That’s right. We’re talking, once more, about what’s building up to be a masterpiece by author Yanase Seno (stylized in lower case), “Double Beastly Trouble”: the tale of two beast-men joining the military so as to reach the top… and to harass a deeply troubled young man. We’re not too many chapters in so far, be it in Japan or our English release, and yet it’s already sucked me in with its multi-dimensional characters, the developing mysteries around their relationships, and the unassumingly delicate world-building that promises so much more to come.
If my prior mini-rant on this fantastic story left a lot to be desired, come with me to delve even deeper into this tale of military power struggles and hot, but also adorable nekomimi (‘cat’, in this case, ‘beast-eared’) men.
Below be spoilers, so don’t go rummaging like these two >:0
TW: yandere trope as a whole; emotional, physical and sexual abuse
In my endless rant about yandere BL, the manga that I gave the most love to was Sanayuki Sato’s “The Prefect’s Private Garden” which I can describe confidently as a masterclass in how to write yandere angsty romance. I’m biased, because the story includes a bunch of tropes I adore (TsukihitoTsukihitoTsukihi—), but, to borrow wise words from Sou, you know when you find a manga that hits just right?
The very first of anything is something to remember—which is why I remember that the very first BL I got to check after joining Renta! was a short rollercoaster of a story, Akota’s “My Perilous Darling Boy”. My trainer back then probably couldn’t have asked for a better vehicle for getting all our style-guide rules into my head: Akota’s stunning art is packed with details, which means that there could easily be mistakes in replacing sound effects; speaking of sound effects, there were many, so you could miss or mistranslate some; and the translation itself, in a story this subtly complex sometimes, was another challenge altogether.
But we’re not here to talk about translation/checking woes, we’re here because I wanna tell you that, aside from the fondness I have for this manga for being my first BL task, I do genuinely love it.
There are too many BL about Japan’s legendary host clubs to count, but this one earned its stripes, in my opinion, by humanizing not only the hosts but also their clients.
New Years is the perfect time to look back on the last twelve months and think to yourself… “What was the best BL manga I read in 2023?” Best-of lists are common this time of year, so we wanted to get in on the action and make a list of our staff’s favorite BL titles a la Chill Chill’s BL Awards. However, our list is less a ranking of the absolute top popular titles as voted by our users (you can find that by checking the “best sellers” list), and more just us—as a team of BL fans—wanting to celebrate some of our favorite titles that were added to the Renta! site this year. (The 2024 Chill Chill BL Awards should be happening again in march, with people already discussing the nominees, so let’s look forward to that in the coming months!)
To make sure it wasn’t just our main blog team pushing our favs we’ve already talked about at length, we also invited Nan, Agedashi, Anne, and Snow from our Japanese side to share some of their favorite titles they got to work with this year!
For each category there’s a good mix of responses, showing just how varied BL fans are in their tastes. However, in the spirit of not making this post too ridiculously long, we’ll just highlight two or three staff comments for each and then list the rest of the choices below.
There’s this huge store in Ikebukuro that’s floors and floors of anime and manga goods, even an exhibition space. Having moved to Tokyo recently, the first time I visited it isn’t that far back—so I very clearly remember the gorgeous artwork on the walls, advertising one particular BL manga that had recently released its first collected volume. I didn’t have time to stop and catch its name, but I did stare at the beautiful, realistic art, almost daydreaming every time I passed it by; then, I noticed that many other stores around Ikebukuro were advertising the exact same manga, so I knew it had to be a phenomenon in the making.
When I saw a manga named “The Monster & the Ghost” in my work assignments, I let out a squeal of excitement at its cover, like, “OH! IT’S THAT MANGA!!!”
And I’m obviously not the only one who’s been entranced by this work since. Both Japan and overseas, people seem to be buzzing about this story—so, what is it about?
Okay, so maybe this entry is cheating because technically Kamiya isn’t a werewolf in the traditional sense, but it was only a matter of time before I stopped chatting my coworkers’ ears off about my love for this series in favor of giving it a spotlight on this BLog.
Pokerou’s “Chew Me Up And Teach Me About Love” (Japanese Title: 噛み砕いて愛をおしえて / Kamikudaite Ai wo Oshiete) is admittedly more sweet than spooky, but it’s such a good mix of fluff, angst, and sexiness that I just HAD to recommend it for Beast Week.
Hitomi is a timid but well-meaning college student who finds himself drawn to his buff and manly yet kind neighbor Kamiya. Unsure if his feelings go beyond admiration, he maintains some distance while doing his best to be a good neighbor to the mature and cool Kamiya, in an effort to get closer to the gentle giant. However, he’s forced to confront his confused feelings head-on when one night, seemingly out of nowhere, Kamiya pushes him down and starts licking and grinding on him… Say whaaat?!
It turns out Kamiya has theriomorphosis — a condition which causes a person to develop animal traits (in his case, wolf features) and also become really horny out of a desire to reproduce because, well, of course it does.
Despite the shock of his encounter with his hot neighbor, Hitomi still wants to be a part of his life, and finds himself trying to be as helpful to Kamiya as possible — buying his essential supplies since he can’t go out in public with a tail and ears, grooming him, and just keeping him company in his time of duress (learning that you’re transforming into an animal takes a pretty big toll on one’s psyche, it turns out). Both of them enjoy this arrangement, until they both start to realize they want a little something more out of their relationship… and aren’t sure whether taking that next step is a good idea.
The stimulating sex scenes contrast with the softer emotional side of the story, and each installment keeps you on the edge of your seat.
You need only check the community tags (assigned by the lovely users of Renta!) to see why so many other fans of heartwarming and sexy stories have come to adore this manga.
I wholeheartedly agree.
…There’s so much more I want to say about this series, but we’ll save that for another day when I give it a proper long-form review. In the meantime, why not add it to your Spooky Season reading list and get caught up on this ride of feels? Chapters 5-6 will be available on Renta! from November, and let me tell you, the story gets JUICY — so you won’t want to miss it!
“Two (upcoming) beast-person manga reviews for Halloween?” Well, no, you see, the beast-people in Yanase Seno’s “Double Beastly Trouble”(Double Dog Buddy) are “beastly” (hah), sure, but they’re a species of their own, therefore they’re not the same as any other run of the mill wolfish beast-person. (Putting those rhetoric high-school classes to good use.)
Our protagonist, Sir Ewan Gwenthia, is an aloof, capable soldier, leading a squad against an underground dogfighting ring, where two members of a humanoid species, known as the “larga,” are being exploited. The two reigning champions, cool Zazie and dorky Seto, are unwilling to part with their turf, just as Ewan himself is loath to come anywhere close to a larga. As circumstances would have it though, the twain choose to follow Ewan as his ‘dogs’ and Ewan is obligated by the military to train and subdue them.
Many Renta! readers might be familiar with Yanase Seno’s gorgeous, crisp art-style from their other hit, “Geminis Craving Love”(Aisaretagari No Gemini), which means they might also be familiar with sensei’s apparent preference for 3P/poly action/ménage à trois. So far, the two larga that comprise this threesome are in agreement that they want to “toy” with Ewan. There’s more to them than their animal instinct for domination though, as, at times, they display a more nurturing side, too. With his small stature and very relatable thirst to prove himself, Ewan seems to bring that protectiveness out in the larga, just as much as their need to “play”.
Personally, I’m very keen to see where this plot is going. Ewan has character the depth of the Mariana Trench, and his unresolved family issues are a key part of the story. There’s also the intricate worldbuilding that doesn’t seem to be just there as a setting, but intrinsically connected to the characters, their background and hopefully their path forward. I’ll stop here before I end up spoiling anything, but, let’s just say, if you’re looking for a beast-flavored ménage BL for this Spooky Season, give Yanase Seno’s “Double Beastly Trouble” a spin. And, if you have read it, do tell, whom of the two larga do you prefer so far? (I’m team Zazie, btw.)
With the forces that decide which manga I get to check each month being out of my control (and fully in the hands of the team project coordinator), Shima Yashiki’s incredibly angsty and sexy “This Poor Beta Doesn’t Know About Love”(Awarena Betaha Koio Shiranai) appeared on my laptop screen at work quite unexpectedly.
Up until this story, I had never read omegaverse once (yet, after this, I also got to enjoy a certain fox-and-mouse romance), so this was a wholly new experience at that time. Obviously, as a twenty-something that spends most of her time online, I’m familiar with the concept, but not the nitty-gritty of it, you know? So, a couple of comprehensive guides later, I rolled up my sleeves and was ready to dive into this manga—to discover the perfect BL about fictional mind-games and emotional edging (maybe even the physical kind, too).
They say young love is the purest. I firmly believe it’s also the dumbest, silliest, and most awkward, and nothing captures that truly absurd “first love” feeling to me quite like Jimi Fumikawa’s I Seriously Can’t Believe You… with all its cuteness, cringe, and yearning.
The manga starts out with a ridiculous and innocent, but nonetheless cruel, joke that truly highlights how dumb and young these teenage boys are, with them not even considering the consequences of their actions until they’re already happening. Kon, our adorable main character, and his friends are wondering why the incredibly hot and popular Iida rejects every girl that confesses to him.
“Is he gay?” “Wanna look into it?” “What? How?” “There’s only one way.”
Next thing Kon knows, he’s been suckered by his friends into confessing to Iida just to see how the other boy reacts. However, rather than accepting him—but still not offended or rude about it—Iida replies that he supports Kon’s inclination toward men but can’t return his feelings.
“Don’t Google yourself.” It’s common knowledge among celebrities, big and small, that it’s not a good idea to go searching for other people’s opinions of you or your work—especially not on the internet, where people can be particularly brutal behind the veil of anonymity. However, what if you googled yourself, and rather than finding criticism or bashing, you found something else? Say, for instance, art and stories of you getting pounded by your coworker?
Smalltime idols Homeroom—or H.R., with the H standing for Hibiki and the R standing for Rui—are two school friends who tried out to become idols in high school, and for five years they’ve grown into entertainers who’re tied together in both their personal and professional lives. This is a fact that hasn’t gone over the fans’ heads—in fact, there’s a whole faction of their fanbase (a majority of it, really) that’s quite keen on just how close the two are.
Hibiki isn’t sure what to expect when one of his drama costars Haruna tells him, “Hey! I searched ‘hibirui’ and found something interesting! Look it up with Rui♥” Rui tries to make him stop, terrified by the mean people on the internet, and initially he’s proven right when they stumble on a password-locked site with the description “concerned parties do not look.” The passwords are easy for the two to get past, considering it’s trivia about their entire career, but rather than a hate site shitting on them… it’s a fan-art site… filled with illustrations of them having sex…?
rentaBLog 