Available on Renta!:
Maybe We’re Newlyweds 1-2 [Plus Digital-Only Bonus]
Just Been Married! [Plus Digital-Only Bonus]
Social Media:
@hidaka0104 (Author)
@Qpa_BLinfo (Publisher)
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!
Aptly titled “HYPOTHESIS,” this manga art showcase puts a spotlight on scenes from Maybe We’re Newlyweds, whose protagonists are extremely dedicated to logic and experimentation.
If you’re unfamiliar with the series, this BL romcom centers around Yukari, a STEM grad student, and his elite salaryman best friend Mashiro — two highly intelligent men who strive to live their lives in the most logical way possible. When getting married (as friends, of course) presents itself as the “logical” option, they go through with it at once and begin their “newlywed” life with no serious issues… that is, until they realize that their feelings for one another go beyond the reasonable limits of friendship!
I was immediately taken by this story of a couple of lovable dorks whose thirst for knowledge comes second only to their thirst for each other. Each volume is full of laugh-out-loud gags, moving declarations of love, and unabashed horniness to the max. No matter how much time passes, Yukari and Mashiro never lose that lovey-dovey “newlywed” magic, and it’s wonderful to see.
Volumes 1 and 2 are available now on Renta!
Besides the charming characters and zany humor, one thing that’s given this series a special place in my heart is Chishanomi-sensei’s stunning art — which is lovingly displayed throughout the Manga10 store for this special event.
Upon approaching the shop, you’re immediately greeted by some side-by-side rough drafts and final illustrations of main characters Yukari and Mashiro.
Stepping into the store, visitors can admire both manga manuscript reproductions and Copic marker-illustrated originals of standout scenes from the manga.
(Note: the section below contains censored NSFW images.)
Chishanomi’s art style ranges from abstract and comical to painterly and cinematic, and it always hits just the right emotional beats. The characters’ expressions and body language — particularly during the ero scenes — are especially impactful. It was a real treat to see the art we’ve admired adorn the walls in large panels. I could honestly stare at Chishanomi-sensei’s art for hours!!
We were also amused at the clever choice to use paper cutouts of eggplants and turnips to censor the “good bits” in the ecchi scenes on display. (Yukari and Mashiro’s last names “Nasukawa” and “Kaburagi” contain the Japanese characters for “eggplant” and “turnip” respectively, and the veggies pop up throughout the series as cute little motifs )
Volumes of the manga were available for purchase, alongside Chishanomi’s others works, such as Just Been Married! (another story of a newlywed couple with quite a different dynamic from that of Yukari/Mashiro, but just as much chemistry) and the more fantastical story The Island Of Dragons In Love. If you’re a new Chishanomi fan, I recommend checking both out!
The original merchandise for sale included lovely art cards, cute pins, and gorgeous decorative acrylic standees. We spent plenty of time just admiring how adorable everything was.
Overall, it was a nice celebration of the series and Chishanomi’s contributions to the BL world. We left the store with our BL otaku hearts and eyes satisfied 
Since we were in the area, we also decided to hit up Animate Shibuya. Animate is the go-to shop for manga and all sorts of otaku merchandise, and BL gets plenty of love there.
Besides having plenty of BL items on offer, Animate frequently hosts collab cafes and art galleries dedicated to BL series and artists. (We hope to do some reports on these events in the future!)
On this visit, we were lucky enough to see Zeniko Sumiya‘s series Kawa ni Sazanami (かわにさざなみ) featured at the Animate Only shop — a constantly changing section of the store dedicated to showcasing manga art, special illustrations, and merchandise for a specific series. It’s a great chance to discover new artists or admire your faves!
Our little Shibuya trip ended all too soon — but luckily, I was able to take a piece of the magic back with me. In a move that would make our scientific-minded Yukari and Mashiro proud, I bought some beautiful illustration cards and a dazzling keychain to hang in my workspace. Support the artist and have something to remember this excursion by? It was only logical!
If you’d like to step into the Maybe We’re Newlyweds celebration yourself, The Manga10 Shibuya exhibition and pop-up store will be held until July 9th JST; the Manga10 Taiwan store will hold the event from August 10th to August 31st. For more information, please see the event page on Manga10’s website.
rentaBLog 
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