Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime convention, is upon us once again this weekend! The internet’s been buzzing with excitement from industry folk, bloggers, guests and attendees alike in the weeks leading up to it – and though I can only speak as a spectator to the spectators – it certainly feels like the excitement has reached a level greater than the decline of last year, which saw less industry-presence and fewer announcements.

The big manga news to start goes to Digital Manga who had their panel on Thursday evening. AnimeNewsNetwork is covering all the major events of the convention and thanks to them I’m able to offer the abridged version here for your curious eyes:

New licenses:

A thanks to Digital Manga’s @michellemauk for some cover and info corrections

Neat Factoids:

- Digital Manga announced joint project with Viz Media to sell Naruto anime cels

- eManga.com (Digital Manga’s manga rental website) has increased rental times from 3-7 days, is preparing to offer gift cards for the point system and will be adding lots of new Harlequin titles in the near future

- Manga-ka Nao Yazawa (Wedding Peach) will be creating a new manga exclusively for digital publication on eManga.com. It will be a shoujo/fasntasy/comedy series titled Mizuki and another titled Moon and Blood(via Mania.com)

- Yamane Ayano’s Finder Series (edit: title corrected) will be available in bookstores (most notably to Americans, Borders)

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So what do you guys think?

Looks like a pretty rounded collection of news from Digital Manga – some new Hideyuki Kikuchi titles and a collection of boys’ love titles by some well-known creators. I’ll admit I’m pretty giddy to see new titles from CJ Michalski and Kazuma Kodaka, having enjoyed their work already released here. And a new series from Tsuta Suzuki? If it’s half as enjoyable as A Strange and Mystifying Story then consider me first in line!

News-wise, word that they’re offering gift cards for eManga.com really piqued my interest. I’m not a big fan of reading manga/comics digitally but I really want to see it succeed to the benefit of readers, creators and publishers alike. My biggest issue with selling anything online though has always been the difficultly the target audience has with paying via online – so my hope for these gift cards is that they’re actual physical cards you can purchase at conventions and not just digital gift cards. Digital money to buy digital points to read digital books sounds like one too many steps to me.

For a breakdown of their panel, including brief status confirmations of previously announced titles, I recommend the panel coverage at ANN and Mania.com, as well as this neat live-transcription.

Manga-ka: Miya Ousaka
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: April 2010

Synopsis: “Design school students Issei and Jin, on their way home from a live concert, pick up a discarded cardboard box, only to find that it contains a pair of sexy underwear with a “special” attachment…!! Deciding to have some fun, Issei puts them on and poses for Jin, but when Jin finds when he aims his camera at Issei, his sexual desire goes through the roof!! What will happen when Jin finds he can’t hold back anymore and has to have Issei right then and there?!”

Maniac Shorts Shot is a good example of how varied yaoi anthologies can be when it comes to explicitness. The first story in the book really makes the manga earn its 18+ rating with its frequent and explicit sex scenes – in fact, it’s not so much there are a lot of sex scenes, it’s more like the whole story is a sex scene with some plot duct taping them together. On the other hand, the next story is a sweet love story with a relatively vanilla sex scene. It’s weird to see such different stories in the same book, but on their own merits each story works.

The title story starts with the main characters finding a box of novelty underwear (like I said, the plot is mainly there to set up the sexy times). Issei starts trying them on, more of a joke than anything. Jin starts taking pictures, and soon things start getting a little more serious. There are a lot of fetishes packed into this story: bondage, voyeurism, toys, and, of course, specialty underwear. Combine that with detailed sex scenes (when was the last time you read a yaoi manga where the guys had pubic hair?) and you have ‘Maniac Short Shot’.

After the debauchery in the first story, ‘Lo-Fi You, Hi-Fi Him,’ is quite a surprise in its sweetness. Hirose and Azuma meet briefly at their high school reunion; Hirose is a kind-hearted, cheerful guy who can’t say no to anyone while Azuma is a smooth-talking host. Even though the two seem to have nothing in common, they hit it off right away and become close friends, going to soccer games, on hikes, and just spending a lot of time together. The strength in this story is the chemistry Hirose and Azuma share. The scenes of them together are not just adorable, but really capture the atmosphere of two people just enjoying each other’s company. Luckily the chemistry stays intact even as their relationship becomes a romantic one.

The cute nature of the story even extends to the sex scene. In what I found to be an unusually realistic move for a yaoi, not everything goes perfectly when they try to have sex and both characters have to go slow in order to get it right. The manga-ka is also not afraid to lighten the atmosphere with a joke, even as the characters are trying to get it on. While it is incredibly cute, it’s not mindlessly so. The characters do have worries, fears and insecurities that come up over the course of the story. The manga-ka manages to blend the sweet and bittersweet together expertly. It’s this story that makes me eager to read more from Miya Ousaka.

The third and final story in this volume is called ‘Custom Heart’ and involves Sano, a young man who recently inherited his father’s motorcycle shop. Maeda is a biker who frequents the store and gives Sano a lot of business. One night Meade has an accident on his bike. He comes to Sano’s shop and assaults Sano. Naturally, Sano reports this to the cops, Maede goes to jail…oh wait, no, that’s not what happens at all. As in various other yaoi stories that feature rape, they eventually fall in love.

I wasn’t a big fan of this story, and not just because it features rape as a way of showing your affection. The characters aren’t really likeable at all: Sano is constantly moping and cries every other panel, and Maeda’s just a brute. The plot isn’t that interesting either, making this an altogether forgettable story.

The art is great for all throughout the volume however. It adapts well to each story, reflecting the atmosphere without changing too dramatically. For example, there are plenty of screen tones and sparkles in ‘‘Lo-Fi you, Hi-Fi Him,’, giving everything an innocent shine, while in ‘Custom Heart’ the art is darker and dirtier, reflecting the grimy setting of the bike shop. The character designs are really great too, with each character having a wide range of facial expressions that are unique to them. I especially liked Hirose’s character design. He looks innocent while still looking like a grown-man, and there are nice touches to his design like cute, thick eyebrows. This doesn’t have anything to do with his looks, but I also like how Hirose is a nurse at a senior centre. Since it seems like half of the men in yaoi manga are assassins, detectives, or something else dangerous and glamorous, it’s nice to see a guy with such a down-to-earth job.

It’s hard to figure out who to recommend this volume to, since the stories are all over the place, going from hardcore porn in one story to fluffy shounen-ai in the next. But, there are plenty of yaoi readers who like both. If you’re one of them, you might like Maniac Short Shot..

Review written June 11, 2010 by Shannon Fay
Digital copy provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Yuki Shimizu
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: August 2009

Synopsis: “When a kotodama-sama dies, his or her kami-sama – a healer made of living paper – typically chooses to die as well, returning to a blank state as “hakushi.” But when Himi’s master passes away, a deep sense of obligation forces him to choose another path. Instead, Himi becomes kami-sama for his master’s estranged son, Genma. Genma is everything Himi’s former kotodama-sama was not – rough, arrogant, brutish – and furthermore, Genma enjoys using Himi for his own selfish pleasure. Is this more torment than Himi can endure? Or will he come to realize that different people show their true feelings in different ways?”

Volume three of Ze is not the kind of book that will leave most readers rooting for the romance – quite the opposite. This is a rough, painful and often downright depressing look into the abused life that a kami-sama (“a healer made of living paper”) lives with his new master for the sake of retaining the wishes of another. But, while the subject of the book is bad, the read itself certainly isn’t.

Himi is the volume’s central focus. After the death of his kotodama, he is given to the man’s son – a ruthless young man named Genma. It becomes immediately evident to Himi that things are going to be drastically different but he wasn’t prepared for what was to come. Raped, abused and locked-away from the world to an extent even his previous master didn’t adhere to, Himi lives every day in torment and tears.

The majority of the book is forceful sex scenes between Himi and Genma. As Himi lays in fear of Genma’s assaults and demands, he ponders the man’s feelings towards him – none of which seemingly anything but hate and malice. As some kind of upside to the content, the number of sex scenes in this book definitely earns the book its place in Digital Manga’s 801Media imprint, though the scenes work off rough spontaneity over sensual steam and definitely aren’t to be every readers’ cup of tea.

But despite the dark subject matter, it’s still well done – easily achieving a slew of emotions from the readers feeling sympathy for Himi and his situation. It doesn’t feel too overdone and the circumstances are so dismal at times that Himi’s dwelling never feels overindulgent. It’s dramatic, it’s sad and you can’t stop reading – but what kind of satisfying ending could such a volume provide?

The only time the story really feels like it starts doing itself a disservice is near the end when the author tries to turn Genma’s abusive nature into something resembling affection. A sudden proposal of love is thrown into the mix, causing Himi to rethink the motives behind his master’s actions. Though they offer him another perspective, readers won’t be as tricked by the rose-tinted glasses of boys’ love ploys where the L-word can save a ‘relationship’ based on rape.

But this is another example of what makes Yuki Shimizu an author with that special something. She has a flair for character drama that, though more often than not borders on the exceptionally angst-ridden, often succeeds because it takes itself seriously in just the right way. This third volume of Ze is a fair example of this, because though the situations are terrible and the perspective-shift a little nauseating, the rape-to-love angle isn’t provided as a quick fix or an instant band-aid. What it does is plant a seed of hope, a tiny sliver of intentional optimism that’s entire purpose isn’t to undermine the negativity of what came before, but to build up to the story’s traumatic finish that comes a mere chapter afterwards. And boy does it do just that.

The end of the book is heartbreaking on a number of levels. On one hand you have the obvious reason, which won’t be spoiled for the sake of the review. On the other hand you have the irony of who suffers what and for why in light of everything that happened. Then, on the complete flipside, one could even construe this end result as a good thing.

In the grand scheme of things plot-wise, the events of this book really drive home the restrictions and rules that govern the kami-sama, including their respective relationships with their masters and the fragility of their bodies. It’s a new angle to take back to older volumes and a more serious-tone to take with you into future instalments where we can hope for moods-sake things return to their more emotionally balanced collaboration of humour and grit.

Volume three of Ze is a depressing read but maintains being a darn good one. The quality of the writing and effectiveness of the art takes the story past its risk of being just another angst-fest, and into the realm of quality drama – albeit one with warnings for readers going into it not knowing what to expect.

Review written April 5, 2010 by Lissa Pattillo
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Yoshimi Amasaki
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “All Atsu has ever wanted is a dog of his own… and all Junya has ever wanted is Atsu! After being friends since childhood, dog-like Junya and cat-like Atsu now attend college together. One day, Junya finally drops a bomb: he’s in love with Atsu and wants to have a sexual relationship with him! Even though Atsu agrees, he doesn’t tell Junya if his feelings are returned. Aren’t they both supposed to be in love? What’s more, aren’t dogs and cats supposed to be natural enemies? With lots of training, perhaps Atsu will come to learn that having Junya is even better than having his own pet!”

Dog x Cat is a strange animal. On one hand, it’s extremely cute and funny. One the other hand, it has some of the dirtiest sex scenes I’ve seen in awhile. For some people, this would be a great case of getting to have your cake and eat it too. For me, I found the two extremes a little disconcerting. Still, once I got used to the mix, I started to enjoy it.

The story begins simple enough: Junya and Atsu have been friends for years, but their relationship changes when Junya confesses that he loves Atsu as more than a friend. Atsu is caught off guard at first, but after thinking it over realizes he returns Junya’s feelings.

The words are barely out of Atsu’s mouth before they’re having sex – and not just any sex, but very graphic sex. It’s not like the sex scenes have crazy positions or feats of the human body we’ve never seen before (though there is one particularly kinky scene where Junya gives Atsu a blowjob while Atsu is carrying on a conversation with someone). It’s the way they’re drawn and presented that makes them seem extra dirty. In a lot of yaoi manga, manga-ka won’t draw genitalia, instead just leaving vague white spaces where things should be. Dog x Cat doesn’t go that route: everything is shown in full detail. Another thing present in the sex scenes is a couple of gallons of bodily fluid. Oh, and lots of sound effects: this manga contains some of the nosiest sex ever put on paper.

What’s interesting is that even when the manga gets hot and heavy, the story still keeps its light and cute atmosphere (at least until near the end – more on that later). There are lots of funny parts in this book and the two leads themselves are pretty easy-going and cute. My favourite part of the book humour-wise is when Atsu is trying to picture what Junya’s past lovers look like.

The art is a big part of the manga’s overall cuteness. Both of the characters have a fondness for animals (Atsu likes dogs while Junya really likes cats) and the manga is full of cats, dog, puppies and kittens. And of course there are cute boys to go with the cute animals. Atsu is designed to be cat-like while Junya (in Atsu’s mind at least) resembles a big friendly dog. The backgrounds and minor characters are all drawn nicely – the layouts are practically bursting at the seams. It can be hard to fit so many different elements on one page, but Amasaki pulls it off, giving the manga a fast-past and energetic feeling.

The plot itself is easy-going for the most part: the two go on dates, have misunderstandings, get jealous and have sex (not all in that order). Near the end, the book takes a turn for the dark when Atsu and Junya go to a party together. Being the outgoing nice guy that he is, Atsu is naturally popular amongst all the girls. Because of this the other boys at the party get jealous and try to serve him a cocktail with an insane amount of alcohol (Atsu doesn’t drink). Junya overhears this plan and takes one for the team by grabbing the drink out of Atsu’s hand and chugging it. Why he doesn’t just toss the drink out and tell Atsu what’s going on is beyond me though. When they get home, Junya is severely drunk and takes advantage of Atsu.

There are a few things that bug me about this chapter. I do like that the morning after Atsu actually confronts Junya on his actions, even saying that what he did wasn’t sex, it was rape. What I don’t like is how quickly Atsu forgives Junya. Sure he was drunk, but even Junya admits that that doesn’t excuse what he did. The chapter wasn’t enough to make me sour on the book overall, but it was a big mood change from what came before.

801 Media does a really nice job with the translation here. The dialogue reads really well and the sound effects are translated but left untouched. I was really impressed with how they managed to translate every sound effect (and there are a lot of them) without overloading the pages with text. There’re also the author’s notes at the back, which show some of the behind-the-scenes drama between the manga-ka’s pets cats. The book includes a very special extra: a four-panel comic written by Kuriousity’s very own Lissa Pattillo.

Dog x Cat is a pretty fun yaoi that earns it’s 18+ rating. If you’re looking for a nicely drawn yaoi manga with lots of smut – when was the last time you read a manga that used speed lines in a sex scene? – then you’re likely a Cat x Dog person.

Review written March 3, 2010 by Shannon Fay
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

It may not be a season known for its manga title announcements, but Digital Manga has ensured that boys’ love fans got themselves a holiday treat by announcing yesterday their official acquistion of Mika Sadamoto’s Under Ground Grand Hotel.

Undergrand Hotel has for years been one of the most talked about, downloaded, shared and safe-to-say drooled over boys’ love stories on the internet. With Digital Manga’s widely published press release yesterday, it didn’t take long for fans to take notice with much enthusiasm – some surprised, others expectant and almost all very pleased. It’s also being cheered as a manga that feels like it truely fits in 801Media‘s self-proclaimed catelouge of more hardcore titles when many of their recent releases haven’t felt much different from the selections published under the June imprint.

Often compared to HBO’s Oz , Under Grand Hotel takes place in a prison housing the dangerous, crazed and convicted. Society may be safe from these men but they’re certainly not safe from eachother – it’s a dark story of bargains, loyalty, betrayal, violence and sex all behind the last bars these characters will likely ever see. The lead characters are Sen and Swordfish, both of whom are featured on the new edition covers. Specifics of the plot are best read from the books themselves but in all fair warning, this is not a book for the faint of heart. Rape and psychological attacks are practically currency in this undeniably shady story that’s compelling in the way only a guilty pleasure can be.

Interestingly the series will be released in the combined-volume form as it was last released in Japan. Called a bunko edition (short for bunkobon), the two volumes are a combination of the original three, bringing the page count of each to around 320. What will be most notable however is the smaller trim size. While 801Media books are published at about 5 x 8, Under Grand Hotel will be around 4 x 6. I made a rough ratio comparison that you can see.

Edit: In response to questions regarding the smaller trim size, Digital Manga responded via their Twitter account with the following:

“We licensed a deluxe bunko edition of UGH-so we’re preserving the licensed size. This isn’t a new size direction for 801. It’s only for UGH.”

Still, while it would’ve been great to have Under Grand Hotel in the same large trim size that fans were treated to with the artist’s Pathos series (as published under June), there’s still little complaint to be had when a series long anticipated but always questioned has finally found its home in the hands of an English manga publisher. I’d certainly be lying if I said I’m not looking forward to it and joining those thrilled at the sudden – but wholely welcome – announcement. Congrats, Digital Manga!

For those who missed the initial press release, you can be read it in its entirety here (and if you’d like to send your thanks, thoughts and/or excitement to Digital Manga, head over to their blog post to leave a comment).

Gardena, CA (December 7, 2009)

In a new first, 801 Media will preserve the special trim size of this title (4 1/8″ x 5 7/8″), and it will hold a special price of $24.95 for each volume for their large volume count (over 320 pages for each book!)

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UNDER GRAND HOTEL VOL. 1, Rated M+ (for ages 18+), MSRP: $24.95, Available: June 2010, 4 1/8″x 5 7/8″, Over 300 pages!, 801 Media

After killing the husband of his lover, Sen is sent to a prison nicknamed the “Under Grand Hotel”, which houses some of the most violent and corrupt offenders. Good-looking and rather soft for prison, Sen is forced to seek protection from Swordfish, the proclaimed leader of the prison. But when their relationship turns from one of convenience to one that may be more involved, can they protect each other in a place where the law has no bearing? Mika Sadahiro’s (Pathos) controversial and fan-favorite title is finally available for the first time in print in English!

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About Digital Manga Publishing

Located in Gardena, CA, Digital Manga Publishing is one of the industry’s most unconventional and innovative companies, specializing in building corporate and cultural bridges from Japan to the Western Hemisphere – specifically through the licensing, importation and preparation of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comic books) and related merchandise for the North American mainstream and subculture markets. In this capacity, DMI serves as a catalyst for the expansion of Japanese pop culture institutions into global arenas. The company’s imprint line includes DMP: its mainstream imprint, DMP PLATINUM: its classic manga imprint, JUNE´: its boys love imprint, 801 MEDIA: its adult boys love imprint, and DokiDoki: its exclusive co-publishing imprint with Shinshokan Publishing.

For more information about Digital Manga Publishing, visit www.digitalmanga.com

Manga-ka: Rie Honjoh
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: May 2006

Synopsis: “Aoto’s life has been filled with tragedy. First he loses his parents, and then his older sister dies. Now he lives with his brother-in-law, Takashi, whom he’s in love with. But he’s too scared to admit his feelings! To make matters more complicated, Takashi’s friend Masayuki is in love with Aoto. Will Aoto decide his heart actually belongs with Masayuki, or will he stick with Takashi?”

Tended for by his older sister after losing his parents, Aoto is left without a family after he loses his sister as well. With Aoto’s sister having recently married, her widowed husband Takashi takes Aoto in and the two live together as they tend to their grief. But as a one-sided love begins to form, a friend of Takashi’s appears with his own attentions on Aoto… and thus you have Love Skit: a one-shot graced with a pleasant art style and quirky side characters but irrefutably marred by the leading plot that ties them together.

The relationship, using the term lightly, between Aoto and Masayuki, the friend of Takashi who suddenly muscles his way into their lives, feels superficial and a little skeevy at best – the age difference (within which Aota is still in highschool) doesn’t try to excuse itself nor does it offer readers enough substance to feel justifiable under the usual boys’ love criteria of love conquers all. Masayuki witnessed Aoto looking sad at his sister’s funeral and became enamoured with the idea of caring for the boy. From the point that he then meets Aoto in-person to the end of the story, it’s merely a matter of him wearing Aoto down until he’s finally able to get the young man into bed.

In context of the story there’s a little more bulk to the feelings between Aoto and his brother-in-law, Takashi, as two people who’ve lived together and suffered through similar grief. Masayuki implants some improper thoughts regarding Aoto in Takashi’s head but thankfully, for the avoidance of improper use of older-brother role, they take only enough root to provide some brief entertainment at the expense of his shame.

It’s a pity that the story itself offers little more than a seedy representation of a common boys’ love plot because the art would be a pleasing addition to a more enjoyable story. It’s not the first time Rie Honjoh’s artwork has tried to polish a flop of a plot, including the previously released anthology Invisible Love by June. Her characters are subtly expressive and well proportioned with rounded but masculine features. It’s an attractive art style at both first and second glances, and despite trepidations regarding past lessons learned regarding the accompanying stories, it will likely keep catching a reader’s eye each time they see it.

While the character designs themselves don’t offer anything memorable, there is notable exception in regards to Aoto’s good friend, Akira. He proves not only a visual oddity with his blond pompadour but also with his weirdly whimsical personality that makes him both unexpected and even a bit cute, despite his habit of getting into unwanted fights and carrying around a baseball bat in preparation. Naturally, falling in line with most boys’ love stories, his side-plot involving a man out to earn his affections proves much more compelling than that of Aoto and Masayuki. Akira also brings a much appreciated level of humour to the book.

Though 801Media’s production values refine the book with solid handling, attractive graphic design packaging and a nice full colour insert, it still only sugar coats a story that manages little merit for standing up on its own. Even those who don’t find themselves at odds with the dodgy nature of Masayuki and Aoto’s affair could still undoubtedly fall victim to the issue that the book is just rather dull as a whole – an easily forgettable one-shot whose memorable virtues lie almost entirely on a more likable pair of characters cast to the background.

Review written November 29, 2009 by Lissa Pattillo
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Takashi Kanazaki
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: November 2008

Synopsis: “High school student Hisashi has admired top model Tomohito for years. His only goal in modeling is to get a contract at the same agency. By sheer coincidence, the two happen to be at the same shooting location. Looking to put some fear into his rising competition, Tomohito snares Hisashi into a passionate kiss claiming “I just wanted to wipe that prim look off your face!” But even the best laid plans are bound to have complications. Instead of running off the competition, he may have just gotten himself a suitor!”

I previously reviewed another manga by Takashi Kanazaki called His Arrogance. Both books share a cast of characters but focus on different relationships. In Falling Into Love, we meet Hisashi as a high school student who’s just breaking into the modeling world. When top model Tomohito takes an interest in the younger model, it sparks a rivalry that quickly becomes something more.

Hisashi only had a small part in Kanzaki’s other manga, so it was interesting to see what he was like when he was younger and a little less sure of himself. It’s also fun to return to Kanzaki’s world of beautiful men and fashion.

I enjoyed watching Hisashi and Tomohito grow closer, especially when Tomohito’s little brother Ryou gets thrown into the mix. As shown in His Arrogance, Ryou has a bit of a brother complex, but in this volume it’s shown that Tomohito does as well as he practically worships the ground Ryou walks on. Hisashi quickly becomes frustrated when he finds himself competing with Ryou for Tomohito’s affections.

Though I liked the story, I was a little disappointed with how it ends. It’s not that anything bad happens, it’s just the story stops at a place where Hisashi isn’t 100 per cent satisfied with how things are between him and Tomohito, and I was left feeling the same way.

I was also kind of disappointed that Hisashi’s story only takes up a third of the book. The rest of the volume is filled with short stories. Not that I have anything against short stories, but I was looking forward to reading more about Kanzaki’s crew of male models. Also, the stories vary widely in quality.

After ‘Falling Into Love’ comes ‘Prepare Yourself’, a shot story that follows two young men who work at a detective agency. The two have a relationship, but it’s one that’s based purely on sex. When they are assigned to work on a case that involves a girl who has shut herself up in her room, it brings back bad memories for Katsuki, one of the boys. Can his partner Nakaba help him overcome his past in time to solve the case?

There are some interesting ideas in this short story, but everything comes to fast for it to make any kind of impact. If the story had more room to breathe the characters might come off as a little bit more believable, but within the tight space of this story they just seem to change gears way too quickly.

The next story (‘I Want to Be with You’) is probably my favourite in the book. It involves a love triangle between a boy, his dad, and the son’s uncle (aka the dad’s brother-in-law) with both father and son competing for the uncle’s affection. What I liked best about this story is that it didn’t take itself too seriously and managed to fit in some jokes between the sex scenes.

The last story in the book is called ‘Love’s Recommendation.’ Atsumu and Kayama are study buddies, but Atsumu wants to be more. Kayama does too, but is too afraid to come clean with his feelings. Eventually, Atsumu decides to make the first move. Personally, I find any story that features forced sex, but ends with a love confession, unbelievable (I’m also bored of the “I only did it to make you hate me because I love you” excuse). Enjoying the story will partly depend on how far you are willing to stretch your disbelief.

One consistent thing through all of the stories was Kanzaki’s smooth and stylish art style. Kanzaki is good at creating different character designs, which is especially important in a short story collection. She also draws attractive backgrounds, another important feature in a short story anthology since each story takes place is distinctive settings. Even when the writing wasn’t the best, the art was always top-notch.

As a collection of short stories, Falling Into Love was hit-or-miss for me. I would be quicker to recommend His Arrogance since I found it to be a more complete and satisfactory yaoi manga. However, if you’ve already read that and want a peek into the lives of Hisashi and Tomohito, then Falling Into Love is worth checking out.

Review written July 11, 2009 by Shannon Fay
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Fresh back from this past weekend’s Anime Expo, the 801Media blog has been updated with information regarding Digital Manga’s upcoming omnibus edition of Yellow and the semi-mysterious listing of Yellow 2 that popped up on Amazon sometime ago.

I recieved a few e-mails from people asking if I could clarify my own hypothesis regarding the listing, and though I couldn’t offer anything info-wise before, now 801Media has confirmed my suspicions were correct. Yellow 2 will in fact be a sequel series to Makoto Tateno’s Yellow, a set of short stories that have thus far only been released in Japan on cellphones.

“These are called Yellow 2: Episode 1. It’s a sequel to the Yellow series. These have never been published before, but they have been distributed only in Japan via cell phones and hand-held portable devices. DMP is extremely lucky to be able to license these series! Yes, there are many more to come, of course. Episode 2, 3, 4 … etc etc These will be hitting the US market as a short-comic style, containing approximately 60 pages or so. It’s a classic Makoto Tateno!”

These are “tentatively slated for October 2009″ and there will be limited copies available at Yaoi Con 2009.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty excited to have something released here so fresh and first-to-print. Even more so excited that it looks like we’ll be seeing it long before another semi-similar project that’s been leaving us fans waiting a long time. Fingers crossed for more projects like this from Digital Manga in the future. Don’t let their efforts be for naught, boys’ love fans :)

Edit: To clarify, it was the 801Media website that confirmed the releases but they’ll both be printed under the June imprint, just as the original Yellow series was.

Manga-ka: Mio Tennohji
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: January 2009

Synopsis: “Morino is the new arrival at an all-boys university prep school, who finds himself rooming with over-achieving honors student, Kusama. Apparently, Kusama keeps a secret that has him sneaking out late at night, barely returning in time for morning roll call. Morino becomes convinced it has to do with Kusama’s feelings for their teacher, Kanzaki-sensei. Are the two carrying on an illicit affair under the cover of darkness? To make matters worse, Morino finds his own fascination for his new roommate growing day by day. A simple kiss leads to more, and soon, exactly what Kusama is doing when he should be sleeping turns into Morino’s obsession.”

For Morino it’s pretty much love at first sight when he sees his new roommate, Kusama. But things aren’t so straightforward for Kusama. He has a one-sided crush on their teacher, and sneaks out every night for meaningless sex. When Morino finds out about Kusama’s nocturnal activities, he convinces Kusama to stay in the dorm and use him instead of strangers. Morino knows that for Kusama their relationship is just based on sex, but he holds out hope that one day Kusama will come to love him in return.

This manga is more light-hearted than it sounds, and it’s not long before Kusama comes to return Morino’s feelings. After that they must deal with family issues, including the love life of Riichi, Kusama’s twin brother. Riichi has had a thing for their young uncle since he was a child, but now that uncle has agreed to a marriage interview with a woman. Can Morino and Kusama help sort things out, or will they just cause a bigger rift in the family?

I’m a sucker for semes with glasses, so Kusama has that going for him. There’s not too much more to him besides that though. His character seemed to change every chapter depending on what the story needed him to be: slutty tease, aggressive lover, sensitive boyfriend, caring brother. It’d be one thing if all these different elements were incorporated into his character, but instead it comes off as inconsistent.

Morino has a bit more of a personality. Unfortunately he’s kind of annoying in the early chapters. Morino’s utter devotion to Kusama seemed a bit much in the beginning, and his martyr-like attitude ticked me off. Once he and Kusama settle into an actual relationship he becomes a little more rounded and a little less annoying.

I thought Riichi and Seiji (Riichi and Kusama’s uncle) had the more interesting storyline. Riichi has been living with Seiji ever since his parent’s died, but he was in love with his uncle even before that. Seiji feels like he has to push his nephew away, even though he has also developed feelings for him. Incest doesn’t really bother me in yaoi manga, but if it’s not your thing then be aware that it is a sub-plot in this book. Personally I found that it added a needed bit of drama to the book.

Mio Tennohji’s characters are all very tall and long-limbed. Even their faces are long. Sometimes the sheer length of the character designs can be distracting, but for the most part the characters are really cute. The manga-ka also does a really good job with tones. The backgrounds aren’t overly detailed, but thanks to the use of tones I could always tell if the characters were inside or outside or if it were night or day.

This is around the third book I’ve read from 801 Media, and I’ve been impressed with the quality they produce. The book comes with a colour page, brief editor notes, and the lettering for both the dialogue and the sound effects are well done.

Don’t Rush Love is worth checking out if you like high school romances (and like a seme with glasses).

Review written June 22, 2009 by Shannon Fay
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Ruri Fujikawa
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: June 2009

Synopsis: “Hibiki serves as the personal bodyguard of Wu Xiong Wang – an outgoing entrepreneur, whose influential Hong Kong family has conducted business in Japan for many years. Having grown up together as children, the two have a bond that goes beyond the trappings of master and servant. Hibiki has dedicated his life to keeping Wu Xiong safe, and remains vigilant against any threat a man in his position might face. When it appears Wu Xiong is to be named the new head of his family’s corporation, the danger becomes even more evident as rivals conspire against him. Will the rise in alert cause Hibiki to see the truth behind his employer’s playful advances? Or does the responsibility he feels for Wu Xiong’s safety outweigh his own personal happiness?”

A collection of multiple stories, Ruri Fujikawa puts together an assortment of stereotypical short chapters that follow a number of different couples. Inevitably the stories are built solely around getting the two couples to sleep together and the sex scenes prove the literal climax of each portion. Sadly it feels evident that the artist hopes these scenes, and the shallow self-indulgent romances before them, will serve as compensation for the lacking substance of both plot and character.

The initial story, and the book’s namesake, proved to have the most in the way of plot. Hibiki is bodyguard to Wu Xiong Wang, a childhood friend and heir to a powerful proverbial throne. The story plays on the irony that the bodyguard quickly becomes the guarded. While it offers up the most dramatic moment in the book, it was so predictably executed that it was hard to find compelling, especially with so little development of the characters before hand. Is it too much to ask for a little character depth? Though I realize this quick-to-do format is an expected treat for many yaoi fans, it seems I’ve long outgrown this kind of formulated pandering.

Following the first story are several others, slightly shorter and equally unfulfilling stories, all of which deal with characters of different status in their careers. This includes a doctor and student, head chef and cook and a manager and the model he represents. Of them all, I did enjoy one that starred a college student and his professor. The rugged gruffness of the teacher in combination with the enthusiastic younger man worked amusingly well in contrast to one another. Unfortunately even this story wasn’t safe from overuse of the book’s noticeably overused plot directions. Fevers, runaway ‘grooms’ and held off confessions serve to make each story feel like a retelling simply adorned with a different coat of paint.

Ruro Fujikawa’s art style is the book’s strongest feature. Characters are rendered with masculine features and expressive faces, full of men adorned in enough lab coats, suits and chef jackets to keep most uniform lovers appeased. The cover really caught my eye the moment I saw it with lush, contrasting colours that really make it pop. Steamy sex scenes littered across each story will also be undoubtedly well received by those who seek 801Media’s catalogue of books for just such a thing.

Still, a book weak on plot, and even weaker on character, leaves On Bended Knee dangling from a thread, a thread that will snap in the hands of any but the most forgiving of readers. The art style is the only real saving grace but its effectiveness is dependant purely on personal preference. This collection of one-shot stories might appeal to newcomers of the genre, readers who’ve yet to tire of the same old boys’ love affairs, but to those seeking anything unique or in-depth, you certainly won’t find it here. An easily forgettable read, On Bended Knee is just as well avoided altogether.

Review written June 25, 2009 by Lissa Pattillo
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Takashi Kanzaki
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Release Date: December 2008

Synopsis: “Ryou is helping out at his father’s modeling agency. But, his classmate and rising rookie model at the agency, Kazuto, is openly antagonistic to Ryou’s older brother, a very charismatic model. Kazuto finally corners Ryou and demands that he looks at him only! After a passionate kiss, he promises that crossing him will incur punishment! Kazuto may be an arrogant boy who does nothing but give orders, but Ryou is undone by his forceful and dominating approach!”

His Arrogance is the story of Ryou, a cute teenage boy who helps handle the affairs of his father’s modeling agency. Naturally, this brings him into contact with a lot of handsome young men, including the ambitious new model Kazuto. Kazuto goes after everything he wants with a disarming arrogance, whether it’s a modeling job or Ryou’s affections. But before Kazuto can have Ryou all to himself he has to deal with Ryou’s hero-worship of his older brother, top model Tomohito.

The book starts off similar to a lot of romantic comedies. Ryou can’t stand how arrogant and blunt Kazuto is, and the two end up fighting. What changes is Ryou starts to realize that he actually likes Kazuto’s arrogance. Ryou has just enough of a masochistic streak to be believable, and he and the aggressive Kazuto make a cute, bickering couple.

The story also throws Ryou’s brother-complex into the mix. When Ryou’s big brother Tomohito comes home, he’s jealous that someone’s stolen his little brother’s attention away from him and decides to try and do something about it.

Modeling and yaoi are a perfect match, as it gives the characters lots of excuses to strike sexy poses while wearing very little clothes. The art itself is a lot like Kazuto: confident and sexy. Some manga-ka seem to treat drawing backgrounds like it’s a chore, but here Takashi Kanzaki does a nice job of putting the characters in pretty, detailed settings.

His Arrogance took a few chapters to really hook me, but once it did I really enjoyed this cute love story.

Review written June 15, 2009 by Shannon Fay
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Kaori Monchi
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: March 2009

Synopsis: “A present needs a running mate – and just like that, Kokusai appoints Chiga to be his vice-president! How did a slowpoke upperclassman like Kokusai win an election, anyway?! Sure he does seem to have an almost uncanny ability to attract stalkers, peeping toms and other degenerates, but Kokusai’s so helpless he can barely take care of himself, let alone a student body. It quickly becomes clear that Chiga’s major vice-president duty will be to keep Kokusai out of harm’s way, but is he up to the task? Furthermore, will all the time they have to spend together in student government cause Chiga himself to fall under Kokusai’s spell?”

Kokusai, soft-spoken and hardworking, is student-council president and he chooses the more stoic, keep-to-himself, Chiga as his vice-president. Far from only having their schoolwork to worry about however, Chiga and Kokusai must first overcome the irresistible allure of Kokusai to gropers on the train, perverts and stalkers.

While the first chapter did a good job introducing the characters, I found the story told from Chiga’s perspective to be pretty dull, which is how the introductory chapter goes along. He worries about Kokusai a lot, though with apparent good reason considering how Kokusai allows anyone to do whatever they wish with him, but the wishy-washy ‘do I, don’t I, attitude got on my nerves. Thankfully this opening part of the book doesn’t last long and swiftly the story swerves to follow Kokusai.

Suffice to say, Chiga and Kokusai quickly develop some awkward tension between them and the thoughts weigh heavily on Kokusai’s mind. Why is Chiga suddenly so close and protective? How does he feel? Was a kiss just a kiss?! So forth, and so forth. This makes up the majority of the book with each relationship-related step taken is another ten pages of questioning it. Fortunately Kokusai is oddly charming in his insecurities, and while sometimes they drag on to long, they were still pretty entertaining thanks to his little freak-out moments.

The book flows pretty smoothly from the point that Kokusai’s perspective takes over, but occasionally Chiga-dominated flashbacks still pop in to put a damper on the plot’s fluidity. This coupled with Chiga’s pretty blah attitude make him my biggest complaint about the book. There’s also next to no real sense of depth to either of the characters but it seems a sacrifice the manga-ka was more than willing to make in order to fill each and every page with stunned stares and beating hearts.

Kaori Monchi’s artwork wasn’t one of the book’s winning features either but it is one that grew on me over time. The characters are rather lankily proportioned and the whole thing has a very light, sketchy feel to it. The faces however were what turned me off the visuals with oddly placed, flat noses and vacant eyes. Characters were rendered much better the more expressive they were, thanks to exaggerated features and cover-up blush lines, and because of this I found the more vibrant Kokusai to look a lot better in the style than the flat, Chiga.

Sex-wise, Hey, Class President! Earns its mature rating with some steamy sex scenes that still remain light on the graphic nudity. The artist goes for the more erotic approach with how-good-it-feels inner-thoughts, embarrassing one-sided banter and a drawn out pace that makes for an effectively sensuous mood.

On the publisher side of things, 801Media’s presentation of the work gets well-deserved thumbs up from me with a sturdy stiff-paper cover and full-colour first page. The translation was smoothly written and the lettering nicely placed. My only complaint with Digital Manga (the company for which 801Media is an imprint of) would be the synopsis provided on their website for the book, different than the synopsis on the book which is the one I used above, because it makes me question if I even read the same book that they did.

Come the end of this first volume, I found I had generally enjoyed it though I wouldn’t call it especially memorable. It has a pretty low-key feeling that’s low on events and high on the blushing-nervousness, but there’s enough here that I can see how it’d be people’s cup of tea. If you don’t mind sacrificing character depth for a lot of emotional mush, then you’ll probably enjoy this surprisingly impassioned boys’ love story.

Review written April 14, 2009 by Lissa Pattillo
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

Manga-ka: Yuki Shimizu
Publisher: 801Media
Rating: Mature (18+)
Released: February 2009

Synopsis: “Left destitute and alone after the death of his beloved grandmother, Raizou Shichikawa accepts an offer to live at the palatial Mitou home in return for his services as housekeeper – but there’s something very strange about the Mitou family. Odd pairings exist within these walls, and the occupants’ behaviour seems beyond Raizou’s understanding. Raizou does take a liking to his ill-mannered roommate, Kon, however, and his interest leads him to discover the truth: the people he works for aren’t exactly human!”

As a fan of Yuki Shimizu’s Love Mode (recently released by BLU), I was excited to hear news that 801Media had licensed another of her series. Eager for more of the character-driven drama that I’d enjoyed in her work previously, Ze naturally become a book high on my list of to-reads. Not only does Ze showcase Yuki Shimizu taking another go at a story hefty with characters, but she also takes a slightly different turn with the addition of supernatural elements.

The majority of this first volume follows Raijou, a young man who has recently lost his last remaining family-member, his loving Grandmother. Now homeless and alone, he is taken in as a housekeeper for the Maitou home to be at the service of those who live there. Though honest, hard working and adaptable to change, Raijou isn’t prepared for what he learns which is that there’s much more to this interesting assortment of characters than some lacking physical boundaries between one another.

Unfortunately I found this first installment a little hard to take in the first go. Not only do you have a lot of different characters tossed in at once but there’s also little to no time to get to know any of them individually, making it difficult to tell them apart at first. Readers must also figure out the dynamics of their relation to one another and make sense of the basic plot premise.

Simply put, there are spell-casters called Kotodama, who in this family are able to spread curses to others, often for clients who request it. Partnered with each Kotodama is a Kami, a being that though having a human form, is actually a paper-doll with fast healing abilities who takes on the injuries of their Kotodama when they make contact through mucus membranes. With several mucus membranes on the human body, it should pose no surprise to readers how this physical interaction can be, and has been, easily played upon. The relationship between a Kotodama and their Kami are naturally very close, and on top that, by ruling, must be a same-sex couple to avoid ‘complications’. The series already has several pairs, including both males and females.

It wasn’t until a little past midway into the book that I understood the nature of the Kotodama and Kami, whose explanation seemed shaky at best in the beginning before being more clearly laid out in practice later on. A young man in the household, Kon, is a Kami without a Kotodama and because of this he is used to heal and serve many people in order to find use for himself. The new housekeeper, Raizou, feels sympathy for the Kami with so little self-worth and immediately takes to him. But, never one to throw new relationships together too quickly, Yuki Shimizu keeps Raizou and Kon platonic in this volume, with Raizou more than a little awkward at the mere thought of sharing a bed with his new roommate, making for some cute scenes.

801Media’s release work is generally up to par with their other releases, continuing a pleasant trend of no dust jackets that leaves the book neatly contained and easy to read. The cover is printed on shiny, stiff paper and the opening page is a nice full colour illustration. I did however find myself tripping over a few sections of the dialogue that seemed needlessly stiff and some out-of-bubble text placement felt awkwardly placed, such as disjointed distance-wise from connected speech or needlessly overtop artwork (though this could just as likely be a matter of the source material).

Overall I found volume one of Ze to have enough charm that I’m willing to give volume two an eager go, largely due to the earnest and endearing nature of Raizou. Sadly, however, the handling of such a briskly introduced, and large, cast of characters made this beginning a fairly bumpy reading experience with a lot readers are expected to grasp at once, and yet, my adoration of Love Mode leaves Yuki Shimizu with a head start in regards to my faith that this series can only get stronger. I hope that my faith is rewarded with future installments spreading out the cast and allowing for some more individual attention and development. At least the plot is fairly simple, once you grasp it, and it sets the stage for what could easily become a fun and entertaining supernatural boys’ love story.

Review written March 19, 2009 by Lissa Pattillo
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

A few things of note today while I attempt to finish one of the way-to-many partially finished reviews sitting on my desktop :)

 Amazon.ca has a listing for Kambayashi Chohei’s science fiction light novel, Yukikaze. As there’s no artist listed, I’m making the assumption it’s the light novel and not a manga (not sure if one exists?). New news, old news, either way it’s good news for fans like me! I absolutely loved the anime and have awaited the day I’d get a chance to read the original novel. According to Amazon, that day will be January 19, 2010.

 Freelance manga adapter, Ysabet, has a LiveJournal post with a credits correction pertaining to the upcoming volume two of Shinobi Life. Contrary to the book, adaptation credit goes to her while the translation was done by Lori Riser. Also, Ysabet lives in the same city as me so how cool is that? Pretty darn cool because Halifax is awesome like that.

 Speaking of LiveJournal, Digital Manga has taken to the community site with two accounts for its imprints: one for June Manga and another for 801Media. They also have another account, june_manga_chat, where they invite questions and discussion pertaining to their titles, while the other two accounts seem primarily for newsletter and preview-type posts. (Source: The Yaoi Review)

 And speaking of Digital Manga, their imprint 801Media has recently announced the winners of their 801-chan Contest. Entrants were invited to script short 4-panel strips as seen in the back of their books starring the imprints mascot characters. Six winners were chosen (including myself, yay!) and they’ll all have their scripts drawn into the full-colour strips by the original artist and the strips will then be published in future releases. Congrats to all the winners!