I reviewed this one-shot BL story for the new BL Bookrack feature at Manga Bookshelf. It's less of a romance than it is a character study of a really crappy person, and I liked it all the better for that! You can find that review here. … [Read more...] about Solfege by Fumi Yoshinaga: B+
Juné
Don’t Say Any More, Darling by Fumi Yoshinaga: B
I reviewed this collection of short stories, some BL and some not, for the inaugural edition of a new feature at Manga Bookshelf called BL Bookrack. A couple of the stories are really quite weird, but I truly loved the final story, "The Pianist," about an aging musician who has convinced himself he's a "debauched fallen genius" rather than someone who simply didn't have the … [Read more...] about Don’t Say Any More, Darling by Fumi Yoshinaga: B
Maiden Rose 1 by Fusanosuke Inariya: B
Taki Reizen and Claus von Wolfstadt should be enemies since their countries are at war. But a bond forged at school abroad leads Taki, a nobleman, to make Claus his knight, fighting by his side while Taki takes the role of division commander, marshalling his humble subjects as they seek to defend against the enemy’s advances. Many view Claus with suspicion, despite his apparent … [Read more...] about Maiden Rose 1 by Fusanosuke Inariya: B
Yokan 1: Premonition by Makoto Tateno: B-
Akira is the lead singer of a visual kei band and has somewhat of an attitude. He doesn’t care about the fans’ enjoyment, only his own, and refuses to sing anything he didn’t write himself. That is, until he overhears mainstream entertainer Hiroya Sunaga singing one of his own compositions. For the first time, Akira’s obsessed by someone else’s music and makes it his mission to … [Read more...] about Yokan 1: Premonition by Makoto Tateno: B-
Our Kingdom: Arabian Nights by Naduki Koujima: B-
This one-volume spin-off of Our Kingdom stars Raoul, a former supporting character of that series, as he attempts to recover from heartbreak by taking a trip to a swanky Middle Eastern resort. His plans go astray when he is captured by a good-hearted yet foolish prince named Ashif, who plans to use Raoul as a pawn to ensure his sister’s marital happiness. Raoul is naturally … [Read more...] about Our Kingdom: Arabian Nights by Naduki Koujima: B-