Tag: Review

Cuteness Overload: “A Lonesome Wolf As Sweet As Honey”

~ Yomogi ~ Leave a comment

Read on Renta!:
A Lonesome Wolf As Sweet As Honey by Dozaki

Japanese:
はちみつとオオカミ
Hachimitsu to Ookami

Links:
Dozaki Twitter
Tulle Twitter (Publishing line)

One day in the Renta! office, my colleague was excited to share that they were working on a very sweet and fluffy BL. Because it had been a while since I read a wholesome BL manga, my curiosity was piqued, and I just HAD to find some pockets of time between tasks to find out what all the BUZZ🐝 (bees… honey… get it?) was all about. And, as you might’ve expected, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this beautiful story.

This BL is the epitome of cuteness overload. I felt a light tugging at my heart with every chapter. Not only are the characters’ emotions depicted with subtlety, the story also struck a chord for me as someone who found himself quite lonely in high school due to his sexuality. So, if you’re looking for a series that features the themes of loneliness, friendship, and romance, read on.

Continue reading “Cuteness Overload: “A Lonesome Wolf As Sweet As Honey”” →

An Indulgent Love Story: “Bittersweet Bliss With A Chocolatier” (Happy Valentine’s Day!)

~ sou ~ 1 Comment
Who needs chocolate-covered strawberries when you have chocolate-covered twunk tits, amirite? 🥴

Read on Renta!:
Bittersweet Bliss With A Chocolatier
by Yan

Japanese title:
ビターポルノショコラティエ
Bitter Porno Chocolatier

Links:
Yan’s Twitter (author)
Melty Bullet’s Twitter (publishing line)

Valentine’s Day is upon us again 💗 and whether that means you’ll be cozying up with a loved one, showing some extra appreciation to your friends, or just chilling by yourself and eagerly awaiting the 15th for all the delicious discounts on Valentine’s chocolate and candies, we hope you have a great one!

And, while we believe there’s never a bad time to enjoy a good BL, when I stumbled upon — and quickly fell in love with — this one in particular, and learned that it was set to drop on Renta! right around Valentine’s Day, I knew this was the universe telling me to jot my thoughts down while reading so I could share them here on the BLog as my Valentine’s Day “gift” to you all.

As the intriguing title suggests, this book has a lot to offer, even aside from the delectable combo of a handsome top in his 40s and a feisty 20-something-year-old bottom with a naughty body; there’s a healthy serving of comedy to brighten your mood, but also plenty of drama to balance out the sweetness.

Get ready for some food porn (in the form of lovingly crafted fancy chocolates), some manga porn (in the form of an astoundingly buff middle-aged chef pounding a cute twunk’s ass), and a genuinely inspiring story about chasing your dreams.

Continue reading “An Indulgent Love Story: “Bittersweet Bliss With A Chocolatier” (Happy Valentine’s Day!)” →

Unbreakable Bonds: Bond Mitsuya’s “He Calls Me Every Night”

~ sou ~ 1 Comment

Read on Renta!:
He Calls Me Every Night
by Bond Mitsuya

Japanese title:
よばうよもすがら
Yobau Yomosugara

Links:
Bond Mitsuya’s Twitter (author)
B.Pilz’s Twitter (publishing line)

This is one of those BL that’s stuck with me long after I first discovered it — not only because I have fond memories editing it, as it was one of the first longer-running BL series I was ever assigned to work on here at Renta!, but because the characters and storytelling have that lasting impact (and, well, it’s got the kind of smut scenes that just never get old). I’ve reread it a couple times now, and the attractive art and gripping story make it feel fresh every time.

I can strongly recommend this series to fans of fantasy BL, but also to anyone who enjoys hurt/comfort, excellent character writing, beautiful twinks, and very pretty smut scenes.

Continue reading “Unbreakable Bonds: Bond Mitsuya’s “He Calls Me Every Night”” →

Pride and “Pedigree”: The Mating Ritual of a Cold Snake and a Fierce Tiger

~ sou ~ Leave a comment

Read on Renta!
Pedigree by Michi Tange

Japanese Title:
ペディグリー
Pedigree

Links:
Michi Tange Official Website (Author)
Hanaoto Twitter (Publisher)

Here on the Renta! localization team, we get to work quite closely with some of the titles released on the site — particularly the ones whose localizations we produce in-house. This is of course exciting when we’re assigned to work on a series we know and love already, or a new work by one of our favorite BL mangaka. But, another joy that’s just as valuable is getting to discover new creators and series we might not have had the chance to notice otherwise, what with how wide and deep the sea of BL is here in Japan (it’s both a blessing and a curse, I tell ya).

I recently got to experience that kind of BL serendipity in the form of Michi Tange’s “Pedigree.” At first, I was admittedly just dreading the marathon that is the final edit and check of a tankobon (full volume), which are more challenging than chapter-by-chapter releases in terms of the time and stamina they require to work through (though the result is always worth it!). But, as I flipped through the pages and spent time with the characters within, I found a BL story that got me just as emotionally invested as I was professionally.

If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and/or mutual “one-sided” love, this is one I highly recommend — so stick around for some spicy preview images accompanied by my ramblings about why I ended up loving it so much!

Continue reading “Pride and “Pedigree”: The Mating Ritual of a Cold Snake and a Fierce Tiger” →

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

~ sou ~ Leave a comment

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

~ sou ~ Leave a comment

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 💗

[♥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” →

Turning tropes on their heads with Kaibashira’s “The Doggy And The Fairy Prince”

~ ames ~ 3 Comments

Read on Renta!:
The Doggy And The Fairy Prince by Kaibashira

Japanese:
おくりワンちゃん
Okuri Wanchan

Links:
Kaibashira Twitter
PriaL Twitter (publisher)

I think from my presence on the BLog so far, I’ve made it pretty clear that I love BL, tropes and all. I know a lot of people hate that BL as a genre is so trope-laden—smol uke characters with long lashes, massive seme character with pointy chins, private school boys who scream from the rooftops that they’re “totally not gay bro” while simultaneously lusting after their male childhood friend from puberty and sleeping with their dorm roommate, etc. For me, though, I like those tropes—maybe because they cater pretty heavily to my personal tastes, granted. All this to say, I’m not necessarily a BL reader who desires to read BL that are anti-trope. I love the smol pretty uke boys. Give me all of the smol pretty uke boys.

So, when I first saw the cover for The Doggy And The Fairy Prince, I originally thought that was what I would get: cute twink-y bowlcut boy on the cover with his big dudebro boyfriend. Great. Cute. “Can’t wait to see this boy get railed!” I thought to myself. However, I then realized the little bowlcut twink (hereon referred to by his name, Sho) actually tops the massive dumb dudebro (Kuniaki), to which I was originally pretty disappointed. I ended up having to spend a long time with this manga during the final editing process, however, and while I was originally disappointed I didn’t get what I thought I wanted, what I did get was actually even better: an absolute comedic masterpiece.

Continue reading “Turning tropes on their heads with Kaibashira’s “The Doggy And The Fairy Prince”” →