…boys’ love, that is. An item that caught my eye earlier this morning was this post (Japanator) linking to a report from The Yaoi Review regarding the upcoming price increase on Tokyopop’s BLU manga line. Whether or not BL readers will go for BLU’s higher-priced volumes is certainly a prime topic for discussion, but I admit my thoughts were elsewhere when viewing YR’s helpfully provided price chart for all BL publishers.
Though BLU has some nice titles (Junjo Romantica and Tea for Two spring immediately to mind), most of my favorite BL offerings over the past year have come from either Deux Press (Future Lovers, Red Blinds the Foolish), DMP’s various imprints (Color, Ze, Ludwig II), or (to a nearly overwhelming extent) NETCOMICS (Age Called Blue, Dining Bar Akira, U Don’t Know Me, Totally Captivated)–one of the least expensive of the bunch.
My tastes are not reflective of the BL-reading community as a whole, I realize, and may even be very much in the minority. What I’ve seen some of the manga from the publishers I’ve enjoyed most, however, is a refreshing move in the direction of my favorite kind of BL, by which I mean stories that rely less on wince-inducing sexual dynamics and more on things like characterization and plot. So my question is, does BLU’s price hike provide an opportunity for less-hyped offerings from, say, NETCOMICS to demonstrate their worth?
What do you think?
Michelle Smith says
January 5, 2010 at 8:29 pmI don’t have deep thoughts as to whether fans will turn to cheaper outlets for their yaoi—all books over $10 are discounted to nearly equal footing on Amazon, for example, so this might not make a very big impact—but I did want to recommend Love Hurts: Aishiatteru Futari to you as a BLU title you might like. It’s short stories, which I know you don’t generally go for, but they’re quite good.
Melinda Beasi says
January 5, 2010 at 9:07 pmMmm good point.
You know, I think that might be the anthology that Deb A is loaning me? I’m not sure. You’re right, I am pretty sick of yaoi anthologies, but *some* title was getting talked about on Twitter and I thought it sounded interesting. You just gave it a good grade on MR too, right? Or am I mixing things up? :)
Michelle Smith says
January 5, 2010 at 9:31 pmNope, that’s the one. I also liked Ciao Ciao Bambino and it’s a short story compilation, too.
Melinda Beasi says
January 5, 2010 at 9:33 pmStop liking those! You’re confusing me! ;)
Michelle Smith says
January 5, 2010 at 9:34 pmI’m confusing myself! I didn’t think I liked them much either and then here comes a few (also counting Black-Winged Love) with lots to recommend them!