Month: October 2024

Beast Week Day 4: Fangs That Pierce Your Heart

~ sou ~ Leave a comment

So far this year’s Beast Week has been pretty lighthearted fare, which should come as no surprise since I, the self-proclaimed “BL fluff enthusiast” was in charge of choosing the titles this year. But now, on this ~spoopiest~ day of the year, it’s time to break out the truly spooky, scary yaoi you’ve all been waiting for…

Because, what’s scarier than… feeling something? Amirite, folks? 🥴

Read on Renta!: FANGS by Billy Balibally

In this world, the creatures commonly known as “vampires” roam the darkness among us, known amongst themselves as “fangs.” En is a young man who’s lucky — or unlucky — enough to survive a vampire attack, and become one himself. With no other connections to the mortal world, he’s inducted into vampire society with the help of Ichii, the man/vampire who saved him. Ichii is a member of the FANGS organization responsible for keeping the members of the vampire community safe and making sure all their needs are met — be it nutritional, emotional, or even physical (to an extent). Ichii takes En under his wing in order to teach him about the new world he’s entered and the life he’ll have to live from now on, as well as to protect him from other fangs — their society hasn’t had a new member in quite a while, and En’s fresh young “virgin” blood smells delectable to them.

Central to this new society is the “pairing” system put in place, under which vampires find partners with whom to share their life and blood, in order to keep their health and sanity in check. After En and Ichii mysteriously yet naturally form something akin to a relationship, Ichii proposes forming a pair with En. But En, feeling more clueless the more he learns about vampire life, isn’t sure he’s ready to take that step, whatever it entails. As he accompanies Ichii on his daily duties as a public servant of the vampire community, and Ichii sees to En’s various needs personally, the two slowly deepen their bond — easing each other’s pain of the inherent loneliness of life as a vampire.

The side cast of characters are just as important to the story as the main couple, and do a lot to flesh out the world of the “fangs.” They all have their own struggles and ways of coping with them, and they all feel so real, despite being bloodsucking ageless creatures that can’t go out in daylight. You could definitely interpret the vampires as a metaphor for those who have been rejected by “normal” society, who struggle just to survive, and who seek happiness in what little they do have all the same. It’s quite thought-provoking and gives the story plenty of emotional depth. Author Billy Balibally set out to explore some pretty heavy themes, and every little detail just adds on to their message about people and the connections they share.

The art in this series is just as breathtaking as the storytelling — there’s so much I could gush about, from the stylish character designs and goth/punk fashion perfectly suited to a vampire series, to how soft the characters’ lips look in kiss scenes, in contrast to the sharp fangs ever present in them, the expressiveness of the characters’ faces, and on and on. The aesthetic works wonderfully with the narrative that switches between light and dark seamlessly.

While the series leans toward the serious side, that’s not at all to say it’s a total downer or anything — there are plenty of comedic moments sprinkled in here and there (the little faces that sometimes appear on the peens take me out every time). And the sweet moments carefully dropped in between the emotional battles hit extra hard with a tinge (or rather, a hard suckerpunch) of poignancy every time. If you’re looking for a BL romance that embraces the bittersweet and emphasizes just how important the characters’ presence are to one another, I think you’ll be greatly satisfied with this series.

This is a longer BL series, which means there’s plenty to devour! Volume 3 just recently dropped on Renta! — I was waiting for its release to finally pick up the series, and boy am I glad I did. Every volume ends in a cliffhanger, with more intrigue building with each installment (I’m already looking forward to Volume 4 to see what else the FANGS world has in store for our fave vamps!). If you’re in the mood to become highly emotionally invested in a beautiful, heart-wrenching story this Halloween season, go ahead and sink your teeth right in 🧛.

We hope you enjoyed these daily reviews, and perhaps found a beastly series or two to add to your digital bookshelf! Have a joyful, spook-filled weekend! 🦇

Beast Week Day 3: A Carnivore’s Raging Lust

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Alright, folks, now that we’re just a day away from Halloween, it’s time to whip out some dark, gritty BL with demons that just can’t control their urges! 😈

Read on Renta!: Total Heat Punchline by Teppei Katou

…Or, at least, that’s what I was expecting when I first saw the cover for “Total Heat Punchline.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s still got demons(?) getting down n’ dirty, and the inside art is just as gorgeous as the cover illustration! But this BL was surprisingly wholesome and lighthearted (not to mention hilarious), despite starring a hardened gang leader and the young man who idolizes him.

In a world of herbivore- and carnivore-type beast people, Shiro’s a hot-tempered carnivore with a penchant for getting into fights. Carnivores face discrimination and often find themselves goaded into altercations, but Shiro can’t seem to not take the bait every time — much to the chagrin of the herbivore Zen, his idol and benefactor who’s also a powerful gang boss. Zen wants Shiro to walk the straight and narrow, and stay far away from any gang activity. On the other hand, Shiro wants nothing more than to join Zen’s gang and work directly under the man who’s done so much for him.

After getting into yet another fight, Shiro’s scolded by Zen, and this time, the topic of his sexual frustration comes up as a possible cause of his frequent aggression. It turns out, he’s in heat, and only getting off will ease his temper. Zen offers to help “relieve” him, since the poor naive Shiro has little idea how to handle this change in his body; he then gets right to satisfying all of Shiro’s body’s cravings, teaching him helpful fun facts along the way, such as, “The penis is the perfect shape to hit the prostate.” (The more you know! 🤓)

If you’re a fan of beefier bottoms and pretty tops, you’ll be eating good with this series 🥴 Shiro’s got a hot body built up from all the years of fighting, and seeing him melt under Zen’s touch is *chef’s kiss*. Zen’s sleek black hair and horns make for an interesting look, and he’s every bit as smooth in bed as he is at his job. With their beastly libidos and inhuman stamina, their steamy scenes together are a joy to behold.

Wonderful ero scenes aside, the story is plenty fun to follow, too. Shiro is the textbook definition of “himbo” (I couldn’t stop cracking up reading the chapter where he wildly misunderstands the concept of an impregnation kink), and his sheer dumbness and innocence are incredibly endearing. Meanwhile, Zen’s a great example of a top who’s absolutely, ridiculously down bad for his bottom. Despite his cool demeanor he’s constantly freaking out about how cute Shiro is, and is the first to jump to the conclusion that sleeping together once means they’re definitely an Item and will be happy together forever after. They’re both lovable idiots who deserve each other 🥰

All 5 chapters (plus bonus content!) of this spicy and silly BL are now available on Renta!, so you can binge the series all in one go if you’d like. If you’re up for a funny, sexy ride with some hot beastmen, I guarantee you won’t regret it!

Beast Week Day 2: A Kitty That’s Too Cute to Resist

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For Day 2 of Beast Week, we’ve got yet another BL title that’s more sweet than scary… but it’s never a bad time to appreciate kitties, and black cats especially deserve some love around Spooky Season! 🖤

Read on Renta!: A Lovestruck Cat Wants to Be Petted by Nira Kaneyuki

Cat people and fans of wholesome mutual pining will adore this self-contained, full-volume BL centered around a cat-turned-half-human and a pet shop employee. As the title suggests, our catboy protagonist Kotetsu is as down bad for his crush Okazaki as one can be, hanging out around the store just to get a glimpse of the handsome cat-lover. Kotetsu’s careful to hide his ears and tail with clothing, so Okazaki just assumes he swings by the shop so often to pick up supplies for his pet cat — none the wiser to the fact that the young man he’s been chatting up is actually a cat himself who only recently took on a human-like form.

Even though Kotetsu’s “cover” as a regular human could be blown any moment if he lets his guard down, he can’t help but desperately want to get closer with Okazaki, a kind and friendly guy with nice hands that look like they’d feel so good to be petted by (Kotetsu’s cat instincts are fully intact, BTW). Their customer-employee relationship begins to bloom into something more when Okazaki suggests they be “cat friends” and bond over their love of cats. But as they spend more time together, will Kotetsu’s innocent heart be able to take being around the guy he’s interested in? And will he be able to keep the cat from getting out of the bag, so to speak?

This is an aww-worthy tale of two guys who are clearly crushing on each other, but are both too dense to realize it right away. Okazaki is a worthy love interest, being a cat-lover at heart and quick to befriend the mysterious and fretful Kotetsu. It’s easy to see why Okazaki finds Kotetsu so cute, too; since he’s still not used to being human, he sometimes does or says things that are unusual in human society, and displays some adorable cat mannerisms from time to time — on top of being generally awkward around his crush, and, well, just very pretty. The two of them are incredibly cute together, no matter what they’re doing. And, if you’re wondering whether there’s some more “intimate” content as well waiting for you… well, just peep that “Uncensored” tag! 😏

This fluff-filled, giggle-inducing story is kind of like petting a nice, soft, warm cat — it’ll leave you feeling soothed and satisfied! 🐈

Beast Week 2024 Day 1: A Bunny in Heat

~ sou ~ Leave a comment

The Season of Spook is upon us once again, and with it we welcome another week of beastly BL finds for you all you ghouls and gals to enjoy! We’ve spent the year sniffing around our digital BL shelves and keeping our ears perked for furry and fantastical finds to share with you all, so keep your eyes peeled for a new review on this BLog every day this week leading up to Halloween! 🎃

The first featured series of Beast Week this year is none other than a high school romance featuring a misunderstood delinquent… who just happens to have bunny ears and a tail sometimes!

Read on Renta!: Honey Bunny Boy by Kurage

We’re starting off strong with a good ol’ “beast people” series! I will say that, contrary to the season of Beast Week, this BL romcom is neither spooky nor scary — but that doesn’t stop me from loving it to pieces.

This story is set in a world where “demihumans,” humans with animal characteristics, coexist with regular people. Arashi’s a high schooler who’s big, strong, and can’t stop getting into fights with people (despite never being the one to start them). Thanks to his notorious “delinquent” reputation and killer Resting Bitch Face, his classmates tend to steer clear of him, making him quite the loner. But maybe that’s for the best (or so he thinks), as Arashi’s got a secret he can’t reveal to anyone at any cost: he’s a demihuman, and not just any kind… a rabbit type, to be precise! He can’t bear the thought of anyone at school finding out the big, burly bad boy is actually a cute little (?) bunny, so he hides his ears and tail at school and keeps to himself.

Things start to change, though, when the excessively pretty transfer student Shizuka joins his class and is seated next to him. Shizuka’s popular and outgoing — the total opposite of Arashi — and yet the two end up hanging out together more and more, at Shizuka’s insistence. This new development coincides with another major event in Arashi’s life: the changes in his body unique to a demihuman, including the onset of a “heat cycle.” Omegaverse and beastman connoisseurs, you already know where this is going…🥴

One day, while hanging with the new buddy he never asked for, Arashi’s first heat hits him like an isekai truck, and his carnal urges are way more than he was prepared for. Most demihumans control their heats with suppressants, but after a doctor’s visit, Arashi gets some disconcerting news… he’s allergic to them! So his only choice is to either jerk it till he drops or find a partner to help him through his heats. Enter Shizuka, his nosy and airheaded companion who just can’t leave his pal hanging! Before long, both Arashi’s identity as a rabbit type demihuman and the truth of his heat are revealed to Shizuka, and he offers to help Arashi satisfy his urges. It’s what any bro would do, right? What follows is some at-school shenanigans, high school gossip gone wild, and a whole lotta denial on Arashi’s part about why he only seems to go into heat when Shizuka’s around.

I really love Arashi as a character, and all the contradictions that make up the anxiety-ridden teenage mess that he is. Shizuka’s interesting in his own way too, being seen as a cool and princely character by most everyone despite being a slacker and absolute SIMP for Arashi’s cuteness. All in all, the two of them make for a funny 5-chapter story that’s as adorable as a bunny rabbit fluffing its tail 🐇

If you read this one and take a liking to it, I also highly recommend Kurage-sensei’s other series we have on Renta!, The Beasts’ Flowers Taken By Storm. Starring an ex-hitman and a flower shop owner, it’s another romcom with strong himbo energy 💗

New ShuCream POP Bangers

~ ames ~ Leave a comment

Last time we had a sale on ShuCream POP, it seemed like many of our Twitter followers were well-versed in the publisher’s content. And I can see why—ShuCream consistently releases great stories, from silly, sweet comedies like Red-Light Trouble to dramatic, heavy stories like Pain, Sweet Pain. Most anything you could be looking for in a BL manga, ShuCream has it in their catalogue somewhere!

We’ve recently started releasing a handful of newer ongoing titles, however, that are all really fun and cute and I’d thus like to introduce here. This doesn’t include long-running series like omegaverse classic What We Do When The Curtain Comes Down—that one deserves it’s own long-form review one of these days—but some of the newer ones we haven’t had much of a chance to push yet.

How To Get My Older Childhood Friend To Fall For Me
(Toshiue Osananajimi no Kouryakuhou/年上幼なじみの攻略法)
by Yui Fujisawa

Yuma’s been yearning for his older childhood friend Akito ever since they had an encounter in middle school, and when his chance finally comes, he’s shocked to realize Akito’s actually the bottom. In all his fantasies he’d imagined he’d bottom. Still, he’s happy to take on any role as long as it means he can be with the man he’s loved since childhood. Unfortunately for him, it seems Akito is having a hard time getting over his previous boyfriend, who he lived with for years. Even after Yuma starts living with Akito, Akito can’t seem to throw out his ex’s things. Is Yuma really going to be able to put aside his own feelings to live with the ghost of Akito’s ex if it means he gets to stay by Akito’s side, even if it’s going to cause him tremendous pain in the process? A BL manga about what it feels like to be the “rebound” and try to support your partner through their previous breakup while also having to acknowledge and respect your own limits. Yuma makes some bad decisions, but will he be able to prove his love for Akito before it’s too late?

Spending The Night With The Inexperienced You
(Mijukuna Kimi to Yoru wo Kasaneru/未熟なきみと夜を重ねる)
by Yuuta Shiomi

Hiroyuki meets his distant cousin Wataru at their grandfather’s funeral. Beautiful but flippant, and annoyed by Hiroyuki’s innocence, professional model Wataru arrogantly comes on to him and offers to “buy” his virginity. A senior in high school, Hiroyuki’s been desperate to figure out how to pay for his upcoming college expenses after his father’s bankruptcy, so a popular, stunning, wealthy model offering to “buy” him is a chance he can’t possibly pass by. But Hiroyuki is still an incredibly sweet, kind young man, and so he doesn’t want to just fuck Wataru and get it over with—Wataru is beautiful, after all, and there’s a deep sadness within him that Hiroyuki can’t help but be intrigued by. As he finds himself more and more attracted to Wataru, however, it becomes harder for him to accept that once he gives Wataru his virginity, they have no reason to ever associate with each other again. I have to admit, Wataru is absolutely my type, so I’m with Hiroyuki here—I can’t wait to learn more about him and see him open up to Hiroyuki as the story unfolds!

You Should Be The One To Come Kiss Me
(Omae no Hou kara Kiss Shitekure yo/お前のほうからキスしてくれよ)
by Yamayade

Both Sou and I are obsessed with this series. Kou is a hard worker, but he can seem a bit cold and standoffish. However, office prince and salesman extraordinaire Eito is up to the challenge of befriending him. While at work they seem like perfect enemies, with Kou constantly nagging Eito to fill out his expense report right, as soon as they leave work Eito is actually one of the only people who knows Kou’s secret: he’s gay. As Kou slowly learns more and more of Eito’s secrets, too, the two become almost inseparable—but as Eito wants to continue getting closer, finding himself more and more attracted to Kou, Kou isn’t willing to let himself see Eito as anything other than a coworker and incredibly precious friend. Is there anything Eito can do to make Kou see him as a potential partner, or is Kou’s past trauma around dating straight friends going to get in the way of deepening his relationship with the man who loves and treasures him the most in the whole world. Kou and Eito’s personalities clash, but at the end of the day they complete each other so entirely that it’s impossible (and so incredibly painful) to imagine them not ending up together.

Indulging The Insatiable Pup
(Hoshigari Wanko to Amayakashi/欲しがりわんこと甘やかし)
by Zutsuuyaku

Rui’s the most popular groomer at his pet salon—with the dogs, at least. When an incredibly stylish man, Joji, comes in with a Siberian husky, Rui can’t help but be struck by how handsome and cool they look together—to the point where, when he sees the dog out wandering the streets later that day, he knows exactly who the owner is. He takes the dog into his apartment for safe keeping, in bliss at having a wonderful furry friend around (in his no-pets-allowed apartment). When he’s woken up in the middle of the night by a loud noise, however… Joji is in his apartment?? And he’s naked? And where’s the dog? Not to mention, Joji claims being intimate with Rui is the only way he can learn to control his urges and, thus, his body’s tendency to revert to his dog form. Rui is incredibly cute, and I just love how lovestruck Joji is, so I can’t wait to see how this one will continue to unfold—Rui seems to have trouble accepting his attraction to Joji, so how with Joji convince him they’re meant to be? And what’s this secret Joji seems to be hiding?

Have you read any of these yet? We’d love to hear what you think! Let us know your thoughts (or any personal ShuCream POP recommendations in the comments or on Twitter!

Custom Togii “Asphyxiating First Love”

~ ames ~ 1 Comment

Read on Renta!:
Asphyxiating First Love by Custom Togii

Japanese title:
Hatsukoi ni Aegu
初恋にあえぐ

Links:
Custom Togii (Twitter)
moment (publisher)
ShuCream BL (EN)

It is the era of 純情ビッチ!
Well. Not really. It’s just always the era of 純情ビッチ in my heart.

For those who don’t know, 純情ビッチ (junjou bitch) or “pure-hearted slut” is a BL trope that has always existed, but has been on the rise in recent years. You can see this trope in the form of characters like Nao from Hotaru Dies Tomorrow, or Hajime from Junjou de Nani ga Warui, or Haru from Kabukicho Cat Honey—the most important factor is that they’re actually quite innocent and pure-hearted in terms of emotional love, but are either mistaken for being promiscuous, or just see no issue with sleeping around or otherwise using their body while secretly wishing for true love to come their way. Personally, this is one of my favorite tropes because it’s a really easy way for a story to contain pure, sweet, innocent love with lots of really raunchy ero scenes (hehehe), so I get excited every time I find a BL manga that has this premise.

Thankfully, Custom Togii’s Asphyxiating First Love is one such BL manga. I was tasked with proofreading a single chapter for Sou since they were drowning in other deadlines, and I got so into it that I ended up proofreading the entire series in one go, other deadlines be damned. You’re welcome, Sou. Cool

Continue reading “Custom Togii “Asphyxiating First Love”” →

Peak Disaster Gays: Jiro Kawaii’s “We’ll Get Our Happy Ending”

~ ames ~ 3 Comments

Read on Renta!:
We’ll Get Our Happy Ending by Jiro Kawaii

Japanese title:
ドラマにならない僕らの話
Dorama ni Naranai Bokura no Hanashi

Links:
Jiro Kawaii Twitter
B. Pilz Twitter (Publisher)

Sometimes you’re just in the mood to hurt a little bit. A little hurt/comfort with yourself, if you will. As a treat. Except the thing that’s going to hurt you this time is a BL manga about sexuality and human relationships between college boys because, at its core, Jiro Kawaii’s We’ll Get Our Happy Ending is about human relationships—about how it’s not necessarily about being gay or bi or straight, but about finding someone you care about, learning to treasure and open up to them, and trusting yourself and your feelings—and the difficult path to cultivating a relationship with someone you love as you move on from the past. So, just how does this wonderful manga handle these themes?

It’s been two years since college senior Wataru broke up with his high school boyfriend, Jin. While he’s dated since the breakup, he still sees Jin as special; while Wataru openly considers himself bisexual, Jin’s the only guy he’s ever truly had feelings for. Nonetheless, when he meets college freshman Soma—who’s openly gay—he thinks he’s found someone he can open up to. Soma, however, has other plans—not taking Wataru’s bisexuality seriously (accusing him of “hopping on the bi trend,” no less) and shutting him down by saying he’s already got a boyfriend and isn’t interested.

Continue reading “Peak Disaster Gays: Jiro Kawaii’s “We’ll Get Our Happy Ending”” →

[♥RECS♥] Isekai BL That Are Out Of This World

~ sou ~ 2 Comments

If you’ve been even moderately involved in the anime and manga fandom at some point within the past 10 years or so, you’re no doubt familiar with the genre/trope known as “isekai”: a story mechanism, literally translating to “another world” or “a different world,” by which a character magically transports to, gets reincarnated into, or otherwise finds themselves in — you guessed it! — another world.

Delinquent Omega Belongs to the Beast King!
I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs
The Titan’s Bride

It’s become such a staple of Japanese popular culture that earlier this year, it officially made it into the Oxford English Dictionary — showing just how recognizable the genre has become worldwide.

We’ve talked on this BLog before about how trends in Japanese pop culture at large can affect even the relatively niche corner that is BL manga (such as the rise of streamers and Vtubers that Ames eloquently discussed) — and it’s no surprise that we’ve seen a steady increase in BL mangaka making use of isekai in their stories lately.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of isekai in general (it seems every other anime coming out these days is an isekai, amirite fellas?), I think it’s pretty likely you’ll find something to your taste when it’s used in a genre as subversive and diverse as BL. As I’ve always said, BL mangaka are endlessly creative, and when they see an opportunity to tell a touching story about love that transcends space and time, or to depict NSFW situations with hot fantasy creatures, they’ll take it!

I’ve handpicked 5 series to introduce today that make me especially grateful I was born in just the right era to enjoy BL isekai manga 🙏 Whether you’re looking for some LOL-worthy comedy, tearjerking drama, or just some good ol’ otherworldly dick-downs, you’ll find it all down below!

Continue reading “[♥RECS♥] Isekai BL That Are Out Of This World” →