Embracing Love Haru wo Daite Ita 春を抱いていた

The classic Embracing Love Haru wo Daite Ita  春を抱いていた by NITTA Youkais 新田祐克 finally going to be published in the US by VIZ SubLime this fall.  This is hard core BL with no boyish ukes and seke & reversible couple action (although limited).

This is the story of the rise of two AV stars into mainstream acting stardom and those around them and their evolving relationship and eventual marriage.

The drawing style will look dated as the first 14 volumes were started in 1997; however, there is rumors that the story has been picked up again in Japan.

Serialized in the following publications:  b-Boy LUV (Biblos), b-Boy Phoenix (Libre Shuppan),b-Boy Zips (Biblos), and Be x Boy GOLD (Biblos).

The main characters are Kyousuke Iwaki and Youji Katou.  With reoccurring characters: Nagisa Sawa, Yukihito Sawa, with lesser characters:  Kazunari Urushizaki and Katsuya Kikuchi.

There are two OVAs that I’ve not seen.

I don’t know anyone that’s into BL that doesn’t want to read this classic or who hasn’t already read it and if in the US waiting impatiently for its publication in English.

This is an extremely adult manga.  And if you hate those young-looking ukes and love sekes and reverse couples, this is a manga for you; although, you’ll be wanting more seke/reverse couple scenes.

TokyoPop back?

The below are only opinions, and one rumor.

There are rumors that TokyoPop may start publishing again in the US.  Personally, I have very mixed feelings about this.  They had some good titles and some not so good, would sit on material they had the rights to and not publish or publish in a not so timely fashion, bad translations, etc.  They did carry a few Shonen-ai titles.

At this point, the only thing I’m interested in buying from them, and only if they start releasing a novel a month or at most every other month, is Kyo Kara Maoh! (今日からマのつく自由業!) – the novels, not the manga.

Right now for BL mostly SubLime (VIZ) and June & 801 (DigitalManga).  I’m not too happy with DigitalManga as they’re waiting way too long to put out titles and volumes in a series – to the point that items are out of print and people lose interest and then they don’t finish the series, the material in a lot of ways isn’t the best, some bad translations, etc.  However, maybe they know they have to do better as they have ads out for translators. 

VIZ is really good about getting things out in a more timely fashion.  In general, the translations have been decent; however, they’ve done a poor job on a few Shojo titles in the last few years.

VIZ also seems gets the best series.  In fact, I just heard that they are getting ready to release Haru wo Daite Ita (スタンドオン・ベッセル).  I’d love it if they would be able to get the rights and publish Nakamur Shungiku-sensie’s series Junjou Romantica (純情ロマンチカ) and especially the spin-0ff, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (世界一初恋 ~小野寺律の場合~) (love the count-down at the end of the chapters)and related novels, however, believe the rights are held by someone else.

Be advised that some of the above titles are extremely explicit, for mature audiences, and then not for everyone.