Month: July 2025

My Instructor Won’t Yield by Deme Kingyobachi

My Instructor Won’t Yield by Deme Kingyobachi

by Lys ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

EN Title: My Instructor Won’t Yield
JP Title:  ๅƒ่‘‰ๆ•™ๅฎ˜ใฏใชใณใ‹ใชใ„
Romaji: Chiba-kyoukan wa Nabikanai
Author/Artist: Deme Kingyobachi
Publisher: Kodansha
Publisher Rating: 16+
Status: Ongoing (in Japan)*

Synopsis
Thirty-year-old Chiba is a handsome driving instructor, whose looks and kind words capture the attention of all the students. His new student is Yaotome, a handsome man his age. Upon meeting Chiba, Yaotome calls him “Maki” and turns out to be the total opposite of Chiba’s expectations. The two gradually get to know each other after meeting again outside the school. Chiba eventually learns Yaotome is an otaku and manga artist. But an off-handed comment from another student leads Chiba to learn “Maki” is Yaotome’s character based on him! Having been betrayed once in the past, Chiba confronts Yaotome. But he still winds up on a Hokkaido trip with Yaotome, who confesses he fell in love with Chiba two years ago. Yaotome once worked at the convenience store Chiba regularly visits. In the end, Chiba sorts out his past and begins dating Yaotome, who earned his license.

Review
I originally heard of the title last fall when Kodansha announced new licenses. I would have never guessed there would be a BL centered around driving school! And back in April, My Instructor Won’t Yield was runner-up in the BL Sommelier Recommendation Category for the Chill Chill BL Awards! So, when I saw it available on NetGalley, I immediately read it. The story has a familiar premise of one character, Chiba in this case, having a heartbreak that makes him distrustful of new love. I was delighted throughout the story, especially because of the contrast in Yaotome’s personality and looks. (I am very weak to gap moe.) His clumsy attempts to be put together and failure to hide his feelings makes him an endearing love interest. I particularly loved his introduction, where he initially has an aura of a shojo manga hero. But when Chiba enters the car with him it all vanishes, with Yaotome trembling behind the wheel instead.

Deme Kingyobachi times the story beats of the different comedic moments really well throughout the story. While there was some emotional whiplash before chapter three’s Hokkaido trip, the story is overall very light and sweet. Being a single volume story, the story progression is rather quick, and I wish there were more! I truly enjoyed the spin of the driving school setting, and the artwork added extra charm. I especially loved the way Deme Kingyobachi drew all of Yaotome and Chiba’s blushing faces and silly expressions. The confessions from both characters were also very sweet moments in the story, especially Chiba’s.

After reading, I can see why the BL Sommeliers enjoyed this story! Though the storyline is familiar, it’s unique setting and fun characters make it stand out. As a last note, I liked the translation notes on Japanese driving schools at the end, which was a neat culture note. Thanks again to Kodansha and NetGalley for the DRC! My Instructor Won’t Yield releases on August 19.

Here’s a little illustration from Deme Kingyobachi celebrating the BL Awards Sommelier results!

* The story is described as a “one-shot” (though I think “single volume” is the more appropriate term) by Kodansha USA, but in Japan the comic release is labeled asๅƒ่‘‰ๆ•™ๅฎ˜ใฏใชใณใ‹ใชใ„ 1. So I’m not sure what exactly the status is?

From Screen to Paper: Digital BL Manga Now in Print!

From Screen to Paper: Digital BL Manga Now in Print!

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As an American manga reader, I can say with confidence that many others here in the US love and prefer print manga. With the majority of digital purchases of media only granting a license rather than ownership, there are a few concerns. Access to digital media can be easily revoked from platforms when a license expires, and platforms themselves can disappear. Manga and comics in general have been no exception to this.

But even with BL’s popularity, it would be impossible to license and print all the titles out there! There are some digital-only titles have been licensed for print release by American publishers. But some digital publishers have also joined in print publishing! Today, I will introduce two different Japan-based manga publishers who have a handful of titles now in print. I briefly mentioned them in my post Who is Publishing BL in English? but am excited to talk about them a little more.

First off is Animate International (not to be confused with the online store with the same name). The company is a part of the Animate Group and primarily works in importing overseas goods and film distribution. But in 2021, they began to publish titles digitally in English with their first announcements being Kabukicho Bad Trip and Lala’s Married Life. They partner with a few different publishers, especially those within the Animate Group, such as libre and Frontier Works. Their digital titles are available across multiple Japan-based and US-based platforms, giving readers flexibility to choose. While they have no official website, their linktree lists all their available titles. They have a great selection of titles, and I highly recommend checking their works out! Some of my favorite digital titles from them include Breathless Momentum by Zeniko Sumiya, Dear My Killer Tune by Iyada, and Kimi no Sumire: Your Spring Flower by Arashi Arima.

At Anime Expo 2023, they announced their first print release. Since then, they have released 6 titles in print, with their most recent being the first volume of the popular Tashiro-kun, Why’re You Like This? For multi-volume titles, so far only the first volumes have been released at this time. Animate International’s titles are primarily available to purchase through Animate’s international and US stores, Kinokuniya USA, the Crunchyroll Store, and Amazon. Outside the US, some of their titles are available in Canada through the shop The Beguiling.

Here are their list of titles available in print:
โ™ก Living with Him by Toworu Miyata
โ™ก Mask Danshi: This Shouldn’t Lead to Love Vol. 1 by Mitsuru Sangou
โ™ก Love and the Highly Sensitive Person by Chimi Sarukawa
โ™ก Countdown to Yes by Roji
โ™ก Kabukicho Bad Trip Vol. 1 by Eiji Nagisa
โ™ก Tashiro-kun, Why’re You Like This? Vol 1. by Yamada

Next is Manga Planet/Futekiya, a digital publisher and platform owned by FANTASISTA. Futekiya is the BL branch of Manga Planet, which used to be a separate site and subscription until it merged with Manga Planet’s main site in 2023. Now it has both a subscription plan (Manga Planet Pass) and points to purchase works. Some titles are available in full through the subscription, while others are point purchase only. Some are available through both the subscription (either in full or in part) and point purchase.

I’ve personally really enjoyed the selection of Futekiya titles on Manga Planet since I heard about it last year. It’s a service I recommend for new BL fans, as the Pass gives access to a great amount of titles at an affordable rate. Midnight Bookstore by Tacocasi, the Pornographer (along with its prequel and sequel) by Maki Marukido, Perfect Propose by Mayo Tsurukame, and City Lights Birthday by Chika Hongo (available in print!) are some titles I’ve enjoyed. While most of the Futekiya titles available with the Pass are from 2023 and earlier, there have been some additions in the last year and a half, such as Color Collection by Tomo Serizawa. I’ve only used the current Manga Planet site, but I’ve heard great things about the old Futekiya one. I even heard there was a blog with some author interviews and posts on BL information, which I would have loved to see!

In 2023, Manga Planet announced they would begin printing some titles. Since then, they have released 14 titles in print, all but 1 being Futekiya titles. While some of the Manga Planet/Futekiya titles are currently exclusively available to purchase from Kinokuniya USA, they have been expanding distribution to other stores, including international ones. Their list of printed books is available here, along with a form for booksellers interested in carrying their books and a form for print requests.

As I mentioned on Twitter (X), I feel like they are not as well-known outside those who are already fans of BL, so I wanted to highlight them in this post today! Both publishers had their books available at Anime Expo this past weekend and have attended the convention in past years, so happy to see they have a presence there. I look forward to seeing what new titles they will bring digitally and to print. I also hope to see them have greater distribution for their print books. I know I’m fortunate to live in the US and have a local Kinokuniya, but I feel for international fans who wish to support them but cannot as easily.

And since they aren’t distributed in the same way as larger publishers, I’m not sure how libraries can acquire some of these books! Regardless, I filled a patron purchase request form and we’ll see if it goes through in the coming weeks. I also wonder what the feasibility is to have their digital works on platforms such as Hoopla or Libby (though this is more for Animate International rather than Manga Planet, since those titles are mainly locked to the platform.)

Regardless, I’m glad these publishers took the chance to print their titles and wish for their continued success! I own a few books from both publishers and am waiting for some to come in as I write this. (I plan to write about some of these in the future too!)

Thanks for reading, I hope this was informative. If you’re a BL fan and haven’t checked out the publishers yet, I definitely recommend it. Both have a range of sweet to spicy works so there’s something for everyone.

See you next time!

A Quick Introduction to Chill Chill and the BL Awards

A Quick Introduction to Chill Chill and the BL Awards

by Lys ♥ 1 Comment

In a few of my posts, I mentioned some titles have ranked in the 2025 Chill Chill BL Awards. So today I’ll finally talk about them!

In short, Chill Chill is a database and community site dedicated to BL. (Please note the site is all in Japanese.) Users can browse recent releases, rate and review them, discover titles through extensive filters, read author and artist interviews, log your bookshelf, and more! Users can also choose their favorite authors, artists, and works. This information in turn can be used to find recommendations through their BL Sommelier service, which does utilize some type of AI. Chill Chill also has several social media accounts outside their main site.

Please Note: Chill Chill has non-explicit mature content on the site.

The top of Chill Chill’s front page.

On their front page, they list the top 10 rated works over the last 10 days, with options to change the time range. This ranking is determined by how many ratings the work has received in that time. While there’s a primary focus on commercial BL manga, Chill Chill’s extensive database also includes novels, drama CDs, and doujin/self-published works. It also includes some non-BL works and works translated into Japanese, such as M/M novels like Captive Prince.

Today’s top 10 ranking for manga, and top 5 for novels and drama CDs.
Licensed manga titles include:
โ™ก Our Dining Table: Seconds, Please! (#1) – Seven Seas
โ™ก PUNKS TRIANGLE stitch 1 (#2) – this sequel actually isn’t licensed as of now, but Seven Seas licensed the prequel
โ™ก Kitayama and Minamiya 5 (#5) – Seven Seas
โ™ก My Beautiful Man 5 (#8) – Tokyopop

Now, the BL Awards is an annual event that ranks the top works of the previous year, primarily focusing on manga. This only includes commercial BL works that were released as a volume/tankobon. For 2025, they also have categories for best webtoon, novel, and drama CD. Ratings on Chill Chill determine which works are nominated, and then users vote over the course of about 10 days. The results were then released in April, showing the top 20 for most categories. As long as they have a Chill Chill account, anyone can vote! The page is mostly in Japanese, but there are some parts of the site that have translations available.

The top 3 Best Overall Comics:
๐Ÿฅ‡ Noumi-senpai no Benmei – Not licensed
๐Ÿฅˆ You Should be the One to Come Kiss Me – Renta! (Digital only)
๐Ÿฅ‰ My Noons and Midnights are For You – Tokyopop; Releases Nov 2025

While I mentioned the BL Sommelier service earlier, these people can actually become a Chill Chill certified BL Sommelier through an exam! This exam is in two parts and offered once a year! The exam has a 1.4% pass rate, with only 36 of 2,508 test takers becoming certified BL Sommeliers as of 2024. The next exam takes place in October of this year. Sommeliers work with Chill Chill for a variety of online projects and events, now including the Chill Chill BL Awards! The BL Sommelier Recommendation category was a new category for this year, where Sommeliers nominated and voted on works. As this is not based on general popularity in comparison to the other categories, I hope they continue to have this category in future BL Awards.

Titles licensed in English in this category are:
โ™ก My Instructor Won’t Yield (2nd Place)- Kodansha; Releases Aug 2025
โ™ก Yotsuya Ghost Night – Tokyopop; Releases Oct 2025
โ™ก My Cute Teacher – Renta! (digital only)

While Chill Chill is primarily for Japanese audiences, they have begun to connect with international fans. Their English X (Twitter) account has been growing over the last year. It’ll be interesting to see what they’ll do in the future! Japanese and international audiences in general do have different tastes, but Chill Chill and the BL Awards is still a valuable resource to those who are interested in the Japanese BL world.

To be honest, I would adore an English version of Chill Chill. But with the cost of hosting a database and website and then maintaining, it is rather costly. There was a project called Ouendan Blue that was similar to Chill Chill for English licensed BL but unfortunately ceased updating a few years back. (The site seems unreachable now too.) General English manga and anime databases like anilist and MyAnimeList already exist, so I am unsure of the need. (I personally would love to participate in making one dedicated to BL manga…)

To end this post, I will refer to two more blog posts from Renta!’s BLog for further reading on Chill Chill. Renta! in Japan is a well-known e-book platform, and the English version of Renta! differs a bit from the Japanese site, as it’s not only a platform but a digital-only English publisher as well. And while the Japanese site has all genres, the English site focuses more on romance and BL. The BLog is run by the localization team and a neat resource for information on BL culture within Japan, which I feel is rarely available in English! Note: There may be discussions of mature content on the BLog.

ChillChill BL Awards 2024, and their Importance in the BL Landscape
โ™ก Gives an overview and history of Chill Chill and the BL Awards

We Attended the ChillChill Fujoshi Seminar!
โ™ก Introduces Sandias, Chill Chill’s parent company and their BL market research
โ™ก Discusses Sandias’ seminar that focused on international fans and BL

Last edited: 2025.07.16