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.

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: 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