Tag: rating: mature

Omega Megaera 1 by Maki Marukido

Omega Megaera 1 by Maki Marukido

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EN Title: Omega Megaera
JP Title: オメガ・メガエラ
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…?

Perfect Propose by Mayo Tsurukame

Perfect Propose by Mayo Tsurukame

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EN Title: Perfect Propose
JP Title: パーフェクトプロポーズ
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!

In Love’s Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro

In Love’s Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro

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EN Title: In Love’s Key, Reprised
JP Title: くりかえしあいのおと
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

Worst Soulmate Ever + Proposal by Haruta

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EN Title: Worst Soulmate Ever
JP Title: 運命の番がお前だなんて / 運命の番に求婚（プロポーズ）だなんて
Romaji: Unmei no Tsugai ga Omae da Nante / Unmei no Tsugai ni Kyuukon (Propose) da Nante
Author/Artist: Haruta
Publisher: SuBLime
Publisher Rating: 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 ケンカップル (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!

Happy Yaoi Day 2025!

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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 “yaoi”—in recent years a truly global label for male homoerotic manga and anime—was beginning to be used in the amateur comics sphere to name these amateur homoerotic works. The word is an acronym for “yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi,” or, roughly, “no climax,
no point, no meaning,” 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 上 (jou) and 下 (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.

Old-Fashioned Cupcake (+ with Cappuccino) by Sagan Sagan

Old-Fashioned Cupcake (+ with Cappuccino) by Sagan Sagan

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EN Title: Old-Fashioned Cupcake
JP Title: オールドファッションカップケーキ
Author/Artist: Sagan Sagan
Publisher: SuBLime
Publisher Rating: Mature
Status: Complete (2 volumes, second volume is subtitled with Cappuccino)

Content notes: Sexual content (really only seen in the extra chapters)

BL featuring men in their forties and above (sometimes includes late thirties too haha) is a subset of the BL genre, sometimes called “ojisan BL” (おじさんBL) or “oyaji BL” (やBL), from what I’ve see on ebook sites and social media. Depending on the person, ojisan BL can include a story between an age-gap couple between a younger and older man. For others, they must both be middle-aged or older men. While not as popular in Japan, it’s much loved by English-speaking fans. In English, the equivalent term is “old man yaoi”, which has gone viral online. I am very much a fan of this sub-genre, and I find Old-Fashioned Cupcake to be a great story to introduce it.

Synopsis
At work, many admire the popular and reliable Nozue. Approaching forty, he remains unmarried and lives a simple and routine life and has no plans of changing it. Togawa, his subordinate who is ten years younger, one day convinces him to try something different: to hang out like teenage girls. So the two begin to visit various spots popular with young women. As they become closer and closer, their conversations become more personal. When Nozue learns Togawa likes someone, the atmosphere changes and Nozue becomes aware of his changes. Togawa eventually admits the one he’s in love with is Nozue, who too recognizes and eventually accepts his own feelings. In with Cappuccino, the two have been happily dating for six months. But when Nozue’s friend and coworker recognizes Togawa wearing one of Nozue’s old ties, the Nozue begins to fear for their relationship. He especially worries about what would happen to Togawa if others learned about the two. He puts distance between them, but he learns how his one-sided decisions hurt Togawa. Togawa also wishes to find a solution, and he eventually decides to take a new job in order to grow. The two reconcile their thoughts on a trip, and they move together in the end.

Review
Old-Fashioned Cupcake wonderfully tells the story of a man who slowly learns to embrace new changes in his life. In the beginning, Nozue is resigned to live his routine life, believing himself too old for things like romance. His self-deprecating attitude makes him resist both his growing attraction to Togawa and realization that he himself is Togawa’s crush, seen in his thoughts. But in the panels, Sagan Sagan hints at Nozue’s true feelings through his expressions until Nozue finally admits it to himself. One of my favorite things about comics as a medium is the way artists can stretch or crunch time within a page and give feeling through its visuals. I also love the use of close ups and overall flow of the pages Sagan Sagan creates.

The story itself is also oh so sweet in the way they fall for each other over their dates. They had inspired each other to live and enjoy their lives, leaving deep changes on each other. They’re not drastic in the sense they become completely different people, but enough to find the courage to accept their feelings. Both of Togawa and Nozue’s confessions to each other were a delight, but Nozue’s was especially adorable. Togawa’s response is one of my favorites.

Togawa: I don’t want to be just “a part” of my life. I want you to be all of it.

With Cappuccino is a strong sequel continuing on with their relationship. In a way, it calls back to the end of the first volume, where Togawa hopes they argue and make up more in the future. It may feel like Nozue is regressing in his development as he gets caught up in his thoughts again, but it doesn’t feel like an exact repeat of the first volume. I’m reminded of the scene near the end, on their way to the onsen. Nozue still worries about Togawa changing their jobs. They talk as they walk, until Nozue wants to stop. Togawa once again has a sweet reply. (Thank you Adrienne Beck for the translation of both volumes!)

Nozue: I don’t want to ruin our vacation by fighting.
Togawa: Nozue… What’s wrong with it? Fights are fine. Life isn’t like the movies. Problems don’t end with one solution. You wrestle with them again and again.

Old-Fashioned Cupcake and with Cappuccino, for me, is a love story that isn’t like the movies. It’s not a glamorous romance that sweeps readers off their feet. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore BL like that, but I also love stories grounded in the everyday.

I originally read this story in Japanese and didn’t read it in English until now. Thank you to SuBLime and Edelweiss for the DRC for the first volume! I ended up getting my own copies so now I have both the Japanese tankobon and English translation of the story haha.

Pink Heart Jam beat 1 by Shikke

Pink Heart Jam beat 1 by Shikke

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EN Title: Pink Heart Jam beat
JP Title: ピンクハートジャム beat
Author/Artist: Shikke
Publisher: SuBLime
Publisher Rating: Mature
EN Publication Status: Ongoing

Setting: Contemporary, university
Content notes: Explicit sexual content

Background Information
SuBLime recently released Pink Heart Jam beat, the sequel to the two volume series Pink Heart Jam. For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows the romance between freshman Yuki Haiga and his senior Ryo Kanae. Haiga joins his university’s rock music club and finds himself drawn to Kanae, a cool guitarist and senior. At an outing with a club, he’s dared to visit a brothel meant for gay men. Haiga, who had been wondering about his sexuality decides to seriously visit one. But when he picks out a place and allows the staff to pick a member for him, he runs into Kanae! After hearing Haiga out, Kanae decides to help Haiga explore. But on campus, Kanae and Haiga’s relationship returns to simply being junior and senior. As Haiga continues his visits and also gets to know Kanae outside the brothel, he finds himself falling in love. Kanae too begins to recognize his own growing feelings and quits being a sex worker. In the end, Haiga confesses and Kanae accepts.

Synopsis
beat picks up three years the last chapter and before the epilogue (after Haiga returns from senior year band camp trip). Despite living together, the two barely see each other because of their schedules. Kanae often works late hours while Haiga struggles to figure out his career path before graduating. Kanae, who knows isn’t the greatest at giving emotional support, wants to support the stressed-out Haiga better. Haiga also wants to be with Kanae more, but doesn’t want to add on to his busy schedule. Haiga also finds himself jealous, after hearing misinformation about Kanae and a friend from Kanae’s older brother. But everything gets set straight in the end after Haiga follows friends’ advice to be open and talk with Kanae. Haiga soon graduates, and gets a surprise performance from Kanae’s band that disbanded after the members graduated, the Cigars.

Review
When I first read Pink Heart Jam, I really appreciated how Shikke she wrote Haiga and his desire to understand his sexuality. I really appreciated the realistic feel of the story, and I was glad to continue feeling it in beat. I enjoyed reading about Kanae and Haiga balancing and navigating their own lives and their relationship in this first volume. The two are a very loving couple, and they resolve tensions calmly and quickly, especially with Haiga’s worries over Kanae’s possible past relationship with Hayashida, his friend and former bandmate. I do feel writing about established couples and their obstacles can be difficult do well, but Shikke is able to continue Kanae and Haiga’s story in a way that keeps readers engaged. With serialization continuing in Japan, I’m excited for the second volume! I look forward to more of SuBLime’s work on the title as well. I really have enjoyed all their other titles they’ve brought to English fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and SuBLime for the DRC!

Pink Heart Jam beat ranked first in the 2025 BL Awards for the Series Category! The first part of the series also placed 3rd for the BLCD (audio drama) Category. Here’s the illustration Shikke drew to commemorate it~

Shout Loud My Heart by Youga Rayri

Shout Loud My Heart by Youga Rayri

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EN Title: Shout Loud My Heart
JP Title: シャウト・ラウド・マイハート
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.