#bls no love square or love triangle...

[cerealbishh]

"Uh, some people are distracting, aren't they?"

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, you and Bode? I mean, if anything happens between you and him..."

"It hasn't."

"I know. I'm just saying, both of you could get in big trouble. Especially you, so just be careful."

[miss0atae]

I watched the two first episodes of Love is Like a Cat and I still don't know if I will like it or not. I felt like these two episodes could have been one because it felt like a very long introduction of who are the characters, their relationships and what is going to be the main obstacles.

I admit, it took me time to get used to Mew speaking mostly in Thai while every other actors speaks in Korean. They remind us several times that Uno, the character played by Mew, understands Korean but he is always replying in Thai and when he is in a conversation, the others answer him in Korean. The willing suspension of disbelief has to be very high for this series to work. however, I had a hard time to do it, at first. I believe when you work in another country you have to learn the language at one point and it seems Uno isn't just here for one movie. It reminds me a lot of this video between Perth and Luke Voyage talking about the importance of learning Thai to be able to work well in the Thai entertainment industry. I thought it would be the same for Korea, but it may be wrong. Of course, I didn't expect Mew to be a fluent Korean speaker just for this series... They could have dubbed him too but the result is usually terrible. Well, I don't have a good solution to offer. We'll see how it will be in the next episodes.

I feel there is going to be a love triangle between the owner of the dog café Dae Byeol, the veterinarian Jun Hyuk and Uno. But who knows it took them two episodes to finally meet. Also Gi Min seemed to really like his boss, so what will happen? Or maybe he is there to be the lover of Jun Hyuk. Maybe I should have watched the trailer. It would have given me some more information.

Uno has a big secret. His father is a Korean business man who had a relationship with a Thai woman, Uno's mother. I guess it's the big secret Uno and his company will try to hide and to be able to do it, he will have to work with Dae Byeol.

The episodes are 15 minutes long and I skip some scenes because I found some things too long for my taste. As always I'm not going to judge the entire series with just these two episodes because I'm the kind of person who never liked the beginning of a series. We'll see. As for now, I found them a bit boring 🤷‍♀️

[secriden]

so ok i've got Things to talk about Star In My Mind again because interview lady raised two things that were #relatable:

lol yeah this is exactly how i felt about this show. like it just DOES NOT TAKE A BREAK at any point. just when you think you have a handle on the love triangle, it evolves into a square and you're like !?!? where?? did YOU come from?? (but then i re-watched it and they actually do set it up in an earlier episode, its just incredibly subtle)

and every time one misunderstanding gets resolved another two crop up like some kind of messed up misunderstanding hydra. i can't decide if i hated it or loved that it made the side characters actually have purpose. it filled out the space around the main couple's journey in a way that felt unnecessary but also stopped me from asking why this or that character was even in the show (except for Obnoxiously Self Confident Guy - I could've done without him).

all that to say, i think this is at least partly why i found SIMM so entertaining. you just... don't have a lull in the series. there's no feeling of like "wait, why did that happen??" everything makes sense its just incredibly frustrating.

THIS! FUCKING THIS!!!!! its actually impressive how verbally honest all the characters are, but its just never with the person they need to be honest with. and i don't mean just kluen and dao (although ofc they're the worse culprits) but typhoon and gia and the assortment of friends do it too. everyone is simultaneously so incredibly aware of themselves and their relationships with others and communicative about it, but in just...always in the wrong room.

which... is actually not a complaint on my part because i think that's incredibly true to life these days? most people actually are incredibly self-aware and moreover can articulate it very well. if anything, i find myself TOO self-aware to the point that it can be crippling.

and kluen is a great example of this. he knows he sucks at expressing his feelings and the very awareness of his inadequacy causes him to second guess himself repeatedly. even with multiple confirmations that dao still has feelings for him, he keeps being dragged back into self-doubt and inaction because of this awareness/self-perception.

as frustrated as i felt with kluen, i actually recognise myself in him. those times when i allow my anxiety and fear of failure to lead to procrastination which then spirals into more anxiety and fear.

i just didn't expect "generic thai bl college series" to give that to me, and that's (one reason) why i liked this show so much.

[becauseimanicequeen]

Pride Month Watch: Light On Me

I'm currently going through my Pride Month Watch List.

Light on Me hasn't been on my radar very long, but I've heard about it from various sources recently, so I figured I would watch it this month. I don't know anything about it, but I've heard it's good. So, let's dive in!

I'm about halfway through the first episode and realized one of the actors has one of the main roles in Black Knight (a dystopian k-drama, which I enjoyed when I watched it last year).

So, the first episode is over, and I feel like Shinwoo (the guy who was against Taekyung joining the student council) is Taekyung's first love. Or, perhaps I've seen too many enemies-to-lovers stories and this trope might just be messing with my head...

I'm near the end of episode 2 and must say that Daon is really sweet. He's my favorite character at this point. I get the feeling that he might remember Taekyung for other reasons than just having a good memory. But, please don't tell me we're getting a love triangle...

I love that the moody brooder Shinwoo wears dark (black/gray) clothes every time I've seen him so far.

Namgoong is ridiculous, so I love him (obviously).

Oh, lord. The date in episode 3 is so awkward. But I love how completely honest Taekyung is, he just says what's on his mind.

I have a feeling that Daon being nice to everyone will become a bigger problem in the coming episodes.

I’ve just started episode 4, and I’ve decided that every time Shinwoo says he doesn’t like Taekyung from now on, he’s actually saying that he likes Taekyung.

This is starting to look like a love... what's the next thing after a triangle? Love square? Love quadrangle? Well, you get the point, it's a mess, lol.

I’m on episode 8 and the girl (whom I can never remember the name of, lol) is using Daon being nice to everyone against Taekyung to say that he’s not anyone special to Daon. And, at the same time, Shinwoo is stepping up his own game to get closer to Taekyung, which Daon is seeing. This is getting delicious.

I'm halfway into episode 9 and this series is starting to lose points from me. Honestly, the BL screenwriters who write female characters to be the wedge between the queer boys who like each other, just because she likes one of them too, need to develop their repertoire...

This is obviously a me-problem because I know that Korea is a very different country than where I'm from (I'm from northern Europe, btw) and their view of girls/women is very different from where I was born and raised. But I can't help but get annoyed at it.

Sohee (yes, I remember her name now) is so stereotypically written and boring at this point. Hopefully, it will change in an episode or two. Hopefully, Daon will be upfront with her that he has zero interest in her so she humbly backs off. His dilly-dallying with her isn't exactly helping either.

Anyway...

Thank every higher power Namgoong is here to be ridiculous. I love him so much. So, whatever points this series is losing because of Sohee (and Daon not telling her what's up), Namgoong makes up for it. And Shinwoo's longing stares at Taekyung. I love those too.

So, Shinwoo's way to get closer to Taekyung was to physically bump into him?

No wonder Taekyung ignored him, lmao!

Daon taking off the bracelet he got from Taekyung physically hurt me. It's understandable considering the conversation that led up to it (and that conversation in itself was annoying to watch even though it felt more than realistic). It still hurt me. And that Taekyung noticed Daon wasn't wearing the bracelet anymore hurt me too.

I'm nearing the end of the 10th episode and Taekyung feel like he has been rejected by Daon because of the bracelet, Daon's reaction when the dudes interrupted them, and Daon not being able to find the words to say anything. Then they showed that Daon has one of those tubes you store papers in (commonly used by architects and artists), where he (most likely) has a drawing of Taekyung (which Taekyung asked for in a previous episode).

Daon clearly likes Taekyung. I get the feeling that he's holding back because of what those two dudes said to him earlier. There could be something more behind it as well. The family is often a reason, but they haven't been mentioned all that much (just that they practically ignore Daon).

Namgoong just stood up to Sohee for Daon and Taekyung, and I love him even more than I did before.

I'm on episode 11 and it seems like the family might be another reason Daon holds back and that potential rumors could hurt their reputation or status. I hope this doesn't turn into one of those stories where the parents transfer him to another school just because of rumors...

This is getting really painful to watch. Painful for the characters, I mean (because I love the pain it's giving me, lol).

I'm glad that at least Taekyung has someone there for him when he's falling apart.

I hope Daon has someone to be there for him too. I'm sure the other three (Shinwoo, Namgoong, and Taekyung) will stand up for him against the idiots at school, but he seemed so lonely at home. It breaks my heart.

I love how Shinwoo took on the role of Daon's friend and then Taekyung's friend to share the different perspectives on what happened so that Taekyung could understand things from Daon's perspective but also feel like he had Shinwoo in his corner. I love friends like this.

I've got so much respect for Shinwoo after his conversation with Daon in the 12th episode. He knows that both he and Daon like Taekyung, but he doesn't take advantage of Taekyung now that he's heartbroken and vulnerable. Instead, he told Daon to stop avoiding Taekyung and to fix things with him.

I love this. It's not a competition or about who gets the boy by playing dirty tricks. It's about two long-time friends who respect each other and just want what's best for the boy they like. It's such a big contrast to the whole Sohee and Daon situation, and I fucking love it.

I love Namgoong so fucking much!

I’m at the beginning of episode 13 and I’m glad Daon got pissed at Sohee. He had every right to be considering she outed him and Taekyung to the whole school. I like the way he handled it and how he told her he never wanted to see her again. I mean, she betrayed his trust. Let’s see how long it lasts (I hope it lasts until the end of time, but that’s just me being petty as fuck when it comes to people who betray my trust, lol).

I’m glad Sohee apologized to Taekyung, as she should. That doesn’t mean I would want her as a friend, though. Taekyung is clearly not as petty as me, lol.

It’s near the end of episode 14 and Daon has practically forgiven Sohee, so that didn’t last long. But I’m glad he said they might not be able to be good friends right now.

It was a drawing of Taekyung in that tube. Too bad Daon's declaration of love comes now, though, because I feel like Taekyung is already moving on. Timing is everything.

Have I said that I love Namgoong? No? I fucking love Namgoong. He’s so sweet and funny and ridiculous that I can’t help but smile like an idiot when I see him on my screen. I love him so much.

The way I cheered for Shinwoo when he asked Taekyung at the end of episode 15 if Taekyung was going to keep him waiting… Shinwoo has waited for a long time to get closer to Taekyung.

And then the way I cheered for Daon when they showed the flashback of him kissing Taekyung’s forehead… These boys...

I have no idea how this is going to end (probably enemies to lovers since that’s so common), and I’m not really leaning more toward one rather than the other. (Normally I would be loud about poly at this point, but I don’t think these boys are ready for that.) So, let’s see what happens.

The way I laughed when Taekyung said he was thankful that Shinwoo had honest ears!

Look at these boys linking arms!

And holding hands!

I’m so happy for them!

Overall, this was a great show. I really liked the friendship between the four boys. I haven’t written anything about the teacher but I loved his role in the series. He was always so kind and gave great advice to all of them. A guiding light in the murky waters of being a young queer kid.

Obviously, my favorite character was Namgoong. He was ridiculous, funny, sweet, and an amazing friend who stood up for the people he cared about.

Seriously, I love Namgoong!

This is definitely one of the better QLs I’ve seen from Korea, and I’m happy I watched it.

[namtanlovesfilm]

axelle judges bl shows > The Promise

summary: Phupha and Nanfah used to be best friends but Phupha left Nanfah suddenly for over a decade. When he finally decides to come back to Bangkok, he immediately runs into Nanfah who wants to start the friendship all over again.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

the plot is nice, I'm a sucker for best friends to lovers so this was right up my alley!

the chemistry is really good & there are some serious heart eyes at play!

my man boss who played techit in not me is here & I couldn't have been happier, he carried the show I was GAGGED to see him here!!!

the acting is solid from everyone!

cons:

the show kinda loses itself at the halfway mark. in my opinion it should've been shorter to avoid some episodes to feel like they're just running in circles to waste screentime.

the writing is a bit thin tbh, like there's not much substance to it since they just went with the classic trope of the love triangle (in this case a love square bc 3 men are in love with nanfah lol) so it just feels a bit boring & forgettable on that part tbh.

they also should've cut the eps beter bc from what I saw a lot of scenes that built up phuphananfah's relationship were cut from the show when imo they shouldn't have.

would I rewatch it: I likely won't

Overall this was a nice little show that seemed genuinely great in its first episodes but sadly didn't stick the landing. It was still a nice time though!

[contrarynonsense]

I felt like sharing my thoughts on the gmmtv 2024 lineup (so far) since I ended up watching the livestream last night. Without further ado:

My thoughts on the gmmtv 2024 (part 1) line up! (Dramas only)

My Precious: Congrats to the cast but I did not watch the movie (which like literally just came out it feels like) and I don’t have a high interest in watching the drama adaptation.

Ploy’s Yearbook: I was slightly confused on the plot but as long as it’s not time travel I might give it a try. The girl lead ensemble cast seems real enjoyable.

We Are: Not gonna lie, I have some mixed feelings on this one. I love all the pairings but four couples in one series with low plot is far too many. I don’t think the screen time balance will be good and this feels like they are wasting some strong talent. Best I can phrase it is they are using the popularity of the couples to carry the show rather than have it be a story that can stand on its own. :/

The Trainee: I will always love OffGun and I’m most likely going to watch this, though I find it a little silly to announce another show for them when Cooking Crush hasn’t even aired yet. They really do need to let Gun spread his wings a bit more though imo. Also people keep saying there were no subtitles on the trailer but there definitely were??? So I don’t know what that’s about.

Only Boo: Love the fresh faces and the cast seems pretty good, but I have a very strong distaste for idol dramas. So unless this gets some seriously good reviews I’m probably going to give this a pass.

Pluto: A GL!!!! I’m not super sold on the plot, seems reminiscent of Not Me with the whole “pretend to be your twin while they’re in a coma” thing, but the girlies be stunning and working, and we need to show gmmtv that there is a market for this! So I will definitely be watching and supporting. 😤

Summer Night: They had me in the first half, I really thought they might be mixing couples and giving us DunkPhuwin. I was sold on that in seconds. But alas, it’s a messy heterosexual love square… thing? Honestly I got very lost on what was happening as the trailer went on. Love triangles/squares are overdone and really not my cup of tea, so I’ll skip this one and dream about what could have been.

Peaceful Property: I’m really, really excited for this one!!! Idk if it’s BL or Bromance but honestly I don’t care. The found family with ghosts and slapstick had me sold, the casting is incredible and TayNew with a dynamic swap is sending. Probably one of my favorite offerings on this list.

Ossan’s Love: while I love and respect the original for what it did for normalizing a lot of lgbt+ media in Japan, idk how I feel about them doing a remake. Even if neither Earth or Mix play the Ossan (which I doubt they will), they are still a bit too young for the other roles. I doubt doubt their skills, but these two are my age and they keep casting them (especially Earth) as these older aged characters. Like, these guys aren’t even 30 yet. I know they are very popular in Japan but… I will wait and see on this one. We didn’t even get a trailer so maybe it will surprise me and surpass my expectations.

My Golden Blood: This one I think caught ALL of us by surprise. Gawin bringing back a retired BL actor in a new pairing for a cheesy vampire romance? Amazing and honestly a little hilarious. I’ll be giving this one a watch most likely, mostly because I think the premise is very amusing.

Kidnap: While good for Ohm (possibly? little unclear on if this is BL or not, it might just be strong friendship) being in a new pair after the mess that was the fan base for Bad Buddy, I cannot stop laughing at the line “for some reasons, I have become a kidnapper.” I’m not supremely interested in the plot, but I hope it turns out good for people who are excited for it.

High School Frenemy: Apparently this is a remake of the Korean show School 2013, but I have not seen the original so I didn’t notice. Lots of gangs and fighting, as well as new faces. Don’t honesty have a strong opinion on this? Again, not my cup of tea. I lean more into comedy than I do angst and high drama.

Wandee Goodday: Yo this one was a ride. I had to get out of my chair and squat to the side for several minutes to recover. I’m not into high heat but damn were they committing and very unabashed about, like, anything. I also love the comedic timing of a lot of it. I don’t know if I’m personally going to watch this one but God I hope it succeeds and goes as good as the trailer.

My Love Mix-Up: GemFourth are back! Little sad that it’s not an original story but I love Kieta Hatsukoi and I know they will kill it. And they have (as far as I can tell) clarified that this is a new adaptation based on the manga, and not a remake of the Japanese drama. As such, I will not be comparing the two and waiting to see what their take on the story will be. Hopefully they will adapt further into the story than the JBL did (though no shame on that version, they did spectacular).

Enigma Season 2: I did not watch season 1 and I will not be watching season 2. Sorry.

Those are my thoughts on the lineup from part one! Missing some big names like FirstKhao and ForceBook, but honestly they are probably gonna be in part 2 in December so I’m not too worried. Overall the announced shows are kinda… meh? Like there is some standouts but overall not super sold on a lot of them. Plus a lot of them probably won’t even make it into 2024 with how behind schedule they are with this years shows. (Where is 23.5 gmmtv? Where?) We shall see what the offerings will be in part 2!

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

Jan 2022 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. I’m gonna start posting these recaps on Sundays instead of Fridays for reasons. 

Ongoing Series - Thai

Gen Y 2 (grey) Ep 3 - it’s up but locked to members of the YouTube channel. I can’t be arsed find it elsewhere and I’m not sure I’m tempted enough to join. I’m was trash watching and live blogging it here, but that’s on hold now. 

Paint with Love (Gaga) Ep 7 - Why am I still watching this? The sex scene was kind of sweet but I’m just not into them. Although I did like how very adult they were about it. This show is nicely grown up but boring. 

Not Me (YouTube) Ep 4 - airs tomorrow

Love Area Part 2 (GaGa) Ep 1 - didn’t drop, not sure why. 

You’re My Sky (Viki) Ep 1 - Viki should be banned from acquiring Thai pulps until they instal a 1.5 watching feature. Anygay, this had a good opener and has a bit of $ behind it but falls squarely into pulp territory fast, by which I mean... SLOW. The main uke is a cutie and if you’re into sports romances this is for you but otherwise, this will be a case of how much patience do we have?  

Bad Buddy (YouTube) Ep 10 - fantastic episode, sins of the past are uncovered, there’s a great claiming sequence, some GL love, AND a redemption arc involving lesbians. I’m live blogging it here.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Tinted With You (Korea - Viki) Ep 5 & 6 -  Cute kiss. Very picturesque. All in all this drama specializes in pretty. It’s nonsensical, but pretty about it. There was a bit of a love triangle reconciliation and it’s great to see men in flowing pastel robes actually kissing for a change. (Yes that’s a dig at China.) 

Behind Cut (Korea - Viki) Ep 3 & 4 - it’s gotten really cute, I wish we were getting more, it’s on of those what will transition to movie version well. There was a nice kiss and the chemistry between the leads is good. There’s a lot more physical affection than we usually get from Korea, it’s almost (dare I say it) Thai. It feels like this is 2022′s Tasty Florida. 

The Next Door Crush (Vietnam - YouTube) Ep 3 - cute, but dull, but cute. I like the framework better than any other aspect. 

Mr Cinderella (Vietnam - YouTube) Ep 6 - Remains very cute. A bit contrived on the faen fatal manipulative ex moving into the house as a plot device, but this is BL, what can you do? Nice flirting scenes used for good communication, tons of domesticity, and bonus lap sitting (a favorite of mine). 

In Case You Missed It

In completely unrelated fandom news BTOB continues to be the silliest group in all Kpop, their happy birthday to their fandom song is so Monty Python-esk. 

K-BL short coming Half a Kiss and Half a Spice. 

Light On Me’s Shin Woo & Tae Kung (looking fine af) have a cameo in Best Mistake 3 ep 4 at ts 15.00, currently airing on Viki. Here’s an annotated cut of their too brief appearance. Choe Chan Yi plays an exiting character, so they added him playing his own doppelgänger as Daon for a cameo crossover. Just to play with us. It’s rather fun, but not worth watching a whole series of highly insipid disaster hets. They cleverly fade out the cameo with A.C.E’s Spark, AKA Light On Me’s OST, playing on the cafe tannoy - cute touch. 

News flash: Kang In Soo & Lee Sang (Wish You) remain ADORABLE. (Bit of meet up, spot themselves on a subway poster, + muckbang.) 

Taiwan to release 49 Days With A Merman, in a 12 ep run starring Bruce He AKA Bruce Hung (no BL back catalogue but a big name) and Kent Tsai about a high school student who ends up having to live with a domineering merman. Based on manga series Merman in my Tub. So Splash! but gay? Yes please. Plus an adaptation is rare for Taiwan and story is their weak point so that’s exciting too! 

What Did You Eat Yesterday: New Year's Special 2020 is now streaming on some Netflix (not mine here in the states). 

New Thai BL My Tempo a collaboration series from The Brothers Thailand and Proxie Thailand with director Chookiat Sakveerakul (Love Of Siam).

Gossip

Where Your Eyes Linger star, Han Gi Chan, confirmed to be in Korea’s Ocean Like Me which stars Kpop’s best known out gay singer, Holland. 

Korean BL Judo Boys got a complicated updated description. Basically: boys who meet as competitors in high school judo become lovers on the road to olympic gold. After one of them confesses and is rejected, they part for years only to meet again at university.  Bad boy/good boy, friends to lovers to enemies. 

New KBL Kissable Lips just came on my radar. No further information. 

You Light Up My Life Again colab project between Thailand's Studio Wabi Sabi and Mainland China. Directed by New Siwaj for WeTV in Thailand and Tencent in China. Filming at Dhurakij Pundit University known for having more students from China than any other Thai uni. Mandarin language. (Promo Trailer)  Rumors it is a proper kissing BL and will not actually be distributed to China to avoid censorship. Other rumors that Tencent will distribute a different version. Regardless don’t trust this one to HEA. I have a list of BLs that are cross country projects here: BL Without Borders. 

Thai Y-novel Hot Bamee And Yummy Gyogung by 'Jamie will be adapted into a series. I don’t normally report acquisitions but this one looks like it could be fun. Bamee is an intern in a 5-star hotel where he falls for his trainer since their first meeting. I like older uke younger seme anda hotel setting, so I’m intrigued. 

New Thai BL announced: I Will Knock You for Ch3Thailand starring unknowns, adapted from korean_rabbit's Y-novel with the same name and directed by Champ (2gether & Kiss Me Again). A college student and part-time tutor confronts the leader of a gang who then turns out to be his next student. (Younger seme, older uke, enemies to lovers, bully romance?). 

2021 Round Up & Awards Posts

My 2021 BL Wrap Up - pretty much all shows I watched and reviewed last year

Next Week Looks Like This:

Kei×Yaku (Japan) starts a 10 ep arc on Thursday, no word on international distribution. Rainbow Prince is supposed to start Saturday, it’s a MUSICAL BL. 

Upcoming 2022 BL master post here. I keep a full record there of everything I announce in the weekly updates. 

This week’s best moments?

Vietnam is so generally poor at captioning, when they get an innuendo sport on I gotta give them props. Not sure if this was entirely intentional, but cute no matter what. 

Don’t worry Wai yours is coming.... 

[accidentalrabbit]

KIETA HATSUKOI

(series)

Japan 2021

RANK: S

A-pairing: Aoki x Ida

B-pairing: Hashimoto x Aida

Other character(s) i enjoyed: N/A

Overall review:

This show hits incredible heights of earnestness with good acting and production quality, and the character-focused writing and compact length of the series makes the fairly small core cast really shine. I need nothing more. Get into it.

Let's start with Aoki and Hashimoto, the most perfect relationship in the show. I love the centrality of this friendship to the early episodes and the way it plays out through the rest of the series. The way they communicate (and don't communicate!) their complex high school feelings, the way Aoki wants to help Hashimoto when she's feeling anxious or stuck, the way she returns the favor when he's sad or lonely. (And lest we believe they are too perfect: the way they both completely fail at physical challenges and survival skills.) These two have excellent characterization and very good comedy when they play off of one another.

Speaking of their friendship, the inciting incident of the plot leads to an exquisite unravelling of several tropes in just the first few episodes. The "Ida <3" eraser Aoki borrows from Hashimoto reveals that his crush on her is going nowhere and immediately establishes Ida as the third (very puzzled) member of a love triangle, who now believes Aoki has a crush on him. (A proper love triangle with all three legs represented is a rare thing already!) Of course, i was worried that these two disasters were going to ruin her life in order to get together, but this surprisingly doesn't happen either. First of all, Aoki develops his rapid onset crush on Ida while trying to be a good wingman and see if Ida has feelings for Hashimoto, which is already incredible care given to a girl character in a BL series. But THEN in a stroke of comedic genius, Hashimoto reveals later that she had used up the front of an eraser that originally said "Aida <3" which is so funny that i had to pause the show and cackle. The dramatic irony of these two panicking that they might have to fight over their mutual crush, the sudden blowing-up of the love triangle into a love square that includes Aoki's only other friend, the fact that Aoki's bisexual awakening was caused by a mistake…it has layers! I love a well-written comedic plot beat.

The (non-interchangeable) Ida and Aida are fun characters in their own rights. Ida is defined primarily by his cool (read: stoic) hypercompetence and his gentle bafflement at the concept of puppy love and possibly friendship, which initially makes him difficult to read, but he's fun actually and i don't think we appreciate him enough. He's literally serving neurodivergent-and-a-minor realness. Aida is cool (read: charming in a very high school way) and kind of a goofy slacker archetype, but the writing and acting elevate what could have been an empty shell of traits in a serviceable heterosexual B-plot into a dynamic and caring friend/love interest who grows in his own right.

A detour to a point that cannot be overstated: Adult actors who more or less pass as young enough to be in high school, aka the Ben Platt Test. Between this and the remarkably unremarkable hair and makeup, we've come a long way since Seven Days (2015). The character who comes closest to looking like an adult man in a sea of children is the stoic and serious Ida, whose actor nevertheless injects enough naïveté and adolescent self-doubt into the performance to make a believer out of me.

The romantic relationships are chaste and sweet, and the central conflicts of Kieta Hatsukoi are almost entirely internal. For Aoki and Ida, the struggle is to figure out what each of them want from their relationship, and they navigate their stark differences in personality in fun and sometimes painful ways. Aoki, who is suddenly aware of his latent bisexuality and Big Feelings, is such a sweetheart and strikes a fine balance between comically pathetic and sympathetic. Ida, for his part, seems to have a handle on everything except for the way Aoki's feelings make him feel, and there are good moments when we see his less guarded side break through in ways that conflict with or complement Aoki's vulnerability. Hashimoto and Aida are the rare chaos heterosexuals that i am rooting for 100%. She learns to be vocal about what she wants and stand up for herself and her emotions, and he learns how to drink respect women juice and think about the feelings of other people. Their interactions are more farcical and lighthearted than our main couple, but the actors bring no less energy to their characters.

A central theme of this series that i think gets overlooked is the idea of kindness as aspirational masculinity, and all three of our male leads embody this to varying degrees at times. The scene i think most clearly exemplifies this is when Aoki volunteers to take the role of Cinderella in the school play to protect the stage-shy Hashimoto, opposite Prince Ida. (IT'S A PLAY WITHIN A PLAY!) In lesser shows this would be played as a joke about his sexual proclivities or gender in some way, and there is an extent to which men crossdressing is inherently kind of a comedic trope in film, but just when Aoki feels he's been made the object of a joke he doesn't fully understand, Kieta Hatsukoi affirms that there is nothing wrong with what he did, that his queer feelings and feminine performance do not make him lesser than Ida, and that the reason he went onstage in the first place was noble. Selflessness and empathy are an integral part of Aoki's character, and those qualities are also important to the character arcs of Ida and Aida as the show progresses. It feels good to see our boy protagonists be lauded for their kindnesses and not punished for showing what are too often gendered vulnerabilities. (And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Hashimoto praised for her apeshit outbursts of righteous anger, which are more directly framed as jokes but are also encouraged by the narrative as positive for her character. Debatable, but it's there!)

Finally, this show typifies (what i like to call) the soft gaze in its camerawork and overall visual design, which is very apropos for a such a gentle high school comedy. This gaze, with its lingering but unobtrusive shots of tender moments and refusal to objectify the characters, supplements the themes of kindness as aspirational masculinity and all forms of love, romantic or platonic, as worthy of cherishing.

I had a good time, but:

Aoki and Ida (and the whole friend group really) could have had like 3% more time being cute together in the finale, even if it were just a mid-credits montage. I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters so quickly!

Character(s) entitled to financial compensation: N/A. Go forth safe in the knowledge that no fictional high schoolers were harmed in the making of this series.

Conclusion: There is not a hint of cynicism in the writing of this show. Kieta Hatsukoi is almost indulgently sentimental, with just enough comedy and surprising thoughtfulness to keep it interesting. Often, the series feels like a nostalgic love letter to the concept of the high school crush, but it also updates its narrative to revamp tired tropes and center the feelings of bi boys and shy girls, two of our most important natural resources. Neither too understated nor totally over-the-top, Kieta Hatsukoi is an earnest and refreshing take on the Japanese BL genre. And we stan.

Come back soon to see if i can say anything interesting about See You After Quarantine? (2021)

[heretherebedork]

If you had to put Da On in a seme or uke box, which would you and why?

Not that I'm entirely convinced either would apply to him; I simply find his character interesting and want to explore it. If you don't think he belongs in either box feel free to expand upon that as well.

(Please don't be offended that I asked @absolutebl the same question)

I am never offended to share answers with @absolutebl considering we basically run parallel lines in these things half the time anyway.

But that's a hard one, honestly. Daon doesn't fall easily into those two squares because he's more of a queer character, to me, than a BL character.

Yes, he's got a lot of the seme pursuing and taking care and knowing how to help people... but he's also much more fragile than people think and would really benefit from being taken care of as well.

Now, the show definitely places him as a seme in competition with Shinwoo. But that's more about the love triangle than Daon himself...

And, for me, the answer is basically 'I wouldn't.' because I place Daon squarely in a box labeled 'queer characters'.

In narrative terms, though? He's definitely the seme in the show, or at least is supposed to be, and it makes sense because that's a good portion of his character.

But he could play either role equally well with his current character. It just matters who he's with, not who he is.

[icyspikes]

GMMTV 2022: Borderless

Borderless. I love this title. There is just something about it that makes me feel included. They really have a lot of international fans and they take that into consideration. I think they are hoping to reach a wider audience, well past the borders of Thailand.

Last night I watched one and a half hour of trailers ! Its crazy how they are growing? Each year they are coming out with more and more series. I appreciate it.

I have to say though that nothing particularly stood out to me out of all the trailers , but there were a few surprises ! First mind blown trailer was "You are my favorite". If ohm x nanon was something that I never imagined, Krist x Mike was something I never considered in a million years. I was so shocked. I never thought Krist will act in Y series again.

Nanon has quite a few appearances, I was glad to see. Especially in the Midnight Series- Dirty Laundry. I quite liked few of the Midnight Fantasy series in 2020. Dirty Laundry looked super chaotic and super fun. Nanon cross dressing !! Jennie x Foei in a fun setting !!! I'm all in for it. The movie. Well its set in school and it seriously gives the vibes of "You are the apple of my eye" taiwanese movie. I usually am fond of such kind of nostalgic setting. Not to mention ohm x nanon x chimon x neo !!

The other midnight series- Moonlight chicken First x Mix x Earth x Khaotung. Love square ?! Earth looks really mature in this one. Although I dont know if I am mature enough to handle this one.

Midnight series- Midnight motel. Jan's role here reminds me of Tonhon Chonlatee. It seems like a chaotic mess, but I am wondering if Off will make this a worthwhile watch. Also comedy x Murder.

Jitti Rain. GMMTV might as well hire her to be their script writer. 2019- Theory of love. 2020 - 2gether. 2021- Fish Upon the Sky. 2022- Vice Versa. The concept is very dystopian. I was gald to see ohm and nanon special appearance. (Well since bad buddy is ongoing.. and Friday is not here.. I'm just happy about any ohm x nanon..)

This year Gmmtv has pulled in some familiar faces from the mainstream lakorn side. Yes I am talking about none other than Min and Mai Davika. Starring opposite to Bright and Win. So Bright and Win have now got their own series. Unexpected surprise was Goy. I personally haven't seen her in gmmtv series. Astrophile a love triangle I'm not sure I want to invest in. Dear sister with lakorn vibes I'm not sure if I want to see all that exhausting hair pulling kind of drama.

Familiar Faces x Familiar Ships x Y series x Family Drama --- Never Let me go and Cupid's Last Wish. There are a lot of times when Gmmtv plays it safe. They build on what they already built. Sometimes its nice. For example OffGun - From Puppy honey to Theory of love to Not me. People love their ships too. There is nothing wrong with working on already established fandoms and already established ships. It can go either ways though.

New faces x High school/University x Y series - Yet another familiar trope. I have no qualms about giving new faces a chance, yet somehow I feel like I am past that stage where I want to see University setting. But a surprising face to see wasJoong from 2 moons 2.

My school President - Maybe if this was 3-4 years ago I might have been exicted for this one.

Sky and star - One of them again is school/University setting. But Mek !!! In BL !!! Never imagined. That village setting looks pretty relaxing so I may give it a shot. Also Arm x Mike x Mek. Seems like an interesting combination.

Some really Unusual themes and settings which I am looking forward to seeing are.... UMG ,Home School and Eclipse.

UMG looked really interesting. Alien invasion ? Lost Love ? Extraterrestrial life ? Dang. Namtan too !! I'm for sure going to see this one. Got a bit of goosebumps while seeing the trailer.

Home School. I have one word. Gun. I think gun is a great actor. He really should be given more chances to be honest. It looks pretty interesting. Also familiar Ajumma from lakorn-verse as the school teacher.

Eclipse !!! First x Khaotung damn.. It looks like it has a bit of black magic themes !! and just this dark forbidden vibes. If there is a BL I am looking forward to then its got to be only this one. Even if it is school, it a totally different setting. I just love the black jackets.....

Romance Centric x Guy x Girl x drama

You fight and I love. From the thumbnail I thought Victor will be the main protag. Its a very typical kind of a theme, thats been done many times. Brother's best friend. I will reserve it for one odd day when I feel like this kind of drama will help me pass my time. Although I don't know if such a day will come.

My dear donavan. I have to say that this is something I may give a chance on a day I have nothing to watch. The reason being I really love Namtan's style in this one. I always thought she was really pretty. But I like her character in this one. I don't think she had played something like this before. Also the other theme that makes me want to give this a chance is - Hidden Identity.

Oops! Mr. Superstar Hit On Me. To be honest I am not really such a great fan of jane. I did like her a lot in Teenage Mom though. I don't mind large age gap drama, but the trailer and story did not really appeal to me. This one might just be off my list.

PS. I Hate You. Toxic Friendship. Girl drama. Backstabbing. Pretty women. Forbidden relationships.This really depends on my mood. When I feel like I need something toxic to watch I might just give this a chance.

10 years ticket. This looks like an interesting plot. Small town. Hidden secrets. Murder. Guilt. Hate. Love. I might just give this a chance. ( But gmmtv why do you kill off poor pleum all the time...).

Good Old days. I like the concept of that antique shop. Remnants of the past and the price to pay for hanging on to it. Nostalgia and reminiscing is like a double edged sword. Need to be careful not to step in too deep.

The Wrap Effect. No impression. I am not sure if this is fantasy. I don't know what to make of it. I will probably just pass this one.

The three gentle bros. The concept is using love for getting out of moms grip and taking control of your own world. I may just see this for Tay Tawan. I know P'Tay likes to host shows more than tv series, still I hope to see him.

Overall there is a lot of choices. A huge collection. Many of the planned series for 2021 is yet to air. Although I know they havent given up on it. They are shooting many of them and we wil probably get them end of December-Jan. I just feel that they have really lined up a lot. Gmmtv is large with a lot of actors and lot of potential. I do hope they can still focus more on quality than quantity. I also hope that gmmtv can explore more unusual themes too.

I also want to say I am slightly disappointed that gunsmile did not get a bigger role in 2020. I can still hope that they plan something for Grandsons in 2022.

Having said that I am still looking forward to some of the series, at the same time also a bit disappointed. Although I hope that next year we get like the unusual type series first.. And the romcom/ lakorn styled ones later. This year we got the lakorn/romcom type stuff first.

[janumun]

Hey everyone!

Guess who's working on something big (as in the length of the monstrosity! You can expect Big Ds from my writing of course buuuut)

It has a certain British (beautiful) rake, tortured as he may be. And this frosted sapphire treat:

Is it a triangle? A square? An orgy? A BL? A couple? I hope you stick around to find out! 🙇🏽‍♀️ I'm fairly excited to share it.

The CGs are intense, LORD, I love them, they're perfect and put side by side? HELL YES.

Purpose of the post? Just to let you know I'm bursting at the seams to throw this out into the world. It's my second longest commitment ever since my IkeSen Nobunaga/MC/Kenshin series.

It is (supposed to be): angsty and happy and NSFW and I've tinkered with the idea for months before deciding: LET'S THROW IT INTO THE RING.

[kermitthequeer]

hey!! if you get this answer all the questions and come up with an individual bonus question and send it to your favorite BL blogs

1) what was a bl that you thought would be meh but turned out to be one of your favorites

2) if there was one thing you could change about a bl you despise (that would make it less awful) what would it be?

3) think about the bl you hate the most, now give me at least one thing that you like/love about it

4) one of your pet peeves that you overlooked because it was in your favorite bl

5) what are some instant red flags that a bl won't be good

bonus question: what's the BL show which is popular and you don't know why?

thanks for the ask again nads <3

1. what was a bl that you thought would be meh but turned out to be one of your favorites To My Star. I always try to keep my hopes low with korean bls, espacially after watching Wish You. Another bl about a celebrity... But it did surprise me. And I love it now. The soundtrack is good, the storyline is good and so are the actors. <3

2. if there was one thing you could change about a bl you despise (that would make it less awful) what would it be? Tonhon Chonlatee, the amount of toxic masculinity was unbearable, but the SA scenes were definitely worse. So, if you would remove all SA scenes or at least deal with them properly, I think it would be definitely less awful - still not enjoyable for me tho.

3. think about the bl you hate the most, now give me at least one thing that you like/love about it Have to go with History 4: Close to you. And I think that the only thing I did quite like in this was the fact that the setting was not in university/high school but work. Yep...that's it.

4. one of your pet peeves that you overlooked because it was in your favorite bl that's a tough one, because I'm really nitpicky. But it's the love triangle/square in I Told Sunset About You, but let me explain! This show actually made me root for all possible couple outcomes. So, that's why I ignored it. Not only because of my bias, but also because I was fond of all the characters and their relationships.

5. what are some instant red flags that a bl won't be good there are many instant red flags. just to name a few:

The "girly girlfriend" is one, because her being into feminine things is often villanized (á la "she only cares about looking good and make up and isn't a good girlfriend and he deserves someone better") and she turns out to be the "crazy ex-girlfriend".

Lines like "he belongs to me" or "he's mine" often lead to SA scenes by the villain and the love interest.

Too many slapstick sound effects often forshadow poor comedy and writing (at least it`s not my cup of tea)

Also, fujoshis - especially when related to the MC or the love interest (it creeps me the fuck out when the sister/mother/co-worker ship the MC with someone and secretly take pictures of them or write fanfics about them)

.....

the list goes on and on I could make an entire post just about that

bonus question: what's the BL show which is popular and you don't know why? tharntype. there are only two "reasons" why I could imagine it being popular. 1) the leads have great chemistry and 2) many explicit scenes but you can find both in other (imho better) shows as well, so how is this show different? What`s so unique about it? it's so problematic and toxic and I can't and I actually don't wanna understand how a series like this can be so popular and loved by so many.

[recentanimenews]

Maiden Railways

By Asumiko Nakamura. Released in Japan as “Tetsudou Shoujo Manga” by Hakusensha, serialized in the magazines Melody and Rakuen Le Paradis. Released in North America by Denpa Books. Translated by Jocelyne Allen.

We’ve seen the occasional short story volume in North America, but they’re still a rarity compared to picking up long-running series. Sometimes, though, you’re in the book for quick bites… or in this case, short trips. As the title might suggest, this volume’s short stories revolve around trains and train stations. Except for one chapter, they’re not interested in makes and models in a trainspotting sort of way. The train is a vehicle into the heart, as we see various couples and singles meet, interact, and move forward around the train setting. The author is known for being skilled in the shoujo and josei world, and also has some noteworthy BL to her name, including Doukyuusei, which came out digitally here eons ago and which Seven Seas is finally putting out in print this summer. There’s no need to worry about the engineer here – this train is in good hands.

The stories are interconnected only in the setting, though there is a final chapter that shows all the protagonists of the previous stories moving past each other in a nice callback. The first story is mostly from the POV of a young wannabe pickpocket as she gets involved with a husband who thinks that his wife is cheating on him with his younger brother. It’s honestly probably a good thing she’s there, as I found the husband really aggravating (deliberate, of course, but still…) and the story works better from her semi-detached POV. Things work out well, mostly as she’s very familiar with the schedules. (OK, not so well for her, but don’t pick pockets, OK?) The second story involves a love triangle/square among high school students who are graduating, and also involves catching a lover by knowing the timetables- I was reminded of the Monty Python skit about murder and train schedules.

The third story, if I’m honest, may be what a lot of readers are here to see, as it’s the “yuri” story in the book. A high school girl who’s getting romantic attention but isn’t interested… at least not in that person… runs into an older woman who’s breaking up with her lover. Loudly. The difference between the two personalities is the reason to read this (though the height difference is also cute). The fourth story may have been the one I enjoyed the most, as a husband buys cakes every Thursday from a shop, but is hiding a deep, dark secret. Is he cheating? His wife resolves to follow him, but we know the answer isn’t that. This is the story in the book most closely related to trains and their makes and models, and I found it rather sad and sweet. The last story is also sweet and sad, and has two women bonding at the station after the last train leaves about their boyfriends. This is really the only story with a spoiler, so I’ll leave it at that, but it was also quite good.

As noted, the book ends with a story that interconnects all the other ones (though I could have done without the implication that the pickpocket might be romantically involved with the security guy) and shows that this sort of thing happens all the time on this train. It’s a nice gimmick that leads to some well-told stories. Definitely worth a read, and I’d love to see more by this author.

By: Sean Gaffney

[fruitystarstar]

Talking About OCs #2: Mensta the Jester

History

I remember making characters based off my friends, but as we drifted apart, I stopped using those characters, and I plain stopped using characters based off people irl (for a while). Eventually, I wanted to give Queen Rosie a sidekick. She gets another one in the future (I'll talk about him later), but during this time, I had the idea of giving her a tiny, male sidekick.

His first design was a royal assistant with orange hair, a green suit, thick, black glasses, and a big, red feather in his hat. He was around Rosie's age and had a crush on her, but I scrapped him later on (I also sadly forgot what his name was). Plus, I decided I didn't want her sidekick to be in love; I wanted their relationship to be nothing but platonic/family-like.

His second design made him look like a little elf with a striped, pointy hat named Lexx. I later scrapped him too because I didn't like his design. Then I realized "what better type of sidekick for her to have than for her to have a jester?" And so that's where Mensta comes in.

Significance/Reason

I knew that every time I made a character specifically based off a person, it wouldn't work, since my friend group tends to change a lot. I liked the idea of making someone who was more based off fictional characters rather than irl people. It made him feel more organic, more animated, more fluid, like he could be his very own person and not someone else's.

Fun Fact: Mensta's name is an anagram for Stamen (a.k.a. the male part of the flower).

Anatomy

(idk why but I feel like this section should go first)

In this universe, jesters aren't a profession, they're a whole species. They range from being 1 to 4 feel tall, have skin colors from literally all the colors of the rainbow (same with their hair and eyes), and live for all eternity, bringing joy to those who need it.

All jesters are created from the fabrics of the stars and planets, and made by the gods and goddesses of the universe. Because they're made from the most powerful creatures alive, they're given the most powerful power out there; regeneration and immortality. Mensta is 3,000 years old.

Fun Fact: Mensta once had a staring contest with someone for 30 years straight, until someone finally walked up to him and let him know he was staring into the eyes of a statue the whole time. He still hasn't been able to live that embarrassing moment down.

Fun Fact: Mensta doesn't need to eat or sleep to survive. He doesn't even feel hungry or tired. But he does like to study those features in mortals. He even studied gastroenterology and polysomnography at 57 different universities.

Mensta is 2ft 5 and has mango-orange skin, apple-red eyes, and platinum blonde hair. All jester's eyes include a shape in the iris (like hearts, spades, clubs, squares, triangles, even spirals). Mensta's have diamonds.

Drawings

(Tw: bl**d)

Personality

Mensta, like every jester, likes to tell jokes, sing songs, do tricks, and pull pranks. This can get on people's nerves sometimes, especially on April Fool's Day, so Mensta will always be prepared to apologize, whether it be with a present or a slice of dessert. Since jesters usually tease their monarchs the most, you could imagine Queen Rosie's received a TON of cake slices for compensation. He believes all problems could be solved with happiness, even if the thing that makes you happy isn't that much.

Mensta looks on the bright side of everything, and is usually very cheerful and energetic. It's hard to make him annoyed, mad, or sad. But it is possible to happen. When this does, he'll try to make someone else happy in order to lift his spirits. This always seems to do the trick. Not when he gets embarrassed, though; he sometimes can't even show his face, but will still try his best if he can get a good laugh out of you.

He's very loyal to his boss BFF Queen Rosie. He'll always be the one she can go to when she's upset. And despite being one of Mensta's worst critics, he still finds her comments amusing. Hell, he'll even let her beat him up to relieve stress. He so loyal that he'll even hurt someone if they manage to hurt her.

All jesters are made to be neurodivergent. Mensta has ADHD.

Above all, Mensta's just a happy, little guy who wants to entertain everyone who he comes across. He wants nothing but the best for Rosie and wishes she could live a long, long, long, long, long life just like him.

One more fun fact: Mensta loves collecting pronouns. He currently has he/she/they/xe/fae/zill/jester and more (but he mainly likes the he/jester pronouns). When asked what Mensta identifies as, he said, "It's been so long, I forgot. I guess I don't have one."

Closing

Thanks for reading! Once again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[otomesiren]

What are your Top 3 favorite dramas!?

Blow Up My Inbox

Oh My Venius! (Kdrama)

Seven Days (Jdrama, adaption of the BL manga by the same name.)

One I can’t remember the title where a girl who can’t keep a boyfriend for more than a time period who then gets into a scandal with a known singer that soon leads to a lot of love triangles and then SQUARES.  It’s kind of old now so it’s definitely rollercoaster but oh sooo goood Kdrama.

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 7/28/21

SEAN: The end of July should be quiet, right? Everyone’s on vacation, right? Right?

ASH: I actually will be on (a very much needed) vacation!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Airship has the print edition of Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 1, and an early digital for Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 2.

Cross Infinite World has the 2nd volume of Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report.

Denpa Books has a 2nd volume of Heavenly Delusion.

ASH: Nice to see this one finally coming out; it encountered some delays.

SEAN: Ghost Ship debuts Booty Royale: Never Go Down Without a Fight! (Hagure Idol Jigokuhen), which is coming out in 2-volume omnibuses and runs in Nihon Bungeisha’s Bessatsu Manga Goraku. A wannabe idol and karate expert is tricked into the adult entertainment industry, and forced to fight the sex equivalent of a death match game.

MICHELLE: …

ASH: Huh.

ANNA: Erm.

SEAN: J-Novel Club gives us The Faraway Paladin’s 5th manga volume, John Sinclair: Demon Hunter 3, Monster Tamer 5, Perry Rhodan NEO 2, and the 4th Sweet Reincarnation manga.

Kodansha’s print titles include the debut of Pretty Boy Detective Club (Bishounen Tanteidan). They’ve released the first three novels for this already, now we’re getting the manga, which has run in Aria, Palcy, AND Shonen Magazine Edge, so is sui generis. It’s about a middle schooler who gets caught up in a very strange club.

MICHELLE: The first novel didn’t thrill me, but that was largely because of the narrative style. Could be that I would enjoy it more as manga.

ASH: I’ve found that to be true of some of NISIOISIN’s other work as well; at times the stories seem better suited for manga (or anime) rather than prose.

SEAN: Also in print: Boys Run the Riot 2, CITY 12, I’m Standing on a Million Lives 10, Sweat and Soap 7, and Yuzu the Pet Vet 6.

ASH: Boys Run the Riot is high on my list. And this is a good reminder for me to give Sweat and Soap a try.

SEAN: Digitally we see two debuts. My Darling Next Door (Tonari no Otona-kun) is a Betsufure series about a high school girl who falls for an older salaryman who’s just moved next door. Hrm…

ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister! (Onii-chan wa Oshimai) runs in Ichijinsha’s Comic Rex, and is about a young man who is turned into a woman due to his mad scientist Little Sister. No comment.

We also see And Yet, You Are So Sweet 4, Back When You Called Us Devils 3, Harem Marriage 7, I’m Standing on a Million Lives 11 (print has nearly caught up), Quality Assurance in Another World 2, Saint Cecelia and Pastor Lawrence 2, Saint Young Men 12, She’s My Knight 2, The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 5, and the 10th volume of When We’re in Love, which is not a final volume but the series has gone on hiatus after this.

MICHELLE: Cue lamentations about being so far behind on everything.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a few debuts. I’m in Love with the Villainess is based on the light novel, and the digital version has been out for some time, but the print edition of the manga is now released.

ASH: Excellent.

SEAN: Seaside Stranger (Umibe no Étranger) is a BL story from Shodensha’s On Blue, about two men who bond with each other at a seaside town… only one of them isn’t staying long. Can they reconnect?

MICHELLE: I’m definitely looking forward to this one!

ASH: Same! I’ve heard good things.

ANNA: Sounds good.

SEAN: The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary (Kuitsume Youhei no Gensou Kitan) runs in Hobby Japan’s Comic Fire, and is based on the light novel that Airship is releasing. A cynical merc finds it hard to change careers and become an adventurer.

Also from Seven Seas, Berserk of Gluttony 3, Blue Giant 5-6, My Senpai Is Annoying 5, the 5th and final volume of the PENGUINDRUM manga, and The Demon Girl Next Door 3.

ASH: For the most part, I’ve been enjoying what I’ve read of Blue Giant.

ANNA: I have yet to read the first volume, but I have it!

SEAN: Square Enix debuts The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! (Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai!), the story of a demon lord whose mana crystal is shattered and who ends up powerless in the human world. Can she regain her power despite being small, weak and somewhat pathetic? This has an anime coming out this summer, and is, sigh, from the same writer as Breasts Are My Favorite Things in the World! and The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious.

They’ve also got The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 4.

Tentai Books gives us How to Melt the Ice Queen’s Heart (Koori no Reijou no Tokashi Kata), a light novel which seems to be a sweet high-school romance series.

Tokyopop has a 4th volume of Ossan Idol!.

Viz has a formerly print-only release now released to digital – all 19 omnibuses of it! If you haven’t heard of Ranma 1/2, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you.

ASH: Ha!

ANNA: What an obscure title!

SEAN: They’ve also got a digital release of Jump title Ayakashi Triangle, a series so ecchi it can’t appear on the normal Jump app. It’s from the To-Love-Ru creator, natch.

Yen On gives us Combatants Will Be Dispatched! 6, The Executioner and Her Way of Life 2, Goblin Slayer 12, In the Land of Leadale 3, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 16, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone (the 5th in the series), and Reign of the Seven Spellblades 3.

Yen Press debut? We’ve got it. Captivated, by You (Muchuu sa, Kimi ni) is a one-shot short story collection from Enterbrain’s Comic Beam about strange high school kids, and has won some awards. It’s also a hardcover release. Anyone seeing the words “Comic Beam” should have already added this to their buy list.

ASH: Ooooh, this does look good.

ANNA: Sign me up!

SEAN: Yen also has Cirque Du Freak: The Manga’s 3rd Omnibus re-release, Cocoon Entwined 3 (hair), IM: Great Priest Imhotep 10, Karneval 12, and RaW Hero 5.

Hey, that’s not quiet at all! What suits your tastes?

By: Sean Gaffney