This blog was created by the BL fans from Renta!’s in-house localization team with the mission of bridging the gap between Western BL fans and the largely Japanese industry that BL manga hails from. (Though, it’s been going more and more global in recent years!) With our group of BL aficionados from all fandoms, preferences, and walks of life, we hope we can spread the love and appreciation for BL by using our experience in the industry to reach out, inform, and entertain our fellow fans.
The Writers
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AMES.
I’ve worked at Renta! for four years, initially as a quality checker and now as the coordinator and team leader. Eternally powered through work stress by my love for BL manga, I love to push for my favorite mangaka and series and can talk for an eternity about the BL I love. I’m very art- and character-driven so, rather than liking super heavy or intricate plots, I tend to get attached to BL where I love the characters or find the art style particularly appealing. You can expect a lot of artist showcases and overly-adoring reviews from me, as well as the occasional introduction to Japanese BL/fujoshi culture.
When I’m home and not reading BL, I like to play games (mostly Genshin, but I have a plethora of mobile games I cycle through), clean, or spend time with my cat. I’m also interested in Vtubers and other online subcultures, but I’m not much of a meme-er (I leave that to Sou). When I’m out of the house, I like to attend otaku events with friends, eat out at nice restaurants, or quietly read or study at cute cafes.
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SOU.
A longtime otaku and fan of BL, I’ve been a member of Renta!’s localization team since 2022, and it’s been a great way to fulfill my interests in comics and culture. I’m proud to be part of a team that helps to provide a much wider variety of BL flavors to the world than can be found on most bookstore shelves outside of Japan.
I love how diverse a genre BL is, and how the mangaka’s passion can be felt in every work—regardless of my personal preferences, through my job as a manga quality checker I’m always encountering series that just blow me away with the author’s dedication and attention to detail, whether that be in fleshing out a complex setting or depicting a very specific fetish… It’s opened my mind to all that the genre has to offer, and it really makes me believe BL mangaka are some of the most powerful storytellers out there!
I hope that by sharing my adventures in localizing manga and exploring BL-centric culture (both in Japan and abroad) I can provide unique insight into the wonderful and ever-evolving world of BL! This genre is a wild ride and I’m here for it 😀
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ALICE.
I’ve been in Japan since 2018, studying illustration and manga. Despite that being my lifelong focus, starting work at Renta! in 2023 has given me the opportunity to delve into an aspect of otaku culture and manga that I hadn’t really explored before: BL. I’ve been a casual reader of OTP doujinshi in the past, but I had never known how deep, sophisticated and dedicated the BL fandom is up until recently, thanks to the enthusiasm of friends and colleagues. Therefore, you can expect most of my reviews and BL culture commentary to be full of curiosity and wonderment at just about anything. I’m also an angst aficionado, so you can find me ranting about the darker stories that can be found on our website.
Sometimes I cook new recipes. When I have the energy to leave the house, I go on shrine visits in my neighborhood or to cafes with my friends. And, most of the time, I either write fanfics or draw original work. I’m eternally, irreversibly and unapologetically chained to fictional characters and merchandise shopping websites.
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Other Contributors:
CL
Takochan
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About Renta!
EbookRenta! is the digital manga brand of PAPYLESS GLOBAL, INC. We license, translate, and publish manga generally “aimed at women” (女性向け) though we’re happy to learn that anyone of any gender has enjoyed our content. Through partnerships with other localization and publishing companies, we try to also host a variety of other genres, including even the occasional shonen and seinen. Please take a peek at our site and see if there’s anything that might interest you—maybe even something outside your comfort zone!
Using our expertise in the industry, we hope we can answer any question our readers have (within the limits of NDA, of course) about Renta!, localization, licensing, digital publishing, etc. With this blog, we want to foster a community that is fun, inclusive, non-judgmental and, most of all, passionate about BL manga!
rentaBLog 