Starting off with one that made me cry (in a good way) and I can't remember if I responded to it on twitter but I wanna make sure I respond to it
THANK YOU!!! I was really upset about... something...?? I can't even remember what it was about but I remember I was upset and I got this message and started crying LMAO it means a lot looking at it now too but at the time it made my day and also my week, so thank you very much to the anon who sent me this ; w;
Well I do call stuff lezhinslop sometimes but... I dunno? I think the same kind of sentiment can be and does get applied to all sorts of genre fiction, comics or not. For example, certain thriller or romance novels; a lot of those books get CHURNED OUT at a very fast pace and often fit a cookie cutter mold (i.e. books by Freida McFadden or Ali Hazelwood) and are basically just junk food reads. They'll also often have that trope-first marketing that focuses more on reflecting AO3 tags than marketing it as a thoughtful piece of literature. I don't think there's anything wrong with them, but I also don't think it's unfair to view them as having less artistic merit than, for example, literary fiction by authors who only publish a book a couple times a decade.
There's definitely "auteurs" in the BL world that deserve to have their work held above others, and then there's the authors who do one or two series a year and have them run in digital publications that focus heavily on smut. I wouldn't necessarily call them SLOP by default, but I think we can all agree that those two categories aren't exactly equal lmao...
Anyway. I enjoy slop, I think we all do sometimes; the appeal of "beach reads" is that they're easy to read and don't require a lot of focus/can be put down and picked up easily. As long as people aren't categorizing all BL (or all manhwa, which I do see a lot!) as slop or consider this a uniquely BL-related issue, I don't really think it's bad.
tl;dr i guess it depends on the intent/tone of how they're saying it, I don't think all works are equal, and I also like stuff that I consider slop.
I'm studying global management! Before going back to school I worked in category management and I plan on aiming for that sort of job once I graduate again, but not necessarily the exact same. What I REALLY want is to be the manga category manager at my current company, but that's extremely specific and extremely unlikely lol... But if not working as a buyer for books, I'd like to work as something like an account manager for a publisher, manga or not.
My more long-term goal is to move to Japan and probably work in category management/account management there, maybe for an international company? I went back to school specifically to get a degree so I could try to get a Japanese work visa, so that's my ultimate aim.
On the side from that, I want to hone my skills to be able to do some sort of freelance manga work as well :) it'd be really awesome if that could tie into a full-time job as well somehow, but for the sake of stability I'm focusing on category management work as my career with the hopes of establishing some sort of side gig.
No but I keep meaning to!!!! The bunny uke is SO cute... Maybe I'll read it tonight as penance for not responding to this sooner, lmao
Hmm... This might be low-hanging fruit but Happy Kuso Life probably? Everything about it is fucking insane, but it's supposed to be over-the-top ridiculous. Also maybe Be My Baby because unhinged really is the best word to describe it lol
there's probably a lot of others I could answer but I've been sitting on this question for a bit and still just keep thinking of Happy Kuso Life and nothing else (many such cases)
Don't kill me but I've never read BJ Alex....... Maybe I will someday but everyone just keeps telling me not to bother lol
Also one time I was talking to a customer at work and said in passing that I've never read it and she said "how can you call yourself a BL fan if you've never read BJ Alex?!?" and it pissed me off so much it made me want to never read it #lol
I've actually never properly read or watched a sports shounen... (which pisses my husband off because he's a Prince of Tennis oldhead + really into Blue Lock, so he keeps dissing my fujoshi cred because I haven't read any LMAO)
That said!!! We started watching Haikyuu back in December when I was basically bedridden with the flu and wanted to just watch anime while I was dying, but we ended up putting that on pause to keep up with several seasonal anime instead. I wanna go back to at least finish season 1 though, and then probably keep going with the manga!
I know who my favourite character will be though (Kenma, if anyone was wondering lol)
HMMMM... I dunno if I have a strong preference, the ones that come to mind are the Dare ones but I doubt they're the best. I kinda want to do a taste test now... Watch this space
No literally... baby fever is such a powerful force...
I wasn't super interested in reading Don't Lie To Me but then I saw whatever the hell is going on in the side-stories right now and was like. Alright added to my TBR. I'll read it when lezhinus gets to the side-stories LOL
LIKE, WHAT IS THAT??? WHAT IS GOING ON
For Given it's definitely Mafuyu! I also really really like Uenoyama and Hiiragi :3
Sasaki is my favourite from the ssmy/hrkg universe, but I like Kagi a lotttt too
Omg, please do if you want to!!! I put a lot of effort into maintaining and curating the section, and I specifically order in BL so I'm reallyyyy happy when people come to my store specifically for the BL selection (and manga in general)
If you're asking because you don't know where I work specifically, I avoid saying the exact place to maintain plausible deniability and cover my ass, but I work at a certain bookstore that's in a mall directly in the heart of downtown Toronto. (winking)
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I also got two questions about idol BL recs but I think I'm gonna answer it as its own post, so that'll be soon.......... #watchthisspace
(I'm gonna post this as its own post because my answer ended up being pretty long lol)
Yes!! I like -verses in general!
The one I've read the most (besides omegaverse) is probably guideverse because it's gotten pretty popular in South Korea, but admittedly I haven't read any guideverse (sentinelverse) manga all the way through yet since it's less common and I don't think there's any translated titles out there.
I used to not like domsubverse because I felt like it was omegaverse without the stuff I liked, but I've come around on it a lot lately; I think now that it's been around for a while and has been gaining popularity, authors are doing more interesting things with the genre since audiences are now familiar with the standard tropes (not unlike omegaverse after a while)
Cakeverse is, like... I feel like I could really like cakeverse but nothing has really hooked me yet? I'm suuuuper interested in the concept but what I've read has just kinda fell flat for me... waiting for the more experimental stuff like I just mentioned for domsubverse!!
For nameverse, I'd like to read more but there's not much out there, huh... I haven't read Pian Pian though which is the big one, so maybe I should LOL
My favourite verse you didn't mention is pomegaverse, which is when one of the characters turns into a pomeranian when they're tired or stressed... it's called pomegaverse but doesn't really have any omegaverse btw! Though Chinochi just started a new series that's both omegaverse and pomegaverse which I'm SOOOO EXCITED to read!!!
Some other less common verses that I've seen (very rarely) in commercial BL are doseverse and gardenverse... But I haven't read any of those either ehehe
For recommendations...
Guideverse:
Guiding Hazard: OH MY GODDDD IT'S SO GOOD it's going through a kind of annoying angst arc right now though... (can I call it goguma? lmao) but I really really love Guiding Hazard, both of the characters are so dear to me, I really recommend it!!! (also, I REALLY like the translation)
Dear Zero: A month ago I wouldn't have recommended this since it was effectively cancelled (the authors basically lost the ability to work on several titles due to a contract dispute, it was really heartbreaking to hear about) but recently BWAT posted about resuming work on Dear Zero so I feel like I can recommend it again!!
Approximal Guide: This one is really interesting because it's also a reincarnation story, also I find the art REALLY distinctive especially compared to other webtoons, though I think some people don't like how sketchy it is... but I like it a lot!!
I've read quite a few more than these but I dunno if I'd recommend them, lol... I know I liked B-Grade Guide quite a bit but I don't remember enough about it to confidently recommend it? Also maybe Senza Replica which I don't think was very good but I was invested in it enough that I read ahead in the novel when I caught up on the manhwa, lol
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For Domsubverse I'm gonna split it into two types of recommendations, because I think reading more standard interpretations of the setting makes the more unique ones hit better, lol
If you haven't read Domsubverse before:
I'll Train You Sexually and Love You (Yarashiku Shitsukete Aishiteageru): I LOVE THIS ONE HGNNGGHGHN i only read it recently but they're so cute... I think this would be a really good starter domsubverse manga!!!
Hands Off My Sub (Ore no Sub wo Abaku na): I like Zarame Same's work and I like Kabukicho host clubs so naturally I like this one too lol, it's pretty standard for domsubverse but not in a bad way!
Sir, Itās Time for You to Kneel (Shachou, Osuwari ni Jikan desu): I'm weak to subordinate x boss pairings and Megane is sooo good at drawing smut, phew
If you have read Domsubverse before:
Love Chain, Love Gene: PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK THIS IS THE PEAK OF DOMSUBVERSE!!! I need everyone to start writing more Sub x Dom BL RIGHT NOW!!!! I'm not putting it in the previous category because I feel like reading this as your first domsubverse will just raise your expectations too high for the genre as a whole. Aside from it being sub x dom which isn't as common, it's also just a FANTASTIC manga, an absolute standout within not just domsubverse but BL as a whole (in my opinion)
Tried Saying A Command (Tameshi ni Command Itte Mita): Dom x Dom (Switch) ; this was I think the first domsubverse I read that I enjoyed, I really like their relationship and friendship!!! I just put it here since it's not Dom x Sub.
Kocchi Muite Glare: This is a domsubverse isekai where all the people have animal ears so there's a lot going on... but oh god they're so cute, and the uke is SO forward and open and enthusiastic, I love it!!!
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Cakeverse:
Love From the Tip of the Tongue (Shitasaki kara Koi): This is kind of THE quintessential cakeverse manga; I don't think the other -verses really have such a definitive title that represents the genre like this. I didn't really like it initially but when I reread it I liked it a lot more, so it might've just been me being resistant to -verses back then lol... I'm super excited to read the Yen Press version next month!!
Kawaisou na Kimi wa Boku Dake no Amayaka na Kizu: Beautiful seductive uke and a seme wearing a muzzle... that's my pitch, take it or leave it
Melting Strawberry Kiss (Strawberry Kiss Melt): This one is cake x fork instead of the way more common fork x cake which I liked, and Sakura Rico's art is always gorgeous
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Nameverse:
Ebony Castle: This one is SO good (albeit painful) from what I've read. I've only read the first season of the manhwa but I'm tempted to also read the novel... I love when -verses are portrayed as a curse or burden despite the in-universe media making them seem perfect and romantic, it adds to the pain lol
Blue Name Pressure: I'm not totally sold on the story in this one yet but I do find it entertaining and I love teaxl's art so I'll be sticking around lol, plus season 2 just started recently in Korean so that's exciting!
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Pomegaverse:
There's not many but I wanted to recommend a couple anyway :B
Inu mo Arukeba Koi ga Hajimaru: Sooo so so stinking cute, it made me get all teary the first time I read it, and Hakase's art is just so beautifully light and delicate
Wan to Naitara Kiss Shite Nadete: I'm not caught up on this one but idol x fan and the fan is also a pomeranian??? auuUUGGHHHH SO CUTE
actually do you know any japanese ebook sites/stores that give you the pdf/epub/any sort of file. there are some bl ranobes i might want to buy but only if i can get the file (bc i want to port them onto my decade old e reader)
OH I MISSED THIS but yes!!! When I want epubs specifically, I use the Japanese Kobo site and then remove the DRM with the obok plugin in Calibre
I uhhh feel like I'm not a good person to answer this because I really like smut but I'll try lol
Lullaby of the Dawn (Yoake no Uta): GENUINELY ONE OF THE BEST SERIES I'VE EVER READ GO READ IT IF YOU HAVEN'T PLEASEEEE
Spinach Bouquet: the side stories have smut but the main story is 100 episodes and doesn't and I highly HIGHLYYY recommend it, it made me cry for like 20 episodes straight...
The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai): one of the few isekai I like, I actually really enjoy the story and setting and the romance is just UGHHH (/pos) I love Aresh, he's such a lover boy!!!!
Snow Fairy (Yuki no Yousei): Maybe my favourite Serizawa Tomo manga, it's just sooo soft
One Room Angel: Heavy trigger warning for suicide and bullying, also technically it's adult/minor but it's not... like... really romantic...??? I dunno, it's by Harada... it's not sexual but it's still a Harada manga lol so proceed with caution
Love in the Palm of His Hand (Chameleon wa Tenohira ni Koi wo Suru): I've only read vol 1-2 (vol 3 comes out in English next week) but it's really really good!!!
Anything by Roji: Roji's stuff is soooo sweet and never has anything explicit so check it out!!
Lullaby of the Dawn has some light physical stuff and Bean Counter has fade-to-black sex scenes but I wouldn't categorize them as smut...? Also I have a handful of other series that have like, one short sex scene at the end (i.e. Metalhead Next Door) that I don't personally consider smut because it's so minimal so if those are okay I could also list more!
Also danmei manhua is basically guaranteed to not have on-screen visible sex because of the restrictions in place but some still have sex with creative censor work lol
Takatora and the Omegas... and that's kind of it (sadly)
Though there's a danmei I wanna read called Light Tea, Sweet Wine (ęø č¶ēé ) that's omega x omega... I haven't read it yet so I can't personally recommend it, but it's on my radar so I'll mention it anyway :B
WE NEED MORE OMEGA X OMEGA NOW!!!!
I like love triangles IN THEORY when it could genuinely go either way, but when it's obvious from the start who's gonna be endgame and the other love interest is basically just a glorified decoy I find it really annoying lmao... I've very rarely seen a love triangle that I liked but it's more because I don't like the execution rather than the trope itself?? Y'know?
Ahhh I don't THINK so??? I went through Dagom's account and didn't see anything but maybe I missed it? Maybe it'll get answered in a future creator's note or something hmm
Also, they're both boys!
Alright this one is gonna be long because I have a lot of thoughts lol
Generally speaking I'm pro-piracy, especially when it comes to media preservation and things that are only sold as digital licenses rather than an item you own forever. Plus I grew up with fansubs and scanlations being integral to the anime/manga fandom, much more than nowadays, and also have worked on scanlations myself so I'm definitely not against it. I support scanlation for the purpose of wider exposure.
That said, I do have a problem with just how entitled people feel to getting art for free, and it really pisses me off when I see people say they'd never pay for manga (or "I'd never spend money on yaoi lol" specifically) because to me that shows that you have no respect for the artists or the medium as a whole. It's one thing to be like, "I can't afford it right now but I buy when I can" and we can debate about whether or not that's acceptable, but it's a totally different thing to say you don't think the stuff you read or watch deserves to be paid for, and that's a sentiment I see a LOT online.
Also, regarding fan translations, if you paywall your fan translation you go to hell no matter what. If you try to profit off of a fan translation in general, you go to hell NO MATTER WHAT. I will never ever support that shit, and there's been such a huge increase in that behaviour with all the paywalled MTL slopmills for webtoons and webnovels. I also don't support fan translations of works that are already licensed and available for purchase because I think fan translations are there to fill a gap and are no longer needed once there's a legal channel to support something in your language.
I know people have often said that talking about morality and ethics with regards to fan translations is moot because its still illegal/piracy/stealing/etc. and I get that, I'm not trying to say I'm morally correct for only condoning fan translations of unlicensed work; I know it's illegal, I know it's piracy. However I also think that the impact that fansubs and scanlations have had on exposure/awareness can't be ignored or downplayed, even if they're less critical in today's anime and manga landscape. I think they still have a place and purpose.
I mostly talked about fanTLs but I guess I should talk about official rips too? I'd be lying if I said I've never read an official reupload LMAO but I do try to buy stuff I've read online (and sometimes I'll buy something physically and then end up just reading it illegally online on my phone tbh.) I don't think there's a moral defense for official reuploads so I'm not gonna defend or justify them... EXCEPT in the case of stuff that's been removed from purchase. Manga Planet you've got it coming
tl;dr it's not black-and-white; I am pro-piracy as a general stance because I think art should be accessible but I don't support the blatant disregard for the value of art being consumed, which I see constantly. I think that if you enjoy something, you should WANT to support it. Also, scanlations are a somewhat grey area for me personally.
I haven't gotten questions about school before these so you're all good!
I'm majoring in Global Management. I originally went to college in my 20s for Accounting with the intention of bridging into university in the same department, but they took away that option while I was in college so I just ended up finishing my 3-year diploma and moving on lmao... But a few years ago when I was looking up options for getting a degree, I found out I COULD use my diploma to bridge into university, it just couldn't be into accounting. I ended up picking the major I hated the least since I don't really like studying business but it was the most straightforward way for me to get a degree :B
In response to how it's been, I feel like the answer might've been more positive even 3 or 4 years ago but man... the genAI boom has made school feel so much worse than when I was in college, and that wasn't even that long ago. Also fwiw I haven't really been treated badly by other students for being older but I feel the generation gap soooo bad. I think going back to college would've been less awkward since when I was a college student there was a much bigger spread of ages than I've seen in university :S
Also, I quit my full-time category management job to go back to (business) undergrad which has been uniquely bad. Business school is like larping having a job because they want to prepare you for The Real World so I have to larp being a careerwoman with 20 year olds who have maybe worked one part time job and it just feels so. dumb. Like genuinely no offense to the other students because I think it's good for them but I just end up feeling silly?
ANYWAY if you're considering going back to school I THINK YOU SHOULD!!! My experience is specific because I'm studying business and I also don't like studying business, but when I take humanities electives I have a good time and the class discussions feel meaningful so I think it definitely depends on what you're studying.
I DO.... I REALLY DO............
Unfortunately I don't have much faith in the license, but I'm gonna keep begging for it LMAO it was licensed by Futekiya which means it's basically dead as far as I can tell, since they stopped releasing subsequent volumes of their licenses and also who knows what's happening with Manga Planet/Futekiya anymore really. Plus no one else seems to be willing? able?? to license stuff from Tokyomangasha (the Japanese publisher) so I dunno how feasible it is for it to be picked up by another company either. At this point I feel like scan groups should just start picking up the ongoing Tokyomangasha series that Futekiya only released part of because uhhh, uhhhhhhh ????
I was gonna say "never say never" but honestly I think that's never gonna happen lol
YEAAAHHHH I feel like it's obvious but my favourite ship is AkiAngel from Chainsaw Man! My other big one is KabuMisu from Delicious in Dungeon... and like, Faust x Mephisto from Arknights lmao. Also KawoShin was extremely formative for me. I'm not super into shipping though, I prefer just reading canon pairings in BL lol
I'm gonna have a fujo trip someday #trust
Dude this thought literally haunts me, like it actually stresses me out when I think about it lmao but I've been replying/interacting on my new account so hopefully I'm not completely gone from their mind
WE WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS, ANON!!! IT'LL STILL BE GOOD!!!!!
Hmmm kind of a hard question, I don't particularly like noncon but I guess I'm kinda neutral on it? Like if a story has noncon it's not automatically a writeoff for me but I don't like stuff that's just RAPE RAPE RAPE and I also don't like #ukeabuse just for the sake of it lol... I generally prefer cuter/fluffier stories so I guess it's not that surprising.
Dubcon though... I feel like you've gotta be okay with some level of dubcon just because of how often characters are like NO DON'T!!! but also heat/rut in omegaverse often have elements of dubcon since they're not in their right mind and I looooove that shit
So noncon I'm neutral-but-don't-super-like-it and dubcon depends but there's a lot of dubcon I like lol
I try not to be tooooo negative about stuff publicly but if i'm gonna be honest, Jinx is just... I just don't like Mingwa's writing lol... Like I think the characters in Jinx are poorly written and the plot just feels so contrived? This is related to my answer directly above but the first two seasons are basically rape porn where Kim Dan is put through the wringer over and over again despite being extremely selfless and kind and it just felt so unenjoyable to me. I can't take Jaekyung's current redemption arc seriously because until Dan knows about everything heinous he did to him, I don't think he's worthy to try to be with him at allllll. Like, his chasing arc needs to be longer and Dan needs to be way colder to him. But again, I don't like hashtag uke abuse and I don't like gratuitous rape so it's not surprising I'm a Jinx hater I guess lol
As for why I still read it, part of me is curious to see how his redemption arc gets resolved because I do nottttt have faith in it being satisfying (to me). But to be honest it's also the fact that it's by far the most popular BL manhwa right now, I think if it were a random series no one reads I wouldn't engage with it but because I see it everywhere every 10 days I end up hatereading the latest episode because curiosity gets the best of me lol. Maybe it's a bit of sunk cost fallacy since I've read this far? I dunno, it's the thing I read to get pissed off but I don't want to be too negative around people who do like it so I don't usually voice my actual complaints with the series.
I have some more older gimmicks that require longer answers so I'm gonna keep going!!!
I got into anime and manga when I was around 9 years old but in my teens/twenties I mostly stopped keeping up because I only really followed idols for a long time, so my favourites are either things from yeaaars ago that became really formative for me or things I read or watched recently... Which is kind of embarrassing? Also in general my non-BL faves are super generic popular things, sorry!!!!
FLCL
Chainsaw Man
Delicious in Dungeon
Inuyasha
Bocchi the Rock!
Haruhi Suzumiya
Oshi no Ko (sorry)
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Chrono Crusade
My Dress-up Darling
There's also a lot of series that were formative but I haven't revisited in 15-20 years so I feel weird including them?? But when I think about the series that made me who I am, they're the ones I think of, and a lot of them are the shoujo manga that got me into the medium as a kid. I'll list some not in any particular order:
Full Moon wo Sagashite (purposely not revisiting this one because it was THE manga of my youth which I read probably 50 times but I am too scared to reread it now lol... I was a Tanemura Arina diehard in general)
Lovely Complex
Kimi ni Todoke
Ouran High School Host Club
Sand Chronicles
Shugo Chara
Azumanga Daioh
Gurren Lagann
Durarara!!
.hack//SIGN
Princess Tutu
Also honorable mention is Umineko no Naku Koro ni because the manga is soooo good and is one of my pillars of fiction but I was into it for the VN
(I feel like Tamon's B-Side and/or You and I Are Polar Opposites might end up on my list but I'm waiting to see if it's recency bias teehee)
I do!! This is a kind of tricky question for me because I don't consider the BL manga I'm into to be underrated or niche, they're just less known within the English-speaking BL community because they aren't translated yet? Like, as far as current BL trends in Japan go, I'm so extremely mainstream and basic LOL my favourite manga won best BL of 2025 and the 2nd and 3rd place last year are also two of my all-timers... It's just that there's naturally a delay between Japanese releases becoming well-known in the English-speaking communities, so stuff I'm really into might seem less known even though it's crazy popular in Japan, I guess? So I'd consider myself basic but maybe slightly ahead of the curve on being basic, if that makes sense
About those specific series, I do like all three of the manga mentioned! I also really like Seaside Stranger which usually also gets included in the "modern mainstream BL" category lol... Actually, at my job I also have Given/SasaMiya/Etranger as my staff picks :B I just don't have blurbs for Given or SasaMiya because I think they're already pretty popular!
For the manhwa, I like Low Tide in Twilight a lot! Love is an Illusion I read like half of and just wasn't really vibing with it. I read Jinx regularly but I. do not like it. It's my designated hate-read, lmao
tl;dr I definitely don't avoid stuff that's more popular or mainstream, and a lot of my faves are pretty huge outside of English spaces (for now)!
Your worth as a fan isn't determined by how much you read!!! I know it's easier said than done, but don't feel bad about it! I think 180 is still a LOT of titles, but even if you read less, that would be totally fine too. I've slowed down a loooottttt so I don't read nearly as many in a short time anymore, but I was really just insanely fixated and obsessed with reading as much as I could...
I think if I had to give any advice, it's that single-volume BL is just so much more immediately accessible to me than series, so I'd read a lot of those. Maybe focus on authors you like one thing from and read their other works? Early on for me that was like, Shikke, Suehiro Machi, Suzumaru Minta, Mamita... Knowing I already liked one of their works made it less daunting to jump into new stuff.
Ultimately, though, don't force it! Don't worry about being a "good fan" because (at least in my experience) that makes it stop being fun and start being stressful. Read BL if you want to, but just have fun!!
I answered the second one on Twitter but I realized there was another one that's a bit older soooo
It's not that I don't read or am not interested in yuri or het romance! I just have a BL hyperfixation and focus most of my energy on keeping up with BL, so I end up not reading anything else LMAO... but like, I've been watching Tamon's B-Side and You and I Are Polar Opposites with my husband and I'm OBSESSSEDDDDDDDD with both of them. love love love love
I don't think there's a yuri that I'm super obsessed with right now but I was religiously reading How Do We Relationship when it was serializing... admittedly I haven't finished it because I have a bad habit of avoiding finishing things because I don't want them to be over lmao but I WILL finish it... I just haven't finished it because I loved it so much...
I swore I was gonna read more non-BL this year and I haven't actually achieved that at all yet but. watch this space(?????)
YES!! These are my recommendations:
Love in the Palm of His Hand (Chameleon wa Tenohira ni Koi wo Suru): Deaf love interest
Touch Within the Abyss (Kimi no Yoru ni Fureru): Blind love interest
After We Gazed At The Starry Sky (Hoshizora wo Mitsumeta Sono Ato de): Wheelchair user protagonist
Sign: Deaf love interest
Ogi's Summer Break (Ogi-kun no Natsuyasumi): Blind love interest
Kaze to Sharin: Wheelchair user love interest
Some honorable mentions:
The Furthest Love in the World (Sekai de Ichiban Tooi Koi): Deaf protagonist; I haven't read this one yet so I can't recommend it myself, but I've only heard wonderful things about it so I'm including it on the side!
I Hear The Sunspot (Hidamari ga Kikoeru): Love interest with hearing loss; Full disclosure, I really do not like this manga LOL but I'm overwhelmingly in the minority and I think most people I know love it, so I'm mentioning it anyway... From what I've read I think it's a terrible romance story but the disability representation is great, so if you're reading it more for that, I do recommend it!
Another honorable mention, though it's not actually about a disability:
Nakanu Hotaru wa Ao ni Kogareru: The love interest has a large Mongolian spot birthmark on his forearm. I'm including it as an honorable mention because I feel like the parts about him feeling othered and pitied by his peers resonate with me in ways similar to reading stories like Kaze to Sharin, so it's not disability representation but I wanted to call it out as a separate mention.
I feel like these are related enough to answer together, lol
I think the feud comes from the fact that there's obvious overlap between BL manga and manhwa, but there's also a LOT of differences, and BL manhwa is considerably more popular now (partly because of the frequency and accessibility.) I think this leads to manga readers feeling frustrated that "yaoi" and BL has shifted to largely referring to BL manhwa (and I say this because I'm included in that frustration #lol)
Manga readers also tend to blame manhwa readers for illegal reading sites getting shut down because Korean media companies like Kakao are notorious for their extremely strict copyright protection efforts... but as we learned from the Batoto shutdown, that was also due to several Japanese publishers, lol...
Honestly I do like both and I do read both, but the tropes and styles can be REALLY different; they're different markets, after all. I feel like it's kind of obvious if you follow me but I'm a manga girl through and through!!! I'm not manga-only and I don't like when people write off the entire BL manhwa industry, but my real passion firmly lies with the manga side of BL.
I also just infinitely prefer the standard black-and-white comic style of manga to full colour webtoon art, like... it's not close AT ALL. Besides the obvious difference of colour, I just really like the use of screentones and shading in manga; I have a deep love and appreciation for manga as a medium. It makes me sad that manhwa has basically shifted entirely to the full-colour webtoon format, especially when I see artists like Yakguk putting out stunning traditional black-and-white manhwa (which got converted to webtoon scrolling format for Manta's release of Curveball and Splitter BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)
Tan Eito x Noumi Masataka (The Apology of Noumi-senpai/Noumi-Senpai no Benmei)
Kuro x Luka (Omega of the Divine/Aijitsu to Hanayome)
Kitayama Yuuki x Minamiya Ayumu (Kitayama & Minamiya)
Yamasuge Ryuuji x Kaido Amane (If It's You, I Might Try Falling In Love/Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo)
Ogino Hiroki x Sugawara Mayo (My Noons and Midnights Are For You/Mayonaka no Ore wo Mite)
Yao Hayato x Fujita Riichi (Shinai Shinai mo Ai no Uchi)
Hirota Kousuke x Ayase Natsuki (Mijinko's original characters)
Seo Taeoh x Moon Dobin (Scent and Sensibility)
Liu Weikun x Seo Yeehyeon (Diamond Dust)
Ryu Ian x Baek Eunsan (Melting Point)
SPINACH BOUQUET. I cried for like 20 episodes straight oh my god. Also literally yesterday I cried while reading Little Mushroom so I'll say that too.
2. Oh man... there's a LOT that have made me laugh... I'll try to narrow it down to the funniest ones!
Punch Drunk Love... obviously
Red Thread Quest
Kill Me If You Can
Happy Crappy Life
Ando is New to Drinking (Osake ni Yowai Andou-san)
Tashiro-kun, Why're You Like This? (Tashiro-kun, Kimitte Yatsu wa.)
3. My first reaction to reading this question had me trying to think of something bizarre in a bad way, but actually I'm gonna use the opportunity to just name two series I love but also think are strange in a good way: Wet Dream Aquarium and Be My Baby!
Wet Dream Aquarium is definitely cuter and more wholesome than you'd expect from the cover but I'd definitely still call it bizarre (in a good way)! And Be My Baby is like... not only is the premise ridiculous, the way visual design is utilized by the artist is super interesting, plus the inclusion of meme references... it's definitely one of a kind to me LOL
4. I don't want to name my favourites for this because it feels like a cop-out, so...
Lullaby of the Dawn (Yoake no Uta)
Dear Gene (Shinai naru Gene e)
One Room Angel
5. The main ones that come to mind for "I'm only here for the sex" are Love Remedy and Omega Complex... though honestly there's a lot of manhwa that I mostly just read for the sex lol...
6. When I think of guilty pleasure reads I think of stuff that I personally run to read every week but also wouldn't recommend to other people because I don't think they're objectively good??? And for that it's gotta be When Pear Blossoms Bloom and Feel My Benefit because I am sooo locked in with both of them but... like... are they good...????
I was thinking about putting Jinx on here since I read it every 10 days like it's my job but I don't think it even falls under guilty pleasure to me. Guilty torture. Guilty self-hatred
This is a scary question LMAO please don't hate me hehe
The Alpha's Bride -Love's Resonance- (Ī± no Hanayome - Kyoumei Renjou): Since it has 4 volumes and the sequel (Omega no Kashoku) was nominated for best BL comic this year I had high expectations but oh my GOD IT SUUUUUCKSSSSS. The sequel actually is really good though!!
The Feisty Omega and His Twin Mates (Tsuyogari Omega wa Bokura no Tsugai): Blind bought this because yayyyy 3P omegaverse with an apparent Feisty Omega but I thought it sucked. Plus the fact that it has a whopping FIVE volumes also pisses me off, but maybe I'll try reading more to see if it gets any better??
My Personal Weatherman (Taikan Yohou): I had high expectations for this one because it got a live action adaptation AND WON BEST BL COMIC IN 2023 which is actually fucking insane to me considering it beat out PINK HEART JAM? AND LOSS TIME NI HANAMUKE WO???? So when I read it and thought it was just extremely "fine" I was so disappointed. I wouldn't say it was bad, just that my expectations were way too high because of the hype.
You Are My World: I was so excited for this one when the preview dropped and I'm still reading every episode as it comes out but wow I am so not feeling the story, if I'm honest... At this point I'm pretty used to noncon in Lezhin series but... man. Man.
One Summer Day: This used to be a guilty pleasure read for me but I think it's just downgraded to disappointment level. Girl I'm bored let's progress the story in any way
I got a couple questions about BL babies, so I'm answering them together! (Also I'm expanding it to young kids in general because I still consider those "BL babies" personally)
For specifically mpreg/omegaverse, it's gotta be my UNDISPUTED CHAMP, HARU FROM AIJITSU TO HANAYOME (OMEGA OF THE DIVINE)!!!!! š
After Aijitsu to Hanayome, I'd probably say:
-Hate Me, But Let Me Stay (Kiraide Isasete)
(specifically Shizuku because she's an angel (real) (confirmed))
-Papa to Watashi to Ayumu-chan
-Love is an Illusion!
-Surge Towards You
Since the previous question was about mpreg babies, I'll list some non-mpreg babies I like for this!! They're not in any particular order (and neither are the mpreg ones aside from my king Haru)
-Our Sunny Days (can we even talk about BL babies without talking about Her??)
-Our Family, Now and Forever (Kyou mo Ashita mo, Kazoku desu.)
-Mou Ichido Oshitara Hametsu Suru!
-Torano Tantei Jimusho e Youkoso
-Harumeku Katabutsu
BONUS:
I feel like the question(s) imply babies being raised by the main characters, but one of my favourite kids in BL is young Hayato from Shinai Shinai mo Ai no Uchi in the flashbacks/tidbits machica-sensei uploads to Twitter:
He's just SOOO cute!!!! I really like how machica-sensei draws and characterizes kids so I hope she does some sort of baby/family continuation to Shinai Shinai mo Ai no Uchi... please sensei I know you want to...
Iām still a bit nervous about posting too much on my new Twitter account, so at least for now, Iāll use a blog for Strawpage responses! Since I used the notes app on my phone for some of the gimmicks I answered before, Iāll start by reposting those and reanswering some I donāt have the original answer for (some of the answers I also found by scrolling through my suspended account, but I couldn't find all of them/couldn't view stuff in the threads)
This is gonna be long, sorry LMAO
Uke:
-Noumi Masataka (Noumi-senpai no Benmei)
-Minamiya Ayumu (Kitayama-kun to Minamiya-kun)
-Ema (Ema no Gochisou)
-Kaido Amane (Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo)
-Sugawara Mayo (Mayonaka no Ore wo Mite)
-Moon Dobin (Scent and Sensibility)
-Seo Yeehyeon (Diamond Dust)
(3/19 edit: can I add An Zhe from Little Mushroom immediately after reading it)
Seme:
-Tan Eito (Noumi-senpai no Benmei)
-Kitayama Yuuki (Kitayama-kun to Minamiya-kun)
-Enatsu Kouta (Kowamote no Rinjin ga Omega Datta Toki no Taishohou)
-Yamasuge Ryuuji (Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo)
-Yao Hayato (Shinai Shinai mo Ai no Uchi)
-Haiga Yuki (Pink Heart Jam)
-Choi Yikyung (Sketch)
I donāt really like categorizing stuff as green flag/red flag for several reasons so Iām not sure if these really fit the billā¦ also Iām a little baby so I usually prefer cute and fluffy couples (but that doesnāt mean I DONāT like toxic or darker dynamics.)
Green(??) / Healthy(??)
1. Kuro x Luca (Aijitsu to Hanayome)
2. Tan Eito x Noumi Masataka (Noumi-senpai no Benmei)
3. Kitayama Yuuki x Minamiya Ayumu (Kitayama-kun to Minamiya-kun)
4. Yamasuge Ryuuji x Kaido Amane (Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo)
5. Choi Yikyung x Lee Joobin (Sketch)
Red(????) / Toxic(????)
1. Liu Weikun x Seo Yeehyeon (Diamond Dust)
2. Yeo Taeju x Kim Euihyun (Low Tide in Twilight)
3. Han Seoin x Baek Yeongwoon (Backlight)
I didnāt write down my response to the first question anywhere besides my first tweet but I thiiiink my answer was Beyond the Memories? The art definitely wasnāt bad but it was very much standard weekly manhwa art, visually very unmemorable so I was reading for the story.
I did, however, write my second answer in my notes app!! So here:
Works by:
-Imai Yuumi (i looooove her work but itās mostly for the art, if Iām honest. but Iām still a devout fan of her)
-Sakura Rico (love her art but am so extremely neutral on her writing)
-Yoriko (i read her stuff for the art and if the story hits then Iām pleasantly surprised)
Specific titles:
-Hallelujah Baby (SOOOO PRETTY AND CUTE but wow the story is not very good and itās so long too. Iām not caught up but what i have read has been for the cute art)
-Limited Run (absolutely stunning art but i do not remember a single thing that happens even though i read it last year)
-Jinx (i donāt think i need to elaborate)
-Written In The Stars (jaw-droppingly gorgeous to look at, oh my god wow, but just fucking abysmal to read)
A) Itās not over yet, butā¦ Scent and Sensibility LOLā¦ I really didnāt like Season 1, but now itās my favourite manhwa!
For a series that is done, my opinion of A Man of Virtue pulled a total 180. I didnāt really get what it was going for at first, but it was SO worth reading. I wonāt say more because I think itās probably better if you donāt know what to expect, but if you do start reading it and arenāt feeling it, keep going!!!! The payoff is so good IMO!!
B) I feel like I'm gonna answer this and immediately remember 20 other covers instead but I think it's... gotta be Mayomi? ?? Right????
C) My favourite tropes, huh...? I'm giving 4 to maximize the tweet images LOL (3/19 edit: obviously this doesn't apply anymore but I'm not changing my answers :P)
2 examples each, except for omegaverse where I gave 2 more standard titles and then 2 that have unique takes (IMO!)
Now, you may have noticed a certain title missing from these answers... and that's because it encompasses ALL FOUR OF MY FAVOURITE TROPES...
SHINAI SHINAI MO AI NO UCHI HAS GOT IT ALL!!! THANK YOU MACHICA I OWE YOU MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!
I do love Tamon-kun so that makes me sad to hear... but I love idol BL so I'm happy to recommend some regardless. By the way, I'm including idol x idol pairings if one is a fan of the other!
Top row are licensed in English!
Off Stage Love Side is kind of like... the opposite of what you asked for?? But since it's a reversal it still feels worth mentioning here!
Around 2 years ago! I watched the Cherry Magic anime because I was somewhat keeping up with seasonal anime at the time, but the real catalyst was when I read Twilight Out of Focus. I saw it was getting an anime while checking upcoming seasons so I looked up the manga and after I finished it, I discovered the world of one-volume BL LOL (disregard the fact that there's multiple volumes in the series, since it was still originally a standalone single volume)
I finished reading it within an hour and when I went to log it on Anilist I noticed a lot of other single volume BL in the recommendations; the idea of a complete romance story being contained to a single volume really appealed to me after reading one, so I ended up binging a bunch of others immediately after. For the next few months after that, I was reading 5 (give or take) single-volume BLs a day because I got totally obsessed and wanted to experience as much as I could LMAO... since I logged Tasogare right after I finished it, I can pinpoint the exact moment I entered the swamp and became a fujoshi (March 3, 2024.)
I'm the kind of person who, if I take an interest in something, I need to know EVERYTHING. So that's why I spent half a year reading as much single-volume BL as I could, because I wanted to see the variety and scope of BL manga as a whole!! I read about 500 titles in that time... kinda scary lol. I've slowed down a lot but I still have the same passion, so I've switched from reading as much as possible to just keeping up-to-date with recent releases out of Japan.
OH this is a good question!!! I admittedly don't read much older BL manga, but I went digging to see if I could find any that had been translated!
Even idols will fall in love! Yu and Hinata are members of the popular idol group āru 2 sh!ā. These two people seem to be on good terms on t
In the Star Right series:V.1 - Star RightMaxime is Japan's top pop group right now, gaining fans everywhere. Mari and Kyouhei are idols, ban
Genki has finally made his debut in an idol group, āSexy Dangerousā, attributing to their characters, but really, heās as clumsy as a 15 yea
Formerly titled as "Dasao-kun wa Yoru mo Idol".Summary:It's my first time experiencing this feeling... So please, be my 'friend'!The popular
Yes! I've been kind of bad about actually updating my Anilist lately (and I read a lot of first chapters/previews of new Japanese releases but don't log those lol) but it's mostly accurate and has extra lists for my BL manga and BL manhwa recommendations:
Kiiiiindaaaaaa? I'd been into (largely underground) idols for about 16 years when I got into BL, but I'd never actually tried to learn, so it was mostly just stuff I'd picked up from exposure. There's very very little stuff that's translated in that scene and you kind of just have to fend for yourself and figure it out, so I knew basic grammar + hiragana/katakana a couple hundred kanji? But it was mostly passively acquired knowledge.
After I went to Japan for the first time in 2023, I really realized how little I knew and decided I wanted to start learning for real, so I started using immersion methods I read about online. (i.e. AJATT, but use this site instead if you're interested lol) This is actually why I was keeping up with seasonal anime and discovered Tasogare Outfocus, because I was watching weekly anime with Japanese subtitles for listening/reading practice! So I started studying more earnestly about half a year before I got into BL.
That said, starting to read BL manga in Japanese was definitely the hardest I went with reading practice. So I'm not joking when I say I reached N3 level by reading BL :P
I'm just a regular sales associate at a bookstore chain so there's not much to it, honestly... I initially got hired through a group interview back in 2017 (though for the sake of transparency I'll say my friend who already worked there referred me) and left for a couple years in 2022 because I got a corporate job elsewhere. Back then, I was mostly known as a kids associate (specifically American Girl since we had a boutique in the store) and what I read was mostly non-fiction about politics or social issues.
I ended up re-interviewing for the store when I decided to quit my full-time job to go back to school, and that was the same year I was getting reallyyyy into BL, so it just kind of happened without me really trying? My staff picks from before were gone since I had quit, and all I'd read recently was BL, so I started putting my name on that instead. I don't really feel ashamed or sheepish about reading BL (obviously) so I didn't think much of staff picking it? But after I picked several, I started overhearing customers talking about me (good and bad LMAO) and decided to lean into it even more. Now I'm like a weird pseudo-celebrity within the store I guess because customers will seek me out or ask my coworkers if I'm working? I didn't really get it at first but I think it's because I'm really unapologetic and public about being a fujoshi. I've had quieter/more timid customers enthusiastically tell me they come to my store specifically to buy BL and are really grateful for the selection. So I'll keep being the weird manga pervert of my bookstore until I'm told to stop, because I've been told it means a lot to people and I have a lot of really amazing interactions with the local fujin community because of it!
That said, since not many people at my store like working in the kids section and I do/have been trained for it, I work in the kids section more often than not. That or working on the main floor, primarily on cash; getting shifts in the predominantly book section of the store is actually really rare, which probably isn't obvious from my tweets!! So while it might sound like I have a BL/manga-related job, I'm almost always working elsewhere. Sometimes I even get scolded for trying to do manga work on an unrelated shift lol... I just mainly talk about the manga section on Twitter since that's the part that's relevant to my online interests :P Not sure if this'll shatter the illusion lol
I'm gonna write a way longer response than I initially did on twitter lol THIS IS MY PASSION!!!!!! SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR THE LONG ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!
I actually hated the concept of omegaverse for a looong time, basically as long as I knew about it? My main criticisms were that it was like shifter/animal trait tropes but without the actual animal part which is boring, and that it felt like Misogyny 2....... I don't really agree with those anymore, but I still understand when people have those criticisms of omegaverse since I felt the same at one point. (I also just thought it was vaguely weird or "icky" but I reject those reasons now)
Also, since people are usually surprised by this: the first omegaverse I read was original BL manga, not fanfiction! I'm aging myself here but I stopped reading fanfiction in ~2011 and was never into Supernatural, so I missed the initial rise, as well as it expanding into other fandoms. The first one I tried reading was Tadaima, Okaeri because of the anime, but I just could NOT get into it, I couldn't get past the absurdity of the general omegaverse setting. Then I read What We Do When The Curtain Comes Down (Maku ga Oritara Bokura wa Tsugai) because I kept getting ads for it on Twitter and initially I was like "this is so stupid lollllllll" but ended up getting really invested...
I think I read some other series after that but the other pivotal one for me was No God in Eden (Kamisama Nanka Shinjinai Bokura no Eden.) At that point, my biggest hangup about omegaverse was that the established worldbuilding just felt so ridiculous (i.e. pheromone terrorism in MakuTsuga lmao) but BokuEde didn't have an already established omegaverse setting, so it really caught my attention. I ended up reading a big chunk of it in Japanese as one of the first BL manga I read in Japanese, which was kind of rough because of how technical/scientific it got sometimes (but at least it has furigana!)
After that, I became pretty neutral to omegaverse and would read it if the premise interested me otherwise or if I liked the author... but then I started realizing that omegaverse (manga) inherently had a lot of tropes and kinks I liked... and I started seeking out more omegaverse... and, well!!!! Oops!
Admittedly I started being more vocal about omegaverse because I was playfully trying to balance out my oomves that vocally hate omegaverse but at some point it just became completely earnest? And then people started associating me with omegaverse, so I leaned into it.
Anyway, regarding what I like about it... I mentioned that omegaverse inherently has a lot of stuff I like, so:
PHEROMONES!!!! I have a scent kink like crazy so naturally the pheromone aspect is one of the major reasons I like omegaverse :3c
NESTING... this is obviously my #1 favourite part but it's kind of an extension of the pheromone thing so I'm listing it second. I think nesting is just extremely extremely cute and adorable and sweet (and also sometimes very very sexy) and is one of the softer yet still animalistic, instinct-driven parts of omegaverse. I like when omegas don't fully understand what they're doing/why they're building a nest but just instinctively know it'll make them feel safe. Ouughhhhh I love nesting
Fate, both accepting and rejecting it! I love fated pairs/soulmates and the intrinsic draw between two people!!! But I also love stories about characters who reject that and try to forge their own path outside of the one fate has planned for them. I know I'm a broken record with this but I really recommend City Lights Birthday for that!!!
Heats/ruts!!! I know this is what a lot of people DON'T like about omegaverse but I love when characters lose themselves to primal desire, especially when it's omegas who are usually cold/aloof but become sex-crazed little monsters ehehehe. I'm honestly not that into non-con though so I prefer when it's more of a dub-con situation, especially when it's the alpha losing control.
On that note, this is very specific but when the alpha is losing control but exerts all of his energy to stop himself from attacking the omega, like when they bite their arm to stop themselves from biting the omega. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S OVERDONE I'LL EAT IT UP EVERY TIME BABY!! I LOVE A CHIVALROUS ALPHA!!!!!!!!!!
B-breeding kink... Ironically I'm actually pretty neutral on mpreg itself, like I enjoy it but it's not what I read omegaverse for? But I do have a breeding kink so just the act of a seme talking about impregnating the uke is enough for me and obviously omegaverse has a lot of that, lmao
NAPES AND NAPE BITING!!!!!!!!!! This seems more common in specifically Japanese BL because I don't see it in manhwa? Same with fated mates and stuff. But I'm a nape pervert and just the act of becoming mates through a physical process is soooo good to me!!!!
There's probably other things I could list but I don't remember them right now... and this is already long enough...
Unfortunately there is NOT ENOUGH knotting in what I've read. When I originally answered this on Twitter I listed some myself, but then I found a comment on Tumblr that was way more comprehensive so I'll just link that instead lmao
I do! Though for "bigger bottom" it's more about the smaller/cuter top for me than the bottom lol... I don't particularly love Alpha x Alpha but that's because the thing I like about omegaverse is usually the omega and the pheromone attraction, but I definitely don't avoid the A x A dynamic! (EDIT: ESUTYLM GOOD ALPHA X ALPHA BTW) That said, some of the things that people on bltwt regard as "unconventional" are incredibly common in recent Japanese BL, like older bottoms or puppy tops lol so I would still consider myself to be a pretty conventional fujoshi.
I've just started reading danmei, actually! Only 3 so far, but recently I read Boundless Utterance (Eternities Still Unsaid Till You Love Me), Imprisoned in Eternal Night, and Little Mushroom. I would definitely recommend all of them, ESPECIALLYYYYY Little Mushroom!!!!!! (though I'm sure a lot of people have already read it lol)
For manhua, I haven't really read much, but I really liked I Ship My Rival X Me! I haven't read the novel but the manhua was soooo cute.
