#IReadsYou Review: CASTE HEAVEN Volume 1

CASTE HEAVEN, VOL. 1
SUBLIME MANGA/Libre – @SuBLimeManga

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Chise Ogawa – @ogawaccc
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Deborah Fisher
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1245-8; paperback (March 2020); Rated “M” for “Mature”
220pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Caste Heaven is a yaoi manga from mangaka, Chise Ogawa.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  Caste Heaven focuses on a group of high school students who play a cruel game that determines class rank... and who's on top.

Caste Heaven, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1-6) introduces Class 2-1.  The students in this class play a secret game called the “Caste Game.”  Students hunt the campus for playing cards that will determine the class' rigid hierarchy.  The highest value card is the “King” card, and the lowest card is the “Joker.”  The one who finds the “King” card becomes the king (or queen).  The one who finds the “Joker” card becomes “the target” or “the bullied one,” and is subject to extreme pain and humiliation from all the other students – especially from the king.

The past school year, Yuya Azusa, has been the king.  Ruthless and arrogant, he lorded his status over the other students.  This is a new school year, however, and it is time to play the Caste Game again.  Azusa plots to be king again, but after he is betrayed, he may have to accept a new position – the new king's bitch!

[This volume includes bonus story, “Behind the Game,” and an “Afterword.”]

The Caste Heaven yaoi manga tells a story in the spirit of many manga.  There is an implausible scenario, but if the author (or mangaka) can weave a captivating story from that implausible premise, the result can be a winning manga.

Caste Heaven Graphic Novel Volume 1 starts off from its first page with a ridiculous concept.  Honestly, I didn't think that I could finish this first volume, but then, I started to enjoy the struggle that creator Chise Ogawa depicts.  Azusa and the other characters in these first chapters struggle with what they really want, with what they really think, and with whom they really want.  There is a conflict between what they present to society at large (in this case, their high school class) and what they reveal in intimate settings when they are with the person they (might) love... or the person that makes them hot and horny.

Adrienne Beck's translation expertly captures the inconsistencies, the vagaries, the fickleness, and the angst.  Beck reveals how this series moves from raunchy lust to love and hot sex... that could end up being real love...”?

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

SubBLimeManga.com


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.

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Yaoi Review: DON'T BE CRUEL 2-IN-1 Volume 1

DON'T BE CRUEL 2-IN-1, VOL. 1
SUBLIME MANGA (Libre) – @SuBLimeManga

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Yonezou Nekota – @yonekozoh
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: NRP Studios
EDITOR: Jennifer LeBlanc
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8697-7; paperback (June 2016); Rated “M” for “Mature”
308pp, B&W, $16.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN, £10.99 UK

Don't Be Cruel is a yaoi manga from popular mangaka, Yonezou Nekota.  Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (or BL) manga, which depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads.  Yaoi manga usually features explicit depictions of sex between those male leads.  Don't Be Cruel focuses on a playboy who forces a studious classmate into a sexual relationship.

SuBLime Manga is making Don't Be Cruel available in a 2-in-1 omnibus edition in both print and digital formats.  2-in-1 editions combine two graphic novels in a single paperback volume.

Don't Be Cruel 2-in-1 Edition, Vol. 1 finds Takahashi Nemugasa forced against a fence.  Who has backed Nemugasa into a corner?  It's Hideyuki Maya, the tall, dark, and handsome school playboy.  Why has Maya put Nemugasa in such a vulnerable position?

Nemugasa attends school on a scholarship, and while his grades are generally good, a recent academic setback has put him in danger of loosing that scholarship.  In an act of desperation, Nemugasa cheats, but Maya catches him.  Now, Maya wants Nemugasa to report to his apartment twice a week for sex.  Nemugasa submits, but Maya never seems to get enough.  The real problem is this:  can a sexual relationship built on blackmail be something more?

[This volume includes the bonus story, “The Morning After They Became Lovers,” and some bonus illustrations.]

In its first chapter, the Don't Be Cruel yaoi manga comes across as nothing more than a pornographic comic book.  It is neither erotic nor romantic, offering a parade of oral and anal penetration shots and also depictions of the penis in various stages of erection.

This changes when author Yonezou Nekota introduces two characters into the story, both are cousins of Hideyuki Maya.  There is Akira, a tutor and graduate student at K University.  Next is Jutta, who is also Akira's brother.  Akira acts as a dark and handsome, wise sage counterpoint to the tom-catting Maya.  Jutta is the uke comic relief who openly flirts with Nemugasa and obviously wants to be in a relationship with him.

The addition of these two characters creates romantic entanglements such as the love triangle and jealousy.  Nekota starts forcing her leads, Nemugasa and Maya, to work on their relationship and to even fight for their love.  Suddenly, the recreational sex fades and romance takes center stage, as Nekota offers her readers a front row seat to the evolution of a BL couple from sexual coercion to struggling young love.

Don't Be Cruel is thoroughly enjoyable, especially as one goes deeper into the narrative.  Personally, I reached a point where it was hard for me to stop reading.  I am assuming that there is more of this series coming, and there should be.  Don't be cruel, Nekota-san.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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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.

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: 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

Yaoi Review: PUNCH UP! Volume 3

PUNCH UP!, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shiuko Kano
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERING: Joanna Estep
COVER: Shiuko Kano with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4354-3; paperback (January 2013); Rated “M” for “Mature”
202pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

A prolific, female Japanese manga creator, Shiuko Kano is known for her boys’ love and yaoi titles, such as the “Steppin’ Stone” series and Play Boy Blues. Punch Up! is a yaoi manga series from Shiuko Kano. 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 3 (Acts 7 to 9), Motoharu’s career as an architect is soaring. But he isn’t completely happy because he is jealous of Kouta. Yuya Fukazu, the man who took Kouta’s virginity, is back in the picture. Motoharu thinks that he is finding Fukazu in Kouta’s presence too often. Motoharu’s suspicions create hard feelings between him and Kouta, as well as making Kouta unsure about himself and also depressed. Kouta finds himself desperate to prove his love.

Then, a terrible accident occurs. A 15-year-old close to them returns. And Kiyoto Ohki, Kouta’s transgender brother, arrives.

The Punch Up! yaoi manga is a conflict-driven narrative. The love is real. The sex is hot. However, love and sex come with conflicts between lovers; even friends and colleagues squabble. I don’t want to give away the big turn-of-events that happens in this volume, but conflict and love become entwined more than ever. It’s good character drama, although it also seems a bit stretched too far in some places.

The best sex scenes happen in a bonus story, “Maki Motoharu’s Recreation Special.” The story starts off as a hand-made, drawn-in-a-tablet comic created by Kouta. Talk about explicit – male genitalia and orifices don’t get the shadowy-blurry art treatment. This is definitely a behind-the-counter / backroom edition. Readers looking for intense romance and explicit depictions of gay sex will want to Punch Up! Enjoy!

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Yaoi Review: PUNCH UP! Volume 1

PUNCH UP!, VOL. 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Shiuko Kano
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERING: Joanna Estep
COVER: Shiuko Kano with Florence Yuen
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5002-2; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
178pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Shiuko Kano is a prolific, female Japanese manga creator. Known for her boys’ love and yaoi titles, she has produced such comics as the “Steppin’ Stone” series and Play Boy Blues. Punch Up! is a yaoi manga series from Kano. The first volume focuses on an unpredictable architect and a construction worker with a fashion model’s looks. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga, which features explicit depictions of sex between male characters, and Punch Up! definitely features explicit sex.

At the beginning of Punch Up! Volume 1, architect Maki Motoharu breaks up a fight at a construction site. One of the combatants is a 19-year-old, foul-mouthed, young ironworker named Ohki Kouta. Motoharu takes notice of the hunky, well-toned young hothead. He gets a big surprise when he discovers that Kouta found his lost cat, Shinobu, whom Kouta has named “Nyanta.”

When Motoharu learns that Kouta’s kind act of saving his cat caused Kouta to be evicted, Motoharu offers to let Kouta live with him for until he finds another place. Before long, the new roomies are playing grab-ass, but Motoharu’s fickle ways confuse Kouta. Add old boyfriends and rivals like Ryoji Misonoh, Junsuke Aki, and Shinobu Hishiya, to the mix, and love cannot blossom. Can Kouta the stray cat find love in a relationship with a tomcat like Motoharu? Plus, the bonus short story, “Sweet Train,” finds Aki and Hishiya trying to enjoy a love train.

Punch Up! Volume 1 is a conflict-driven narrative. Both Motoharu and Kouta have past affiliations that cause stress and strife in their relationship. As I read this story, I was sure that at any time I turned the page, I would come upon a break-up scene. The tension that the conflicts and old boyfriends create, however, does lose its starch towards the end of the story, but that is mitigated by the sex scenes.

The characters seem to live by the creed, “Let’s have sex, even if you did just hear me propositioning an old lover.” The depictions of sex are hardcore, but that fits with the story perfectly. The young men in Punch Up! Volume 1 are pretty, but their rough personalities fit the story’s hard hat setting.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

http://sublimemanga.com/

Yaoi Review: STARTING WITH A KISS Volume 1

"Island of Lust Souls"

STARTING WITH A KISS VOLUME 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Youka Nitta
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERING: NRP Studios
COVER: Youka Nitta with Chii Maene
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5002-2; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Born in Japan, Youka Nitta is a female mangaka (creator) known for her works in the boys’ love genre, especially the series, Embracing Love. Starting with a Kiss is a yaoi manga series from Nitta. The series focuses on two up-and-coming crime bosses who enter into a sexual relationship. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga which features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Starting with a Kiss Volume 1 introduces readers to two characters. First, there is Tohru Suki, son of yakuza boss, Shinya Suki. Then, there is Mutsumi, the son of Itsuki Kiria, Shinya’s second-in-command. Shinya sends Mutsumi into exile on a deserted island in order to keep him out of harm’s way during a gang feud. Itsuki also sends Mutsumi with Tohru, hoping that his studious son will take a liking to the family business. Mutsumi doesn’t like the family business, but in Tohru, he does see something he likes – something he likes quite a lot.

I have read a fair bit of yaoi manga, but I don’t think I’ve seen as many penis silhouettes as I saw in this first volume of Starting with a Kiss. Like illustrated depictions of sex? Well, Starting with a Kiss Volume 1 is hip-thrusts ahoy. If you want sex in your yaoi manga, this volume will certainly give that to you. One young man is often on top of another, grunting and sweating as he pounds out a message of love on the fleshy typewriter that is his partner’s firm body.

However, this isn’t just some humping around. Starting with a Kiss has a sense of humor, and the fathers, Shinya and Itsuki, are a riot. Part of this first volume has some back story on them, but they deserve their own graphic novel. Leering yakuza soldiers and an over-protective fixer add to the comedy. Starting with a Kiss starts off just right.

A-

[This volume includes the short story, “LOL Theatre.”]

http://www.SuBLimeManga.com

Yaoi Review: AWKWARD SILENCE Volume 1

AWKWARD SILENCE, VOL. 1
SUBLIME

CARTOONIST: Hinako Takanaga
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERING: Deron Bennett
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4347-5; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
202pp, 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 recently published the first volume of her BL/yaoi manga series, Awkward Silence. For those who don’t know, “BL” is boys’ love manga, a comic book that features romance between male characters. “Yaoi manga” is a subset of BL that usually depicts explicit sex. Awkward Silence is about an introverted boy who finally gets the boy of his dreams, but finds himself too overcome to speak to his dream lover.

Awkward Silence Volume 1 introduces Satoru Tono is a shy, introverted, high school boy. He has long had a crush on Keigo Tamiya, a popular boy who plays baseball for their school, Nishikou High. Tamiya shocks Tono by striking up a conversation with him, but Tono is so overcome that he cannot respond to the nice things Tamiya says to him. As their relationship blossoms, Tono and Tamiya find others coming between the two of them.

One is Yukari Machida, a pretty girl who always seems to be next to Tamiya. Tono is shocked to discover that he is jealous of this pretty teen rival. Tono also discovers that Yuji “Yu” Sagara, a former childhood pal, is also a student at Nishikou. Yu wants to be friends again, much closer friends than before (and they were pretty close). Tamiya, however, thinks Yu is trying to get too close to Tono.

I think the most compelling thing about the romance of Tono and Tamiya is that one is such an introvert (Tono) and the other is the typical high school athlete/extrovert (Tamiya). Tono’s inability to give voice to his feelings – literally, he can barely speak when overcome with strong feelings – is a bit overstated. Hinako Takanaga presents this in such a way that it made me want to follow this love story, if for no other reason that to enjoy Tono’s humorous suffering. When he can’t express himself in words, Tono allows others to make assumptions about what he wants, thinks, or feels, and such misunderstanding is a mother of comedy invention.

The supporting characters, Yukari Machida and Yuji Sagara, are just what Awkward Silence needs when the narrative gets bogged down in the speechless boy/aggressive boy dynamic. More pixie than vixen, Ms. Machida is seemingly oblivious to the problems she causes, which makes her good for relationship comedy. Takanaga depicts Sagara as so insistent, especially in the way he pursues Tono, that he comes across as a lead character. Sagara is Awkward Silence’s biggest stimulus of conflict.

Takanaga’s art is not one of the better examples of graphical storytelling you’ll find in a yaoi manga. The art emphasizes facial expression, because this story is all about expressing feeling and depicting the intensity of romantic love and sex via facial expressions. Also, the story is divided into three chapters. Takanaga has Tono and Tamiya make love to close each chapter. And while the silence may be awkward, the bedroom play isn’t.

B+

SuBLimeManga.com

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SuBLime Website Offers Digital Boys' Love and Yaoi Manga

GLOBAL YAOI MANGA PUBLISHER SuBLime KICKS OFF 2012 WITH TANTALIZING DIGITAL OFFERINGS

Bold New Publisher Releases Acclaimed Boys’ Love Manga LOVE PISTOLS, OKU-SAN’S DAILY FANTASIES, THE BED OF MY DEAR KING, And HUSBAND, HONEYMOON

SuBLime, the global yaoi manga (graphic novel) publishing initiative between VIZ Media and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate) and Libre Publishing Co., Ltd. (Libre Publishing), opens 2012 with a variety of notable new releases. Today, the company launches LOVE PISTOLS Vol. 1 by Tarako Kotobuki, HUSBAND, HONEYMOON Vol. 1 by Haruka Minami, OKU-SAN’S DAILY FANTASIES by Noboru Takatsuki, and THE BED OF MY DEAR KING by Sakae Kusama.

The new titles are rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and carry an MSRP of USD $5.99 each. The $5.99 purchase price offers fans digital access to two versions of each manga volume on http://www.sublimemanga.com/ – a downloadable PDF that is viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer, and via the online manga viewer found on the web site.

“Yaoi fans will not to want to miss this collection of exciting releases available now from SuBLime,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “Haruka Minami and Tarako Kotobuki are two of the most acclaimed creators within the genre. We invite fans to visit the SuBLime web site to take advantage of the speed and ease of digital download, and to further explore these titles.”

LOVE PISTOLS by Tarako Kotobuki • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $5.99 USD • Available Now
Norio Tsuburaya is just your average, regular high school student—until the day when he drives his scooter into a garden wall and wakes up with the ability to see zoomans! His eyes aren't the only things affected—his pheromones are working overtime, and all the hot beast breeds at school are looking to mate... with HIM! Just when he thinks things can't get any worse, his heavyweight schoolmate, Kunimasa, "marks" Norio as his! What's an in-demand premium to do? Series is known as SEX PISTOLS in Japan.

HUSBAND, HONEYMOON by Haruka Minami • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $5.99 USD • Available Now
Sakuya and Shuji are a couple of love-struck newlyweds. Shuji is a hard-nosed section chief who, unbeknownst to his employees, sneaks away on his coffee breaks to gaze lovingly at pictures of his sweet Sakuya. Sakuya, on the other hand, struggles with the simplest of household chores, desperate to please his loving, hardworking husband. With the sudden intrusion of a handsome next-door neighbor, Sakuya’s days are about to be just as stimulating as his sexy nights with Shuji!

OKU-SAN’S DAILY FANTASIES by Noboru Takatsuki • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $5.99 USD• Available Now
Oku-san is a normal office worker who has one joy in life, to fantasize about his local deliveryman, Sudo-kun. To feed his fantasies and his desire to see Sudo-kun, Oku-san habitually shops online filling his room with useless and sometimes very erotic things. It’s all pretty harmless until one day his neighbor Yokoshima finds out about his secret hobby. Caught between two hot guys—at least in his mind—will Oku-san be able to fantasize his way out of this one?

THE BED OF MY DEAR KING by Sakae Kusama • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $5.99 USD • Available Now
A suite of emotionally resonant, romantic stories told by a critically acclaimed manga creator. In “The Bed of My Dear King,” an electrician called to a remote job deep in the mountains discovers the startling reasons behind the behavior of the house’s lone occupant, an eccentric young sculptor. In “Cherry,” an overachieving high school student forms an unexpected bond with a laid-back classmate. And in “Flowers,” the secrets surrounding a tragic death lead to an unexpected, and poignant, resolution.

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at http://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.

VIZ Media Announces New Yaoi Manga Line Called "SuBLime"

VIZ MEDIA PARTNERS WITH JAPAN’S ANIMATE AND LIBRE PUBLISHING TO LAUNCH SuBLime, A NEW YAOI MANGA LINE

North American Manga Publishing Powerhouse Launches A Bold New Initiative To Deliver Acclaimed Boys’ Love Titles Digitally And In Print To An Eager Fan Base

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced the launch of its highly anticipated new yaoi manga (graphic novel) line – SuBLime – which represents an innovative new partnership between VIZ Media and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate) and Libre Publishing Co., Ltd. (Libre Publishing).

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 on its dedicated web site at SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide. From the supernatural men of Naono Bohra’s tales of fantasy to the sexy actors portrayed in some of Youka Nitta’s best works, SuBLime will offer something for even the most discerning yaoi manga fan.

“The yaoi manga genre enjoys a sizeable and very passionate following, and the launch of SuBLime will give fans around the world an entirely new outlet that will deliver an exciting range of titles,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President of Publishing, VIZ Media. “We invite fans to join us as we prepare to bring some of the best new boys’ love manga titles to North America and beyond!”

“I’m very excited to open the way to providing boys’ love manga to fans all over the world,” says Shingo Kunieda, Director of Animate's Overseas Division. “There are many wonderful yaoi manga titles released every month in Japan, and we know that fans want to read them as soon as possible. We are always moving forward to find new ways of doing business, and by partnering with VIZ Media, we can make yaoi fans happy and release boys’ love titles as quickly as possible!”

Toshiko Ohta, President of Libre Publishing, concurs, saying, “Libre’s dream is to bring our content to yaoi fans around the world. In partnership with VIZ Media, this is now a reality. We look forward to readers’ support for SuBLime!”

SuBLime’s first round of digital manga titles are scheduled to launch this December, and will feature LOVE PISTOLS Vol. 1, by Tarako Kotobuki, and the North American debut of DANNASAMA TO MITSUGETSUCHU Vol. 1, by Haruka Minami. January 2012 sees the debut of OUSAMA NO BED, by Sakae Kusama, and in February, SWEET POOL Vol. 1, by Nitro+CHiRAL. Additional new titles slated for 2012 include SHIZUKU HANABIRA RINGO NO KAORI Vols. 1 and 2 by Toko Kawai, DEVIL’S HONEY by Isaku Natsume, KEKKON ZENYA by Kou Fujisaki, ADULT TEACHER WA OSUKI? by Kiu Aion, and YOKUBOU NO SHIZUKU by You Higashino.

SuBLime’s first print titles are scheduled to be THREE WOLVES MOUNTAIN, by Naono Bohra, and HACHIMITSU DARLING, by Norikazu Akira, which will both be released in Spring 2012, followed by PUNCH UP Vol. 1, by Shiuko Kano, and AITSU NO DAIHONMEI Vol. 1, by Suzuki Tanaka, to be released in the Summer of 2012.

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


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at http://www.viz.com/.

About Animate, Ltd.
From North to South, it’s by far the largest anime store chain in Japan! There are 100 shops across Japan, gathering countless anime-related goods to fire up the spirits of anime fans. It’s the go-to place for any anime-manga fan! Character goods from anime, manga, game, comics, art supplies… You name it! All anime/mange-related merchandise is available! Additionally, you can find original Animate goods, specials, etc. Furthermore, we have special events such as autograph sessions, panel discussions, campaigns, and more! Come to Animate filled with ‘dreams’ and ‘hope’!! See http://www.animate-world.com/ for more information.

About Libre Publishing Co., Ltd.
The biggest boys’ love publisher in Japan. The company name “Libre Publishing Co., Ltd.” is taken from the Latin base “Lib”, which can mean “Book” or “Liberty”. Such is the aim of our company, to be able to share this love of “books” and “freedom” by the unique contents of the works that we offer, for the enjoyment of our readers. See http://www.libre-pub.co.jp/ for more information (in Japanese).

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