ONE NIGHT LESSON (Ryo Takagi)

This manga is by Ryo Takagi of Kirepapa ‘fame,’ and judging by how that one went I expected this one to be trashy, dumb, and hot…like those Girls Gone Wild DVDs they used to sell on late night infomercials except BL. Instead it was decidedly not hot and only a little trashy, but definitely aced the ‘dumb’ part with flying colors.

Let’s take a drive, shall we? We’ll start at 801 Poopoo Pass and turn left onto Shit Street…

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HARD ROCK (Akane Abe)

From the title alone you might think this is an exciting drama about a rock band but actually the band breaks up in the opening chapter over some unmentioned petty drama and we never even learn what they were called. It’s a slice of life manga about the four former members and their struggles, conflicts, and romances following the band’s breakup. The title is a little misleading, but for a slice of life it’s actually pretty good.

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ROMANTIC ILLUSIONS (Reiichi Hiiro)

Yu is a boy who shares a body with two extra personalities, a high-powered defense lawyer named Kaname and a slutty playboy named Ryo, that his mind invented to love him when his mother abandoned him. They swap turns taking control of Yu’s body, but can still communicate inside his head. Even though Yu created them to love him, they still want love lives of their own. Hijinks ensue!

Multiple personality disorder is usually nothing in fiction like it is IRL, and even moreso in this manga, but it’s a cute dramedy with decent art and a unique idea so that’s something at least

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CIGARETTE KISSES (Nase Yamato)

If you love nothing more than the idea of hot salarymen smoking cigarettes plus smoking each other’s poles, Deux Press has a manga for you. Maybe the only manga for you, at least in English. Cigarette Kisses may *seem* like bad BL trash, but let me subvert your expectations: it’s good BL trash. Totally different thing! It’s not really that trashy though, it’s actually a serious drama, with gay sex. Let’s go with that.

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LAUGH UNDER THE SUN (Yugi Yamada)

This story stars a 25-year old former boxer named Sohei who was originally inspired to become one after he read Ashita no Joe as a teenager. As far as boxing manga goes I haven’t read Joe (which recently got licensed in English) but I am currently reading Hajime no Ippo which is I am enjoying, although I don’t really know anything about boxing despite this. This manga was so boring it made me want to read that instead though…or anything else…insurance paperwork or algebra would have been more entertaining.

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SWEET REGARD (Juji Fusa)

After the death of their parents, Kohei became an overprotective brother to his younger sister Chieko. But when she got married against his will and brought her husband Shingo to live with them, Kohei had trouble letting his sister go and mostly avoided the newlyweds. Then tragedy struck – Chieko was suddenly killed in a traffic accident and now Kohei is stuck sharing both his personal tragedy and his living space with Shingo, the brother-in-law he hates.

This is a really, really good BL story idea, no? With such a great concept, what could possibly go wrong?

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