Fujoshi O'Clock (10/24/14)

What time is it? It's Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. There is also a focus on trans and bisexual anime/manga. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• There will be a Queers and Comics conference in New York City on May 7-8, 2015. Howard Cruse and Alison Bechdel are scheduled keynote speakers.
• The Hybrid Child OVA has received a TV spot, which can be watched online. The first DVD hits stores on October 29.
• The Beautiful World discusses the anime/manga that had an impact on the blog's writers, including several yaoi/BL titles.
• Harlequin Japan has kicked off its BL range, called Harlequin Lovesick, with several new titles, including one by Nakamura Asumiko.
• Manga Bookshelf looks at the Fumi Yoshinaga title Antique Bakery, which was published in English through Digital Manga Publishing.

Reviews:

• Otaku Champloo reviews The Night Beyond The Tricornered Window by Yamashita Tomoko, which was recently licensed by SuBLime Manga.
• Organization Anti-Social Geniuses reviews the first episode of Orenchi no Furo Jijou, aka the season's merman bathtub shonen-ai series.
• OASG also reviews the Legal Drug series by CLAMP, which is very much BL-flavored fujoshi bait and whose sequel series will be hitting bookstore shelves January.
• No Flying No Tights reviews Blue Morning books 1 through 4 by Shoko Hidaka, a mature-rated Meiji era drama.
• Rebecca Silverman at ANN reviews The Man Of Tango by Tetuzoh Okayada and highlights the sensuous dances scenes and atypical storyline.
• The Fandom Post reviews volume 12 of Loveless by Yun Kouga, in which Seimei is terrible and more questions are raised about the past.
• Experiments In Manga reviews volume 4 of Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love by Yaya Sakuragi and discusses the Ryomei/Ao relationship in detail.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Manga Review: Loveless GN 12

Loveless volume 12
Author: Yun Kouga
Viz Manga
176 pages

When Seimei refuses to fight alongside Nisei against an enraged Moonless, it cuts the final tie in the web of manipulation that binds the dirtiest Fighter to his heartless Sacrifice. Meanwhile, while looking at his brother’s photo album, Ritsuka discovers new information about his old self that doesn’t match up.

Note: some spoilers for the Loveless series so far are in this review. 

Considering how disappointed I was in the previous volume, I found volume 12 of Loveless a surprisingly engaging read. It's hard to say I liked it, since most of the Loveless cast at this point are heavily flawed individuals I would never hang out with (cough Seimei cough), some of them I would fear for my own safety around, but I was entertained by this dark and beautifully drawn set of chapters. The focus of it starts out narrow but by book's end has widened and raised many crucial questions about the story so far.

Manga Review: Loveless GN 11

Loveless volume 11
Author: Yun Kouga
Viz Media
176 pages

Ritsuka's faith in his older brother Seimei is pushed to the limit when the unit named Moonless reveals sordid details of Seimei's horrific past deeds. Then, while Ritsuka is still reeling, the unthinkable happens: Seimei returns to reclaim Soubi.

Maybe I've grown tired of the endless psychological chat sessions that Loveless enjoys so much, because I did not completely love this volume. I didn't love the pacing and I certainly didn't love Natsuo and Youji, who continue to be terrible. But as far as the plot goes, it's an important volume, and there are moments of brilliance that manage to shine through the clouds.

The most important presence in this volume of Loveless is Seimei. He is there from the first chapter to the end, even if he does not physically show his face until later in the book. When the Moonless duo come to visit Ritsuka, it's Seimei who is the main focus - what he did and what he didn't do. And when Ritsuka and Soubi find themselves drawing closer and closer, it is Seimei who comes and breaks them apart.

Book Sprites: Loveless, Heartless, Laughless

Some times, you have time to write a 1,000+ word review of a single book. Some times, you just don't. For those times, we have Book Sprites, compact book reviews for the discerning reader with no time to lose. No major spoilers lie here!

In this post, we have a triple threat with volumes of Loveless, Strobe Edge, Shugo Chara-Chan!, and Blue Exorcist/Ao No Exorcist.

Loveless volume 10 by Yun Kouga: In this volume, our protagonists are reeling from the latest series of events regarding Seimei as well as Kio's kidnapping and subsequent rescue. Just when Ritsuka is getting back into the groove of things, Youji and Natsuo end up transferring into his class and causing trouble for him. Plus, the team known as Moonless moves into action to pit Ritsuka against Seimei, whom he still loves despite what has been going on in the past couple of volumes.

I was ready to think lowly of this volume with the first half, which involves a lot of "I still love Seimei, that jerk!" apologia and Youji/Natsuo being absolute asses to Ritsuka and Yuiko for no reason. I honestly am not a fan of Youji and Natsuo as characters. They are obnoxious and rude and it's played off as "oh, those boys!" far too often for my liking.

Fujoshi O'Clock (9/29/13)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Sentai Filmworks released their English dub cast for This Boy Caught A Merman, a shonen ai OVA with a fantasy spin. Hey, Greg Ayres!
• DMP adds two titles by Makoto Tateno to their library; both titles will be released in print and digitally.
• Ogiue Maniax keeps the ball rolling on the Fujoshi Files series with two new additions: Yano from Bust to Bust and Rittoku Kanae from Fundashism. Fujoshi are everywhere!
• Japan Powered brings a different perspective to the yaoi debate with a post on libraries that restrict or outright ban yaoi from their collections.

Reviews:

• Fandom Post reviews volume nine of Loveless by Yun Kouga, in which Kio gets caught up in the mouse and cat game going on between Ritsuka and Soubi and their opponents.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Fujoshi O'Clock (9/14/13)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• ANN: The Hybrid Child anime cast has been listed, including Nobuhiko Okamoto and Daisuke Hirakawa. The manga was published by DMP in English.
• According to the latest volume of the manga, even more Junjou Romantica anime is in the works. Junjou Romantica shares the same manga-ka as Hybrid Child.
• the beautiful world posts part three of their BLazed Passion series, highlighting some of their favorite BL titles available in English.
• SuBLime debuts their latest BL manga title, The Man of Tango, by manga-ka Tetuzoh Okadaya, both digitally and in print.
• Comic Book Resources tackles some of the works of the Year 24 Group, including Hagio's Heart of Thomas, Takemiya's To Terra..., and Aoike's From Eroica With Love.

Reviews:

• the manga habit reviews Canis -Dear Mr. Rain- by Zakk, a story starting with a chance encounter in the rain. Guh, the art!
• Boys Luv.com reviews Pretty Men Fighting Dirty by Sakira which sounds pretty great based on the title alone.
• Fandom Posts reviews volumes 7 and 8 of Loveless by Yun Kouga, in which video games are played and the truth about Soubi comes out.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Fujoshi O'Clock (801 Edition)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

It's 8/01 yet again (here's a reminder of what 801 Day is about), so enjoy a very special edition of FOC! ♥

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• From the last MMF, about Yun Kouga: a Loveless fan writes a letter to Yun Kouga, another blogger discusses Loveless and the modern misappropriation of Moe, and Manga Bookshelf looks at volumes one and two of the Loveless manga.
• SuBlime has licensed three new yaoi series: Sleeping Moon, False Memories, and Hide and Seek, all from authors that should be familiar to BL fans in North America.
• The e-magazine Sparkler Monthly has launched, now with new chapters of fan favorite Off*Beat and other new series. It's part of Chromatic Press, which is rereleasing Off*Beat with plans to finish the series in print.
• As part of 801 Day, Otaku Champloo is hosting a ten day MMF, all about boys' love manga. Along with an introductory post on the MMF, Otaku Champloo has a post explaining what boys' love manga exactly is and two giveaways, found here and here. You can follow the hashtag #801MMF on Twitter for more 801 blog posts.
• Experiments In Manga is also doing a giveaway for the 801 Manga Moveable Feast. Up for the grabbing is Shiuko Kano's manga Affair, and it's open to fujoshi worldwide.
• CM Branford Manga Blog posts about language and yaoi as a contribution to the MMF. Fandom linguistics for the win!

Reviews:

• Rebecca Silverman at ANN reviews volume one of Sleeping Moon by Kano Miyamoto, a supernatural mystery by a prolific manga-ka.
• Manic About Manga reviews Priceless Honey by Shiuko Kano, a mature BL manga that is also a collection of short one-shots.
• Cherry Blossom Reviews reviews the series Punch Up! by Shiuko Kano, which is described as "pornographic and kinky", just so you know!

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Manga Review: Loveless GN 9

Loveless volume 9
Author: Yun Kouga
Viz Manga
184 pages

Seimei is very much alive and has torn through the Seven Voices Academy like a whirlwind. As Septimal Moon struggles to right itself and keep its secrets from spilling out, a new enemy takes center stage: the unit named “Bloodless” wages a crippling psychological war, ending battles without spilling a single drop of blood. Yet Ritsuka and Soubi must emerge victorious against them—or lose Kio. (Source: Goodreads)

Spoiler warning: Spoilers for Loveless up to volume nine of the manga series. Read on with caution!

Oh, Loveless. It's been so long! The last time I had a chance to read this series, Tokyopop had just published the eighth volume, back when it was still a viable, relevant publisher of manga. Getting back in the groove with Ritsuka and Soubi and the others is like revisiting friends, albeit seriously screwed up friends with problems one cannot think of fixing, ever. Good thing Yun Kouga is so good at making oddly fascinating characters worth reading.

Fujoshi O'Clock (7/12/13)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Manga Bookshelf is hosting the latest Manga Moveable Feast, featuring the works of Loveless manga-ka Yun Kouga. The July Feast officially begins in two days.
• AnimeNation: An anime film of the Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi light novel/manga series has recently been announced. The manga had once been licensed by Tokyopop's Blu imprint but was never actually released in English.
• the manga habit shares images of the BL video game No, Thank You!!!, in which there are lots of cute guys including a super handsome oyaji (!!!); there is a link to her Tumblr, where more images are.

Reviews:

• Experiments in Manga reviews volume one of Off*Beat by Jen Lee Quick, an OEL manga that has recently been republished by Chromatic Press.
• Brain Vs. Book reviews Kaze to Ki no Uta volumes 9 & 10 by Keiko Takemiya, a BL-tinged series by the manga-ka behind To Terra and Andromeda Stories.
• Leroy at I Reads You reviews Sleeping Moon volume 1 by Kano Miyamoto; the story is part mystery, part ghost story.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Fujoshi O'Clock (6/13/13)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Bateszi Anime Blog, in response to the backlash against the KyoAni Free! anime, posts their treatise on fujoshi and the now infamous swimming anime.
• Contemporary Japanese Literature writes a great defense of fujoshi, with content warnings for discussion of rape and rape fantasies, that also tackles the bara/yaoi divide.
• I sense a trend here! Manga Therapy shares how thankful it is for fujoshi and links to several other pieces on BL culture.
• Alex Woolfson has yet another Kickstarter going, this time for his wonderful LGBT heroes webcomic The Young Protectors. Worth funding for the amazing stretch goals alone!
• An anime adaptation of the Love Stage!! manga has been announced in Asuka Ciel magazine. The manga, by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou, started publication in 2010.
• The manga Wandering Son will be ending in the August issue of Monthly Comic Beam. The anime adaptation was simulcast on Crunchyroll; the manga is being published by Fantagraphics.
• Digital Manga has licensed two new manga titles: Hideyoshico's Apple & Honey and Natsuki Zippo's Wolf Magic. They also announced that Yaoi-Con would be happening in 2014.

Reviews:

• Naru at Organization Anti Social Geniuses reviews Silent Voice by Atsuki Kyoyama, a mixture of love and baseball and sketchy art.
• Boys' Luv.com reviews the OEL yaoi manga Punishment from Yaoi Press. Not surprisingly, it's underwhelming and has consent issues.
• Coffeeandink at Storytalk reviews The Heart of Thomas by Hagio Moto, BL manga classic, and really gets into the nitty-gritty of the book.
• Kate O'Neil at the Fandom Post reviews the fifth omnibus of Loveless by Yun Kouga, specially released by Viz Manga to cover the volumes previously published by Tokyopop.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Fujoshi O'Clock (5/24/13)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• Melinda at Manga Bookshelf is lovesick over Loveless, the BL flavored title by manga-ka Yun Kouga. It covers up to volume six of the Loveless manga.
• SuBLime has licensed the four-volume manga series Crimson Spell. This Ayano Yamane has been previously released, partially, by Kitty Media.
• Japanese company Otome's Way is to release a guide to learn Japanese entitled A Fujoshi's Guide To Japanese as well as the Otome's Way Anthology. The Fujoshi's Guide book will be available digitally and in full color.
• Manga publisher PictureBox announces further plans to release more BL/bara titles, including more titles by Gengoroh Tagame.
• RightStuf is warning Canadian customers that their copies of the Bonds of Dream, Bonds of Love manga may be seized at the border. Each volume's listing on RightStuf now includes a line that the work has been banned in Canada and that it will no longer be shipped to Canadian addresses.

Reviews:

• Helen at Narrative Investigations reviewed volume one of Off*Beat by Jen Lee Quick.
• Naru at OASG reviewed The Cat In The Box by Sumako Kari.
• Daniella at All About Manga reviewed Love Makes Everything Right by Sanae Rokuya as part of her 30 Day Yaoi Challenge.
• Brain Vs. Book reviewed Bara Iro no Ho no Koro by Asumiko Nakamura, which is part of the J no Subete series.
• Experiments In Manga reviewed The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: The Master of Gay Erotic Manga by Gengoroh Taname, a collection of bara manga.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Fujoshi O'Clock (4/5/13)

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the biweekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock:

• The spring 2013 anime chart is now available on AniChart.net - and normally this would not be noted on a Fujoshi post except one of the titles is the shonen-ai series Vassalord.
• Do you love the OEL boys' love manga Off*Beat? Sure you do! Now there is a Kickstarter so that Chromatic Press can print the first two volumes of the series, just in time for the new non-Tokyopop volumes to be released.
• Kazuya Minekura's manga series Saiyuki Ibun and Wild Adapter are going on hiatus in Japan. Wild Adapter is her BL title; it was once a Tokyopop license before the company folded.
• Yaoi 911 has been updated with a lot of new goodies, including a new Artifice wallpaper and the print copy of the Artifice webcomic.
• Over at JapanPowered, Chris Kincaid has posted an article entitled Yaoi: History, Appeal and Misconceptions. It's a little simplistic and I disagree with some of his points regarding misogyny in yaoi but it's a decent read overall. Also: Black Butler is yaoi now?

Reviews:

• Connie at Slightly Biased Manga reviews I LOVE YOU, CHIEF CLERK! by Keiko Kinoshita, a Jmanga title so who knows when it will be available in English again.
• Experiments In Manga reviews THE HEART OF THOMAS by Moto Hagio and finds it a "historically significant and important work".
• The Hooded Utilitarian reviews volume ten of LOVELESS by Yun Kouga, which has recently been licensed rescued by Viz Manga. Earlier volumes, once published by Tokyopop, are being re-released in omnibus format by Viz as well.
• ふう子 at Hazukashii Kedo reviews the extras for KORE ORE by Ogawa Chise; so cute! Some images are NSFW.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!

Fujoshi O'Clock: The NYAF & Webcomic Edition

What time is it? It's . . . Fujoshi O'Clock, the new weekly feature at Nagareboshi Review, when I bring to you the latest fujoshi-related news and reviews and various shiny BL-flavored things. Why? Because rotten girls need love too!

This week on Fujoshi O'Clock, from NYAF:

• Sunday had Viz Media announcing its license of Yun Kouga's Loveless, a license rescue from Tokyopop's enormous list of dropped/lost licenses post-initial closing. There are no plans to republish the first eight volumes, only the two that Tokyopop failed to release.
• W-wait, that's it? How disappointing. Still, better than nothing!

Webcomics!:
Note: Assume any and all links below this are NSFW. Enter at your own discretion! Hurr, that's what he said!

• Emirain's story of the men and ladies of the night at the classiest of brothels, Teahouse, is a must read. The art is gorgeous, the sex scenes steamy as hell, and the Teahouse itself is populated with a truly colorful cast of character, from the foulmouthed punk Axis to the smirking pervert and resident troll-face Mercutio.
• Shiei and Adam Arnold's new yaoi fangirl classic Aoi House is about two boys thinking they've made it big when they find residency in a house of fangirls - except they just so happen to be fujoshi of the most wicked-minded kind! So imagine two straight dudes moving into a dorm run by Bishiecon staff members ;P Don't forget the panty hamster!
• Alex Woolfson and Winona Nelson have a surefire hit on their hands with the BL-friendly sci-fi thriller Artifice. Deacon is a machine, created by man to go on missions and kill their chosen targets. He's not supposed to have emotions - so why is he so concerned with a stranger that crosses his path on a particular mission? Some real powerful stuff, Artifice.

Am I missing your blog? Got some awesome fujoshi-related news and reviews you think deserve a shout-out? Poke me with a link and a bit of description over at my Twitter: @theseventhl. I'm always on the look out for more BL love!