Book description: Takagi, a rather cute and innocent guy, is best friends and classmates with Kumoi, a tall, intellectual guy. One day, Takagi is stunned to find a pencil sketch of a man between Kumoi's notebook pages that resembles his older brother... who passed away six years ago! Could Kumoi have possibly known his brother? Review: I'll admit that what initially appealed … [Read more...] about When the Heavens Smile by Aki Senoo: B+
Boys' Love
Scarlet by Hiro Madarame: B+
When I reviewed Madarame's Cute Devil, I mentioned that I wanted to see what she'd achieve with more likable characters. Well, Scarlet provides the answer. The title story is somewhat disturbing, but that makes it interesting, and I really liked the tale of a one night stand between two coworkers. You can find my full review in the latest BL Bookrack column at Manga … [Read more...] about Scarlet by Hiro Madarame: B+
Midnight Bloom by Rico Fukiyama: C-
What a disappointment! I usually like books in DMP's DokiDoki imprint, but aside from a blandly cute title story, this one's full of shallow stories and off-putting relationships, including a particularly ick-inducing student-teacher romance. You can find that review here. Review copy provided by the publisher. … [Read more...] about Midnight Bloom by Rico Fukiyama: C-
Solfege by Fumi Yoshinaga: B+
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+
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