORITE, VOL. 4
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Suzuki Tanaka
TRANSLATION: Ivana Bloom
LETTERING: Annaliese Christman
COVER: Suzuki Tanaka and Fawn Lau
EDITOR: Alexis Kirsch
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4358-1; paperback (June 2013); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
194pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

What if a guy says he loves you? What do you do if you don’t think he takes anything, even love seriously?

Suzuki Tanaka, the creator of Love Hurts, also produced the boys’ love manga series, His Favorite. Boy’s love (also known by the acronym, BL) depicts romantic relationships between male characters. His Favorite can be classified as “shounen-ai,” the subset of BL that does not feature explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

His Favorite focuses on Yoshio Yoshida, an awkward high school student, and Takahiko Sato, the hottest guy in school and a guy madly in love with Yoshida. However, Yoshida thinks that Sato is not really serious about anything, especially love. Meanwhile, all the girls in school are crazy about Sato, and they think that Sato and Yoshida are just really close friends. That’s why they insist that Yoshida help them get closer to Sato.

His Favorite, Vol. 4 (Chapters 13 to 16) opens with a trip to the “House of Horrors,” a haunted house attraction at an amusement park named, “Gorilland.” Yoshida wants no part of a haunted house because he is too afraid. Sato just wants an opportunity to get close to Yoshida. Their female classmates want to use the attraction to get closer to Sato, and they’ll hurt anyone who gets in their way.

Then, go back to Yoshida and Sato’s middle school past. One was cool and popular; the other was a misfit about to be sent abroad. Next, Seijuro Nishida is madly in love with Yoshida, and now, he will wait no longer. It leads to a showdown at “Hell’s Pass.”

As boys’ love manga goes, His Favorite is light-hearted fare. The energy that fuels this series isn’t even hot-and-heavy petting, let alone actual sex. His Favorite is fueled by comedy hijinks. Yoshio Yoshida is so comical that it is difficult to imagine him sexualized or even depicted in a sex act. This may be boys’ love, but I hardly think that I can call this a gay comic or comic about gay teens.

That’s not to say that His Favorite is not enjoyable. I especially enjoy the throng of high school girls that wants Sato so badly, yet the girls cannot recognize the truth that is practically in their faces everyday. The best part of His Favorite Volume 4 is the story of Yoshida and Sato’s past, which is a surprisingly good character piece. In fact, it is an oddity in the silliness that surrounds it. That story is the reason I’m giving this volume a grade of “B” and not something below that.

B

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: BLUE MORNING Volume 1

BLUE MORNING, VOL. 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga (Chara Comics)

CARTOONIST: Shoko Hidaka
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: NRP Studios
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5552-2; Rated “M” for “Mature”
202pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Also credited as “Shouko Hidaka,” mangaka Shoko Hidaka is known for her boys’ love manga, such as Restart, which is set in the world of male models. Her new work is Blue Morning, a yaoi manga graphic novel series. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Blue Morning, Vol. 1 introduces Akihito Kuze, the 10-year-old heir to the viscount-ship of his late father, Akinao Kuze. After the death of his father, Akihito moves into his father’s mansion, where he meets the Kuze family’s very capable butler, Tomoyuki Katsuragi. Katsuragi is tasked with raising Akihito.

Seven years later, the 17-year-old Akihito is relentlessly drawn to Katsuragi, but is frustrated by the distance between them. The handsome and intelligent Katsuragi is well-respected and popular, even among the aristocracy, so he is highly sought after for his advice. Driven to learn more about his butler, Akihito investigates Katsuragi’s past, both with the Kuze family and in Katsuragi’s own family.

First, there isn’t much in the way of “explicit sex” in Blue Morning Volume 1, except for a night in which the rough play between manservant and charge is emphasized. Blue Morning is a period piece and romantic drama in which romance must compete with intrigue concerning high society and class structure.

Schools for the elite, parties for the nobility, and assorted gatherings of the rich, powerful, and influential are a staple of the first volume of Blue Morning. I think that what makes this story interesting is how much Akihito Kuze hates it all, yet this life is his destiny. Not only is he supposed to be the viscount, but he is also expected to increase the family’s rank. The narrative can be a bit dry at times, and it seems like a boys’ love version of Downton Abbey, except without the popular British drama’s self-assuredness in its storytelling and characters. I’m interested to see where this series goes… especially if the romance gets even rougher.

B

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE Volume 4

BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE, VOL. 4
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga (Asuka Comics CL DX)

CARTOONIST: Yaya Sakuragi
TRANSLATION: Satsuki Yamashita
LETTERING: Annaliese Christman
COVER: Yaya Sakuragi with JAY
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5235-4; paperback (May 2013); Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Yaya Sakuragi is a creator of yaoi manga and has produced such series as Hey, Sensei? and Tea for Two. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features depictions of explicit sex between male characters.

One of Sakuragi’s recent yaoi manga series is Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, which SuBLime Manga is publishing in a four-volume graphic novel series. The series focuses on Ao, a high school student who falls in love with Ryomei, whom Ao has known since he was a child. Ryomei, who is several years older than Ao, ignores the younger man’s advances.

As Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, Vol. 4 (Acts 14 to 18) opens, Ryomei and Ao finally become intimate. Ao should be happy, but he starts to believe that their first time was merely pity sex. Ao has also been living with his Grandma Teruko, but now, she finally insists that Ao move in with his estranged mother. Moving also means being farther away from Ryomei. What can Ao do? Can he accept Ryomei’s newfound affection as real? Can Ryomei help Ao and finally express his love for him? The drama of not-so-unrequited love must finally reach a conclusion – happy or sad.

The Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love manga is the epitome of the seme (guy on top)-uke (guy on bottom) dynamic in yaoi manga. Ryomei is tall, dark, and handsome, and when he wears his priestly vestments (as he is a shrine priest), he looks like a dashing samurai. With his small frame, tousled hair, and large, expressive eyes, Ao is the quintessential, smitten, BL girlish teen boy – ready to stand by and to love his man.

Jokes aside, Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love Volume 4 is deeply romantic. I have not read the prior three volumes, and had not heard of the series until my SuBLime media rep sent me a copy of Vol. 4. I’m glad I read this. It is the comfort food version of yaoi manga reading material; the depictions of sex are more about lovemaking and being sweet than being raunchy, erotic, or even funny. There are two lovey-dovey side stories to spike your blood sugar even higher, but this volume is a good way to end a series.

Readers looking for sugary yaoi manga from the dessert cart will want Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Yaoi Review: PUNCH UP! Volume 4

PUNCH UP!, VOL. 4
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shiuko Kano
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERING: NRP Studios
COVER: Shiuko Kano with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4355-0; paperback (April 2013); Rated “M” for “Mature”
194pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

The final Punch Up! lands in your face!

Punch Up!, the yaoi manga series from creator, Shiuko Kano (the creator of Play Boy Blues), comes to an end. The series focuses on Maki Motoharu, an unpredictable architect, and his boyfriend, Kouta Ohki, a 19-year-old, foul-mouthed, young ironworker who has fashion model looks. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga (BL) and features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

At the beginning of Punch Up! Volume 4 (Acts 10 to 12), a coworker finds Motoharu sleeping on a couch in his office. Why is Motoharu sleeping in his office rather than in his own bedroom?

Kouta is currently suffering amnesia because of a construction accident, and now, he has somehow regressed mentally to the person he was as a 15-year-old. Kouta moves in with Motoharu again, and, after some difficult going, the two grow closer. Motoharu avoids sleeping at home, lest he have sex with Kouta. Does Kouta even want to be intimate with Motoharu? The (former?) lovers will have to learn to understand each other again before they can have some hot sex, again.

If Brian Michael Bendis wrote yaoi manga, perhaps, he could write more dialogue – from introspective soliloquies to elongated conversations – than Shiuko Kano does in the three chapters that make up this final volume of the Punch Up! yaoi manga series. Bendis wouldn’t pass Kano by much, though.

However, this isn’t empty talk. After little more than 150 pages, it leads to a happy ending, but does so in the most interestingly round-about way. Honestly, I could read another volume of these laser-focused conversations between two characters. Don’t worry, there are sex scenes. Three short, bonus stories are not only explicit, but they are also pure, scatological humor. Some of it might make even veteran yaoi readers blush.

A-

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: HIS FAVORITE Volume 3

HIS FAVORITE, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Suzuki Tanaka
TRANSLATION: Ivana Bloom
LETTERING: Annaliese Christman
COVER: Suzuki Tanaka and Fawn Lau
EDITOR: Alexis Kirsch
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4357-4; paperback (March 2013); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
178pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Suzuki Tanaka, the creator of Love Hurts, also produced the boys’ love manga series, His Favorite. Boy’s love (also known by the acronym, BL) depicts romantic relationships between male characters. His Favorite can be classified as “shounen-ai,” the subset of BL that does not feature explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

His Favorite Volume 3 (Chapters 8 to 12) focuses on Yoshida, an awkward high school student, and Sato, the hottest guy in school. Sato is in love with Yoshida, but the latter things the former wants to play around too much and is not really serious about anything, especially love. Meanwhile, all the girls in school are crazy about Sato, and they think that Sato and Yoshida are just really close friends. That’s why they insist that Yoshida help them get closer to Sato.

Yoshida and Sato’s classmates, Yamanaka and Torachin, are in a similar predicament. Torachin’s frequent fights have left him with a bruised, unattractive face, which scares the girls – sometimes to tears. Yamanaka thinks Torachin is just right, but Torachin doesn’t think that Yamanaka is ever serious – about anything.

As boys’ love manga goes, His Favorite is tame. It doesn’t even have the heat of the more complicated shojo teen romances (such as a Honey Hunt). Instead, it is deliberately, almost stubbornly playful. Creator Suzuki Tanaka offers comedy and slapstick; there are misunderstandings and kissing.

Sex is far way and talked about as something that will, should, or even might happen, but does not happen in the text or seemingly even “off camera.” The characters are funny in how clueless they are, or perhaps, they are not clueless. It is a peculiar kind of tunnel vision from which they suffer… maybe.

B

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: THREE WOLVES MOUNTAIN

THREE WOLVES MOUNTAIN
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Bohra Naono
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERING: Annaliese Christman
COVER: Bohra Naono and Fawn Lau
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4346-8; paperback (June 2012); Rated “M” for “Mature”
218pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Although she is a prolific creator of manga, Bohra Naono has not had many of her manga published in English. One of her English-language releases is Three Wolves Mountain.

Three Wolves Mountain is a collection of interconnected yaoi manga short stories from Naono. “Yaoi manga” is a subset of boy’s love manga (BL) and it usually depicts romance and explicit sex between male characters. The four stories that make up Three Wolves Mountain center on a human and the two werewolf brothers he takes into his home.

In the opening story, “Three Wolves Mountain,” we meet Kaya Susugi, a young man who runs a small café by day and guards a nearby haunted cemetery by night. One night, he encounters two werewolf brothers. There is the older Tarou Tsukihara, who is gruff and is fully in control of his powers to transform. Then, there is Tarou’s cheerful and klutzy younger brother, Jiro. The pupils of Jiro’s eyes don’t match in color, and he is not fully capable of transforming. He sports a long, bushy tail and wolf ears, but is otherwise human. The Tsukihara brothers need a home, but will Kaya, a loner, give them one? And how will Kaya handle Jiro’s romantic feelings for him.

In “Moonlit Forest,” Jiro meets Kaya’s older brother, Kai Susugi, a meeting which spills the secrets of the Susugi brothers’ dark and troubled past. In “Baby, You Are My Home,” Kaya meets Erika and Jin Tsukihara, the parents of Jiro and Tarou. In “Dark Matter,” grave-robbing ghouls attack the cemetery, and also, Kaya takes in Akihi, another troubled werewolf and a distant relative of the Tsukihara’s.

Three Wolves Mountain was actually published in the U.S. last summer (specifically in June of 2012). Somehow, it disappeared down the memory hole that is a giant pile of review copies in my home. I wish I’d told you, dear readers, how good Three Wolves Mountain is when the book was still fresh on the market.

Loving, touching, sucking, fingering, tea-bagging, salad-tossing, and screwing: yes sirree, the explicit sex is quite present in Three Wolves Mountain. You’ll get high value for your yaoi dollars. However, Three Wolves Mountain is also deeply romantic and surprisingly poignant. In a way, the sex scenes distract from the emotional engagement that the characters have with one another.

The dominant theme of Three Wolves Mountain is family, but creator Bohra Naono does not spend much time worrying about the differences between traditional and non-traditional families. This story depicts bonds people form when they become family by being related, uniting as a couple, living together, or connecting in profound friendship.

In this series of stories, characters actually talk to each other – as in conversation, which allows the reader to get to know them. Dare I say we can see through the window into their souls? Yes, the characters do reveal so much; they’re naked and vulnerable… and not just for sex.

Three Wolves Mountain is certainly a special yaoi manga volume. When I came to the last pages of the story, I was sad to see it end.

A+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: AWKWARD SILENCE Volume 3

AWKWARD SILENCE, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Hinako Takanaga
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERING: Deron Bennett
COVER: Hinako Takanaga and Fawn Lau
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4356-7; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Born in Aichi, Japan, Hinako Takanaga is a female mangaka (creator) known for her yaoi manga work, including such titles as The Devil’s Secret and Liberty Liberty! She has also provided illustrations for light novels.

SuBLime is currently publishing her BL/yaoi manga series, Awkward Silence. “Yaoi manga” is a subset of boy’s love manga (BL) that usually depicts romance and explicit sex between male characters. The third volume of Awkward Silence focuses on a high school student confused after a rascally classmate steals a kiss from him.

Awkward Silence Volume 3 (Voice 6 to 7 and “Side Voice”) focuses on Yuji “Yu” Sagara. In Vol. 1, Sagara was a rival of Keigo Tamiya’s for the affections of shy and introverted Satoru Tono. Now, Sagara is the shy one, and a busy shy guy at that. Sagara’s mother needs surgery, and he works a part-time job to pay bills while his mother is in the hospital. In addition to preparing for college, Sagara also works in the Student Council Office at Nishikou High.

That Student Council is the reason Sagara has to deal with Takahito Kagami, an incorrigible flirt who has all the girls after him. When Kagami steals a kiss from him, Sagara doesn’t know what to do.

While it is labeled as a yaoi manga, Awkward Silence Volume 3 does not feature much in the way of sex, especially of an explicit nature. This graphic novel could be labeled as shounen-ai, the other subset of boys’ love manga. Labels don’t really matter, however, in regards to this book’s quality.

Awkward Silence Volume 3 is like a shojo manga high school romance, but with a same-sex couple rather than with teen boy-teen girl lovebirds. Sagara worries and frets about the way he acts around Kagami. Kagami comes on strong, but is genuinely determined to prove his love to Sagara. This love story is sweet and gentle. It even has light, comic moments, such as when Sagara and Kagami join Tono and Tamiya on a double date at the amusement park, MB Land.

I enjoy the grab-ass-a-rama that yaoi manga can often be, but I also like the pure romance that boys’ love offers, such as in this sweet, shojo-like book. I want more like Awkward Silence Volume 3. Readers looking for love stories about awkward young love can find it in the SuBLime series, Awkward Silence.

A-

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux