#go read some yoshinaga fumi

[lurkingteapot]

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[saffronapplemanga]

Recent Read Manga Recommendation Round Up (plus anime!) - Part 4

Manga/anime I’ve been enjoying recently! Links to part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Twitter link to this post here.

~Links to my other manga posts~ My personal favs/ones I super enjoyed will have a ✨ on them :)

Some of these don't have official (or unofficial) EN translations since I read a lot of JP-only manga and I’d like to make people aware of those titles too! My hope is that bringing awareness to them will help get them licensed :) I guess if any sound interesting, ask publishers to license them!

PLEASE LOOK UP ANY TRIGGER WARNINGS!

SLICE OF LIFE

✨ Aquatope of the White Sand by P.A. Works

(24 episodes)

I worked on the subs for this anime for an Asian streaming service and it was a lot of fun! I feel like this anime was overlooked though. It has beautiful animation and we follow a fun cast of characters living in Okinawa and working in aquariums!

ALTERNATE HISTORY

✨ Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Yoshinaga Fumi

(19 volumes, complete)

Available in English (hats off to the EN localization team, excellent work!)

Ooku is an alternate history taking place in Edo period Japan where a plague wipes out a large portion of the male population. This story is insanely well-written, gripping, and nuanced. It's not "lol men get wiped out and we get girl bosses". I can't get over how big-brained Yoshinaga-sensei is for writing this masterpiece. No words I have will do it justice. Just read it!

PLEASE LOOK UP ANY TRIGGER WARNINGS!

FANTASY

✨ Love Condemns Her by Hana Chatani

(one shot)

Support the creator and pick it up here!

Hana Chatani is one of my favorite artists I've been following for years. Their artwork is mesmerizing to me and I can't get enough. This is a lovely short story inspired by The Little Mermaid.

HISTORICAL, WW2

COCOON by Kyou Machiko

(one shot)

JP only

A one-shot manga based on the real-life events in Okinawa during WW2 and the school girls who were made to be nurses.

MYSTERY

Kujaku no Dance Dare ga Mita? by Asami Rito

(5 volumes, ongoing)

JP only

A former cop is killed and leaves a letter behind for his daughter, thus setting in motion the mystery of who was the real murderer.

HORROR, SUPERNATURAL

The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window by Yamashita Tomoko

(10 volumes, complete+extra volume)

JP only

From the same author as Ikoku Nikki. Honestly, I'm not sure how to explain this title LOL. It's very strange and creepy and silly and... yeah. It was super fun to buddy read it with Colleen from Colleen's Manga Recs.

DRAMA

Hibari no Asa by Yamashita Tomoko

(2 volumes, complete)

JP only

Another one by Yamashita Tomoko! Be warned, this title is upsetting. It's a very good and important manga, but lord... I did not have fun reading it T-T

We follow 14-year-old Hibari, who is sexualized and treated adversely because of her more "developed/sensual" body.

ROMANCE

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 by Mashiro

(13 episodes, 9 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

A fun rom-com :)

DYSTOPIAN, POST-APOCOLYPTIC

Heavenly Delusion by Ishiguro Masakazu

(13 episodes, 10 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

This OP didn't have to go so hard.

I'm sorry idk what to say about this one either other than it's a dystopian. I watched it a while ago and it's not super fresh in my brain right now.

DRAMA, SUPERNATURAL, ROMANCE

My Happy Marriage by Agitogi Akumi

(12 episodes)

I didn't realize the series had supernatural elements at first so I think that was a cool addition. And the character dynamics are also quite interesting.

[jessenigma]

My Favorite Continuing Manga Reads of 2023

For the past few years on twitter, I've made threads of some of my favorite manga and light novel reads from the past year. This year, I decided I would move it over to two tumblr posts.

After the cut are some of my favorite titles that I started before 2023 and kept reading this year.

Basara, Yumi Tamura

The best thing Viz did for me this year was create a whole new cheap subscription service full of Shogakukan titles, which meant that I could plow through the last several volumes of Basara all at once. This series thrilled me, broke my heart, and made me so happy. Sarasa is such a good lead, finding the courage to fight for her people while still being a teenage girl who just wants to be happy and loved, and I would love to read more series with leads just like her.

Run Away with Me, Girl, Battan

When the first volume of this came out and Kodansha's marketing compared it to Princess Jellyfish, I thought it was going to be something at least a bit lighthearted - woman reunites with her high school girlfriend, they end up running away to live happily ever after, the end, right? - but as it turns out, it was more like the very good but very depressing series about domestic abuse, Sensei's Pious Lie. While it wasn't as heavy as all that in the end, I was fascinated by the relationship between the two leads and the struggle to deal with baggage left from their teenage years. (And Battan's art is awfully sexy, much appreciated.)

Tales of the Kingdom, Asumiko Nakamura

I am so sad that the English release of Tales of the Kingdom is nearly caught up with Japan, because that means that I have to wait a small eternity for more stories about this fantasy kingdom where all the men have complicated relationships with their brothers. Asumiko Nakamura really goes all out on the clothes for this one and it's just gorgeous. There's another volume set to come out early in 2024 and I will cherish every page.

Kowloon Generic Romance, Jun Mayuzuki

I have been in love with Kowloon Generic Romance ever since the end of the first volume completely recontextualized everything that went on before it, and each new volume fills me with even more delight and questions about what's going on with these characters in this very fictional version of Kowloon Walled City. Mayuzuki's art is also super gorgeous and sexy, and I am so ready for the next volume to set my head spinning even more.

10 Dance, Inouesatoh

Finally! A new volume! This series was on hiatus in Japan for a while, so it was understandable, but I rang in 2022 with the previous volume of my beautiful ballroom dancing Shinyas and wasn't entirely sure I'd get to see them at all in 2023. The events of the latest volume were more than a bit of a surprise (sex? in my very charged but not technically explicit ballroom dancing bl manga?), and now I'm even more eager to see what happens next.

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (light novel), Nanako Tsujimura

I enjoy the Jeweler Richard novels a little more with each new book and this year brought the best part of the story so far to me. This series is such a thoughtful exploration of its characters, from the leads to the recurring side characters to the one-off clients and friends, and I appreciate how deliberately inclusive it is.

Witch Hat Atelier, Kamome Shirahama

It's basically illegal for me to leave Witch Hat Atelier off any yearly list of favorite titles as long as there's new volumes coming out for me to read. With each volume, it feels like we're moving farther and farther away from the bright and shiny new world of magic that Coco first joins, but there's still always this idea that people can and should help others. It isn't necessarily easy, and magic certainly isn't the cure-all, but there's still almost a kind of optimism. I like that, that it's possible to have horrible things happen in a story but there's still light out there.

Ooku, Fumi Yoshinaga

So I finally finished Ooku this year, only 6 years after I first picked it up at the library. Bless Fumi Yoshinaga for being the catalyst for me learning anything about the Tokugawa shogunate and for creating such a fascinating alternate take on history, complete with women leaders who were just as terrible as the original male versions. I can't believe they actually did an anime, however incomplete an adaptation, because I long had that pegged as something that would never ever ever happen with this series.

My Love Mix-Up!, Wataru Hinekure & Aruko

My most favorite cheery gay romcom title also came to an end this year, and going straight for the silliest soap opera trope in the last volume was both perfectly on brand and perfectly suited to the story. I just wish more stories would unabashedly embrace the ridiculous tropes and give me lots of humor alongside the romance.

Lost Lad London, Shima Shinya

Though the conclusion of this series seemed a bit rushed, I really loved how well Shima Shinya captured the feel of a British crime drama all the way through the story's three volumes. I want to see how much they grow with their storytelling in the future, because this was a strong first series.

MADK, Ryo Suzuri

How could my beloved eroguro demon manga end? Ryo Suzuri does such creative work with character design and it's such a shame that I won't get to meet any more cool-looking demons now. But that said, the story really stuck the landing with Makoto's obsession. I can't wait to reread all three volumes so I can fully appreciate just how much changed (and how much didn't change) for him.

[arwainian]

Reading This Week 2024 #25

Despite being about the same amount of socially busy this week I read way more! I blame the heat wave, even though reading some of these books made me sweat way more than I would have otherwise...

This update is coming a day late because... my girlfriend just got engaged! I was busy on Saturday filming the proposal and yesterday on celebrating with her and her fiance, so you get the reading update a little delayed

Finished:

Reading Rape: The Rhetoric of Sexual Violence in American Literature and Culture, 1790-1990 by Sabine Sielke now, in my last update I said I was slipping into skimming this, but actually the final chapter had some more bits relevant to my work! I think I'll be drawing the most from the first and 4th chapter. an analysis of rhetoric is interesting, but I hope I can dive deeper

"The Law of Genre" by Jacques Derrida, translated by Avital Ronell I am... not sure I understood any word of what was being argued here until maybe the last page?

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles As i said in my small liveblogs of this book, there are some fucking EXCELLENT arguments in this book. and between the main couple no less, where they both come off poorly but ultimately feel justified. I've had this waited on my shelf for about a year, and picking up the sequel (listed below) from my local library on a whim last saturday was the push I needed to finally read it. gosh it had been too long since I read any KJC and it felt good to get back to her work. (this is the aforementioned book that made the heatwave much sweaty [for stressful plot related reasons, get your mind out of the gutter])

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles Luke is exactly a character type that I love to fall for. I love schemeing scoundrels with the skills to socially manipulate situations to their own ends! Also the fights between Rufus and his extended family were so awful and satisfying, KJC has a real skill with dialogue, which includes both flirtatious banter and intense and harrowing arguments. I really loved how, even beyond the fact that this is a sequel to Country Gentlemen, its was just packed with self indulgent references to other KJC works, w/ Lord Corvin cameos and the book Jonathan from her Wanted, a Gentleman/Author novella. Those were put in there for me specifically. However, I will be categorically ignoring a portion of the epilogue of this book, because I think it was dumb/messed up what was already established in the rest of the book. instead in the epilogue in my head Luke and Rufus get kinky in the scary cellar temple after Berengaria finishes that painting of them as pagan god and worshipper

original fiction on the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast

Peaceweaver by Jennifer Nestojko, narrated by Tiana Hansonon At the Mouth by Gurmika Mann, narrated by Maya Chabra "Alphabet of Signs" and "Jade General" by Ursula Whitcher, narrated by Jasmine Arch Where My Heart Goes by Heather Rose Jones, narrated by author By Her Pen She Conquers by Catherine Lundoff, narrated by Heather Rose Jones The Black Handkerchief by Gwen C. Katz, narrated by Lara Zelinsky

I've been listening to a lot of the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast recently and I figure I should start keeping track of the original fiction that gets published through it. always fun to have a sapphic short story to listen to on a walk or a drive

What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 10 by Fumi Yoshinaga, translated by Jocelyn Allen cute as always

"The Reality Effect" by Roland Barthes, translated by Richard Howard "Realism and the Novel Form" by Ian Watt (I have no notes on the above two in my journal, and I dont want to go check Zotero. read for research)

Love & Bees by SJ Blasko little poetry booklet I picked up from a queer art fair last year, happy to have finally read it. there's some wonderful stuff in here

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, translated by Faelicy & Lily, illustrated by Xiao Tong Kong my hold finally came in from the library <3. awful, hilarious, the Shen Jiu chapters made me heart ache, and it is so so funny and infuriating that it seems like half of Binghe's flirting technique is making himself seem sad and pitiful because of Shang's bad romance advice

Started/Ongoing:

Uzumaki by Junji Ito I read the first two chapters and had to set this down. the body horror for this is very visceral to me and I think I will have to take it quite slow, but I am excited to read more

A Transmigrator and a Time Traveler Walk Into the Bamboo House by VeryCharismaticDragon on ao3 finishing volume 4 of SVSSS made me decide to give some fanfic another try. I'm most of the way through this and I think the early parts are a bit better than the later parts but I am having a good time.

Reading Plans:

-more articles for research -uzumaki (but slowly) for shelved by genre -Always the Almost by Edward Underhill for a queer book club -We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian bc if I got back to KJC I should go read the Cat that i've been putting off, and I put a hold on another book from her at the library to motivate myself

[waitmyturtles]

Oh, HAPPINESS! I had some childcare help today, finally (!!!!), so I got to watch my first drama of anything in over a week, and it was Kabe Koji, and ohhhh it’s good! 

Quick little background on my small history with doujinshis: the only doujinshis I’ve read are the Kinou Nani Tabeta ones, which are wonderfully scanlated by Ikemen Scans (although I also buy the Japanese versions, because me = #fangirl). Yes, the world of doujinshis is rather wild for a relative newcomer to the manga scene like myself, but to be honest, the KNT doujinshis, besides sexy times, are quite wholesome because of the huge warmth of the relationship between Shiro-san and Kenji. (Volumes 3 and 4 of the doujinshis deal with a continuing wrinkle in their relationship that’s actually really lovely and moving, and it demonstrates how their intimacy helps them work through their communication issues, particularly on Shiro-san’s end.) In other words, the doujinshis really shine a more holistic light on their relationship than we get just from the regular volume releases, and I’m devoted to Yoshinaga Fumi-sensei for drawing them in the first place.

ANYWAY! With all that said, when I first saw that Kabe Koji would spotlight a doujinshi writer, I was like, I’m all in. I haven’t read the canon manga for this show, but I really like the grumpy-cat-hikikomori-like vibe of Nekoyashi, and clearly the show is going to go to all twisty-sorts of places with the way Issei is being treated by his group, and with the shrine reveal at the end of the first episode. I don’t know why I’m getting a little bit of a reminder of Life: Love on the Line with this -- maybe it’s the flashbacks to the school years -- but this show just seems complicated and hilarious and emotional, and I think I’m really going to like the dive into doujinshi culture to help me understand it more.

Also, I LOVE the animated bits -- it reminds me of how I felt when I first started reading doujinshis to understand what the heck, culturally, I was experiencing, and it’s nice to see these bits being used to sort of explain Nekoyashi’s mind and emphasize the doujinshi culture that this show will focus on. (And, omg the book’s title and animated book cover, but also like, lol squee lol.) 

AAAHHHH, FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK WATCHING DRAMAS AND WRITING ABOUT THEM! At least I can squeeze a little time in for the time being!

[jariten]

September 2021 roundup!! First off from my faves this month its What’s Michael Fatcat Collection volume 2 by Makoto Kobayashi, and Lil’ Leo by Moto Hagio! What’s Michael volume 2 comes considerably later than volume 1 due to pandemic delays but it was worth the wait! Since this new release is a compilation of the first Dark Horse release the panels are flipped or rearranged to read left to right, and unfortunately some chapters are still missing, mainly the chapters that were in color or dual tone when they first appeared in Kodansha’s Morning. Lil’ Leo was also highly anticipated for me so I’m glad Denpa was finally able to pull it off! A cute change of pace for Hagio but I also found myself feeling a bit melancholic... Leo just evoked those memories of being a child who doesn’t really understand how the world works at all but still does their best despite the mistakes they make.

What Did You Eat Yesterday by Fumi Yoshinaga volume 16 also came! Because now I’m reading it how I’m supposed to (in small doses over time as opposed to all at once lmao) I feel its a series that I feel only gets better, and its something about how the cast ages in real time that gives it a special feel too. Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises by Kumiko Saiki was also an amazing surprise!! Solid cast who have set out on a thrilling journey on the road to joining the totally-not-Takarazuka all female theater troupe. It had been on my radar for a while but for some reason I was completely confused about whether it was an original anime or a manga and didn’t understand how the manga was divided, didn’t help that I wasn’t really looking into it either. If you’re as out of the loop as I was: The manga was originally serialized in Shueisha’s Jump X, Jump X stops existing and Hakusensha comes to the rescue and the chapters that were serialized in Jump X becomes a “season 0″ released individually from the current serial which is currently in Hakusensha’s Melody. Don’t know much about the current serial bc I'm not sure if I’m gonna get the English version or the Japanese one (thought the translation was great tho!) so I’m gonna wait.

The current wave of delays has made the release dates listed on a lot of booksellers go completely haywire so I’m not completely sure what’s coming up anymore and I haven’t been impressed with the license announcements this month, but we’ll see what October brings! and the queue will be back tomorrow!

[filliteapot]

i live for josei manga! it seems like there are so many series that never get a release outside of japan tho. :( what are your favorites that you would recommend?

Okay, I made some lists in the past and I’m not taking any of those I had put there back, but I wanted to make a new list of recs for a while, so I guess it’s high time to do so.

All time recs: 

Ikuemi Ryo’s works: my faves are Kiyoku Yawaku, Taiyou ga Miteiru, Principal, Anata no Koto Wa Sorehodo. But. Pretty Much everything by Ikuemi is worth checking.

Tamura Yumi’s works: the obvious 7seeds and Basara aside, I beg you, read her Neko Mix Genkitan Toraji. Also, she has some quality oneshots like this one.

Okazaki Mari’s works: & (I didn’t like it when I first tried to read it, but last year I opened it and it got to my heart), Tomodachi Ijou (second oneshot is something I reread to feel better) and Suppli (love from the first page I saw)

Nishi Keiko’s Otoko no Isshou (it has some things I don’t rly like reading about and yet it owns my heart) and Koi to Gunkan (sadly, translation was dropped)

Umino Chica’s Honey and clover (and 3gatsu no Lion)

Higashimura Akiko’s works: Kakukaku Shikajika (her best work imo) and Tokyo Tarareba Musume

Yazawa Ai’s works

Attention: I know that some of these go as shoujo or seinen but it’s just bc they were published in shoujo/seinen magazines which doesn’t change the fact that these are Josei Authors to me and frankly I don’t give a damn about how they are labeled so no need to tell me about it. Thank you very much.

Stories I mention less often:

Konishi Asuka’s Haru no Noroi

Watanuki Yoshiko’s Manatsu no Delta (a real jem imo, keeping an eye on this author from now)

Fumino Yuki’s Saraba Yoki Hi (I feel like when Ikuemi’s TGM ended the Universe tossed this one to me bc it knew I needed something else with the same lvl of pain and ability to make me rage and want to die while reading but not dropping the series)

Omoide no Toki Shuurishimasu by Tani Mizue (story) and Yamaguchi Izumi (art) - I read it years ago on otakumole, not sure if there’s     translation anywhere else.

Hozumi’s Usemono Yado

Ninomiya Tomoko’s Nodame Cantabile

Katsuta Bun’s Chikutaku Bonbon and Daddy Long Legs (oneshot collection)

Kazuno Tani’s works (Her oneshot In The Pocket is the right mix of slice     of life and fantasy-or-was-it-a-dream-like experience which I appreciate     so I want more of her works)

Ima Ichiko’s Hyakki Yakoushou (not romance, darker fantasy with  Japanese folklore creatures)

Kodama Yuki’s works (her stories are not my 100% faves, but I love the art and the nostalgic atmosphere)

Morimoto Kozueko’s Koudai-ke no Hitotobito (for the humour and The Poor Little Bjorn)

Yoshimura Akemi’s Bara no Tame ni (the main romance annoys me so much but this series overall does have good things so I’m putting it here)

Tanikawa Fumiko’s works (cute romance oneshots mostly)

Things that caught my attention that I still need to check out myself:

Ikebe Aoi’s works (Zassou-tachi yo Taishi o Idake)

Nanamaki Kanako’s works (Minato Machi Neko Machi)

Yoshinaga Fumi’s Ooku (an award winning thing, I’ve read the first volume and wanna continue bc it is interesting indeed but I can’t read it with a lighthearted attitude)

Shimura Takako’s Koiiji (I feel like I’ll be raging a lot while reading about unrequieted love and bad life decisions but I’ll check this one)

Opening a New Rubric: Things I Want Translated

Sugita Kei’s Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi. I yelled about it so much last year, so I want to mention it here too. The anime for Uta Koi is a rec too, but the manga has more stories and contents.

Okazaki Mari’s Suppli (I’m that “let me in” meme but “let me read it let me reaaaad” as this story got me caught with raws only - I knew it was over for me when I saw this page)

Kuramochi Fusako’s Tennen Kokekko and Tsuki no Pulse (in love with her style and wishing to get Tsuki for personal reasons)

Itoi Key’s Hana to Hoho (I loved the summary and Nishi Keiko’s comment on it, would love to read it one day) 

Isoya Yuki’s Nagatan to Ao To (for the sake of Yearning and Food)

Iwamoto Nao’s works (they look so interesting and I love the style)

Nemu Yoko’s Sandaime Kusuriya Kyuubee (several oneshot collections of hers are translated, but I’m not really into them, and I want to read her longer series much more)

Ikuemi’s new series: Ichinichi Nikai and her adaptation of the novel Eine kleine Nachtmusik (looked through chinese raws > cried bc of Ikuemi’s powerful storytelling getting to me even past the language I don’t understand at all)

Anything by Katsuta Bun

Webtoons - I’m (sooo) not a big fan of this format but there are good josei-like stories in it so I decided to mention them too:

Yaggug’s Unlucky Mansion

Go Ara’s stories (some of them are pretty much pessimistic but ugh they hurt me and left a mark – yeah I’m looking at you, Teenager Younghwa)

Kim Ji Hyo’s Hans and Emily (I got such a good fairytale feeling from this one and loved the style)

Uni life stories like Cheese in the trap or Love Barometer (I enjoyed them pretty much in the past, though I haven’t finished both stories yet)

This is it. For now. I’m not sure what you expected from me when asking about josei recs, but I guess now you can see how much I love talking about it. :“)

Of course, the new josei suggestions (and asks about stories in general) are always welcome.

[asteroiideae]

okay, so I don’t make these kinds of posts often because tbh I’m a little lazy and very tired like 24/7 lmao but I’ve been seeing a lot of Pride reading lists hit my dash (and they’re excellent, and I save them all!) buuuut reading books is still a roadblock I’m struggling to mentally overcome -- and audiobooks are great, but they take 84 years (sometimes literally???) to get through. so! I thought I’d share a (very tiny) list of the queer manga I’ve read this year that you might enjoy for Pride, with some descriptions/trigger warnings/thoughts to go with them. so here we go in no particular order other than where they sit on my bookshelf:

What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga

okay so I know I go on about this manga at literally every presented opportunity, but I honestly just can’t help myself??? as a thirty-something queer adult, I really love the quiet maturity of this relationship between Shiro and Kenji; especially when it’s highlighted by references to shenanigans of their youth, and the ways in which they are still growing as both individuals and a couple. I’ve only read the first six volumes but I’m OBSESSED.

Status: Ongoing (17 volumes; 15 translated) Summary: Shiro and Kenji are an established adult couple with separate careers and interests, whose relationship is depicted over the meals cooked for them by Shiro. This doesn’t have an overarching plot, which might be off-putting for some readers; each chapter can be compared to a fanfic one-shot, usually containing it’s own tiny storyline or theme. It’s literally just domestic moments and meals shared between these men. Warnings: While I didn’t personally have a problem with this, younger readers might find some of the dated terms offensive. If you’ve spent any time with older queer folks (older as in 45-50+) this won’t be anything you aren’t used to, but if your experience of queer folx skews younger or online, you might get taken by surprise. There’s also some internalized homophobia; and by some I mean quite a bit. Shiro’s personal arc (at least in the first six volumes) heavily revolves around how much he closets himself and tries desperately to pass as “normal” in Japanese business culture.

Boys Run The Riot by Keito Gaku

holy shit holy shit holy SHIT. this story is so good??? so VERY good??? I was a little cautious, and a little bit uninterested in a story about teens (only because I’m in my thirties and crave more adult representation,) but I was VERY WRONG to be. Boys Run The Riot is beautifully drawn, beautifully written, and probably my favorite work on this list. the mangaka is also trans so the inherent understanding and nuance of our protagonist’s experience is really lovely. Also featuring a fantastic brotp between a trans boy and his new himbo bestie; no seriously if you want a story about a trans boy getting to have good broships with other boys his own age I CANNOT stress this enough. Volume two is releasing next month; I have it preordered. I’m laying on my floor wishing for time to hurry the fuck up. I need more of this smol angry trans boy and his big soft himbo bff. PLS. Status: Ongoing (4 volumes published; 2 translated) Summary: Ryo Watari is a second year high school student who is trans and struggling to feel comfortable with his very rigidly structured life at school, at home, and among his friends (to whom he is not out.) By chance he meets Jin Sato, a cis boy who also feels outcast (often judged for his appearance without any deeper thought.) When Ryo comes out to Jin in a state of frustration, Jin accepts who Ryo is and makes an offer -- why not start a fashion line that subverts all the expectations that have been put on them both; why not express themselves even when they’ve been told they shouldn’t. Warnings: Ryo is struggling with gender dysphoria, and it is written by someone who has probably experienced it, so it might be a little real for any trans folks who deal with that. Also, while neither the narrative nor Jin misgender Ryo (at least, not once he expresses to Jin that he is a man), Ryo is not out to anyone else and so he frequently is misgendered at school and we see how badly that impacts him and the way he views himself and processes his emotions. Ryo spends a lot of time being angry and trying to swallow it down, and that can be very raw to witness at times. There is also a depiction of unsafe binding (though the mangaka has an immediate note about binding safety, and goes further in-depth at the back of the manga.)

Our Dining Table by Mita Ori

okay, so I was a bit on the fence about whether or not I wanted to include this as a rec, but I decided that it might actually been what someone wants or needs, so here it is! while I really enjoyed this concept, and I’m always a sucker for found family stories (let me tell you I’m queer without telling you I’m queer, much?) it feels like this story is a bit rushed at times, and the romantic relationship between our protagonists is very blink and you’ll miss it. I don’t even want to call it subtle so much as it is just not remotely the focus of the story so it’s a little startling when it happens. but! if you’re looking for a story about adults processing grief and trauma together, and learning how to care for another person (and as a result, learning how to care for themselves,) this is a nice read that isn’t too heavy!  Status: Complete (one volume) Summary: Yutaka is a salaryman whose past experiences prevent him from reaching out to others, even through something so simple as sharing a meal. Despite this is REALLY loves to cook, and wishes he had a reason to do it more often. Then he meets Minoru, and his muuuuuch younger brother Tane (it’s like a 17 year age gap between the brothers?) and finds himself teaching them how to cook, and overcoming his fear of eating in front of others. Warnings: Good news, there’s no overt homophobia in this story! Bad news, the other trauma makes up for it! We have a lot of trauma surrounding parental death, childhood bullying, and adoption; in addition to an actual fear of eating in front of others.

Our Dreams at Dusk / Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani

this is the first manga series I collected, and I’m still very pleased about that. the art is ABSOLUTELY stunning? the use of visual imagery and surreal analogies to explain queerness is fucking on POINT. I cried so hard during a couple of these volumes I developed a migraine. I only have one piece of critique on the whole thing (addressed in the warnings,) and I intend to do another re-read when I’m ready for the catharsis of sobbing into my pillow again. Like Boys Run The Riot, Our Dreams at Dusk is drawn and written by a member of the queer community (a non-binary mangaka, this time,) and as a result it hits pretty fucking close to home in a lot of ways. while I really love this series it’s super not for the faint of heart, you WILL come out of this reading experience with some things to unpack. Status: Completed (4 volumes; 4 translated) Summary: We mostly follow Tasuku Kaname, as he is outted at school by a classmate as being homosexual, and his initial despair and subsequent journey of acceptance. In this process, Tasuku finds himself at a drop-in center, which seems to primarily function as a safe space for queer people; we meet several lesbians, an elderly gay man, a trans character, and a young character who isn’t ready for any kind of label because they are still ??? about themselves and their identity. Each of these “secondary” characters is given room to breathe and to work through difficulties of their own while Tasuku watches and learns that even though life is hard sometimes, there’s beauty to be found in one’s own strength. Warnings: hoooo boy; well there’s all kinds of homophobia and transphobia; a character is outted against their will (multiple times), there’s some really insidious transphobia covered by “concern”, there’s internalized homophobia everywhere, and a very complicated asexual character whose presentation left me (as an ace) with super mixed feelings and a lot of frustration (though I wouldn’t call it bad necessarily; just wanted to put that out there for my fellow asexual folks.) If you have read (or go on to read!) any of these, please let me know! I’d love to chat about the stories, and hear your thoughts on them -- because we’re a broad/diverse community and our own experiences shape us differently and give us different insights. <3 ANYWAY, for those of you who read this monstrous self-indulgent post, thank you! Feel free to add any queer manga you’ve been reading below - I’m always on the hunt for more recs!

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 6/20/21

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 12 | By Matoba | Yen Press – When you have a main couple as innocent and naive as this one, it’s going to take a lot of struggle to get them together. Indeed, even figuring out what love actually is is tough for Miss Beelzebub, much less that she’s in love with Mullin. And then, just as she’s ready to tell Mullin how she feels, he’s seized by self-hatred and doubt, thinking she’s far too high a station for him. This leads to her being depressed and avoiding him, which… repeat as needed. Thankfully, they do eventually manage to confess to each other. The series may not end with the wedding on the cover, but this is good enough. It was sickly sweet at times… but that’s why everyone read this series in the first place. – Sean Gaffney

BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 4 | By Kaori Tsurutani | Seven Seas – While the series is based around the premise of a teenage girl and an elderly woman bonding over BL, it’s become apparent that this is Urara’s book. Which makes sense—she’s the one searching for a goal. The creation of the doujinshi is very much an up-and-down process, one which we see throughout this volume. It ends at “Comitia 128,” with our unlikely friends manning their own booth. Sadly, said booth—at least so far—has no actual buyers. Honestly, I would have hoped the sheer oddity of the pairing behind the table would have been a draw, but I suppose it’s hard to look beyond the tables. I think this ends with the next book, so it’s time to binge before the finale. – Sean Gaffney

Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry, Vol. 1 | By Kou Yatsuhashi | TOKYOPOP – This seems to be a classic case where I’m really intrigued by the ideas this brings to the table, but the execution is not as stellar. A young woman has it all—powerful magic, her isekai’d-from-Japan boyfriend, and a kingdom who loves her—then it’s all destroyed and she’s killed. When she wakes, she’s in the body of a noble far into her future. Magic is a sad shadow of its former self, and she herself is, essentially, a villainess. Most of the book, unfortunately, then sort of slips into standard shoujo romance, but I like the idea that she doesn’t HAVE any memories of her current self, and has to fake it and deal with everyone’s hatred. I might check out the second volume. – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – It amazes me how this book can still be so funny even after all this time, and I credit this to its central premise, which is that everyone in it is a complete dumbass—but never all at the same time. It’s a comedy rule; there has to be someone to react. Sometimes it’s Sakura, despairing about a relay novel that gets out of hand. Sometimes it’s everyone else in the cast watching the continuing car crash that is Seo trying to get Wakamatsu to recognize her feelings. And sometimes it’s Hori and Kashima, where his confession turns out to be, perhaps appropriately, a giant excuse for drama. These kids are all terrible at life, and are all so endearing, I don’t know what I’ll ever do without them if this ever ends. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 13 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – It’s good for you! Builds character! That’s what it feels like most of the first part of this volume feels like, as Shirayuki is off to the North, meaning she and Zen will be spending a long time apart. That said, it’s as much about their little group of five than it is about the couple, as it’s clear Shirayuki is going to miss Mitsuhide and Kiki just as much. And as for Obi… well, the love triangle that dares not state its name comes pretty close this time around. (It’s a well-known fact that a majority of the series’ fans, at least in the West, want her to hook up with Obi instead, so the plot twist is not surprising.) All this plus a long, unrelated short story to pad out the volume! Still great, though. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 5 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – A large chunk of this book focuses on Anya and her difficulties at school—not only is it an elite private school, but she’s a girl who spent her life as an orphan, experimented on and abused, and she’s lied to Loid about her age to seem older. So, needless to say, schoolwork is proving tough. Normally she can get by by using her powers (i.e. cheating), but that doesn’t work during the new moon—which matches with exams. It’s tense, but also leaves us plenty of choice hilarious bits. Elsewhere, Yor attempts to learn to cook, and we introduce a colleague of Loid’s who is obsessed with him and VERY upset she was not chosen to be his fake wife for this mission. Everyone should be reading this Eisner-nominated manga. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 11 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – One of the reasons that folks seem to be more tolerant of Takagi than they are of Nagatoro or Uzaki is that, for the most part, Nishikata enjoys hanging out with her, and while he finds the teasing frustrating, it’s not because she’s bullying him, it’s because he’s so competitive. Half the time Takagi doesn’t even need to tease him—he shoots himself in his own foot. Even when he literally ends up fanning her like a queen, it’s on him. And, once again, the fun comes from realizing they already ARE a couple, it’s just he can’t really admit that. The most interesting chapter has one of their friends briefly ponder using Nishikata as a fake boyfriend, but it doesn’t even last long enough for Takagi to ponder jealousy. – Sean Gaffney

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 15 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | Vertical Comics – The back cover blurb for this volume says, “A hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo experience new challenges both at work and at home.” Really, that about sums it up. Kenji has taken over management of the beauty salon and must figure out how to delegate some of his new responsibilities so that he’s still able to have dinners at home with Shiro. Most of Shiro’s story is about his parents, who are considering selling their house and moving into a retirement home. In between, there is some shopping for ingredients, a lot of veggies getting chopped, many burbling pots, and incalculable TBSP of soy sauce. Oh, and also everyone tries not to eat too many carbs, which is extremely relatable. I’m particularly keen for the next volume, as Shiro will be meeting Kenji’s family for the first time. Good, as per usual. – Michelle Smith

By: Sean Gaffney

[ntlibrary]

Happy Friday!  Take a study break and enjoy one of these titles this sunny weekend:

I Wish You All the Best ~by Mason Deaver: When Ben comes out as nonbinary to their parents, they promptly kick them out and they move in with their sister—who they haven’t seen in ten years. A new home, new school, new art class (yay!) and Nate, the guy assigned to show them around the first day but who refuses to leave.  Get ready to feel all the feels with this one.

Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition ~by Tove Jansson:  If you’ve been on the internet recently, you’ve seen the feral, pointy-hat-wearing Snufkin and the rotund Moomintroll in oh-so-much fanart.  Read the original comics written by our favorite Scandinavian lesbian.  Adorable and perfect to read by a tree on a sunny day, perhaps with a picnic.  

Wildthorn ~by Jane Eagland:  After her father dies, Louisa finds herself in an asylum where everyone insists her name is Lucy.  Is this because she said she wanted to be a doctor, or something else?  As she searches to uncover who committed her and why, she finds unexpected allies and perhaps even love.  Historical fiction you won’t be able to put down, especially if you liked Petticoats and Piracy.  

What Did You Eat Yesterday? ~by Fumi Yoshinaga: The daily life of boyfriends and their dinners together may not sound like much, but this series is full of heart, humor, and touches on some serious issues.   And, yes, there are delicious recipes!  Read and get ready to go to the grocery store—you’re going to be cooking (or making the earl grey ice cream about 20 times).  

[writeforsoreeyes]

BL LookBack - Gerard & Jacques

Welcome to BL LookBack, where I’m rereading some of the oldest BL series still on my shelves to see how well they hold up for me today!

[image description: the covers of Gerard & Jacques volumes 1 and 2. On the first, an older man with an eyepatch and facial scar embraces a disgruntled teenage boy from behind. On the second, the two characters, both older, stare at each other tenderly.]

story & art by Fumi Yoshinaga originally serialized 2000 - 2001 (Biblos) English edition: 2006 (Tokyopop)

CW: rape, age gap

Fumi Yoshinaga is one of my favorite mangaka. Her diverse body of work includes award-winning alternate history (Ooku: The Inner Chambers), self-deprecating autobio comics (Not Love But Delicious Foods), and bittersweet school life drama (Flower of Life). But what she’s perhaps best known for are her many BL titles.

As a big fan, I’ve read pretty much all her manga and I usually recommend her titles quite enthusiastically. Gerard & Jacques, however, is one Yoshinaga manga that I generally do not recommend. My content warnings on this post probably give you a good idea of why, but let’s dive into it.

Set roundabouts the French Revolution, Gerard & Jacques follows the relationship of two men over the course of nine years. Jacques is the younger of the pair at just 16 when the story begins. He hails from an aristocratic family, but experiences a severe reversal of fortune: his family has sunken deep into debt and his father sold Jacques to a brothel in attempt to save the family’s wealth.

Gerard, meanwhile, is a commoner-- albeit a very wealthy one. He frequents brothels and is a favorite patron of many of the workers since he is younger and more attentive than most of the clientele. Since it’s Jacques’ first night on the job, the brothel owner decides that Gerard will be the best way to ease him into it.

Jacques, however, is understandably in shock about his new reality. He reveals to Gerard that he is an aristocrat and Gerard in turn reveals that he hates aristocrats, stating that they do nothing to earn their wealth. Furthermore, Jacques’ defense of his family’s actions angers Gerard. He makes Jacques face the facts of his situation and Jacques finally tells Gerard to do whatever he wants.

[image description: Gerard hold Jacques by the chin and tells him, “Think about it! What are you now? Do you have any means to pay off your debt other than selling your own body?” He lets Jacques go and continues, “And even in this state, a first-rate prostitute like you is blessed with a feather pillows, three meals a day and silk bed clothes. Younger children than you sell their bodies in places no better than a public toilet!”]’

Although consent is given on paper, it’s hard to call what occurs in chapter 1 anything besides rape.

Usually, this is where I’d drop a BL. However, the saving grace of Gerard & Jacques is that chapter 1 doesn’t end there. Instead, it ends with Gerard taking pity on Jacques. He buys out Jacques’ contract and challenges him to find a way to earn a living as a commoner, stating “If I see you back here [at the brothel] when I next return, I’ll scorn you from the bottom of my heart.”

Not long after, Jacques turns up at Gerard’s mansion looking for work, not realizing who lives there. Although he’s taken aback upon seeing Gerard, Jacques is still eager to prove himself. Gerard openly doubts that Jacques will be useful, but hires him regardless.

Here is the crux of Gerard & Jacques: the story’s setup is deeply problematic. But where a less talented mangaka would slip into weak character development and tired tropes in favor of exploiting the scenario’s raciness, Yoshinaga works hard to prove there is a story worth reading here. As for how successful she ultimately is… your mileage may vary.

Let’s talk about what’s done well first.

Yoshinaga excels at writing characters with complex emotions and motivations. Jacques is naive and repressed when it comes to sexual matters. However, he is also an intelligent, hard-working, and prideful person who isn’t afraid to tackle tasks that other people think are below him. After being turned out by his family, what he wants most is to prove his worth.

[image description: a maid praises Jacques for working hard and finding tasks to do without being told, ending with “That’s the sign of a good servant.” Jacques is pleased.]

Jacques, for obvious reasons, got a poor first impression of Gerard, so he’s surprised to learn that Gerard treats his servants very kindly and is well-liked by therm. As a self-made man, Gerard has enough reason to dislike pampered, frivolous aristocrats. (Note: Gerard made his fortune by penning erotica. There’s certainly some meta going on here, as that is also how Yoshinaga built her career.) 

However, it doesn’t take long for Yoshinaga to divulge Gerard’s past and reveal the real reason behind his ire. I won’t go into the details because it’s all obviously spoilers. But, in short, Gerard was hurt badly by someone he loved and has never forgiven them-- nor has he forgiven himself for being blinded by his love.

[image description: Jacques asks Gerard, “Is this love?” Gerard is surprised by the question, then he looks down and responds, “How should I know?”]

As someone who primarily reads to experience other people’s emotions, I appreciate the care that Yoshinaga takes in crafting believable personalities and depicting the characters’ emotions clearly on the page. She isn’t afraid to use several panels to simply show a small shift in a character’s expression. In relatively few chapters, she covers a lot of emotional ground while showing how the two main characters’ feelings for each other change.

[image description: Jacques lays on Gerard’s chest and pets his hair, saying “I like you...” Unseen by Jacques, Gerard moves as if to put his arm around Jacques and return his embrace, but pulls away.]

Yoshinaga also manages to pack an awful lot of plot into just two volumes without the story feeling too rushed. Nearly a decade goes by! There’s the events that shift Gerard and Jacques relationship, story lines that reveal backstory, and, of course, plots driven by Revolutionary France politics. There’s so much political and legal talk at some parts, in fact, that you might momentarily forget you’re reading a BL. While some readers may be uninterested in such plots, I personally enjoy romance stories that have something else going on within them besides romance.

Finally, I greatly appreciate that Yoshinaga steered clear of the Bury Your Gays trope. It’s a spoiler to even say so, but I think it’s important to know, especially for queer readers: neither Gerard nor Jacques die. I won’t say anything more about the ending than that.

[image description: Gerard and Jacques are arguing whether Jacques should flee the country alone or if Gerard should come with. Jacques stands his ground, saying “I won’t go unless you do!”]

Now let’s talk about the bad stuff.

The number one issue I take with Gerard & Jacques is its double standard surrounding sexual consent. In essence, the reader is meant to presume that since Jacques ultimately enjoys the sexual pleasure he receives from Gerard, that means that his consent is good and golden-- and thus it’s not rape. By contrast, when another character forces sexual attention on people, it’s plainly depicted as sexual assault and rape. Obviously, that’s not how it works in real life.

There’s also a weird, pseudo-incestuous vibe. Gerard is quite a lot older than Jacques (roughly twice his age when they first meet, I think). Furthermore, Jacques’ background and kind-heartedness remind Gerard of a girl who he considered his daughter. Gerard even tells Jacques when he is older, “I loved you like my own child, but that’s not all now. I love you like my lover.” While no actual incest occurs, I’m sure this alone will turn off plenty of readers.

[image description: Gerard comments to the maid that Jacques looked cute dressed up in aristocratic attire. She remarks, “What a fond father you are.” He thinks on this, then repeats, “A fond father. I see.”]

Finally, there’s some unfortunate Man in a Dress style transphobia. Gerard disguises himself as a woman briefly for plot reasons and, in short, some characters note that the look doesn’t suit him. The way it’s executed is much gentler than most other Man in a Dress joking I’ve seen, but it’s still bothersome.

Overall, Gerard & Jacques isn’t bad. In fact, I’d say that Yoshinaga pulls off the story rather well within the confines of the problematic scenario. However, I think the story would’ve been far better without the rape between the two leads.

[image description: Jacques frowns at a manuscript and says, “No matter how many times I read this, it’s still just a crappy, erotic trash novel.” Gerard replies, “It sells. What’s the problem?”]

If this review has made you curious despite the warnings, I do think it’s a worthwhile read so long as you are prepared for objectionable content. But for people put off by the various warnings, I’d encourage you to check out something else by Fumi Yoshinaga. My two personal favorite series from her are Antique Bakery (workplace slow burn drama) and What Did You Eat Yesterday? (half cookbook, half slice of life about a middle aged gay couple.) Neither of these are actually BL in the proper sense, but both prominently feature gay main characters.

*final verdict: I was put off by its premise when I first read it and my feelings on it haven’t much changed. It’s well-done, but the creator has other works I’d recommend more.*

[domeyashiro]

Hi Domeyashiro! Could you please tell me what is "BL Shinka Ron Taiwa Hen" by Mizoguchi Akiko and how is Yoneda-sensei connected with this book? Thank you so much ❤

Mizoguchi Akiko is one of the leading BL scholars worldwide and approaches BL from a gender studies background with a focus on its impact on (Japanese) society.  She has published several academic papers on the topic in Japanese and in English. BL Shinka Ron Taiwa Henis her second book, I think, after BL Shinka Ron which was published in 2015. The English subtitle is Theorizing BL as a Transformative Genre (”Dialogue” Edition): Visiting the Sites Where Boys’ Love Is Born.

While her first book is written in a very academic style and discusses the history of, and current developments in BL as a genre with a potential to change society, this one is composed mainly of long interviews (or dialogues as the title suggests) with BL authors like Yoneda Kou, Nakamura Asumiko, Iwamoto Kaoru, Eda Yuuri, Scarlet Beriko, Yoshinaga Fumi and so on. There is also an interview with C.S. Pacat.

The book originally started out as a dialogue series on the queer website 2CHOPO (Mizoguchi-san is very active in the LGBT community), where I had first seen her interview with Yoneda-sensei. So I was very excited to hear about her plans to turn the series into a book with the full-length interviews (some are almost twice as long as on the website). The one with Yoneda-sensei is 27 pages long! I really want to translate it, but Mizoguchi-san is very outspoken on copyright issues and strictly opposes scanlations, so I’m going to respect that. (She also speaks fluent English and works as a translator occasionally, so I advise everyone else to do the same.) I will write a detailed review instead. But I only got the book today, so that will take some time.

If you know Japanese and are into BL, I highly recommend this book, especially since it’s mostly interviews and thus much easier to read than the previous one.

(Left: BL Shinka Ron / Right: BL Shinka Ron Taiwa Hen)

[heroine-problem-blog]

I dunno if you got any asks like this but what Shojo Anime/Manga do you recommend personally?

Hi! It’s actually been a while, probably because I’ve mostly moved to Twitter for anything other than reblogs. Still, I’m glad you asked, because I’m always happy to talk about my favorite series.

Just FYI, some of these series are out-of-print; others, I haven’t read for quite a while and my opinions may be different if I were to re-read them today. None of them are particularly obscure - I’ll be honest, I’m pretty basic when it comes to this stuff. I’m going on personal taste, not feminist merit here. In no particular order:

Basara is excellent action-fantasy with a heroine who has to step and be strong even when it’s a struggle in a post-apocalyptic future

Yona of the Dawn is about a deposed princess in fantasy Korea trying to gather the Four Dragons so that she can get her kingdom back

Red River is basically a bodice-ripper and has a looooooot of issues with sexual assault but I enjoy it nonetheless

Please Save My Earth is a cool sci-fi that explores concepts of identity, reincarnation, and revenge

Fruits Basket is a beloved classic with a nurturer heroine helping a family cursed to turn into animals when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex

My Love Story is very, very sweet and has a lovely, healthy relationship at its center

Kamisama Kiss is a problematic fave - the main love interest is a complete asshole but I love how it incorporates Shinto mythology

Kimi ni Todoke has somewhat outstayed its welcome but when it’s good, it’s so sweet and charming

Revolutionary Girl Utena is an all-time classic and the inspiration for this blog

Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden fixes a lot of issues with the series it spun off of and really illustrates Watase’s maturation as a storyteller

Lovely Complex features a couple founded on mutual interests and compatibility - she’s just way taller than him, and they both struggle with that

Nana features unflinching, unromanticized portrayals of unhealthy, even abusive relationships, and celebrates female friendship - unfortunately, it’s unlikely to ever be finished

Paradise Kiss is from the same author as Nana, and in my opinion the superior series; it’s a tight five volumes and one of the best female coming-of-age stories I’ve ever read

Ooku by Fumi Yoshinaga is a historical “what-if” where, due to widespread disease, women end up running the Tokugawa shogunate

Princess Jellyfish is a beautiful story about people who reject or feel rejected by society, the community they build as outsiders, and how they react when it is threatened

Ouran High School Host Club, after a bit of a rough start, does a really admirable job of examining not only gender roles but socioeconomic inequality

Millennium Snow is from the same author with a full decade between when the first and second halves were written, and it’s interesting to see how Bisco Hatori matured as a writer and how it altered the course of the story.

Kare Kano has an excellent anime adaptation, from the same director as Evangelion, but for the love of god, skip the manga

All My Darling Daughters is a one-shot from Fumi Yoshinaga that is clearly, explicitly feminist.

Cardcaptor Sakura is a pretty good manga and a great anime, one of my favorite magical girl stories ever

I’m sure this is more than enough to start! Have fun!

[cupofteajones]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. This week’s post is:

Best Books You’ve Read In 2017 So Far (break it down however you want — by genre, strictly 2017 releases, whatever!)

Already half the year is gone and out of my goal of reading 100 books for 2017, I have already read 34! I don’t think that is a bad start. Some of them, of course, have been huge letdowns, but others have managed to make my list of the top best books I have read so far:

(All links connect to either a book review or to Goodreads)

    A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

I was just so deeply moved by Wollstonecraft’s views on women’s rights. A great read for the current issues of this past year.

      Muslim Girl: Coming of Age by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh

I didn’t know that much about the Muslim culture and how it is defined in the media until I read this book. Although, I wished it went into more detail, I strongly believe that this is book everyone should read.

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This the year I discovered Agatha Chrisitie books and not one has disappointed me yet! I can’t wait to read more by her!

4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie 

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

    The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Everyone needs to read this book! Even if you are (or not) a fan of the TV show, the real medium is so much better. I fell in love with Atwood’s writing because of this book.

        The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The best YA book I have read in years! I loved every minute of it! It was so thought-provoking and insightful that I couldn’t put it down!

        Persuasion by Jane Austen

Reading it for the second time, I never truly appreciated of what a great book this is! You get the sense of Austen’s maturity as her writing continued to grow up to her death.

      Goldie Vance: Volume 1 by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams

I was introduced to the this feisty heroine, Goldie Vance, and there is no chance I  am going to miss out on anymore of her amazing adventures!

        Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga, Akemi Wegmüller (Translator)

New type of genre for me to read and it was a fun reading experience! Will definitely read more in the series!

    Honorable mentions:

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A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin

Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility by Stacy King, art by Po Se

The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot

Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl At a Time by Tanya Lee Stone

Top Ten Tuesdays: Best Books of 2017 So Far… Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. This week's post is:

[writeforsoreeyes]

BL LookBack - Shout Out Loud!

Welcome to BL LookBack, where I’m rereading some of the oldest BL series still on my shelves to see how well they hold up for me today!

[image description: the covers of Shout Out Loud! volumes 1 through 5. Each cover features three vertical manga panels highlighting the series’ main characters.]

story & art by Satosumi Takaguchi originally serialized 1996 - 2000 (Kadokawa Shoten) English edition: 2006 - 2007 (Tokyopop)

CW: sexual harassment/assault, age gap

Y’all, Shout Out Loud! is turning 23 this year. It is old enough to have $28,500 dollars in student debt and an underpaid office job. The series is mature in another sense too: while so much of BL revolves around students or young professionals, Shout Out Loud! is about a 30-something voice actor, his family drama with his teenaged son, and his rocky relationship with a colleague.  

Shout Out Loud! was favorably reviewed by manga bloggers when it was released, which is likely how I wound up discovering it and reading it originally. While I remembered the basic setup, my memories of what actually occurred in the story were super hazy. However, I recalled it being overall sweet and fluffy.

Boy, was I wrong!

The story begins when Nakaya, a high schooler and hockey player, gets sick of living with his domineering, traditional grandmother. He shows up at his father’s apartment, asking if he can live with him from now on. Shino, a 33-year old voice actor is surprised to see Nakaya; while he knew he had a son, they’d never met. Still, being a kind-hearted and earnest person, he lets Nakaya move in and tries to bond with him.

Why exactly Shino has never met his son isn’t addressed. Shino and Nakaya’s mother (who is dead when the story begins) parted on amicable terms and they lived nearby, so it doesn’t really make sense except to increase the dramatics.

[image description: Nakaya examines Shino while he sleeps on the couch, thinking, “Man, he’s completely different from the dad I’d imagined. Look at that baby-face, for cryin’ out loud.”]

Since he has a son to care for now, Shino thinks that he better step up his career. He tells his manager that from now on he’ll take any job. That is how he winds up doing a lot of voice work for BL CDs -- and how he comes into extended contact with Tenryu, a slightly older and more popular voice actor.

Bear in mind that this story takes place in the 90s. BL, while popular, is still considered seedy, deviant even. (And a lot of the BL stories he’s recording ARE super seedy.) At first, Shino is hesitant about doing such roles. But he prides himself on being a professional, so he gives it his all -- even though he can’t really relate to the roles.

Tenryu is all too happy to help Shino relate.

[image description: While recording lines, Tenryu leans over and blows into Shini’s ear, startling a cry out of him. The staff comment that Shino’s cry fit into the recording perfectly, but Shino is flustered.]

Here’s my main issue with Shout Out Loud!: the story wants so badly for me to buy into Tenryu as a love interest. But he checks off a lot of boxes in the “yikes!” column of BL love interests. Emotionally pushy? Check. Physically domineering? Check. Condescending? Check. Zero regard for boundaries and the words “no” and “stop”? Check. Positive qualities? I have no idea. He’s good at his job? (Aside from when he’s harassing Shino at work.)

We’re supposed to believe that Tenryu knows what Shino wants better than Shino does. As readers though, with the benefit of direct insight into Shino’s thought, we know he doesn’t want Shino kissing him and touching him. He is simply too intimidated and acquiescent to stand up for himself. His feelings towards Shino inevitably begin to warm up as the story goes on, which honestly frustrated me because Tenryu hadn’t done anything really to merit Shino’s affection beyond being a broody stereotype.

Don’t get me wrong: I love brooding (fictional) men. But they’ve got to prove that they are something beyond assholes. I couldn’t help but think back to reading Gerard & Jacques last month while reading Shout Out Loud! Fumi Yoshinaga put in the work to show that Gerard had honest-to-God positive qualities; by the end of volume 2, you could understand why Jacques liked him, even if you didn’t agree with their relationship.

Satosumi Takaguchi had 5 volumes to convince me that Tenryu was at least somewhat likeable, but she never got me there. I guess I’m supposed to feel bad for him because he recently got divorced and won’t be seeing his kid much anymore? All I could think about that was, “Good for her, I’d divorce him too.”

[image description: Tenryu leans into Shino’s space and says, “I wasn’t joking [on the radio show.] I really did kiss you. I said as much, didn’t I? But you were pretty out of it. I... I got a good thirty seconds of a kiss.” Shino is taken aback.]

But enough about those guys. Let’s talk more about Nakaya.

Of the entire cast, Nakaya is the character who develops the most. He begins the story immature, thinking only of himself as teenagers tend to do. When he first discovers his father is voicing BL CDs, he’s disgusted. But he keeps listening and eventually comes to appreciate his father as a professional.

In addition to suddenly moving in with his previously-absent father, Nakaya has a lot of other drama going on in his life. From a pregnancy scare with his girlfriend Souko to his changing feelings about hockey, he navigates through a lot of teenage troubles. The biggest storyline, however, is that he finds himself unexpectedly attracted to one of the assistant hockey coaches at his club.

Akihi is a talented, 20-something player who had to give up competitive hockey due to an injury. Nakaya finds him incredibly cool but he soon comes to suspect that his admiration of Akihi might actually be attraction.

When Shino finds out about this, he freaks a bit, thinking that listening to BL CDs might’ve somehow turned Nakaya gay. Nakaya denies this, though he concedes the CDs opened his mind to the possibility. Shino’s misinformed and homophobic reaction is pretty typical for the time this manga was created, but still tiresome to read. (Not to mention kind of hypocritical since Shino has also been questioning his sexuality.)

[image description: Shino sits in seiza as Nakaya tells him, “But even if [listening to the CDs] was what made me a little curious... don’t you think it’d be normal to want to give it a try myself.” He thinks of Akihi skating and continues, “Akihi is amazing at ice hockey. And he’s really cool.”]

Akihi is well aware that Nakaya is attracted to him, but wary. As he explains to Shino, Nakaya is young and has never been interested in a guy before -- his feelings could be fickle. Akihi, on the other hand, is older and actually states aloud that he is gay (pretty uncommon for BL manga of the time.) He doesn’t want to get emotionally invested only for Nakaya to change his mind. Of course, he ends up getting invested anyway.

The age gap between Nakaya and Akihi is handled somewhat well. While Akihi is a coach, he’s not in charge of Nakaya’s team, so the power imbalance isn’t as bad as it could be. It also helps that Nakaya does more of the pursuing and that Akihi isn’t his first sexual partner. But the age gap will still undoubtedly be an issue for some readers.

Ultimately, I didn’t find myself rooting for either the Shino/Tenryu relationship or the Nakaya/Akihi relationship. They both fell prey to the same sort of “Once we get started, I won’t be able to stop” nonsense and other such emotionally manipulative, rape-y bullshit. Nakaya/Akihi wasn’t as bad about it as Shino/Tenryu, but I wasn’t invested enough with Akihi as a character to care much of their relationship.

The relationship that’s at the heart of Shout Out Loud! -- and the strongest aspect of the story -- is the odd bond between Shino and Nakaya. They are father and son and both of them would like to be close. But Shino has no idea how to be a father to Nakaya and Nakaya has no idea how to be a son to Shino. As a result, they both mean well, but they also both mess up a lot. It’s awkward and sometimes painful and the most “real” part of the series.

[image description: Shino checks out Nakaya’s baby photos in an album, commenting on what a cute baby he was. Nakaya is contemplative and tells him, “I totally forgot all this while... you know, how maybe... having your son show up out of the blue must’ve been a real nuisance. I just thought that and... I’m sorry.”]

To give credit where it’s due, it’s nice to read a BL with fleshed out relationships besides the romantic ones. Likewise, it’s also nice to read a BL with a heavy focus on the characters’ careers. Some of the most interesting parts were when Shino and the other voice actors were recording. (And the mash-up of Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Romance of the Three Kingdoms that they were working on was funny.) However, those elements weren’t enough to keep the series afloat for me.

In short, Shout Out Loud! doesn’t hold up for me at all anymore. I’m honestly confused about what I liked about it in the first place.

*final verdict: I’d only recommend this if you are interested in checking out older BL titles that are somewhat lengthy.

[writeforsoreeyes]

This Month’s Reads - February

Late is better than never! Here’s what I read in February! highlights: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, The Scorpio Races, This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story,  Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

[image description: the covers for the books listed below]

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (Dee Brown)

Indigenous history was always at best a footnote during my school years and at worst whitewashed under buzzwords like “manifest destiny.” Thus, a lot of the history covered in this book was either new to me or only familiar in an “Oh, I recognize that name” sense. Since this book focused on a specific period, I’d like to later read something broader (and from an Indigenous writer).

I’ll be blunt: this book will break your heart, infuriate you, or both. Certain passages invoked in me a sense of horror only matched by the reading I did on the Nanjing massacre in college. It was well-written, but I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone besides the white people who dearly need to read it.

Yuri Is My Job! vol 1 (miman, translator: Diana Taylor)

Hime works for a themed cafe where the staffers roleplay as elite Catholic schoolgirls. This should be a walk in the park for Hime--for years, she’s cultivated a cute facade in hopes of attracting a billionaire husband. However, her acting chops can only carry her so far and she’s frequently baffled by the strange behavior of one particular coworker.

This was different enough from the usual “high school yuri” to keep my interest, but I wonder how long the mangaka can milk the set up for plot. I suspect that rather than developing the main couple, the mangaka will instead spend time pairing off all the cast members--which some people enjoy, but I don’t especially. I’ll give it another volume before deciding whether to drop.

The Other Me

This month’s transreading!

[image description: the covers for the books listed below]

The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater)

I’m a big fan of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle series, but I had a harder time getting into her Wolves of Mercy Fall series. However The Scorpio Races, a standalone novel written between these two series, hit just the right place for me.

I’ve never been a horse person and I’ve never visited Ireland, but this book evoked a strange sense of nostalgia within me. It’s one of those narratives where the scenes and the setting feel real, bolstered by the author’s usual stylized prose. I enjoy fantasy books that take an existing bit of folklore or legend and put a unique twist to it and Stiefvater’s wild, flesh-eating water horses were very on brand for her. Another contender for favorite book of 2019.

This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story (Kheryn Callender)

Nathan Bird is a huge fan of movies, but he doesn’t believe in happy endings--especially not for real life romances. It’s hard to blame him since most of the romantic relationships he’s encountered in his short life have ended poorly. But his cynicism is put to the test when childhood friend/crush Oliver James Hernández moves back into the neighborhood.

Perhaps because this book references films so frequently, it’s easy to imagine it as a movie. I hope it becomes a movie because I think more audiences would benefit from this realistic portrayal of messy teenage friendships and romances. It was also great to see a well-rounded cast that is diverse in multiple ways. I certainly felt transported back into my high school years.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (Atul Gawande)

Most people don’t like to talk to their loved ones about the end of their lives. However, as this book argues, it’s one of the most important things you can do to help the final years, months, weeks, or days go well.

Dr. Gawande treats us to a comprehensive exploration of the nature of aging, how medicine has changed aging, what tends to happen with people at the end of their life, and how we can do better for the dying and their loved ones. Both research and personal stories are told in a compelling, easy to read way. I’d recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are either aging or caring for an aging loved one.

[image description: the covers for the books listed below]

Gerard & Jacques vol 1 & 2 (Fumi Yoshinaga, translator: unlisted)

This month’s BL LookBack!

Only Human (Sylvain Neuvel)

Final book in the Themis Files trilogy. Rose, Vincent, and Eva return to Earth after being stuck on the alien planet for nine years. Earth, however, is on the brink of World War III, and Vincent and Eva are locked in a painful family feud.

This is one of those trilogies where I loved the first book, liked the second book OK, and only felt “Eh” for the last book. Not to say that the book was bad-- it wasn’t. The series has just changed a lot since its beginning. Mostly, I miss the mystery aspect that the series formerly held. I do still love the cast for the audiobooks though-- I wish more books were fully casted when recorded.