“Use a God Right, and the Impossible Can Happen!?” by Sasayama Akira

July 13, 2023August 14, 2023 ~ ames ~ 2 Comments

Read it here!:
Use a God Right, and the Impossible Can Happen!?
Japanese title:
神と不能は使いよう！？
Twitter:
＠ssym_akira

This one caught my eye because, put plainly, the cover is very cute. Very, very cute. You know how sometimes you can tell at a glance you’re just going to like something? That’s how I felt looking at the cover. Since I wanted to rewrite the product page anyway, I figured why not read the whole thing and, if I liked it, I’d review it. And I did like it, so I’m here to do just that.

The story follows porn actor Naomasa, and the man he finds Mitaka. No matter how many oysters he eats or supplements he takes, Naomasa just can’t seem to get it up anymore. Out of desperation, he stops by the local shrine on the way back from grocery shopping, hoping he can pray the flaccid away. There, he finds a beautiful young man passed out on the shrine deck. Figuring he can’t just leave him there, Naomsara brings him home and cooks him a vitality-filled meal, figuring some food might help. Sure enough, it does!

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Anime Expo 2023: Industry Noob Edition

July 11, 2023July 10, 2023 ~ ames ~ Leave a comment

When I was suddenly asked in late May to attend AX as a representative of Renta!, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The last American anime convention I attended was in the early 2000s, and in Iowa, which is quite a ways from Los Angeles. I remembered being younger and hearing all the fanfare, seeing all my online friends from Cali attending, and dreaming that someday I’d be going to such a huge con—little old me, from the midwestern United States. And now here I was, being made that offer, from my office in Japan.

I’d never been to such a huge convention—even in Japan I’ve never been to Comiket, instead opting to attend the smaller events scattered through the year like HaruComi and Comic City. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Granted, I would also be attending as an industry insider rather than a fan, which is also a very different experience.

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Event Report: Chishanomi’s “Maybe We’re Newlyweds” Manga Exhibition

July 4, 2023August 16, 2023 ~ sou ~ 1 Comment

Available on Renta!:
Maybe We’re Newlyweds 1-2 [Plus Digital-Only Bonus]

Just Been Married! [Plus Digital-Only Bonus]

The Island Of Dragons In Love

Social Media:
@hidaka0104 (Author)
@Qpa_BLinfo (Publisher)

Event poster with a special autograph and Yukari doodle by Chishanomi-sensei

As a BL fan, it always delights me to see my favorite creators get some much-deserved recognition in public spaces — be it a collab cafe, a book signing, or a special art gallery. I love to visit these spaces when I can to show my support for the hardworking and passionate artists and their works which I admire so much (and get some cute exclusive merch while I’m at it)!

We at Renta!BLog are lucky enough to live in Japan and work in Tokyo, where BL gets its fair share of special events — so we thought, why not share this fun piece of fan culture with the world?

One artist who’s making waves in the BL community right now is Chishanomi, with the release of volume 4 of their hit series Maybe We’re Newlyweds (Japanese title Oretachi ha Shinkon san kamo shirenai). To celebrate its release, along with the 10-year anniversary of Chishanomi’s debut as a mangaka, a special event, including a manga art exhibition and pop-up store, dedicated to the series is being held at Manga10 in Shibuya’s Magnet department store. (It’s also being held in Taiwan, which just goes to show how much international renown Chishanomi-sensei has gained over their 10-year career!)

Ames and I recently had the opportunity to hit the bustling streets of Shibuya and check out this limited-time exhibition. Read on for our otaku heart-pounding experience!

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