Kuriousity | manga reviews and news

Posts Tagged Boys’ Love/Yaoi

BLU Adds New Hinako Takanaga Series To Site

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, September 27, 2008

While the licenses themselves aren’t new (still haven’t heard much from this weekend’s Yaoi Con, though BLU has no panel scheduled), BLU’s website has updated with pages for two of their previously announced series, A Capable Man (pictured above) and You Will Fall In Love, both series by Hinako Takanaga.

Now, while I’m thrilled these two titles are still on track, with Hinako Takanaga being one of my favourite manga-kas, I can’t help but wonder about the November and December 2008 release dates. While they were already listed with these dates by Diamond Distributers a little while back, I’m still no less skeptical. With no definitive answers yet given on the fate of some of their currently running series, and some instability from the restructuring still remaining, can we fans have faith in these release dates? I’m hopeful we can, but I guess right now only time will tell when November comes around.

Share on Tumblr

Yaoi Generation Makes Its Debut

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, September 27, 2008

2 Comments »

I may not be able to attend Yaoi Con, but the wonders of the internet allows us to keep informed all the same! So yay for that :)

Today I recieved an e-mail from Yaoi Generation about their first licensed title:

“breath, by Chifumi Ochi, is a five-volume love story between a socially awkward businessman and a confident, attractive college student. Brought together by too much alcohol and a series of misunderstandings, these two opposites face difficult trials while learning just how much they need each other.”

The series is five volumes long with the first book set for release in December. Not too long a wait! I’m excited to see what their publishing will be like, plus marketing from here on out.

Yaoi Generation has also updated their website, including this information and some cover images (pictured above) from the announced book. They also remind fans to drop by their booth at Yaoi Con for the news and some goodies!

You can read the full press release with some words from the company’s president, Thuy Duong, under the cut.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Misc
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Yaoi Generation

Review: Tea For Two (Vol. 02)

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, September 25, 2008

No Comments »

Manga-ka: Yaya Sakuragi
Publisher: BLU
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: August 2008

Synopsis: “Clumsy Takamaru and graceful Hasune have started dating, but are the challenges facing them nothing that can’t be settled over a hot cup of tea? First, Takamaru is focusing on baseball while Hasune is busy practicing the tea ceremony, giving them little time together – and their quickies in the Tea Ceremony Club room just aren’t cutting it! Then, a former upperclassman of Tokumaru’s arrives, and suddenly, the older man is all he seems to see or talk about…”

After some relatively successful lessons in tea and grace, Takamaru and Hasune have started dating. Things between them are going smoothly except for the fact that between baseball and the tea ceremony, they hardly seem to have anytime for one another. If time wasn’t obstacle enough, the future suddenly seems a daunting thing for these teenagers getting ready to graduate from high school, and an old friend from Takamaru’s past returns to put a little doubt in Takamaru’s lacking life-goals.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: BLU, Boys' Love/Yaoi

Review: World’s End

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, September 23, 2008

1 Comment »

Manga-ka: Eiki Eiki
Publisher: DMP/June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: October 2007

Synopsis: “It’s been four years since Hirofumi and Daigo started living together. But because of his psychological scars, Daigo gradually starts imposing frightening restraints on Hirofumi! Caught in a café of love and madness, what will Hirofumi’s ultimate answer be?!”

World’s End is the sequel to Eiki Eiki’s previous work, Dear Myself. After an accident causes Hirofumi to loose his memory, he falls in love with a boy he meets in the hospital, Daigo. But when his old memories return, and his years spent with Daigo disappear, Hirofumi is horrified to be told he’s missing two years of his life and that they were spent being a man’s lover! When a letter he wrote to himself reveals the truth, Hirofumi finds himself falling for Daigo all over again. Now, years later, the two are living together and some dangerous truths about Daigo start manifesting.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, June

If I Was Down in San Francisco This Weekend

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, September 23, 2008

1 Comment »

The schedule for Yaoi Con 2008 was posted yesterday night. Coming up this weekend, September 26-28th, it’s the biggest (I would assume by this point?) boys’ love event on this continent. Alas, the cost of flights, hotels and passports keep me from it. And yet I couldn’t help looking at the schedule and planning my ‘if I was there’. Live the experience for me, Yaoi Con attendees!

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Misc
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Conventions, Yaoi Generation

Review: The Aluria Chronicles

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, September 21, 2008

No Comments »

Author: Calissa Leigh
Artist: Yishan Li
Publisher: Yaoi Press
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: March 2006

Synopsis: “Gin is falsely accused of murder and sacrificed to a demon. However, when the demon realizes his innocence, he takes pity and flies Gin to Aluria, a land of mystical creatures. But Gin is betrayed by a vampire named Kakale. And if things weren’t bad enough, Kakale casts a spell so that Gin looks like Kakale and Kakale looks like Gin. This is very bad for Gin considering Kakale is a wanted criminal…”

The Aluria Chronicles begins with the introduction of Gin, a pretty young slave boy who accidentally plays a key part in a man’s murder when trying to defend himself. Accused of the crime, he’s sacrificed to a demon as part of a larger scheme. But the demon takes pity on Gin, sensing his innocence, and instead whisks the sacrifice away to a land of mythical creatures.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Global Manga, Yaoi Press

More Drama of DramaQueen

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, September 15, 2008

3 Comments »

A recent post in the DramaQueen forums by one of the remaining editors:

“well, i’m holding my breath here, but i was also told we would be publishing TYRANT, as the first book for our “comeback”. all my files have been submitted so i’m starting work on the 2nd book now.”

Not the first time we’ve heard this: a supposed triumphant comeback and one started with the far-too-long awaited release of The Tyrant Who Falls In Love by Hinako Takanaga. While this tiny post acts as little more than perhaps another itty-bitty sliver of possible hope, I have to wonder, as much as I’d be happy to finally have some of their licenses in my hands (if they do make a comeback), will a miraculous return act as boo-boo bandaid for all of DQ’s disappointing past treatment of its fans? Is keeping everyone, including their own staff, completely in the dark, and allowing the negative feelings to fester, just to make a return all the more sudden, a worthy trade-off?

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Misc
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, DramaQueen, Hinako Takanaga

Bye Bye 801Media?

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, September 15, 2008

6 Comments »

Original image (c) 801Media

Hopefully this isn’t a sign of trouble over at the seemingly-unstoppable force that is Digital Manga, but over the past couple of days it’s come to our attention that the public-known staff of 801Media are all facing their final days as a part of the company this week. This includes the entire initial team and production managers behind the raunchier-yaoi imprint. Another staff member, known on the forums as Tomo-chan, had their last days as part of the small staff a few months back.

I give my sad but fondest goodbyes to them all! They made following 801Media’s releases easy, informative and, most important of all, lots of fun. It will in no way be the same without them :(

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Misc
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi

Review: Treasure (Vol. 02)

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, September 12, 2008

No Comments »

Author/Artist: Studio Kawaii
Publisher: Yaoi Press
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Released: July 2007

Synopsis:
“Alan longs for things to go back to the way they were between him and Patrick, but Patrick can’t forget that Alan had an affair with the former pirate captain. It doesn’t help that Alan has them on a mission to avenge Captain Begardoux’s death. That love that Alan still had for his lost captain is more than Patrick can bear. Especially when he gave up such a stellar naval career just to be with him.”

In this second, and final, volume of Treasure, the newly appointed pirate captain, Alan Falconer, continues his quest to recover the treasure stolen by the murderous pirate, Van Holstein. He’s convinced his lover to leave the navy and join his crew, but trouble brews when a man who looks like the ship’s previous Captain appears and Alan’s feelings are undoubtedly stirred.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: Boys' Love/Yaoi, Global Manga, Yaoi Press

Review: Tea For Two (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, September 11, 2008

No Comments »

Manga-ka: Yaya Sakuragi
Publisher: BLU
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: May 2008

Synopsis: “Clumsy Madoka Takumaru can’t seem to go a minute without breaking something. To teach him a little self-control, Takumaru’s sis forces him to help out the Tea Ceremony Club despite the hesitations of the club president, the graceful Kazuma Hasune. Compoased and cool, he is the exact opposite of the brash Takumaru. Will the two be able to bridge their differences, or will a potentially hot romance cool like iced tea?”

Tea For Two is the story of Madoka Takumaru, a clumsy teenage jock who has a problem with breaking things. Fed up with his lack of grace, his younger sister puts him under the tutelage of their school’s Tea Ceremony club president, Kazuma Hasune. Now it’s a matter of whether or not some tea and kimonos will be enough to calm Madoka’s bad habits or if something aside from good manners will form through their lessons.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Reviews
Tags: BLU, Boys' Love/Yaoi