Tag: publisher: kodansha

Omega Megaera 1 by Maki Marukido

Omega Megaera 1 by Maki Marukido

by Lys ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

EN Title: Omega Megaera
JP Title: ใ‚ชใƒกใ‚ฌใƒปใƒกใ‚ฌใ‚จใƒฉ
Author/Artist: Maki Marukido
Publisher: Kodansha
Publisher Rating: Mature
EN Publication Status: Ongoing (10 Volumes total)

Content Notes: Male pregnancy, use of female terms for male omegas (mainly mother), topics of rape, pedophilic releationships, sexism, etc.

Omega Megaera is the only work from mangaka Maki Marukido that is not a BL. However, I believe it is a story that BL fans would enjoy! I also can see some BL elements in it too.

Story Overview
Saimon, an omega, lost his standing in the Hanabusa family when it’s found out he cannot have children. Believing in being true mates with his husband Seijuro, he longs to have the relationship they once had. When his father-in-law Zenjiro tasks him to find his illegitimate child, Saimon finds Mamiya, also an omega, and strikes a deal. If Mamiya pretends to be an alpha, he can live comfortably in the Hanabusa household, and Saimon can become the first wife again. Having been a researcher on omega suppressants in the past, Saimon is confident he and Mamiya can pull it off. Thus begins a grand scheme.

Review
I know I am biased as a fan of Maki Marukido, but I have been extremely excited for this title. As a fan of omegaverse, I do love it when stories really dig into societal attitudes of the secondary genders and overall worldbuilding. I know not all will enjoy the sexist and patriarchal attitudes that in a way reflect reality at times, but I do think the omegaverse setting is such a perfect sandbox to explore a variety of ideas and themes.

Volume 1 primarily sets the stage of this story and introduces readers to its cast and gets the ball rolling for the fight to become the next Hanabusa heir. From the get to there are mysteries, lies, and existing conflicts that will get more tangled up as the story goes on. I’ve enjoyed the way Maki Marukido’s ability to write complex characters and relationships from her other works, so I look forward to learning about all of the Hanabusa family as the story continues. Mamiya and Saimon truly are an unlikely duo, so it’ll be interesting to see how far they’ll get in hiding Mamiya’s true secondary gender. Outside our main characters Mamiya and Saimon, I am most excited to learn more about Reiko! As Maki Marukido mentions in the afterword, alpha women characters aren’t often spotlighted. She already seems like the main rival to Mamiya for the position, so I look forward to seeing her story arc! I am also rooting for Kayo and hope she gets to further her education. Iori too is interesting, as he seems to have a good heart underneath it all.

Omega Megaera overall has a promising start with an interesting cast of characters and suspense. It is a series I would only recommend to those who are either familiar with the omegaverse genre or willing to learn about it. It’s themes and topics are deep and do relate to things seen in reality as well, making it even more compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for having the DRC available.

PS: To be honest, I took a peek at volumes 2 and 3 in Japanese, thanks to them being free digitally on different ebook platforms! And without spoiling, I can confidently say the story gets even more interesting. I also have a sense something may be brewing between Mamiya and Iori…?

In Love’s Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro

In Love’s Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro

by Lys ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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)

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?

Shout Loud My Heart by Youga Rayri

Shout Loud My Heart by Youga Rayri

by Lys ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

EN Title: Shout Loud My Heart
JP Title: ใ‚ทใƒฃใ‚ฆใƒˆใƒปใƒฉใ‚ฆใƒ‰ใƒปใƒžใ‚คใƒใƒผใƒˆ
Author/Artist: Youga Rayri
Publisher: Kodansha
Publisher Rating: 18+
EN Publication Status: Complete (1 Volume)

Setting: Contemporary, university
Content notes: Explicit sexual content

Synopsis
University student and guitarist Gen rarely notices the people surrounding him, uninterested in most people outside his friends. But when a vocalist from another band captures attention, Gen finds out that he’s actually one of his classmates! Mika, who’s known as Mike to most, and Gen quickly become close despite Gen’s grumpy attitude and technically being in “rival” bands. When he notices his music changing, he begins to realize his feelings run deeper. Meanwhile, Mika finds Gen’s blunt honesty and demeanor refreshing. With the two falling for each other but not knowing what to say, it’s through music that they are able to convey their honest feelings.

Review
I absolutely love band stories! There really is something so special about connecting and communicating your feelings through music. In the scene where Gen checks out Adam’s (Mika’s band) performance, Youga Rayri wonderfully depicts how Mika’s voice charms him. Despite being a single volume BL, we a glimpse into the characters’ lives and friendships of the characters, which I found really nice. It’s actually through a lot of interactions Mika and Gen have with their friends that help push them to recognize their feelings for each other. But because it’s a single volume BL, the development feels extremely quick! A second volume would have been really nice to give it a bit more depth. I also want to note I that really enjoyed the localization of the dialogue! While I haven’t read it in Japanese, it felt very natural to read and suited the characters given their ages in their early 20s.

Overall, I do recommend the story for those looking for something light and who love band settings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC! Shout Loud My Heart releases on June 17.

Love on the Horizon by Machi Yamashita

Love on the Horizon by Machi Yamashita

by Lys ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

EN Title: Love on the Horizon
JP Title: ใ‚ใ—ใŸๆ„›ใ‹ใ‚‚ใ—ใ‚Œใชใ„
Romaji: Ashita Ai Kamoshirenai
Author/Artist: Machi Yamashita
Publisher: Kodansha
Publisher Rating: 16+
EN Publication Status: Complete (2 Volumes)

Setting: Contemporary, university
Content Notes: Non-explicit sexual content

Kodansha released volume 2 of Love on the Horizon just last week! I was pleasantly surprised to see it included extra stories, including a doujinshi (self-published comic). When I found this out, I went and nabbed a copy from my local comic shop.

Synopsis
Love on the Horizon follows two university students who are both in the same club and neighbors. Because of that, helping his upperclassman Yu get home safely after a party regularly became Nagi’s job. Ever since the first time Nagi helped Yu, who clung to him in his sleep, Nagi has been secretly staying and falling asleep beside Yu and quietly leaving later on. When Nagi quietly confesses one night, Yu hears him and returns his feelings. The story then follows the two navigating their new relationship, as both are rather beginners at dating. While Yu has dated in the past, this is the first time he’s truly fallen in love! Volume two continues on months later into their relationship. The two work at deepening their relationship, including the sexual aspect of it. And with Yu’s graduation around the corner, the two have to figure out their plans for the future. Unsure if their goals line up for each other, both hesitate to bring up the topic.

Review
Tensions in the story ease rather quickly, with the two able to eventually convey their thoughts and understand each other without much conflict. The bonus chapters are also sweet, especially the “Atami Trip” story which was originally released last fall as a doujinshi. With BL, it’s common for extra stories to be self-published and sold at doujinshi events. Sometimes authors will host mail orders as well, but they’re generally they have a limited aprint run. Some do have digital versions for sale later on, but it depends on the author. This is the first time I’ve seen extra stories that were originally doujinshi published in English alongside the main story, so I’m really grateful they could be included!

This comic is great for readers looking for a short and sweet slice-of-life. Each chapter is a like a little episode, which string together to give glimpses into Yu and Nagi’s lives. Machi Yamashita’s soft linework gives extra warmth to an already feel-good romance.

Sharing another illustration to end the post. Volume 2 ranked eleventh 2025 BL Awards Emotional Category, so Machi Yamashita drew Nagi and Yu as thanks!