#My Brother's Husband

[snalsupremacy]

12 MANGA BY LGBT+ CREATORS

Happy pride month!! My time has come. Years of seeking lgbt manga lead me some great finds, and here's all the ones written by openly LGBT mangaka!

1- Our Dreams At Dusk by Yuhki Kamitani, an asexual x-gender creator!

A classic in the lgbt manga niche. Literally google "lgbt manga" and you'll find this one in the top results. It's popular for a reason! Starting Tasuku, a gay teen, the manga deals with members of the queer community from all walks of life living in a small town, and how being queer impact their lives. Yuhki Kamitani's poetic and abstract story telling abilities enhances a simple story line into one of the best emotional roller-coasters you'll ever ride on. TW: Attempt suicide, mentions of said attempt, groping of a minor, lots of homophobia

2- I Think Our Son is Gay by Okura, a gay creator!

An ADORABLE story about a progressive mom trying to learn more about how to support her closeted gay son without making it obvious that she knows. Super sweet and adorable, and the author's notes were so touching! queer joy all around

TW: Discussions and verbal displays of homophobia

3- Boys Run The Riot by Keito Gaku, a transmasc creator!

Another classic in this niche. The story follows a trans boy named Ryo who bonds with the trouble student Jin over men's fashion, and together they decide to start a fashion brand. It's refreshing to see the struggles of a trans boy portrayed so genuine and authentically.

TW: Gender dysphoria, outing

4- My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata, a lesbian creator!

Kabi Nagata is an biographical essayist that publishes all her work in manga form. In one of her most popular works, My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness, Kabi tells the series of the events that led her to sleeping with a lesbian sex worker. Bold and authentic, Kabi has no fear to portray the ugly and fucked up parts of mental illness, in turn crafting an intimate and touching story.

TW: Self-harm, eating disorder, lots of discussions of mental illness, sexuality, and gender.

5- The Bride was a Boy by Chii, a transfem creator!

The biographical tale of the author, Chii, from realizing she's trans to meeting her husband, all told through 4-koma stories! The adorable chibi art-style and light-heartedness of this manga is sure to warm anyone's hearts! It's great to see the story of a trans woman told in such an optimistic and happy way. Details like the pop-ups of information about LGBT and Trans issues to the game-board illustrating her transition journey really show how proud Chii is of her identity, as she should!

TW: None that I remember

6- My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame, a gay creator!

The #1 non-sexual Bara, made by the #1 bara author. Tagame may be more known for his NSFW works, but his first SFW serialization shows the experience he's gained through the decades working on manga, even winning multiple awards (-) . After single father Yaichi's estranged brother passed away, Yaichi gets visited by his Canadian husband, Mike. A beautiful and sweet story of dealing with loss and overcoming homophobia, ft the cutest little child character and a very healthy divorced couple!

TW: Nudity (Technically non-sexual, but Tagame is a bear and it shows), Grief and loss of a loved one

7- To Strip The Flesh by Oto Toda, a transmasc creator!

An anthology book of various stories by Toda. The first of which, To Strip the Flesh (Where the manga gets its namesake) is inspired by the author's experience with dysphoria and coming out as a trans men. Toda was the assistant of Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Men) during the serialization of Fire Punch.

TWs: Gender Dysphoria, gore, mutilation (no blood shown), house invasion, nudity, hunting and skinning of animals, gunshot wound, mysoginy

8-Gay Fuuzoku no Mochigi-san - Sexuality Is Life - by Mochigi, a gay creator!

Originally published on Twitter, Mochigi tells of his experience running away from home and coming to work in the bustling Shinjuku Ni-Chome, Tokyo's gay neighborhood. Through his sex work and work in gay bars, Mochigi tells an authentic story of the ups and downs of the gay culture in Tokyo.

TWs: Though not visually graphic, it goes into a lot of details about gay sex work

9- Vassalord by Nanae Chrono, a transmasc creator!

Y'all aren't ready for the synopsis... ok so this cyborg vampire who works for the Vatican is frenemies with this fuckboy vampire. They fight then make up then kiss and break-up (YOU!). Together they go on missions set by the church. Extremely emo and edgy vampires, actually really great action, and all the charm of early 2000's BL, now with extra blood! Nanae Chromo came out on twitter as trans only recently, and many news sources including Anime List still lists him as Female unfortunately.

TW: Bloody fights, enough homoeroticism to make your teeth rot

10- X-Gender by Asuka Miyazaki, a X-gender creator!

Miyazaki (AFAB) realizes at age 33 that they not only are X-gender, but like woman as well! The relatable and awkward biographical story of the author's experiences and new discoveries about their identity and the community. The manga also takes the time to explain all the terms used in the LGBT community, making it very accessible to those out of the loop! Also, the art-style is very cute.

TW: Lots of talks about sex and gender, possibly other things as I have not read it yet

11- Why I Adopted my Husband by Yuta Yagi, a gay creator!

The cute auto biography of Yuta and Kyota, a gay couple who have been dating for almost 20 years. The manga talks about not only their relationship, but also what it's like to live as a gay couple in Japan, and the draws and benefits of adoption as a way to seek the same legal rights of straight couples.

TWs: None

• Final Word •

I made this list to celebrate all the brave people who are open about their identities, but I also wanna point out that there are incredible LGBT manga out there written by anonymous or even straight creators!

Happy pride month to everyone but specially all the people living in places where it's not safe to be openly LGBT, everyday that you breathe is an act of rebellion, and we should be proud of that!

Here's a quickie of some other LGBT manga that didn't make the list for some reason or another- hmu if u want more details on them or just wanna talk about lgbt manga in general!

[dailydefunctmangamagazine]

Monthly Action (月刊アクション) / Futabasha (双葉社) / Nov 2014 issue

[strangemonochromes]

My Brother's Husband (弟の夫) // Gengoroh Tagame

[pierppasolini]

My Brother’s Husband — by Gengoroh Tagame

My Brother’s Husband (2018) // dir. Teruyuki Yoshida

[fuzoshi]

questions/comments/concerns?

[canadianlucifer]

My Brother's Husband

fuck it, manga review time bc this thing just made me tear up in a very good way

My Brother's Husband is a short manga series (2 volumes, 28 chapters) about a Canadian man named Mike Flanagan travelling to Japan to meet his brother-in-law and niece (Yaichi and Kana) for the first time after his husband passed away. While Kana is super excited to meet a foreigner for the first time and learn about how things are different in Canada and that two people of the same gender can even get married there, Yaichi is reluctant. He remembers how he and his brother grew distant after he came out and is uncomfortable sharing space with a gay man, but grows to accept and even defend Mike, accepting him as part of the family and becoming ashamed of how he treated Mike at first.

I picked up this manga at my local library because I had some time to kill and I'm glad I did. It's a very sweet story about growth and regrets. It's a short read, took me less than two hours (I'm a slow reader though haha), but I really enjoyed the realistic depictions of how homophobia can manifest and how children are born without such prejudice. Yaichi isn't outright hostile or anything, just uncomfortable. Mike is someone very different from anyone he's met before and has grown up in a culture that doesn't really accept queer people or foreigners too much. Still though, he tries to treat Mike like any other guest and through Mike's stay, he dismantles the homophobic ideas he had in his head and regrets treating his brother so differently after he had come out.

Kana still has her childlike wonder and amazement learning about her new uncle, treating him no different than anyone else, and wanting to know everything she can about Canada. She doesn't know or care about cultural differences yet and is excited to tell people about her gay Canadian uncle.

I don't have much else to say tbh, it's just a sweet short story, something I recommend if you have the time!

[killerandhealerqueen]

Y'all, I am reading the manga "My Brother's Husband" (because I saw it in a bookstore window and was like "oh, that looks interesting" and oh my god, it's so good. It was also made into a live action and I'm definitely gonna have to check it out because this manga is just...so good

[fictionalcanadianshowdown]

Mike Flanagan is from My Brother’s Husband, a manga by Gengoroh Tagame, later turned into a tv show:

Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, and father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself to be the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji's past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it's been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it

Scott Pilgrim is from Scott Piligim vs The World, a graphic novel later adapted into a movie. Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes.

[lambdalibrary]

My Brother's Husband | Otōto no Otto

Content Warnings

Homophobia

Links

A link to Penguin Random House where you can buy the volumes. You can also find read them on manga sites, but the fan translators stopped when the volumes were officially translated in order to help promote the work. That's only for English however. Sites I've checked have the full work translated in Spanish and Portuguese if you are fluent.

Tagame's website where you can see his other work. This link is NSFW

Tagame's Twitter. This link is also NSFW.

Something I'd like to say while linking to these sites and before I talk about the manga itself is how different My Brother's Husband is from Tagame's other work. My Brother's Husband is a light hearted slice of life manga, and Tagame's other works are very explicit. I've seen other people explain this difference before they recommend people check out Tagame's other work in a way that I would say feels very judgemental, if not homophobic, even if the people saying it are LGBT themselves.

While I obviously think its good to warn people that his other work is NSFW and therefore may not be what they're looking for, its important not to end up putting his NSFW stuff down in the process. In fact, I think its important that his other work is so explicit. Sexuality after all, is about sexuality. LGBT erotica and pornography is just as important to LGBT history and culture as anything else. Plus, it's not like My Brother's Husband doesn't have a few panels of barely covered men anyways.

Summary

My Brother's Husband is a slice of life manga about Origuchi Yaichi who has to deal with both his homophobia and the death of his brother Ryoji and what family means as Ryoji's husband Mike Flanagan comes to visit.

Thoughts

Definitely check this out if you're a fan of manga especially slice of life manga or you're just looking for something short and sweet. It's just really cute and I mean sometimes that's all you need. That's not to say there's not substance here because there is, its just explored through a more lighthearted genre.

Like there's the idea of culture and tradition that's explored. It's important not only that Mike is gay but that he's also white. That Ryoji went to Canada to be himself and died there versus in Japan. While this is a large part of the manga, I don't feel qualified enough on the LGBT culture of Japan to go into detail on it myself though, especially when comparing countries based on their LGBT rights records can contribute to pinkwashing.

The only real negative thing I can say is that My Brother's Husband might be a bit too...educational focused? Like I as a gay person don't need a chapter to inform me why other LGBT people might stay in the closet, but a cishet person might. But that's not even a negative thing, that's even part of the reason it exists to help educate people about gay issues in Japan. But it never educates from...for lack of a better term, a cishet gaze? Obviously partially because the author himself is gay but even though the narrator is not it just never slips into treating Mike as a purely educational tool. He's his own character, just like everyone else in the manga.

[brightlotusmoon]

[snalsupremacy]

gengoroh tagame fucking. balls of steel bro. most mangaka don't reveal their age or even gender meanwhile big bro got a list of all his kinks public for the entire world to see. who's doing it like him

[dailydefunctmangamagazine]

Monthly Action (月刊アクション) / Futabasha (双葉社) / Jul 2015 issue

[nieves-de-sugui]

I am adding to this post and bringing some Japanese shows I don't think people are familiar with - at least for those who might have discovered Japanese media through Japanese bls - but that I personally really enjoyed (and that have some amount of queerness to them).

First, I gotta put this one here because it's so cute and it deserves a shoutout, and it's one of my favorites that I constantly rewatch:

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun - Takara and Amagi (Viki)

Look at Amagi running away because he's flustered xD

Most people will know this one. It's a gem. It's idiot x idiot. And I love it so much that it has to be put somewhere on this post, so here goes. If you haven't watched this one yet, GO WATCH IT. It's cute, it's fun, it catches you with trauma by surprise (as Japan does) and it's happy.

It's a must watch for any J BL enjoyer.

Onto the actual list now

These recommendations are based on my tastes alone so I do not guarantee that everyone will like them. They're also, not perfect. However, I think these shows are worth checking out if you're interested in Japanses media. Particularly for those who are curious about how Japan challenges it's own society through media.

Ore no Sukaato, Doko Itta? - Where did my skirt go?

Also know as OreSuka it's a typical unusual-teacher-comes-to-break-the-status-quo-of-the-school type of story. Harada Nobuo, a gay man who likes to cross dress as a woman, is hired as the homeroom teacher of a class of highschoolers and helps them "free" themselves. Since it's an ensemble cast, each episode is generally centerd on one student as they sort out their problems with the help of Harada. And I'm not revealing much more~

You might recognize one of the students, Michieda Shunsuke (as our bisexual disaster of a protagonist in Kieta Hatsukoi).

Otouto no otto - My Brother's Husband

This one might be more well know in the bl fandom

Based on a manga by Gengoroh Tagame, this 3 episode series could be considered a story made by gays for straights. (I'm kinda curious about where this would fall in @wen-kexing-apologist By For and About categorization)

The story follows Yaichi, a divorced father, who one day recieves the visit of Mike, his estranged twin brother's canadian husband. His twin has recetly passed away and Mike is on a trip to get to know about his husband's origins, so he stays a few days in the house.

I would say this one enters into the "healing" genre (Iyashikei) that is very characteristic to japanese media.

Tonari no Kazoku wa Aoku Mieru - Residential Complex (Viki)

A couple of newlyweds move into a residential complex they share with 3 other families, and cohabitating shenanigans ensue. The traditional family upstairs who live off the husband's salary has a secret: the husband just got fired. The man who's about to marry his second, younger wife, who doesn't want children, has a child from his previous marriage who will come stir up some trouble. The apparently single and private architect is secretly gay and his boyfriend has suddenly come live with him. And the newlyweds really want to have kids but are facing some difficultes.

I really like how this show comes to try to dismantle some of Japan's perjudices regarding what constitues as family. I don't want to spoil too much, but it gives a very good overview of how Japan generaly understands such things and how that way of thinking is wrong. It's also been made in contribution with an LGBT association iirc, which is pretty unique and cool.

Kamisama no Ekohiiki - God's Favor

This show is based on a BL manga. It has changed quite a few things from the original, so the story they tell vary a little from each other. But it's a cute little show that talks about love, gender and youth. It has body swap shenanigans, childhood friends, lesbianism and overall teen angst.

Yashiro gets hit by a truck and dies right after getting rejected by his childhood friend Kenta. But thank's to God's favoritism he gets to be reborn as a girl, Kagura. As he tries to get close to Kenta once more but Kenta's ex-girlfriend, Rin, gets in the way. Also, Yashiro's body is not actually dead...

I personally really liked it. It's pretty cute and low budget.

Sixteen Shokogun - Sixteen Syndrome

More teen angst 'cause Japan loves it. Another one that is a little weird and talks youth, gender, love and expectations. It tackles friendship, love, gender expression and sexual orientation and more teen angst. I don't really know how to explain this one so I leave you the blurb:

The tomboy Ibuki and her childhood friend Mei are known as the "Prince" and "Princess", respectively, of their school thanks to Ibuki always protecting Mei from men (as a result of a traumatic past). One day Asada Mutsumi, a popular guy, starts to seduce the "Princess" because of a bet, however he starts falling for Ibuki instead.

Teen angst shenanigans, with Yuutaro (Zenra Meshi, Cherry Magic) as part of the cast.

Ossan's Love (S1) (Viki)

This might be an unpopular opinion, but it's my list 😛

Pure Japanese comedy and a classic. If you're not used to Japan's weirdness this one might very easily put you off. Haruta is a unsuccessful 33 year old who is looking for love. His mom ditches him and leaves the house so he ends up living with Maki, a younger co-worker who takes care of the house chores. One day he discovers that his boss, a serious man he respects and looks up to, has a Very Big Crush on him. Simultanously, Maki also confesses to be in love with Haruta. Not knowing what to do or how to handle the situation lots of funny shenanignas ensue in Haruta's not-anymore-peaceful life.

This one is very Japanese. Between the exagerated funny faces, the situational comedy, and tons of Japanese habits and mannierisms (such as avoiding making people feel bad/uncomfortable by rejecting them outright, or being too direct) it can be very weird for western viewers. If you've gotten used to Japan and have no trouble with the cultural differences, I really recommend this one (particularly before Returns the S3 that's actually S2 because the real S2 doesn't exist for me starts!)

and as a bonus:

Miss Sherlock

This is a show I haven't finished yet but I am very curious about. Genre wise it has nothing to do with the other shows on this list because it's basically Sherlock Holmes in modern times, but women, and in Japan. Sherlock is acompanied by Wato-san in her detective endeavors. I heard it has a lot of the usual Sherlock/Watson subtext~~

Japan has a lot of very different shows, and I'm sure I've missed some more like these. But I thinks it's good to see what other not-so-BL-but-still-queer, or kinda queer, shows Japan makes. To me, the way they go about gender and how that affects sexuality is very interesting to see, particularly because of how it varies from our western pov.

Japanese BL Starter Pack

It’s been awhile since I dropped a rec list, so I am here today to share one that is very near and dear to my heart—a Japanese bl primer for those who are new to the jbl game. I created this for @neuroticbookworm to help her on her journey when she decided she wanted to start getting into Japanese works. The fandom (on Tumblr and generally) tends to focus primarily on Thai shows because they are the easiest to access for international fans, since Thailand is working its way toward world domination via ql media and wants us all to be able to watch. But there is a lot of great stuff to watch beyond the easy access Thai channels, and Japan is the country where this genre originated, so its shows are important for anyone who considers themselves a bl fan. Japan doesn’t cater nearly as much to the international audience so tracking down the shows sometimes takes some ingenuity and can-do spirit, but that’s part of the fun!

And so, the list! Bookworm is about halfway through it and having a ball, so I figured it was time to stop hoarding it and share it with anyone else who would like to dip their toes into jbl and isn’t quite sure where to start. A few notes: 

I am not here to teach you about the deep roots of the jbl genre or give you a primer on yaoi manga. I am by no means an expert and there are other places to find that information. Start here with this great post by @nieves-de-sugui and then maybe wander over to @absolutebl to read up more on the evolution of the genre.

This list is by no means an exhaustive accounting of every important Japanese bl ever made; it is simply a nice sampler platter of the cream of the crop among various styles you will find in jbl. Watching through this whole list will not only expose you to some fantastic shows, but also give you a sense of what makes jbl unique and how the country’s style differs from others, and point you toward the types of jbl you’ll like most (they tend to put shows in pretty specific style and tone lanes and once you find the ones you like there are lots more where that came from). 

If you’re coming to this post as a jbl lover and you don’t see your favorite here, I promise it’s not because I don’t love it very much; I simply had to make some choices to get this down to a reasonable shortlist. Feel free to leave extra recs for others to find! 

I’m putting these in a loose suggested watch order that will take you through the various jbl lanes in a kind of popcorn style, because I always think it’s good to change it up so you don’t get too stuck in one mode, and it works its way up to most of the extremely Japanese stuff (you will know what that means by the time you finish). But do what’s in your heart and change up the order if you want, friends, I am not the boss of you! 

Cherry Magic (Crunchyroll or grey)

gif by @liyazaki

I believe everyone on Tumblr is pretty familiar with this one, which is not a coincidence—this is one of the most accessible jbls. Not in terms of actual access to watch it, mind you (we’ve all jumped through shady internet hoops to watch it) but in terms of its content and style. Cherry Magic is a classic workplace romcom with a magical twist, and it is charming af. It’s a great exemplar of Japan’s light and zippy comedy lane for bl—a lane in which, importantly, the romances stay chaste even when the actual plot is about sex, or lack thereof. My friend @waitmyturtles would kill me if I didn’t make sure you know that Cherry Magic also has a lovely follow up film. And bonus: there is now a Thai remake airing so if you watch the original you can get in on the discussion about the different adaptations between countries. This is pretty easy to find these days in all the usual places, but I strongly recommend watching it here.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Viki)

gif by @liyazaki

Moving on to a slightly more mature workplace romcom. Old Fashion Cupcake, another Tumblr favorite, is an age gap boss-subordinate romance, and it’s both very adult and somehow wholesome af at the same time. Sure, there is a lot of carnal desire going on here, but there is also a lot of wooing via fluffy pancakes. It’s a tight five episodes and a fantastic example of what Japan, with its extreme technical precision in writing, directing, editing, pacing, and acting firing on all cylinders, can do in two hours. There’s not an ounce of flab on this thing and you’ll want to watch it over and over again.

Utsukushii Kare (Viki)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Time to get a little weird! Weird is a key feature of Japanese media, and lots of jbls explore unusual relationship dynamics rooted in complex psychology. This is the first show on the list that will likely feel very Japanese if you’re new around here—my advice is to lean into it and finish the show, even if you get uncomfortable along the way. In Japanese media, discomfort always serves a purpose. This is a high school story with a twisted relationship at its center, and I’m not saying any more than that. Don’t spoil yourself and go watch it! This one also comes with two sequels—one short second season and one movie—that continue from the original story. They are less essential but still excellent.

I Cannot Reach You (Netflix)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Next up, another high school tale, but with a totally different vibe. This show is kind of a revelation in its willingness to tell a story about overwhelming desire—including sexual desire—with young protagonists. It’s rooted in a classic but often misunderstood trope, friends to lovers, and takes the angst of it seriously, giving us a low stakes story that feels extremely high stakes to our leads. It’s also gorgeous and uses a classic Japanese visual style (bokeh) that you’ll be dying to learn more about. 

His (Viki)

gif by @gabrielokun

Time for a break from high school, and we’ll sprinkle in a movie for some added flavor. His is a jbl film featuring a second chance romance between a stoic, introverted man who moves to a remote town to start over, and his ex-boyfriend who follows him there unexpectedly, adorable child in tow. Importantly, this movie does not take place in what we often refer to as the “bl bubble” where homophobia doesn’t exist; the leads’ experiences of being gay men in a homophobic society are hugely important to the plot and themes of the story. It’s a beautiful film and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. @bengiyo would surely also like me to tell you that this film follows a brief prequel show called His: I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love about the characters originally meeting in high school; I do not think it’s really necessary to watch it but completists can start there.

The Pornographer series (Gaga)

By now you should be ready to get into some classic Japanese fucked up psychosexual material, right? Right! The Pornographer series is told in five installments in this order:

The Novelist, a six episode miniseries

Mood Indigo, a six episode prequel series

Spring Life, a 15 minute short

Pornographer: Playback, a two hour film

Spring Life Continued, a 15 minute short

Confused by that distribution model? So say we all; sometimes Japan likes to make us work for it to make sure we really appreciate its many gifts to us. The story across these installments is about a very difficult to love protagonist, what makes him the way he is, and the also-unhinged-but-in-a-different-way man who finally gets through to him. It’s an extremely satisfying love story and one of the best character arcs I have ever seen, full stop. For this one, you’ll want to just pull the word problematic out of your pocket and store it in a drawer; nearly everything that happens in this story is problematic and that’s the point. Lean in! All of these installments except for the film are on Gaga, if you get that far hmu and I will supply you with the final puzzle piece.

Our Dining Table (Gaga)

You could probably use a break after those last two, so it’s time to shift over to a heart-tugging twofer: family trauma mixed with the cutest shit you’ve ever seen. ODT is an example of another classic type of Japanese show: the food drama (you will see the GOAT in this category at the end of this list). In Japanese culture, food is love, and the act of preparing food for your loved ones is a common path to romance. You’ll love this story about an isolated office worker who meets a pair of brothers, learns to cook as a way of connecting with them, and begins to heal from his own trauma as a result. The image above is a scan from the manga, which @troubled-mind curates to make extremely cool comparison sets like this one. Many jbls are faithful adaptations of yaoi manga source material, so it’s good to have a bit of familiarity with them.

Minato’s Laundromat (Gaga)

gif by @liyazaki

Japanese media loves to explore taboo, and often manages to do it in a way that is surprisingly light and chaste. This is an age gap romance between a teenager and his adult neighbor that explores internalized homophobia, emotional repression, and falling in love across seemingly impossible social chasms. It’s also a great example of old school yaoi seme-uke dynamics that still show up across the bl genre. Also, take my advice: end your journey with this one with the first season and just pretend season 2 doesn’t exist.

Eternal Yesterday (Viki)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Remember what I said about weird? Time to do that again, but with a heaping dose of grief and pain on top. It’s not a spoiler to tell you this show involves a major character death; a major character death is, in fact, the root of the entire story. This is a magic realist tale of first love turned tragic, and it will hurt and heal you. It is one of my favorite dramas of all time.

Restart After Come Back Home (Gaga)

And now for a break for your poor exhausted brain. This film is basically the jbl version of a Hallmark original movie, about a city boy who goes back home to the country and falls in love with a total sweetheart while working together on a farm. Enjoy it, bestie, you’ve earned it! 

Tokyo in April Is… (Gaga)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

You’ve probably noticed by now that emotional repression and failed communication are big themes in Japanese works. This second chance romance has plenty of both, and it’s a great example of a kind of muted emotional style that Japan does so well, where the surface of the story seems almost placid and calm even as deep emotion roils underneath. This one (and Eternal Yesterday above) are part of a special line up of jbls on Japanese channel MBS called Tonku (Drama) Shower. The shows air one after another in the same time slot on Fridays (in Japan, perhaps Thursdays for you depending on where you live) and you truly never know what you’re gonna get, but they’re all interesting. Warnings on this one for sexual assault and trauma. 

The End of the World With You (Viki)

Time for sexy and weird again, but even more so! This has to be one of the most unique bls ever made; it goes to some truly divine and strange places, and it feels incredibly queer while doing it. Made by the same screenwriter/director of the Pornographer series with a lot of the same sensibilities, but in a more heightened apocalyptic setting. This one has existential angst, a road trip, a redemption tale, and a variety of interesting side characters in the mix.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Gaga)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of the list and your reward is watching one of the best bls of all time, and a perfect slice of life food drama to boot. WDYEY now has two seasons (along with a couple specials and a movie that fall in between) because the universe clearly loves us. You can now get it on Gaga for easy access but I’m partial to the versions over at @kinounaniresource for better subs. Wherever you watch, settle in to get cozy with Shiro and Kenji and make sure to always eat before you hit play.

[pierppasolini]

My Brother’s Husband — by Gengoroh Tagame

[aficionliteraria]

Restart After Coming Back Home por Cocomi (2021)

Sinopsis

El impetuoso Kozuka Mitsuomi dejó su hogar en el campo para llevar una vida sofisticada en Tokio. Desafortunadamente, a los 25 años, lo despiden de su trabajo y regresa a casa avergonzado. Mientras intenta rescubrirse a sí mismo, conoce a Kumai Yamato, un hombre de aproximadamente su edad que fue adoptado en su comunidad mientras Mitsuomi estaba fuera. El dulce y ecuánime Yamato oculta su propio dolor y, cuando los dos hombres se conectan, comienzan un viaje juntos.

Comentarios

Cuando me regalaron este libro me dijeron que era un Heartstopper Japonés pero con adultos y no se equivocaron. No diré más porque quiero que les tome por sorpresa igual que a mi. Así que si te gusta Heartstopper, Bloom o My Brothers Husband estoy segura de que te va a gustar.

Pd. Ya me compré el segundo volumen 😭♥...

[somnoir]

Damian's future husband

Got inspired by this specific line in a Tumblr thread and my brain went to work

Phantom was a strange hero—a vigilante that often worked with Justice League Dark. Constantine was always so antsy around the man, while Phantom himself often muttered about taxes and blasted fragments whenever said trech coat man was in the vicinity.

The Bats were, of course, initially apprehensive of the death defying being that could rip a man skeleton out of their body, manipulate space itself to rip open portals to different dimensions, and vanish better than they did. They were wary, mildly hostile after realising that Phantom had now issue killing.

But then time passed and Phantom was proven to not be a serial killer but only used killing as a last resort. Though Batman wasn't too pleased, he was—begrudgingly—tolerant of that. Because, yes, Phantom was a nice guy, a very likeable person in general. He made sure that the environmental damage during battles were kept to a minimum, he chose civilians over the enemy whenever it came to hostage situations, he was tactile and kind, and he cared so much for the innocent that he was willing to lose his innocence to keep theirs.

Of course Batman was fond of the young man, especially when he found out that Jason of all people had some sort of crush on him. A very big and almost pathetic one that he and Alfred would watch while sipping tea.

Seriously, Jason was his son! Has he not learned anything from his Brucie persona? The poor thing was like a Victorian maiden and would be scandalised at the mere thought of showing an ankle.

It was embarrassing how he'd practically start blue screening the moment Phantom was in the vicinity. As a father, Bruce was gracious enough not to bully his poor son whenever it came to Phantom. His siblings, on the other hand, held no such qualms and mercilessly dug into Jason.

In all honesty, he pitied Jason after hearing that Phantom assumed that Jason just didn't like him.

He really had to talk to him.

"You fucking hypocrite."

And that was a failure because Bruce forgot that he was just as constipated as his son.

"I'm not taking advice from the man who couldn't even try to be softer in his secret crush!"

With that, Jason slammed the door and left.

Okay... Plan B?

But what the hell was plan B?

Right.

Dick Grayson.

Bruce: About your brother...

Bird child #1: OH MY GOD

Bird child #1: THANK FUCK YOU FINALLY MENTIONED IT

Bruce: it's become an issue

Bruce: Alfred has commented that it's pathetic now.

Bird child #1: Wait wait

Bird child #1: I'll add you to the group chat!

And this Bruce Wayne found himself in a GC named 'Phantom of the Watchtower'. Along with all the complaints expressed by both family and friends when it came to Jason's bullshit.

Ah well... At least he wasn't alone in the suffering.

(Jason did not need to know that there was a video of him grappling through Gotham, Phantom passing by and waving at him, and Jason proceeding to hit a wall mid flight.)

Dick knows that his little wing has had trouble in relationships for a long time. His resurrection changed him, changed how he perceived his relationships. Dick didn't have the heart to be mad about it.

Phantom's arrival was a breath of fresh air for them.

But he suspects that Jason's attraction began with the fact that Phantom had died young as well. Fourteen from what was said. He had died much younger than Jason and had came back a hero, willing to protect the innocent and do what was best for those around him. Sometimes Dick suspects that Jason not only wanted to be with Phantom, but also to be similar to him.

Now he's watching Jason fumble with his words again, immediately going quiet once he realized that nothing coherent was coming out of his mouth. The helmet most likely hid how red his face was.

"Are you alright?" Phantom asked, frowning up at Jason. "You don't feel too good. Is the corrupted ecto acting up again? Oh, I knew I should have sped up the process of removing it but then it'd be very painful if I did it at once. And Frostbite recommended that we went slowly so we could monitor the side effect... And, and—"

"I'm okay." Red Hood immediately assured, his hand practically flying to Phantom's cheek then he shoved it down before he could even touch Phantom. "It's been a long day."

"Is the Joker out again?" Phantom's frown deepened.

Another thing Dick has learned about the dead and the undead! The fact that their murderer was still active unsettled then greatly and affected their entire mentality and behaviour.

"No. No. He hasn't tried escaping."

Phantom hummed, "I see. So what's bothering you."

"It's nothing." Jason grunted, sounding a little too much like Bruce for Dick's liking.

Okay, nope, he wasn't going to let this continue if his baby brother was going to continue making Phantom assumed he didn't like him. Nightwing to the rescue!

"Phantom! Hi!" Nightwing quite literally dropped into the alley, running his fingers through his hair and smoothly directing Jason away from whatever catastrophic misunderstanding he was walking into.

"Hello Nightwing! It's nice to see you again? How's Kori? Oooh! I wanted to invite her to a space date again—" He rambled on and on, eyes practically starry. Wait, nevermind. His eyes really were starry.

(Meanwhile, Jason was cursing his older brother for taking the attention from but also very thankful that Phantom didn't have to witness his stupidity again.)

Tim had noticed that the Joker hasn't attempted to break out in a long... Long time.

It's not a bad thing, no. It was great, in all honesty. But of course, Tim was paranoid, almost batshir crazy (pun intended, in the words of his damn boyfriends). The surveillance feed on Arkham was updated a long time ago, watching it very closely until static overtook the screen.

"Replacement," Tim startled, blinking before he saw Jason peering at him with a questioning look. Practically interrogating him on the spot. "The hell is that?"

"I don't know." Tim clicked his tongue, "This hasn't happened after Babs and I updated those damn cameras. Fuck, give me a second..."

"Did the Joker get out?" Jason practically growled.

"No, no. I'm sure he didn't. He would have been causing trouble by now." Tim reassured, clicking his tongue again before the feed went back to normal. Joker's cell seemed perfectly fine, with the Joker fast asleep on his little cot. "See, just some static. Maybe Phantom passed by."

The mere mention of Phantom has Jason blue screening, instincts kicking in as his older brother shoved his helmet over his head again. Then the idiot gets on his bike and speeds out of the cave.

Coward.

Tim whipped his head around, quickly surveying the area.

The static wasn't random. Phantom always had to be in front of the camera to directly affect the feed. So thank fuck when he made friends with Phantom's teammate—Pharaoh—and figured out how to fix any distorted imagery.

He sees Phantom standing over the Joker's unconscious body, plunging his hand into the maniac's chest and pulled out a glowing green orb. A core, from what he remembered. Holy shit, was the Joker a ghost too?

But he saw how Phantom seemed to put restraints around it, literal chains before shoving it back inside.

Slowly, Phantom turned to the camera, his entire figure still distorted, but he could see that fanged grin that his brother seemed to swoon over.

(The Joker was still alive, very much, but no one could understand how he was stuck in an almost permanent coma. Tim wasn't going to give Jason even more reason to start giggling over Phantom, unless he wanted to ruin the entire Dead on Main operation.)

Damian did not quite understand the insanity that was multiple individuals (including those that were not of their brood) attempting to matchmake Todd with Phantom. He didn't understand what was so great about Phantom, in all honesty.

He was heroic, powerful, and quite intelligent. Many people held similar traits. Perhaps it was the fact that he was a deathly being that attracted Todd in the first place.

"Hello, Robin!" Phantom greeted one day, eyes shimmering like the stars in his cape. "Superboy said you had something to tell me?"

Damian shifted slightly, "Yes. Are you aware of the Lazarus Pits?"

"Ah... Yes, of course. My court and I have been trying to destroy all of them. The Lazarus is corrupted ectoplasm that has been mixed with filth of all kinds." Phantom hummed.

"Filth of all kinds... Disgusting." Damian frowned, nose scrunching up at the memory that he's bathed in those pits before. "But I digress. I would like to assist in the destruction of the pits. Father and the rest of the family has fretted over my grandfather's pits for many years and we have barely grazed the surface on what the Lazarus truly was."

"I see! I was planning on asking Batman to help out on that. But since you've already asked, would you like to come to the Realms? I'm sure you can interrogate some of the ghosts your grandfather has wronged." Phantom grinned, already offering Damian a hand. He was floating, while Damian stood in the roof and stared at the hand.

It reminded him of the kryptonians. But Phantom's hand was cold and he didn't yank Damian the same way Jon often did.

No, Phantom took Damian's hand and then proceeded to hook an arm around Damian's waist, pulling him of the roof and into the air. And then they were flying into a glowing green portal that reminded Damian of the pits.

The moment they were in the infinite realms, Damian felt the overwhelming pressure of the dead. He swallowed the bile that rose from his throat as Phantom set him down on solid ground. The entire place felt eerie and strange, of course it was. This was the afterlife.

"Right, I forgot." Phantom cursed, "You're not as liminal as my family. Give me a second, baby bat." He murmured, his hand glowing green before it's gently pushed into Damian's chest. A sudden wave of warmth overtook his entire body and Damian stared at the ghost.

"I'm giving you a bit of Ecto to reduce any discomfort here in the realms. It'll flush itself out in 24 hours so don't worry about becoming overly liminal." Phantom smiled softly, before he offered his hand to Damian again. "Let's go? I have to stop by my keep to check the records of Al Ghuls victims."

"Of course."

And instead of being carried like a cat, Phantom picked him up bridal style and flew past what seemed to be floating islands and towards a large red and purple castle.

Is this was Todd feels? Damian asked himself, oddly enjoying this experience.

The moment they landed—

"Your majesty!" A floating eyeball yelled, rushing towards them. "You've brought an outsider—"

"Away with you." Phantom snapped, a crown and cape of stars suddenly appearing on him. "This is Robin. Ra's Al Ghul's grandchild."

"The Demon's head..."

"Yes, now shoo." Phantom snapped, before leading Damian away from the eyeball. "I'm sorry for my Observants. They're a conservative bunch."

"You are a king?"

"Mhm... Though I don't like to advertise it. The last king was a tyrant and I defeated him a little while after my death. I never intended to be king, in all honesty. But here I am." He gestured to the crown of fire and ice and the cape of stars. His grin was strained and quite troubled but he didn't mind leading Damian towards a large room filled with bigger files.

"Now, would you like to search yourself or do you want me to have someone else do it?"

Damian grimaced at the sight. "I'd prefer for someone else to suffer."

And that's how Damian found himself touring the realms, with Phantom happily bringing Damian to the arena where a ghost named Skulker awaited them. The man was a hunter, respectful towards Phantom yet troublesome as he challenged him. Phantom looked utterly annoyed, before he turned to Damian with sparkling eyes.

"What about you, Robin?"

And then Damian was fighting everyone and everything in the realms at the behest and amusement of Phantom. The ghost king provided him with different weapons each time an enemy switched.

It's only when they returned to the land of the living that he's informed that any weapon he's used is now his.

And he has a cat with him! The ghost of a small yet ferocious kitten that had his under Phantom's cape whilst Damian and other ghosts fought to glorious battle. Phantom kindly offered her to him, naming her Astra with the star shaped pupils in her eyes.

Damian is quite sure he has fallen in love.

Damian returns to the manor, utterly awestruck and infatuated. Thankfully (unfortunately), Todd is in attendance when Phantom carries him out of the portal, still held in a bridal carry with Damian actively clinging to Phantom like he had hung the stars (maybe he did).

"Sorry if we worried you! Robin wanted to help with our Lazarus problems since it's also your problem too." Phantom quickly explains once he saw Batman's troubled expression. "Don't worry about your gifts. I'll figure out a way to make you a dimensional bag."

Damian stared, "May I visit the realms again? If you would be amendable to it."

"Of course! You're my favorite, so why wouldn't I?"

Hah! Hear that? Take that, Todd!

Phantom vanishes into his portal seconds later, leaving Damian with the most beautiful and intricated sword in his hands. Blinking quietly, he whirled around and pointed the sword at Jason, who instinctively went into a battle stance.

"You may be my brother, Todd, but if you have not married Phantom once I am of age, I shall fight for his hand in marriage himself."

(Jason knows very well that Damian isn't joking and proceeds to practically plan the most novel-esque confession to date. Jane Austen might just be proud.)

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