A few months ago, I dedicated this column to something I called “intimacy porn,” a kind of emotionally grounded writing that creates a strong sense of intimacy between characters. One of the examples of “intimacy porn” I cited at the time was Kazuya Minekura’s Wild Adapter, the subject of this month’s Manga Moveable Feast, hosted [...]
Friday Features
Follow Friday: The MB Gang
June 17, 2011 by 1 Comment
It’s been a while since I put together a Follow Friday post, and with all the recent additions to the Manga Bookshelf family, it seems only right to make sure you all know how and where to follow this fine group of writers. You can check out our About Us page for a full list [...]
Fanservice Friday: Hikaru no Go edition
May 6, 2011 by 6 Comments
Not so long ago on Twitter, Deb Aoki asked, is Shounen Jump manga the gateway drug for yaoi? I expect that’s true for quite a number of people, and as you know, fanservice for girls in shounen manga is kind of a pet interest of mine. As it so happens, my path was roughly the [...]
Fanservice Friday: The sleeve’s the thing
April 8, 2011 by 36 Comments
Earlier this week in our Off the Shelf column, Michelle and I reviewed Kazue Kato’s Blue Exorcist, at which time the following exchange occurred: MICHELLE: … While I do like the art style, particularly the looks of Rin and Yukio, I must say that the quirky-just-to-be-quirky garb of the academy’s president puts me off quite [...]
I Wish I Wrote That!
March 18, 2011 by 1 Comment
Is it really Friday already? Assuming my calendar’s not lying, that means it’s time for new installment of I Wish I Wrote That!, a monthly feature in which I provide links to a articles about comics that I’ve especially envied as a writer. First off, I’d like to point you to Khursten Santos’ Spotlight on [...]
Follow Friday – a little late
March 12, 2011 by 1 Comment
Yesterday was Follow Friday, according to my feature schedule, but I admit I had a hard time mustering the will for such a frivolous post in the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan. Today, though, I’ve got some recommendations to share that many may find helpful. Here are a few Twitter accounts I’ve found valuable [...]
Fanservice Friday: Intimacy porn
March 4, 2011 by 40 Comments
I’ve had fanservice on the brain quite a bit lately, most recently thanks to this article by comics creator Michael Arthur at The Hooded Utilitarian. In it, Michael discussed his perspective on BL manga as a gay man and an artist, and though reception was mixed (for the record, I have pretty much equal appreciation [...]
Follow Friday: Looking for Romance
February 11, 2011 by 4 Comments
Continuing with Manga Bookshelf’s Valentine’s Day theme, today’s Follow Friday will focus on bloggers who prioritize romance manga. In my limited circle, at least, this amounts to shoujo manga blogs, boys’ love blogs, and yuri blogs, though I’m hoping you readers might have more to share! Here are a few of my particular favorites: I’ve [...]
Failure Friday: BL edition
January 28, 2011 by 39 Comments
One of the things about “failure” when it comes to something like fiction is, that to a pretty significant extent, whether or not something fails is influenced by the taste of the individual. Sure, there are particular standards we set up–ways we believe we can measure skill and craft–but so much of what makes a [...]
I Wish I Wrote That!
January 21, 2011 by 12 Comments
Welcome to the first I Wish I Wrote That of 2011! I’ve got a great batch of writing to share with you this month, which is a pretty great way to start off the year. First off, today’s main attraction is a wonderful essay posted just last night, the latest in Jason Thompson‘s “House of [...]
