Sakae Matsubara – rentaBLog

It’s already that time of year again, and boy howdy was 2024 a wild ride here at Renta! We changed our logo! We opened a Bluesky! There was much emotional (and physical) edging to be had! We participated in our first ever actual panel! The dongs were unleashed! We collected some samples! We saw beastmen in heat, many a delinquent on the brink, and men impregnated chivalrously! We released our very first cakeverse! We fostered brotherly love! We saw some knot-y boys and some nice ones! And many a popular series saw its end!

As we get ready to make 2025 an even more successful and exciting year filled with tons of great manga, we still wanted to look back on our favorite BL of 2024! That’s right, it’s once again time for our BL Staff Awards!

This time we have the usual Ames (hello), Sou, and Yomogi from the localization team, and then the wonderful Pochi, Snow, and Ann from our sales and marketing teams! So if you want to see what we enjoyed having the opportunity to work alongside this year, please read on!

Same as last year, we have the following categories:

Favorite New Series
Favorite Continuing Series
Favorite Seme
Favorite Uke
Favorite Up-And-Coming Author
Amazing Art
Favorite Renta! Title
Favorite Cover
Favorite Couple

Feel free to click on each category to go directly to that section, or you can meander through from start to finish to get that full 2024 BL experience! We also decided everyone only had to fill out the sections they have an actual response for, so just know you’re getting our true recommendations!

Continue reading →

Read on Renta!:
The Top-Ranked Omega Doesn’t Believe In Destiny by Sakae Matsubara

Japanese:
No.1オメガ様は運命を信じない
No.1 Omega-sama wa Unmei wo Shinjinai

Links:
Sakae Matsubara’s Homepage
Sakae Matsubara’s Twitter
Hanaoto Twitter (publisher)
Hanaoto Homepage

Sometimes you see a cover and you’re just like “yeah, I’m gonna like that series.” Just one look, and you add it to the cart. You don’t read the description, you don’t read the tags, you don’t look at the reviews—you don’t need them. You just know this specific book was made for you. And that’s how I felt the second I saw The Top-Ranked Omega Doesn’t Believe In Destiny.

First of all, the redhead bottom—Aka—is just so extremely My Type. The art is beautiful and the linework is so soft and clean. The coloring is stunning. The contrast between the two character is also extremely eye-catching and instantly speaks to their personalities: Aka and Soei’s colors contrast brilliantly, Aka in intense fiery red with Soei in soft, calm blue—as does their level of undress with Soei fully clothed in a suit while Aka only has open shirt and collar, not to mention the difference between Aka’s look of sensual arrogance, while Soei looks serious and concerned. I knew without even reading a single page I was going to love both of these characters as well as their dynamic.

And, sure enough…! So if you, too, are interested in seeing what’s so intriguing about this top-rated omega and his elite suitor, read on!

Continue reading →