Yaoi – rentaBLog

Sweeter Than Expected: “Kabukicho Cat Honey”

Read on Renta!:
Kabukicho Cat Honey by Nekojita Udon & Toriumemaru

Japanese Title:
歌舞伎町キャットハニー

Links:
Nekojita Udon Twitter
Toriumemaru Twitter
B.Pilz Twitter
Brite Publishing

Part of me wonders if I even have to post a review for this series, as it already seems incredibly popular. It really doesn’t need an extra push from me—the cover and description already seem to be doing the trick. However, there’s no rule on the blog that says we can’t talk about things we love that are already extremely popular, so I’m still gonna go for it anyway.

Kabukicho Cat Honey is a BL manga by writer/artist duo Nekojita Udon and Toriumemaru. This is actually their second book together, their first being My Private Love Actor (プライベート・ラブマイアクター) which is also released by B.Pilz and localized in-house. While it’s hard to say going off just two releases, it would appear the two mostly work together on BL projects, though Toriumemaru has also done some illustrations for a couple BL novel series and is currently working on a horror josei manga.

The story of Kabukicho Cat Honey follows a young man named Haru. Haru works in Shinjuku’s gay district as an escort, and is popular as a specialized top since he’s quite tall. He’s not just popular with the men, though—the hostesses who also frequent the bar his brothel runs out of love him as well, and so one night they invite him along to a host club with them. Haru doesn’t understand host clubs—he doesn’t get the appeal of being lied to with sweet nothings—but is forced to go by his boss since he was invited by paying customers.

There he meets Shinya, the number two host. His first impression of Shinya is that he seems arrogant and far too friendly, but they quickly bond when they realize they have the same phone case of an indie band they both love. Just as Haru lets his guard down, though, Shinya starts asking him about his work as a prostitute—and why he specializes in topping when he’s so obviously the perfect bottom. Lean build, slender hips, slim neck, beautiful face, soft hair—Shinya makes it clear he would gladly ravage Haru and make him squirm.

BL Lines to Look Out For: KiR Comics

As I’ve mentioned both on here and on Twitter before, when it comes to whether or not we can fulfill a license request, the best bet is to check if we have a history of licensing from that publisher. If we’re already releasing series by a specific publisher, it already means we have a relationship and contract with them, which makes it significantly easier to request titles. If we don’t have a contract with them, well… we will still gladly request the license, but the chances of obtaining the license can be a lot slimmer for a variety of reasons (some of which I discuss in my post about digital vs. physical publishing). But, this is just to say, there’s a reason we have a lot of content by certain publishers, and little to none by others.

For those who don’t know, you can find the publisher and line on the manga itself via logos on the cover, insert pages near the beginning, or backpage credits at the end. You can also check the description on the product page:

Also, the publisher and publishing line aren’t the same thing. For instance, B.Pilz and Tulle are both separate lines under Brite Publishing, and both aim to provide different content, if only slightly. A more clear-cut example is TAIYOH TOSHO‘s HertZ and Craft lines—HertZ tends to offer more standard, shorter BL stories that can be contained to one or two volumes, whereas Craft tends to run longer, more chaste, plot-driven content. There is some overlap between the lines, of course, but that’s simply because it’s hard to put all stories into clean boxes—one BL might be long and story-driven but very sexual, and vice versa.

Lately, when I’m sending out our licensed projects for translation, one BL publishing line that’s been catching my eye more and more is: KiR Comics! It’s not a rare occasion at all that I’m flipping through something thinking “damn… this is The Good Content…” and I find myself distracted reading the full chapter, get to the backpage, and it’s KiR! A few recent ones (and spoiler on content that’ll be coming later this year ): Dekisokonai no Love Song by Akota, Kyou mo Kimi ga Toutoi by Hiiro (coming soon!), Eye Wink de Korogashite by Akari Hayashi, Ato Mou Sukoshi de Koi na no ni! by Sanma Tarou… the list goes on, really.

KiR’s manga don’t seem to have too strict a theme, but they often tend to be a bit on the lightly gritty, very sexy side—but not always. KiR also tends to host a lot of lesser-known or debuting artists, which is exciting for me personally since I love discovering new BL mangaka to throw myself behind.

The manga I noted before are all things to look forward to in the future, but for now, I was thinking I’d put together a post recommending some of my favorite current KiR releases that you can read in English. Also, this would be a great time to point out that their website actually has an “overseas” section that lists all their books that have been licensed and in what languages! A very nice feature for non-JP readers; thank you, KiR Comics staff!

So without any further ado, my personal five picks that I’ve really loved from KiR Comics!

The good, the dark and the gritty: omegaverse

Blooming cherry blossoms be damned, Japan has been in a rainy mood lately. It’s probably the kind of situation when most people would like to indulge in something uplifting, like a comedy or happy song; but, if you’re anything like me, you prefer to consume media that affirm the rainy season tenfold. That’s sometimes the appeal of sad, dark stories, after all. Which is why this humble purveyor of angst embarked on another exploration through the Renta! catalog, not to find our many cute, sweet, domestic, sexy omegaverse manga, but the stuff that shows people utterly under the thumb of a society governed by biological urges.

Which means of course, here’s a hefty content warning for the most ruthless things omegaverse might offer—if you’re looking for something to scatter the rainclouds rather than darken them, how about Sou’s April Fool’s post?

Artist Spotlight: Kaoru Watanabe

Kaoru Watanabe’s work was first introduced to me through my job at Renta!, quite early in my career here. When I was first assigned her I Might Be Your Fan, But I’ll Never Fall For you!, my first impression was that her art is incredibly unique and beautiful, but her characters weren’t necessarily to my tastes. However, after starting to read it, I was hooked—their personalities made me fall in love with her characters, and eventually I came to love both them and the storytelling so much that my own tastes didn’t even matter—or more like, my tastes evolved to include “anything by Kaoru Watanabe.” I’ve now read everything by her that I can get my hands on.

Thus, I want to introduce you all to the BL powerhouse that is Kaoru Watanabe.

Read on Renta!:
I Might Be Your Fan, but I’ll Never Fall for You!
Lovingly Cruel Services

Release List:
ビッチ受け～純情リーマン×ヤリ捨てBitch～
推しには絶対ほだされない！
恋するサディスティックサービス
 はるかといつか
 ディア・マイ・ヴァンパイア
 ミルクなきみとビターな彼

If I had to sum up the intense appeal of Kaoru Watanabe’s work in one word, it would simply be: “sensuality.” Her stories have a lot of humor to them, and great pacing and comedic timing. But when it comes to the relationships, it’s truly the push and pull of their feelings and biases and fears and desires that truly makes Kaoru Watanabe’s work. This adds a lot of sensuality to her stories, because things tend to move quite slow between her characters—in their relationships, as well as in the bedroom.

World’s First “Yaoi Cruise” to Set Sail Spring 2025

Get your yaoi paddles ready, because you’re in for the seaborne adventure of your life

Have you ever wanted to get away from it all and enjoy a relaxing and luxurious vacation… where you can revel in all forms of BL media in a judgment-free zone, surrounded by other fans? Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Well, starting next year, Bophades Cruises is making the dream come true with the world’s first ever “yaoi cruise” — an all-inclusive vacation plan catering to BL fans from all over the world.

This 14-day cruise will stop at 3 countries, giving passengers the chance to explore several IRL locations that have played a significant role in the yaoisphere. Each of the selected spots is guaranteed to have wonderful sightseeing and shopping opportunities.

No, no THAT kind of bingo! Unless…? (Also, please read Nipple Bingo )

There will also be exclusive fan events with special guests — including star talent and creators from the BL world — such as special talks and autograph sessions.

And, the cruise ship itself? Extravagance incarnate.

When you’re not chilling your luxury suite or enjoying the gourmet buffet and open bar, there’ll be plenty to keep yourself occupied with at all hours of the day — including a massive BL manga library, karaoke rooms, BL anime screenings in state-of-the-art theater rooms, a cosplay masquerade ball, bingo (with fabulous prizes!), and more!

If all this sounds too good to be true and you wanna know how on earth it came to be — or, if it sounds like another Festival in the making and you’re asking, “Why??” — you’ll want to keep reading, because Renta! BLog has the full scoop — along with a special chance for you to win FREE tickets!

All aboard the S.S.B.L.!!!

Fuyu Touji’s “Pain, Sweet Pain” and a dive into the Dom/Sub-verse

Read it on Renta!: Pain, Sweet Pain by Fuyu Touji

Japanese title:
スウィート・ペイン・セラピー
Sweet Pain Therapy

Links:
pixiv
ChilChil page

It’s not like I have a particular preference for omegaverse. I don’t really go out of my way to find it. It finds me. That’s how I’ve come to review omegaverse works twice on our sweet BLog. So, I guess, why not also tackle one of its many offshoots, the Dom/Sub-verse? I mean, as an afficionado of the darker stories that romance has to offer, clear-cut dom/sub dynamics aren’t just music to my ears, but the additional element of mind-control is the cherry on top of the fucked-up yet oh-so-delicious cake that this trope could be.

So, considering that I recently discovered Fuyu Touji’s “My Bias is a God!?” (coming on English Renta! soon) I decided to explore the Dom/Sub-verse through their previous work, “Pain, Sweet Pain” which has been in my reading list forever. Just as the title implies, this story is both sweet and painful, so join me if you’re down for that.

Interview: three otaku discuss the origins of BL and sing Keiko Takemiya’s praises

Our Renta! BLog has already featured two articles that touch on the origins of BL, but how about a history and theory lesson presented by two amazing, fantastic, intelligent scholars? I’m not saying it because these two are my dear cohorts, but because they’re two of the most knowledgeable people I’ve ever met—especially when it comes to their field of expertise, popular culture and manga. So, I arranged a group call with this fabulous pair to discuss the deep, intriguing and sometimes complicated origins of BL, its roots in shojo manga and the feminist and sexual liberation movements, and its misunderstood image.

(Disclaimer: portions of the interview were edited after some technical mishaps, but I’ve retained the majority of it as we actually spoke, e.g. occassionally using Japanese surnames first, by habit. Also, I’ll be reusing some pictures from the BL exhibition.)

BL NON-Guilty Pleasures

When the idea of a “guilty pleasures” blog post was floated during one of our BL meetings, I (Ames) was originally not super into it. While the intention was good—creating a space to talk about less-common or accepted niches within the BL sphere—I’m not someone who likes the idea of ‘guiltily’ or ‘ironically’ liking things. (I know, I know—perhaps I’m a bit too serious and sentimental.) In my honest opinion as an ancient BL fan, just enjoying the things you love with your whole ass is most often the way to go.

There’s already so much shame in fan spaces as it is for just enjoying BL on its own, so I’m not so big on adding even more shame by referring to things as “guilty pleasures.” We already agreed this blog would be a positive space for and by BL fans, and I want to uphold that at all costs. So rather than making a post about guilty pleasures, Sou and Alice have shamelessly gone whole-hog talking about the aspects of BL and MLM media they love that maybe gets a little flack sometimes—but who cares? If you love something, love it.

I admittedly wasn’t able to participate in this post this time around, but maybe someday. Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy Sou and Alice baring their “rotten” souls to the world discussing Mpreg, and assholes.

Love as sweet as chocolate: Mitsunaga Hirama’s “Sweet Bitter Sweet”

Read on Renta!:
Sweet Bitter Sweet by Mitsunaga Hirama

Japanese Title:
スイート・ビター・スイート

Links:
GUSH_info (Publisher)

Today is Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate romance and relationships—whether our own, or other people’s. For those of us who aren’t in a pair and also don’t have Galentine’s Day plans, one common way to celebrate is to binge rom-coms, and for a lot of us fujoshi the best equivalent is spending the evening reading BL.

So I have one tooth-rottingly sweet BL from the Renta! catalogue to recommend—and it’s about chocolate, so two birds with one stone! Sweet Bitter Sweet is the story of Mashiba, an office worker with an incredibly hectic life. He likes to stave off the doom of his countless hours of overtime with chocolate, and has become somewhat of a chocolate connoisseur. Thus, when he sees a new chocolate shop has opened, he’s desperate to go. After many days of missing his chance due to working past the store’s business hours, he decides to leave work in a “timely” (albeit still quite late) fashion—only for the shop keeper to announce he’s sold out for the day.

But the shopkeeper, Minemura, takes pity on him and invites him in to sample some of the new chocolates he’s been developing. After finding out Mashiba has quite the palate for chocolate (and is very passionate about it due to his workplace circumstances), he asks Mashiba to help him research and develop new products for his store.

As they begin to spend more time together and grow closer, Mashiba finds himself just as interested in Minemura as he is the chocolate—and even begins to fantasize about kissing him, among a meriad of other things. But does a plain, tired, boring salaryman like him have anything to offer a handsome chocolatier?

This is definitely the type of BL that could give you a sugar rush, it’s so absurdly sweet and cute. While Mashiba is silently fretting that Minemura only sees him as a friend and could never possibly be interested in him, poor Minemura is constantly dropping hints about how much he loves spending time with Mashiba and how he’s fallen for him. The reviews seem pretty divided on Minemura’s meddlesome friend Hayasaka, though—some hate him, and some seem to think he added a little extra spice.

The art is clean and crisp and very expressive. I’d also highly recommend this to those who’re fans of the “ordinary guy” type of bottom, since Mashiba is just your everyday tired salaryman. Minemura is definitely the “prettier” of the two, so this is a double-whammy for those who enjoy the plain bottom/hot top combo. The ero scenes are pretty minimal, with the building tension between Mashiba and Minemura taking center stage, but it’s still nothing to wag a finger at.

Overall, a very cute story that encapsulates the sweetness and bitterness of falling in love—the giddiness of looking forward to seeing them, the loneliness when they’re not around, the distress of not knowing how they feeling about you, the comfort and security of requited feelings… all of that makes up the full bundle of love, and this manga conveys it wonderfully.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a nice Valentine’s Day! I know for some it can be a very bittersweet holiday, especially since they’re a lot of social pressure to not spend it alone. But I’ve found it can be the perfect holiday for self-care—treating yourself to your favorite foods, taking a nice long bath, getting cozy in bed, and immersing yourself in the BL you love!

“Look at Me.”: Identity & Acceptance

Read it on Renta!:
Look at Me. by Momose An

Japanese Title:
俺を見て。
Ore wo Mite.

Links:
Momose An Twitter
Doodle Twitter
Momose An Pixiv

When I heard we’d be getting a Momose An title on the site, I was personally ecstatic. I’m not sure how well-known she is in the West, but Momose An is currently an incredibly popular BL mangaka in Japan. She has two smash-hit, long-running series, Naka Made Aishite (Yuzuriha, my love… I use your LINE stamps every day…) and Osananajimi ja Gaman Dekinai, and her series Shitasaki kara Koi was highly influential for the cakeverse genre. I haven’t seen much fanfare for her overseas, and from what I can tell none of her other stories have been licensed.

Look at Me. is actually one of Momose An’s earliest titles. Published in 2017, you can tell she was still coming into her art style at the time, as this is quite different from the angular and boyish characters she currently draws—but the essence of her style still remains (particularly when she draws the side-views of characters). The art is softer and rounder, but still equally a joy to look at.

The story of Look at Me. centers around childhood friends Kyosuke and Saku. Saku was beautiful from birth, with a gentle and feminine face, so Kyosuke initially mistook him for a girl. Most people, in fact, mistook him for a girl—and were often disappointed to find he wasn’t. Not Kyosuke, though—young and blunt, Kyosuke didn’t care one way or another if Saku was male or female. But unfortunately, Kyosuke was too young to save Saku from an adolescence of trauma, isolation, and loneliness.