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! 🦇