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YAOI NEWS: Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi S2 Airs October!

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:11:19 +0000

A couple days ago ANN confirmed that the second season of Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi has been green lit and now the Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi LiveJournal Community has posted an image of the below ad confirming season two is to start airing this October. However, at the time of this post the website for the series had not been updated to confirm this information.

It appears Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi is following in the same footsteps as Junjo Romantica, which had a very similar airing schedule and time between seasons. If you are unfamiliar with Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi, season one aired in Japan in April of this year and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. You can catch the entire season one on Crunchyroll here.

If anyone wants to provide a complete English translation, feel free to post it below in comments and I will add it to this post with proper credit.

Thanks to @thisfangirlsays for pointing out the Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi LiveJournal Community where this was posted, and to @MagicalEmi for confirming the translation!

~Jennifer LeBlanc

YAOI AMV: “My Dick” Hetalia Version

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 22:36:33 +0000

I forgot about this one until someone brought it up on twitter. I can't believe I never posted it! This AMV won Best Comedy at YaoiCon 2010. Enjoy!

YAOI CONTEST: Win a Copy of Viewfinder V4!

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:02:39 +0000

Digital Manga Publishing has graciously offered up four copies of Viewfinder Volume 4 for me to give away to you! The contest is open to everyone worldwide and this time I'm going to make the contest a little tougher. Contest entrants will need to complete a piece of dialogue from each of the prior three volumes released in order to have a chance of winning. The dialogue is taken straight from DMP's own releases and WILL NOT match to BeBeautiful's prior releases or scanlations. If you don't give me the exact dialogue, you can't win.

Ok, let's get started! Complete the dialogue for each volume. They will gradually become more difficult. Since volume 4 is expected in about three weeks, I am making the end date of the contest July 24, 2011.

Volume 1: End of first love scene. "If you want to survive in this world, you must become smarter. Hone your instincts, so that your eyes may…"

His eyes may what? I'm looking for four words.

Volume 2: End of Asami and Feilong's last scene together. "How foolish of me… to be so deeply affected by the warmth you've shown me that I can't even bring myself to…"

Bring himself to what? I'm not telling you how many words this time but it's all in the same speech bubble.

Volume 3: This time I'm not telling you where to locate the dialogue or how many words I'm looking for. "I don't want this. It's as if I'm falling into a trap, slowly succumbing to…"

Succumbing to what?

Once you have your answers, email your entry to info AT theyaoireview DOT com or just use the "Contact" tab above. DO NOT PUT YOUR ANSWERS IN COMMENTS!!!

Good luck!

~Jennifer LeBlanc

NEW YAOI LICENSE: Black Sun Volume 2

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:53:46 +0000

Since this is now listed on Amazon, I can finally tell you that DMP has finalized their licensing on Black Sun Volume 2! Amazon has it listed for release on December 6th. Here is the synopsis given for volume 2:

"As the former Crusader commander Lord Francis and the king continue their manipulations of both Leonard and General Jan, it is quite apparent that they intend to drive the two lovers apart. But why is that? Is Leonard really just a plaything for General Jan as the spoils of war? Or will General Jan continue to defy convention and risk everything by disobeying his king in order to claim the heart and body of the knight he conquered in battle?"

This is one of my all time favorites so I am very excited that Uki Ogasawara have finally released volume two in Japan. I'm also very happy that we will only be waiting a little over five months to see it in English! Thank you DMP! If you are unfamiliar with this title, here is my review of volume one way back in January of 2009.

~Jennifer LeBlanc

NEW RELEASES: Animate USA June KINDLE Releases

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:51:38 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANIMATE USA – NEW RELEASES IN AMAZON KINDLE STORE

TOKYO, JAPAN – June 22 – Animate U.S.A., Inc. announces three brand new releases this June for the Kindle!

Coming to the fans this month are the continuations of three popular series. Youka Nitta’s “Kiss Ariki” Episode 5, Naduki Koujima’s “Selfish Love” Part 3, and Shiuko Kano’s Play Boy Blues Act 8 are all hitting the digital shelves this month in the Kindle store. You can’t get them anywhere else so be sure to download your copy ASAP!

Check out www.animate-world.com and www.libre-pub.co.jp for more information. For everything Youka Nitta pay a visit to website, nittayouka.com. Ayano Yamane fans will be pleased to know that, yamaneayano.com, has updates, wallpapers, and comments from Yamane herself! Be sure to check them out!!

June 2011:
Youka Nitta – "Kiss Ariki – Episode 5" KINDLE EXCLUSIVE!!!
Naduki Koujima – "Selfish Love Vol.1 Part 3”
Shiuko Kano – “P.B.B. Play Boy Blues – Act 8”?KINDLE EXCLUSIVE!!!

"Kiss Ariki – Episode 5" by Youka Nitta

Domoto is worriedly searching within the Suki clan for Tohru, who can't be found.

On the landing of the emergency staircase, he finds Tohru's mobile phone and something that appears to be bodily fluids. So he imagines a seriously deep relationship with Mutsumi…!?

The fifth episode of Kiss Ariki.

"Selfish Love Vol.1 Part 3” by Naduki Koujima

An excellent collection of 5 one-shot yaoi stories including childhood friend love, salaryman (businessman) uke, toshishita (younger) seme, and more!

"P.B.B. Play Boy Blues – Act 8" by Shiuko Kano

Junsuke's half-brother, Yoshinari, suddenly appears, and Junsuke's past is gradually being revealed.
Shinobu wants to be equals with Junsuke, and Junsuke wants him not to worry and interfere…
They have different opinions, and this is the result of each one stepping closer to the people closest to Shinobu and Junsuke.

"I wanted to introduce you to Yoshinari as the person most important to me."

"Seriously? Will you introduce me like that to your precious one too someday?"

The eighth episode of P.B.B. Play Boy Blues.

About Animate U.S.A., Inc.
From North to South, it's by far the largest anime store chain in Japan! It’s the go-to place for any anime/manga fan! Character goods from anime, manga, game, comics, art supplies… You name it! All anime/manga-related merchandise is available! Additionally, you can find original Animate goods, specials, etc. Furthermore, we have special events such as autograph sessions, panel discussions, campaigns, and more! Come to Animate filled with 'Dreams' and 'Hope'!!
See http://www.animate-world.com/ for more information.

About Libre Publishing Co., Ltd.
The biggest BL publisher in Japan. The company name "Libre Publishing Co., Ltd." is taken from the Latin base "Lib" which can mean "Book" or "Liberty." Such is the aim of our company, to be able to share this love of "books" and "freedom" by the unique contents of the works that we offer, for the enjoyment of our readers. See http://www.libre-pub.co.jp/ for more information. (in Japanese)
For further inquiries regarding this matter, please feel free to contact us at the following:
Regarding titles: rights@libre-pub.co.jp
Regarding Kindle Releases: ebookinfo@animate.co.jp

We would once again like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our books and for your continued support.

NEW RELEASE: Est Em’s Equus Available at Yaoi Club!

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:12:32 +0000

Est Em's gorgeous new boys' love title Equus is now available for purchase at Yaoi Club ! Since so many people wanted to get a hold of this beauty I asked DMP if they could get some copies for us to purchase and they graciously did. Thank you, DMP! If you are not familiar with this title, I posted a bunch of pictures of the cover and inside contents here (the cover is gorgeous with shiny gold detailing). There aren't many copies so act fast before they sell out. I can't promise they will get more in.

UPDATE: I wasn't kidding! The copies that came in were purchased as I was typing this but I did confirm with Yaoi Club that you can still special order a copy, which takes 2 to 3 weeks to come in.

~Jennifer LeBlanc

YAOI AMV: The Man of Tango by Tetuzoh Okadaya

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 07:24:31 +0000

~Jennifer LeBlanc

YAOI REVIEW: No One Loves Me ~ Yugi Yamada

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:20:01 +0000

No One Loves Me ~ Yugi Yamada

Juné Manga ~ 306 Pages

Japanese Pub Date ~ ’07 / English Pub Date ~ 11/10

Book Size ~ 5 1/8 x 7 3/16

Quick Synopsis:

“Katsuhiro keeps to himself and doesn’t show much of an interest in others. In fact, he’s perfectly happy to spend each and every day buried in the stacks of his used bookstore! But when Masafumi – an old face from his college days – shows up with a translation job too good to ignore, will these two total opposites end up reconnecting and finding a common language… of the heart?

No One Loves Me takes a bookworm and a go-getter on a ride through the crazy ups and downs of a high-stakes publishing job… and a once-in-a-lifetime shot at love! Katsuhiro knows that he has to let down his guard if he ever hopes to show the energetic and domineering Masafumi how he truly feels. But can these two “friendly rivals” find a way to write a happy ending to their non-traditional romance?”

Plot/Readability:

The two main characters in this story are Katsuhiro Kusaka, a used bookstore owner, and Masafumi Iijima, a salesman from a publishing company. Although the book synopsis calls these two “friendly rivals”, I don’t really think that applies. Katsuhiro since childhood has always been quiet, a bit quirky and straight to the point and unfortunately those around him including his family misunderstand this as being aloof and cold. I think it’s this personality trait that ends up making him an unintentional ladies man and that’s really where the only rivalry between he and Masafumi exists (and it’s not a rivalry Katsuhiro even wanted to begin with). Katsuhiro knows how his personality is perceived and really struggles with how to fix this and even Masafumi has his own struggles with how to interact with Katsuhiro. It’s through these struggles that some of the best dialogue in this book shines through.

Katsuhiro:

“Do you have to say ‘yes’ when someone confesses to you? Do you have to hold them?”

“There are some things you can’t change even if you do know.”

Masafumi:

“Of course I thought about the fact that we’re both guys. The old me would have only focused on the fact that I’m attracted to Katsuhiro. But now, I think I may have been treating him like a woman this whole time. I may have been trying to feel secure by placing under my protective care a guy who’s probably more masculine that anyone I know.”

In addition to the great dialogue is a great story. It’s different and detailed, and I really enjoyed how much Yugi Yamada delved into the background. It’s not your typical ‘working at a publishing company’ type story. We see Katsuhiro’s love of books through the time spent with his grandfather and how he feels about his own books and bookstore. I really got into his translating of the Czech books and even felt like I would love to read one of them when he was through!

Character Development:

One thing I really enjoy about Yugi Yamada’s characters is how different they are from each other and the various quirks she gives them. Somehow they seem more real to me. Katsuhiro has a depth that doesn’t come from the same old sad stories we always hear, like parents dying when he was young and having to raise his siblings on his own. Katsuhiro has a family just like everyone else and his personality stems from having to grow up with them, flaws and all; no tragic past, just family that doesn’t always mesh. When his uncle was introduced into the story, what he does to Katsuhiro made my heart sink but you know what? That’s how families are sometimes and that was real to me.

Masafumi on the other hand is a bit of a hot head, but he’s got a soft spot for Katsuhiro. I really like that Yugi Yamada didn’t emphasize the ‘but we’re GUYS!’ element in this story. Masafumi falls for Katsuhiro and it really felt natural to me. I could believe in their love story and that was nice.

As a bonus, we also have an additional couple that is part of this story although a smaller part. Both couples interact with each other and the way they all come together is smooth and makes sense. I never felt that any particular part of the storyline was rushed, but at 306 pages there was certainly room enough to explore the storyline as well as the characters!

Sexual Content:

There’s a decent amount of sexual content and at times it is explicit although not incredibly detailed. The sex scenes were very sensual and natural. One benefit to this book is that it covers two different couples so we get sex scenes covering both. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect:

Illustrations:

Although No One Loves Me is one of Yugi Yamada’s more recent works, having just reviewed three others I really don’t see much of a change in her illustrating style. I still like her ability to vary the characters’ looks enough that you don’t feel you’re getting the same characters over and over (although there are a few similarities from time to time). Yugi Yamada is good at illustrating humor however this title isn’t one of her better examples. Overall her illustrating is still rather simple, but I don’t find it overly detracts from the story. She still does an excellent job making sure the characters’ feelings come through in their facial expressions and that really makes a difference.

Final Thoughts:

No One Loves Me excels in two areas, excellent storytelling and overall length (306 pages!). This one is going down as one of my favorites of Yugi Yamada and I look forward to reading it again.

Plot/Readability: A

Character Development: A

Sexual Content: B+

Illustrations: B

Overall Grade: A-

Where to buy:

Book Depository does not have any copies. Rightstuf shows as a preorder item for some reason.

Other reviewed works by Yugi Yamada:

Close the Last Door! Volume 1

Close the Last Door! Volume 2

Open the Door to Your Heart

YAOI REVIEW: Open the Door to Your Heart

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Fri, 27 May 2011 09:03:35 +0000

Open the Door to Your Heart ~ Yugi Yamada

(aka Into Your Heart Through The Door)

Juné Manga ~ 200 Pages

Japanese Pub Date ~ '03 / English Pub Date ~ 12/10

Book Size ~ 5 1/8 x 7 3/16

Quick Synopsis:

“Shoichi, the oldest Honda brother, is a stiff and serious young man who works as a tax collector. His life isn’t exactly full of surprises… and he definitely never expected his long-gone sibling—the globetrotting, sexy Shunji—to show up at his doorstep! Will Shoichi ever erase the memory of the secret, scandalous night that he and Shunji spent in one another’s arms 10 years ago? Or maybe the most important question is… does he even want to?

Open the Door to Your Heart proves that some attractions, no matter how shocking, are just too strong to ignore! Shunji left his family’s home to travel the world after a single passionate encounter with his older brother left both young men too confused to carry on. Now, a decade later, he’s returned to the scene of the tryst… but will be find things as he left them?”

Plot/Readability:

If you haven’t already made the connection, Open the Door to Your Heart is a side-story of Close the Last Door. The two main characters in this story are Shoichi and Shunji, the two older brothers of Kenzou (aka Honda) from Close the Last Door. If you want to read the books in order it would be Close the Last Door V1, Open the Door to Your Heart and then Close the Last Door V2, but only because Honda introduces Nagai to his brothers in this book. That being said, it isn’t necessary to read them in order as the story will still make perfect sense.

Open the Door to Your Heart is much different than Close the Last Door. There is no love triangle and the characters’ personalities are much different. Shoichi is very straight-laced and acts much like the oldest child would, whereas Shunji is the middle child and has a very carefree, jovial spirit. The two are opposites, but they play well off each other and that leads to some nice chemistry.

One thing I really enjoyed in this story is how realistic their lives are. We get to see Shoichi’s work as a tax collector and get to meet some of his clients. It’s through these clients that the story develops and Shoichi is brought back into his life. The story is solid, full of sweet angst and I think you’ll enjoy it.

There is a short 20-page unrelated story at the end called Diary of a Domestic and I must say that I loved it even more than the main story. It’s told from the perspective of a very young domestic about his young master and the young master’s lover. It’s sad in some ways, bitter sweet in others but I think Yugi Yamada did a wonderful job with it.

Character Development:

There is great angst between Shoichi and Shunji and that really helps with the development of their characters. Shoichi is struggling with his past encounter with his younger brother and with his identity as Shunji’s brother. Although Shunji is very carefree and always smiling, you can see the sadness in his eyes as he sees Shoichi struggle night after night.

In addition to these two we also meet two of Shoichi’s clients and I must say, I absolutely LOVE Yo-chan. Every scene she’s in just kills me and she brought the most comedic zest to the story in my opinion. Here’s a picture just so you can see what I mean:

Sexual Content:

There isn’t a lot of sexual content in this book. More like a lot of small snippets of them being together in different ways but I found it worked for the story so I didn’t really mind. I don’t feel it would have done the story justice to rush the sex just to have more in the story or to make the first sexual contact more than what it would have been in real life.

Illustrations:

I’ve said it before and it continues to remain true for this story as well, but Yugi Yamada isn’t the most detailed of artists. I do love how her characters express themselves and her awesome ability to draw comedic situations. There are few mangaka in my opinion that can draw comedy as well as I think she can. I always find a chuckle in each of her stories and it’s usually from a comedic face or comically drawn situation.

Final Thoughts:

If you like the Honda boys then you’ll definitely want to pick up Open the Door to Your Heart. It’s a great addition to the Close the Last Door series and it goes in its own direction so you don’t feel like you’re reading the same thing. As icing on top there is a bitter sweet one shot at the end that I feel will add to your enjoyment of Yugi Yamada’s storytelling.

Plot/Readability: A-

Character Development: A-

Sexual Content: B

Illustrations: B

Overall Grade: B+

WHERE TO BUY:

YAOI NEWS: New Est Em Title & Pics of Equus

Jennifer LeBlanc AKA Asami's Girl — Wed, 25 May 2011 05:35:09 +0000

In April Est Em had posted about her recent release Equus with this gorgeous cover. It sounded like it wasn't releasing until August but I think the translation was just bad as it appears it has since been released. I've been perusing the internet and was able to scrounge up some additional pictures of this lovely title if you're curious about how two centaurs would, uh… make love.

The following pictures are from the same person although I do not know her name. She runs a WordPress site called I Am Fujoshi and also has a Tumblr of the same name. Enjoy!

I inquired with Akadot if it would be possible to special order this one from Japan and they are looking into it. If you are interested, comment below and I will make sure to get you the information if we can.

In other Est Em news, ANN is reporting that Sensei will be launching a new manga series called Golondrina in the June 25th issue of Shogakukan's Monthly Ikki magazine. It sounds very similar to Red Blinds the Foolish as the story is set in Spain and revolves around a matador. I sent a tweet to Sensei and she has confirmed that this is NOT a boys' love title as one of the main characters is a girl.

EDIT: It's now available for special order at Yaoi Club ! Takes 2 to 3 weeks to come in.

~Jennifer LeBlanc