Hello! Iโ€™m Lys, a library worker and BL manga fan. I hope this blog is not only helpful for those who are unfamiliar with BL, but existing fans as well!

  • 2025 Recap!

    I finally made a banner and drew an icon for the blog!!

    I can’t believe it’s the end of the year already! I started this blog in April/May but have been only irregularly posting due to work and grad school. I am happy to share that I have finished my program~ While the degree conferral date has passed, I still have a bit to wait for my degree to be officially awarded. Another exciting piece of news is being a part of 801 Blogs, a directory of bloggers who write about BL in some capacity.

    Thanks to everyone who’s taken a look so far, even though I haven’t written too much due to my schedule. I mainly reviewed titles I was able to get from DRCs through NetGalley and Edelweiss this year since it was available to me. It was my first time being able to do it, and it was really cool being able to read and review ahead of time! It’s been a learning process of figuring out how to format each post, the depth of the review, and which aspects of a work to talk about. I hope to improve over the next year in writing and how I structure my posts! I’ve also decided I will be primarily focusing on BL manga that are localized into English and available in print for the time being. So, I am currently not taking any requests to review BL titles outside this scope.

    Here’s a little sneak peek on ideas I have for the blog in addition to reviews:
    – My BL Manga for Beginners Picks ๐Ÿ”ฐ
    – Mangaka spotlights
    – Posts on Japanese magazines/labels, tokuten, doujinshi, and more!
    – Adding setting tags to posts (office workers, fantasy, high school, entertainment industry, etc.)
    – Organizing personal collections

    Now, this wouldn’t be a recap post without sharing some of my favorite English BL manga (+ one novel series) releases and reads of the year, in no particular order. Some I’ve may have talked about before. It was tough to narrow it down!!

    Titles/Series New in English
    1. Love in the Palm of His Hand by Rinteku
    2. Touch Within the Abyss by Moyori Mori
    3. Haberdashery Ginmokusei by Mamita
    4. Omega Megaera by Maki Marukido (not BL, but Maki-sensei is primarily a BL mangaka, so there are some elements!)
    5. If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love by Maru Kubota
    6. Ask and You Will Receive by Niyama
    7. White Liar by Tomo Serizawa
    8. Fake Fact Lips by Machi Suehiro
    9. Lovers on the Last Train by Dayoo
    10. Flip, Flip Slowly by Mame Ohtako

    Ongoing Series
    1. Lullaby of the Dawn by Ichika Yuno
    2. My Beautiful Man (light novels) by Yuu Nagira
    3. Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide by Sorai Mone
    4. At 25:00 in Akasaka by Hiroko Natsuno
    5. After School Etude by Hirune Cyan

    Completed Titles/Series
    1. Blue Morning by Shoko Hidaka
    2. Stigmata: Love Bites by Hidebu Takahashi
    3. Old-Fashioned Cupcake by Sagan Sagan
    4. Perfect Propose by Mayo Tsurukame
    5. Happy of the End by Ogeretsu Tanaka

    I do have a few more reviews I need to finish up, but thanks again to everyone who’s come and read the blog this year! If you do have comments, questions, or want to connect, don’t hesitate to let me know!

    See you soon~

  • Yankee & Carameliser by Chiuko Umeshibu

    EN Title: Yankee & Carameliser
    JP Title: ใƒคใƒณใ‚ญใƒผใจใ‚ญใƒฃใƒฉใƒกใƒชใ‚ผ
    Author/Artist: Chiuko Umeshibu
    Publisher: Yen Press
    Publisher Rating: Older Teen
    Status: Ongoing (a sequel is serializing in Japan)

    Content Notes: Sexual content (epilogue chapter only)

    Story Overview
    High school student and social media influencer Yasokawa knows that Maki, his delinquent classmate, is secretly a baker. When the opportunity arises, Yasokawa convinces Maki to make him a dessert. He subsequently ropes Maki in to turn his simple social media account into the next viral sensation! With Yosokawa as his manager, Maki’s new videos and recipes take off. And as the two spend more time together, both of them find themselves with unfamiliar emotions.

    Review
    Yankee & Carameliser is a sweet single-volume BL with an opposites-attract storyline. I honestly did not expect it to take the route of the two making a social media cooking account, which I found intriguing when I read the premise. Delinquent characters who have a sweet, hidden side to them is a trope I have seen in BL and other manga genres, and it’s one I enjoy. Maki is no exception, especially when he gets flustered by Yasokawa! I was also touched by his backstory mentioned in chapter two, as the story is more lighthearted. Hiding your interests and true self because others ridicule or reject you is tough. so it was sweet to see him allow another to see him as he is. Yasokawa really is a great match for Maki. His persistence allows him to hang out with Maki and eventually get him to reveal his feelings. And while he pushes Maki out of his comfort zone, he does it out of admiration and caring for Maki. While he initially joked about exposing Maki’s hobby on social media early on, he’s really not the type to post something on social media at another’s expense.

    With the story ending as they get together, I found myself wanting to see what kind of future is in store for them! Will Maki keep baking and making videos with Yasokawa? Which is why I’m so happy to see there’s a sequel currently serializing in Japan! This time, Yasokawa is in university while Maki now aims to become a patissier. Hope to see second bake in English in the future as well.

    Thanks Yen Press and Edelweiss for the DRC. Yankee & Caramelizer is available now~

  • Perfect Propose by Mayo Tsurukame

    EN Title: Perfect Propose
    JP Title: ใƒ‘ใƒผใƒ•ใ‚งใ‚ฏใƒˆใƒ—ใƒญใƒใƒผใ‚บ
    Author/Artist: Mayo Tsurukame
    Publisher: Futekiya/Manga Planet
    Publisher Rating: Mature
    Status: Complete

    Content Notes: Sexual content

    Story Overview
    Exhausted from overwork and poor nutrition, Hirokuni Watari winds up passed out on the sidewalk one night. When he comes to, a young man he named Kai Fukaya stands before him. Though they haven’t met in years, Kai asks to stay over, saying they promised to marry. After Kai explains his situation, Hiro lets him stay. As time passes, Hiro begins to fall for Kai, who is confident in winning Hiro’s affection… The more time he spends with Kai, the more he gets used to living together. What will happen when it’s time for Kai to leave? At the same time, his stressful work situation intensifies.

    Review
    I really enjoy stories showing how people have the ability to affect others’ lives. Even if it’s only because of simple kindness. Hiro simply spending time with Kai impacted him enough to want to find Hiro later on. And in Hiro giving him a place to stay this time, he returns kindness back to Hiro. While his attitude is cool, seeing him care for Hiro was so sweet. As for their romantic relationship, they really are a bit of an odd couple as Hiro’s coworkers said! But the two do fit together well. The homey feeling of their relationship was charming to me and suited their characters. As both aren’t the most social, seeing them casually talk and live together showed how comfortable they are with each other. It’s as if they weren’t apart for half a decade! Part of me did feel the dialogue was too casual at times, but it wasn’t too jarring. Regardless, Kai’s forwardness contrasting with Hiro’s wavering feelings was a fun dynamic to me.

    I also love the glimpses of other relationships they have. For example, Kai learns how people can affect others in talking with the son of the restaurant owner who took him in. The brief hospital visit scene gives a little glimpse at how the old man cared for Kai. There’s also Kaneko, to a lesser degree. Even though he said he couldn’t help Hiro at work, he did stay at his job longer to watch over Hiro, and he eventually helped Hiro get new work. Perfect Propose also portrayed Hiro’s work situation and how it wears him down. One really good scene was Kaneko’s conversation with Hiro on how they use it to manipulate his confidence. I also liked Hiro and Kai’s conversation on life what we keep in our hearts to keep us going every day when times are tough.

    Overall, Perfect Propose is a grounded slice-of-life, showing love in seeing your loved one at the end of the day and sharing meals with them. This is one of my favorite titles that is available on Manga Planet, so I’m so happy to see it available in print now!

    To close out, Perfect Propose was ranked 15th for Best Comic Category in the Chill Chill BL Awards back in 2021. Here’s the illustration Mayo Tsurukame drew as a thanks!

  • I Don’t Know How to Love by Yu Machio

    EN Title: I Don’t Know How to Love
    JP Title: ๆ‹ใฎไป•ๆ–นใŒใ‚ใ‹ใ‚‰ใชใ„
    Romaji: Koi wo Shikata ga Wakaranai
    Author/Artist: Yu Machio
    Publisher: Yen Press
    Publisher Rating: Older Teen
    Status: Complete

    Content Notes: Sexual content

    Story Overview
    Aimi is known to be willing to date anyone, as long as they agree to his condition. Since that includes meeting up with women, many of his relationships don’t last. But his junior Kaede is happy to agree the open relationship! Aimi thinks Kaede will be like the others but is surprised Kaede genuinely respects his condition. As their relationship continues on, Aimi begins to have seemingly inexplainable feelings, but surely he can’t be falling in love!

    Review
    When Aimi’s friends eventually point out that he’s acting like an elementary school boy, I wholeheartedly agreed. But rather than be irritated at the story progression, I was amused by his attitude and overall. The way he checked his phone, looked out for, and just constantly thought about Kaede throughout the story was adorable. So when he finally admitted his feelings, the goofiness of it was endearing for me. I do think this only worked because the story is in his point of view. If the story were from Kaede’s side, Aimi really would just look like a jerk for the most part. And because Kaede wanted to respect Aimi’s condition, the story would have a bit of a different tone. But I do wish there was a little bit more of Kaede’s inner thoughts in the story. I loved how he would brighten up whenever Aimi showed up, so it would have been nice to know more about him! In general, having more details of the characters would have been nice and give them more depth.

    I Don’t Know How to Love is a quick, silly romcom with low stakes. The story’s pretty straightforward, so I recommend it for those who want something light and sweet. The book is out now!

    Thanks to Yen Press and Edelweiss for the DRC.

  • In Love’s Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro

    EN Title: In Love’s Key, Reprised
    JP Title: ใใ‚Šใ‹ใˆใ—ใ‚ใ„ใฎใŠใจ
    Romaji:  Kurikaeshi Ai no Oto
    Author/Artist: Guri Nojiro
    Publisher: Kodansha
    Publisher Rating: Mature
    Status: Complete

    Content Notes: Sexual content

    Story Overview
    The strict conductor Kiri returns home to Hokkaido to rest due to health issues. Despite Kiri’s harsh attitude, Osamu, his fan and the local grocer, helps him keep warm when his electricity is off and finish moving in. Kiri eventually gets roped into helping the local junior high school’s choir, of which Osamu’s younger sister Lala is a part. As a loner who struggles to get a long with others, Kiri has difficulty getting along with the choir, especially Lala. At the same time, Osamu also gets closer and closer to him, giving him a warmth he doesn’t realize he has been longing for.

    Review
    In Love’s Key, Reprised is a short, heartwarming story of a lonely man who finds both love and better understanding of caring for others. It’s also a story of working with grief, as Kiri’s harshness partially stems from missing his mother who had passed. The comfort and care he receives from Osamu helps Kiri find he does have a chance at changing and improving.

    The story focuses more on the romance between the two and skips out on showing Kiri becoming more friendly with the choir and those in town over time. The story dedicates a few panels showing a timelapse, but I think the story would have been stronger if readers had the chance to experience it more. This story then, once again does suffer a bit from it being a single volume BL. I still found the romance between Kiri and Osamu very adorable, as I do like the dynamic of an overly friendly person and cold loner couple. Even though Kiri for the most part just gave into Osamu’s kindness and warmth, I found it sweet. Guri Nojiro’s linework has a certain softness to it that gives an extra cozy feeling to the story and romance.

    Despite weaknesses that come with being a single volume, In Love’s Key, Reprised is a manga I could find myself going back and reading when I need a little pick me up.

    Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for the DRC!

    Guri Nojiro is an author I have been a fan of, and has two others works available in English:
    A Beast’s Love Is Like the Moon – published by Tokyopop
    It Was the End of Spring – debut work; localized by Renta! (digital only)

  • Worst Soulmate Ever + Proposal by Haruta

    EN Title:ย Worst Soulmate Ever
    JP Title:ย ้‹ๅ‘ฝใฎ็•ชใŒใŠๅ‰ใ ใชใ‚“ใฆ / ้‹ๅ‘ฝใฎ็•ชใซๆฑ‚ๅฉš๏ผˆใƒ—ใƒญใƒใƒผใ‚บ๏ผ‰ใ ใชใ‚“ใฆ
    Romaji:ย Unmei no Tsugai ga Omae da Nante / Unmei no Tsugai ni Kyuukon (Propose) da Nante
    Author/Artist:ย Haruta
    Publisher:ย SuBLime
    Publisher Rating:ย Mature
    Status: Complete (2 Volumes, second volume is titled Worst Soulmate Ever: Proposal)

    Content Notes: Sexual content

    Story Overview
    Yu Shishikura struggles with romantic relationships but is desperate to find his true mate. Being an omega makes is more difficult too. After participating in a soulmate consulting service, he finds out his perfect match is alpha Haruto Kotani, his coworker and former classmate who has been holding a grudge against Shishikura since… middle school?! Kotani may have helped Shishikura through a heat once, but he doesn’t believe in the result! But after having sex again, his thoughts are full of Kotani, who also has a nicer side to him…

    In the sequel Worst Soulamate Ever: Proposal, Shishikura and Kotani have admitted their feelings for each other and have become a couple. Shishikura is finally one step closer to his dream of marrying his soulmate! Kotani, on the other hand states he has no plans to legally marry. Shishikura then has to decide on if he wants to stay with Kotani or his dream of marriage. When another man hits on him, both have to decide on the future of their relationship.


    Review
    I like to say that I’m not the biggest fan of the bickering couple trope, but every time I read a story with one, I eat it up anyways! (In Japanese, these couples are known as ใ‚ฑใƒณใ‚ซใƒƒใƒ—ใƒซ (kenkappuru). From the beginning I had to laugh at the story’s set up, especially for Kotani’s long and really petty grudge. And when the steamy scenes came around, Haruta showed the chemistry well! Story wise, their judgments and pride preventing them from admitting their feelings is one I feel is a classic story line in BL, yet I still kept flipping through. I really enjoyed the moments where Kotani was caring toward Shishikura and also seeing him realize he was falling for him. The comic didn’t have much of his perspective, so I was curious to know more about him. The story ended happily with them recognizing their feelings, but I do wish there was more development between the two. There were still were a lot of loose ends as well! Even if the feelings were now reciprocal, what about becoming mates? Luckily, there’s the sequel.

    Worst Soulmate Ever: Proposal starts out with what I assume is an extra story where the two going on a hot spring date, giving more insight on their new relationship. Overall it was really funny, as they try to exorcise a ghost by having sex at the hot springs. As for the main story itself, it gave a little more insight into Kotani’s character and feelings on bonding and marriage, which I had been looking forward to seeing. His reactions to Shishikura talking positively about his family shows Kotani mostly had the opposite. And when his family past is revealed, he finally tells his honest fears and concerns about marrying. The rest of the story was sweet as Kotani makes peace with the past and marries. I found it funny his brother got in the way for two chapters, only to quickly disappear after that until the wedding. I thought he’d also maybe get involved with helping Kotani and Shishikura with the father afterwards, but then again it makes sense he didn’t? But his little appearance was really quick. Regardless, the sequel wrapped up the story nicely, and I’m glad to see the two get their happy ending!

    I enjoy the omegaverse setting, though I like stories that are more unconventional, whether through different gender pairings or a deeper exploration of the setting. But I still had a lot of fun reading Worst Soulmate Ever! There were glimpses to some of the worldbuilding and how people view omegas, which I always enjoy seeing. This is my first time reviewing an omegaverse story, so for those unfamiliar with this setting: it was originally a fanfiction trope that eventually made its way into fanworks and original BL in Asia. The books contain brief information on the setting for unfamiliar readers, which I find is a good practice! Worst Soulmate Ever was overall light and fun, so I’d recommend it for mature readers who want something more steamy and comedic, maybe to wind down after a stressful day!

    Thanks to SuBLime and Edelweiss Plus for the review copies! I ended up getting the books myself afterwards since I had fun reading~

  • Happy Yaoi Day 2025!

    For those unfamiliar, August 1st is Yaoi Day! 8 can be pronounced “ya” in Japanese, so 801 can be read as “yaoi”. So what does “yaoi” actually mean?? Here is an except from James Welker’s “A Short History of Shonen’ai, Yaoi and Boys Love” chapter from Boys Love Manga and Beyond (p. 55).

    “By the early 1980s, the term โ€œyaoiโ€โ€”in recent years a truly global label for male homoerotic manga and animeโ€”was beginning to be used in the amateur comics sphere to name these amateur homoerotic works. The word is an acronym for โ€œyama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi,โ€ or, roughly, โ€œno climax,
    no point, no meaning,โ€ an apt description of the relatively plotless original narratives and parodies replete with implied or roughly depicted male-on male sex. Its coinage and initial use had little specifically to do with the genre, however.”

    Though “yaoi” was originally created and used by doujinshi creators, the term was used in some commercial BL magazines in the 90s. But eventually, boys love/BL became the main term in Japan. While yaoi fell out of use in Japan, its use by English publishers when they began licensing BL manga in the early 2000s means it basically became synonymous with commercial BL for Anglophone readers. Many Anglophone BL fans know and understand it’s an old word, but enjoy using the term. (Me included!) However, some people think yaoi specifically means explicit BL while shonen’ai is focused more on romance and has no sexual content. (That’s a whole other conversation though.)

    I’ve been pretty busy wrapping up my summer classes, but I still want to include some recommendations in this post! While many BL manga is only a single volume, it often means a story has a quick development. That is why my personal favorite type of short BL titles are ones that are 2 volumes long, which gives the story a bit more breathing room. These titles often have ไธŠ (jou) and ไธ‹ (ge) to mark volumes 1 and 2 respectively.

    Stigmata: Love Bites by Hidebu Takahashi
    Publisher: SuBLime
    Rating: Mature
    This story was the first one I’ve read from Hidebu Takahashi, whose unique artwork is very captivating. I thought the premise for this was so interesting, as Asako (left) can feel the pain and obtain wounds of victims when he is near a crime scene… So what happens when you feel the emotions of your superior’s ex-wife who was murdered? I loved how both Kuroiwa (right) and Asako struggled to navigate their feelings, trying to figure out if it’s only because of the case or not.

    Before its print release, Stigmata:Love Bites was released digitally on Futekiya. For Yaoi Day, Futekiya announced that Hidebu Takahashi’s work Psychedelia, which also centers around detectives, has been licensed for print! So excited to see another work have a physical version.

    Haberdashery Ginmokusei by Mamita
    Publisher: KUMA
    Rating: Mature
    Note: Currently only volume 1 has released! Volume 2 is slated to release in October.

    When I first started getting into BL manga a few years back, Haberdashery Ginmokusei was actually one of the first manga I purchased in Japanese! Like Mamita, I too love suits and thought the idea of a BL set in a tailor shop was so cool. When Ubuki (left) is struggling to keep customers at the tailor shop he inherited from his grandfather, Theo (right) suddenly appears and offers to help improve business. Learning why Theo decided to help Ubuki was very sweet, and I’m excited that there’s a sequel serializing in Japanese!

    I’ve read most of Mamita’s works, and I can say that this one is still my top favorite. I’ve enjoyed all of them to be honest, so you can’t go wrong with any title! Many of Mamita’s works were licensed in English last year are now releasing this year! Natsume Wants to be Trained will actually release later this month from Seven Seas.

  • My Instructor Won’t Yield by Deme Kingyobachi

    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

    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 2025 BL Awards

    Last Edited: 02/18/2026 – Some titles mentioned were licensed since this post was written, so I’ve changed the license status of those!

    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 and has mature content.) 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.

    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! 2 (#1) – Seven Seas
    โ™ก PUNKS TRIANGLE stitch 1 (#2) – Seven Seas
    โ™ก Love Tattoo (#4) – Seven Seas
    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 – Seven Seas (coming late 2026)
    ๐Ÿฅˆ You Should be the One to Come Kiss Me – Renta! (Digital only), Seven Seas (coming late 2026)
    ๐Ÿฅ‰ My Noons and Midnights are For You – Tokyopop

    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
    โ™ก Yotsuya Ghost Night – Tokyopop
    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 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: the BLog may discuss/have mature content.)

    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