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juushikaI've been reading a ton of manga and barely reviewing a fraction of it, a combination which still leads to a few reviews piling up unshared. Same old warnings apply: these manga contain explicit sex and may contain BDSM, rape, or student/adult relationships. So to begin:
6 random BL manga:
Title: Hakui no Shihaisha (A Ruler Who is Wearing White Coat)
Mangaka: Kabutomaru Chouko
Chapters: 8
Rating: 3 of 5
Moriyasu sells medical equipment to a hospital where Nobuaki is a surgeon. Nobuaki teases Moriyasu because he suspects Moriyasu has hidden potentail—as a submissive. For a manga all about BDSM, this is surprisingly tame. There's hardcore sex, bondage, piercings, sex toys—but Moriyasu's idealized characterization and dedication to Nobuaki soften all those aspects such a point that this almost feels like any other boys love manga with a bit of bonus rope bondage. As such it's probably a good choice for those looking for something soft and sweet but kinky; I was expecting something a more hardcore and came away feeling underwhelmed. This isn't bad, but it's nothing special and I don't recommend it.
Title: Isso Mou, Kudokitai! (How About a Boyfriend?)
Mangaka: Mishima Kazuhiko
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
School-teacher Ayukawa has always had trouble with women, so when Hino, one of his male students, becomes exceptionally friendly, he wonders is a boyfriend is the solution to his troubles in love. In the second half, another schoolboy is inspired by Hino's example and confesses his feelings for a classmate. What Mishima does best is defy the BL stereotypes of seme and uke, and that little detail transforms these otherwise unremarkable love stories to something pretty enjoyable. The art is lovely though the sex is frustratingly inexplicit, but the best part is the interplay between the characters who come together in relationships which work for them, even if it's not what onlookers (or the audience) expect. The second story (chapters 3-5) makes up the better half of the book.
Title: Love-Letter of Flowers
Mangaka: Mishima Kazuhiko
Chapters: 5
Rating: 2 of 5
A collection of short stories of boys falling in love: a music teacher finds origami flowers outside his door, a teacher blackmails a student, a student is too agressive with his teacher, and a man uses a coworker to gain sexual experience. The title story is the gem, here: It's adorable and romantic, short and sweet without feeling hasty. The other stories have promise but they all leave a little something to be desired, and despite their differences the stories become a little repeditive by the end of the volume. All told, this is a harmless diversion but there's nothing here that's really worth seeking out.
Title: Love Prism
Mangaka: Tohjoh Asami
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
Two brothers are involved in a long-standing BDSM relationship, but when a schoolmate witnesses them having sex, he becomes obsessed with the younger of the siblings. This manga was never completed; what exists is the beginning of a complex story of attraction, incest, and abuse. Unfortunately, because it's incomplete it doesn't quite work: the story is unfinished, of course, and so the promising, dark plot is left unexplored; meanwhile, the disturbing aspects of that plot prevent what does exist from being entertaining smut. Would that the mangaka had had the chance to complete this—but as it stands, this manga is promising but ultimately disappointing.
Title: Three Wolves Mountain
Mangaka: Naono Bohra
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
Graveyard-tender and restaurant-owner Sasugi finds two hungry werewolf brothers who have been kicked out of their home—and invites them to share his. I'm not quite sure what I thought of this manga: werewolves make for fun characters, but the supernatural settling makes for unbelievable plotlines; the romantic aspects are enjoyable, but they fail to be particularly exciting or memorable. I felt like I was forgetting this manga even as I was reading it—it leaves no lasting impression, and so I don't recommend it.
Title: Ushirosugata no Natsu no Neko (The Summer Cat Turns it Back)
Mangaka: Kunieda Saika
Chapters: 1
Rating: 2+ of 5
After seeing a black cat, a man is reminded of an old schoolmate—and then the schoolmate suddenly appears in front of him, and he seems not to have aged. This manga has an odd little plot which hints at the supernatural and can be somewhat confusing—until it resolves itself in a bit of hasty explication in the last few pages. Up until the final reveal, the surreal and confusing plot is actually quite delightful, and it puts an enjoyable spin on otherwise unremarkable characters and romance. But the ending ruins the concept, and I came away from this manga disappointed. Well, it was a nice try! I don't recommend it.
Also 3 BL manga by mangaka Minase Masara (there would be one more, but I'm saving it for a neko manga-themed post):
Title: Empty Heart
Mangaka: Minase Masara
Chapters: 2
Rating: 4 of 5
Ryuuta harbors a lifetime crush on brother's best friend, Usami—but Usami is caught up in his unrequited love for Ryuuuta's brother. But as fate would have it, Ryuuta is the splitting image of his sibling. Empty Heart has its weaknesses, including a few clichéd BL manga aspects and some too-quick plot developments, but Ryuuta's conflicted feelings make up for it. Initally willing to be his brother's substitute in order to get close to Usami, Ryuuta grows increasingly desirous of Usami's heart as well as his body, and the sympathetic progression of these emotions makes for an intriguing, enjoyable manga. It could have been better but on the whole I enjoyed this and recommend it.
Title: Unbalance na Netsu (Unbalanced Heat)
Mangaka: Minase Masara
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
Ryuu tries to befriend his classmate Yoshito, but Yoshito's brother is determined to destroy their relationship—by any means. Unbalace na Netsu is a difficult manga to review. Rape-as-love is a pretty common trope in BL manga (a fact which deserves a myriad of commentary), and whether or not I approve of that I'm usually pretty immune to it—but in this manga, it's a little squicky. Minase is just honest enough about the trauma of rape that it's impossible to brush it aside as a tabboo fantasy, but not so honest that the protagonist doesn't manage to fall in love with his rapist. In this manga, rape is an idealized evil and that, frankly, is disturbing and unpleasant—so while the troubled characters and interesting love-triangle may be promising, Unbalance na Netsu is ultimately unenjoyable. Not recommended.
Title: Uso to Kiss (Lies & Kisses)
Mangaka: Minase Masara
Chapters: 7
Rating: 4+ of 5
Tatsuya is in search of his half-brother, but never imagined that he'd find him working part-time at a bar and certainly never imagined that he'd fall in love with Haru before discovering his true identity. I love nothing more to see a taboo premise realized rather than swept under a rug, and Uso to Kiss does just that: rather than shying from it, this manga explores the siblings's angst as they weigh incest and social taboo against love. It may not be wholly realistic, but the conflicted emotions in this romance are beautiful and captivating, and it makes for a beautiful love story if incestual themes work for you. The art is great, too—all told this is my favorite of Misase's work so far, and I recommend it.
And 1 straight (I know! this is crazytalk) hentai manga:
Title: Teacher's Pet (Sensei no Okiniiri)
Mangaka: Aihara Miki
Chapters: 1
Rating: 2+ of 5
Misuzu has just started working her dream job as a teacher. She's dating the school principle, but when she's assaulted by a student who's also the principle's brother, her job and relationships are thrown into turmoil. Teacher's Pet begins with rape and goes on to blackmail and abuse—all under the cover of confused, forbidden love. And that would be fine, except that it taints both halves: the twisted senarios are never fully realized, and the romance is entirely unbelievable. There's still some hot parts but on the whole, I found this manga intriguing but disappointing.
6 random BL manga:
Title: Hakui no Shihaisha (A Ruler Who is Wearing White Coat)
Mangaka: Kabutomaru Chouko
Chapters: 8
Rating: 3 of 5
Moriyasu sells medical equipment to a hospital where Nobuaki is a surgeon. Nobuaki teases Moriyasu because he suspects Moriyasu has hidden potentail—as a submissive. For a manga all about BDSM, this is surprisingly tame. There's hardcore sex, bondage, piercings, sex toys—but Moriyasu's idealized characterization and dedication to Nobuaki soften all those aspects such a point that this almost feels like any other boys love manga with a bit of bonus rope bondage. As such it's probably a good choice for those looking for something soft and sweet but kinky; I was expecting something a more hardcore and came away feeling underwhelmed. This isn't bad, but it's nothing special and I don't recommend it.
Title: Isso Mou, Kudokitai! (How About a Boyfriend?)
Mangaka: Mishima Kazuhiko
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
School-teacher Ayukawa has always had trouble with women, so when Hino, one of his male students, becomes exceptionally friendly, he wonders is a boyfriend is the solution to his troubles in love. In the second half, another schoolboy is inspired by Hino's example and confesses his feelings for a classmate. What Mishima does best is defy the BL stereotypes of seme and uke, and that little detail transforms these otherwise unremarkable love stories to something pretty enjoyable. The art is lovely though the sex is frustratingly inexplicit, but the best part is the interplay between the characters who come together in relationships which work for them, even if it's not what onlookers (or the audience) expect. The second story (chapters 3-5) makes up the better half of the book.
Title: Love-Letter of Flowers
Mangaka: Mishima Kazuhiko
Chapters: 5
Rating: 2 of 5
A collection of short stories of boys falling in love: a music teacher finds origami flowers outside his door, a teacher blackmails a student, a student is too agressive with his teacher, and a man uses a coworker to gain sexual experience. The title story is the gem, here: It's adorable and romantic, short and sweet without feeling hasty. The other stories have promise but they all leave a little something to be desired, and despite their differences the stories become a little repeditive by the end of the volume. All told, this is a harmless diversion but there's nothing here that's really worth seeking out.
Title: Love Prism
Mangaka: Tohjoh Asami
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
Two brothers are involved in a long-standing BDSM relationship, but when a schoolmate witnesses them having sex, he becomes obsessed with the younger of the siblings. This manga was never completed; what exists is the beginning of a complex story of attraction, incest, and abuse. Unfortunately, because it's incomplete it doesn't quite work: the story is unfinished, of course, and so the promising, dark plot is left unexplored; meanwhile, the disturbing aspects of that plot prevent what does exist from being entertaining smut. Would that the mangaka had had the chance to complete this—but as it stands, this manga is promising but ultimately disappointing.
Title: Three Wolves Mountain
Mangaka: Naono Bohra
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
Graveyard-tender and restaurant-owner Sasugi finds two hungry werewolf brothers who have been kicked out of their home—and invites them to share his. I'm not quite sure what I thought of this manga: werewolves make for fun characters, but the supernatural settling makes for unbelievable plotlines; the romantic aspects are enjoyable, but they fail to be particularly exciting or memorable. I felt like I was forgetting this manga even as I was reading it—it leaves no lasting impression, and so I don't recommend it.
Title: Ushirosugata no Natsu no Neko (The Summer Cat Turns it Back)
Mangaka: Kunieda Saika
Chapters: 1
Rating: 2+ of 5
After seeing a black cat, a man is reminded of an old schoolmate—and then the schoolmate suddenly appears in front of him, and he seems not to have aged. This manga has an odd little plot which hints at the supernatural and can be somewhat confusing—until it resolves itself in a bit of hasty explication in the last few pages. Up until the final reveal, the surreal and confusing plot is actually quite delightful, and it puts an enjoyable spin on otherwise unremarkable characters and romance. But the ending ruins the concept, and I came away from this manga disappointed. Well, it was a nice try! I don't recommend it.
Also 3 BL manga by mangaka Minase Masara (there would be one more, but I'm saving it for a neko manga-themed post):
Title: Empty Heart
Mangaka: Minase Masara
Chapters: 2
Rating: 4 of 5
Ryuuta harbors a lifetime crush on brother's best friend, Usami—but Usami is caught up in his unrequited love for Ryuuuta's brother. But as fate would have it, Ryuuta is the splitting image of his sibling. Empty Heart has its weaknesses, including a few clichéd BL manga aspects and some too-quick plot developments, but Ryuuta's conflicted feelings make up for it. Initally willing to be his brother's substitute in order to get close to Usami, Ryuuta grows increasingly desirous of Usami's heart as well as his body, and the sympathetic progression of these emotions makes for an intriguing, enjoyable manga. It could have been better but on the whole I enjoyed this and recommend it.
Title: Unbalance na Netsu (Unbalanced Heat)
Mangaka: Minase Masara
Chapters: 6
Rating: 3 of 5
Ryuu tries to befriend his classmate Yoshito, but Yoshito's brother is determined to destroy their relationship—by any means. Unbalace na Netsu is a difficult manga to review. Rape-as-love is a pretty common trope in BL manga (a fact which deserves a myriad of commentary), and whether or not I approve of that I'm usually pretty immune to it—but in this manga, it's a little squicky. Minase is just honest enough about the trauma of rape that it's impossible to brush it aside as a tabboo fantasy, but not so honest that the protagonist doesn't manage to fall in love with his rapist. In this manga, rape is an idealized evil and that, frankly, is disturbing and unpleasant—so while the troubled characters and interesting love-triangle may be promising, Unbalance na Netsu is ultimately unenjoyable. Not recommended.
Title: Uso to Kiss (Lies & Kisses)
Mangaka: Minase Masara
Chapters: 7
Rating: 4+ of 5
Tatsuya is in search of his half-brother, but never imagined that he'd find him working part-time at a bar and certainly never imagined that he'd fall in love with Haru before discovering his true identity. I love nothing more to see a taboo premise realized rather than swept under a rug, and Uso to Kiss does just that: rather than shying from it, this manga explores the siblings's angst as they weigh incest and social taboo against love. It may not be wholly realistic, but the conflicted emotions in this romance are beautiful and captivating, and it makes for a beautiful love story if incestual themes work for you. The art is great, too—all told this is my favorite of Misase's work so far, and I recommend it.
And 1 straight (I know! this is crazytalk) hentai manga:
Title: Teacher's Pet (Sensei no Okiniiri)
Mangaka: Aihara Miki
Chapters: 1
Rating: 2+ of 5
Misuzu has just started working her dream job as a teacher. She's dating the school principle, but when she's assaulted by a student who's also the principle's brother, her job and relationships are thrown into turmoil. Teacher's Pet begins with rape and goes on to blackmail and abuse—all under the cover of confused, forbidden love. And that would be fine, except that it taints both halves: the twisted senarios are never fully realized, and the romance is entirely unbelievable. There's still some hot parts but on the whole, I found this manga intriguing but disappointing.
