SuBLime Manga: Ten Years a Yaoi Fangirl
June 30, 2004 was the first time I heard of yaoi. For ten years now I’ve watched
the fortunes of various publishers, creators, and fans take oft-broken routes, some having major impact and others just fading away--but I continue to feel fortunate that so many of us have contributed in so many ways to make and
keep yaoi successful in America.
VIZ only entered the yaoi market a couple of years
ago through its SuBLime imprint, but editor Jennifer LeBlanc continues to
provide us with new (or revived) work and she’s kept several series running for
an extended period. Here are some reviews of
her squeal-worthy wares:
Starting
With a Kiss by
Youka Nitta
Perhaps the biggest catch for SuBLime is that some
of Youka Nitta’s manga is once again available in the USA. Starting With a Kiss runs at least two volumes, with a fairly
serious (if far-fetched) story involving generations of Japanese gangsters. (Are
you into The Sopranos--but Japanese
and gay?) SuBLime also has revived Embracing
Love, a multi-volume story about a far-fetched romance between two of Tokyo’s
hottest actors, formerly introduced to American audiences by the now-defunct Be
Beautiful. SuBLime is packaging Love by combining two volumes into one (three vols. in place of the original five) and also offering a
digital version.
Awkward
Silence by
Hinako Takanaga
As another of yaoi’s most popular artists, Hinako Takanaga
has given us Little Butterfly, The Tyrant
Falls in Love, You Will Drown in Love, Challengers, and that's just a portion of her work--some may still be unavailable in the US. Awkward Silence runs at least four
volumes and takes a twist on formula teen romance. Will the shy sensitive artist win and keep
the heart of the school’s star baseball pitcher?
What if they’re both guys? It’s
the kind of yaoi I personally like best—a romantic sugary-sweet relationship
that just might really happen.
Honey
Darling by
Norikazu Akira
Here’s another sugary-sweet romance that could almost
really happen—and since it’s a single volume, there’s no need to spend dollars
and suspend one’s sense over a lengthy series.
You love yaoi and cats?
Here’s your story. Young man needs a vet for his sick kitten, and the vet needs someone like a wife—in more
ways than one. The artist is the sister
of another yaoi star, Homerun Ken.
His
Favorite by
Suzuki Tanaka
This manga is perhaps best enjoyed by fans of Menkui, a previous Tanaka series that
BLU published in this country. It’s another schoolboy romance, but it’s more
about laughs, and it’s rated for teens, so it’s not about eye-popping sex. (Darn! Right?) I’ve even seen it
categorized with mainstream manga, instead of being aimed specifically at the yaoi audience. The story revolves around the geeky guys in a
school’s comics club (they’re all flops with chicks) but one becomes the "favorite" of the school stud, who’ll have nothing to do with the jealous girls who fawn
all over him. Turns out the characters’ relationships are
very complicated, enough to stretch over at least six volumes.
See www.sublimemanga.com for more. LeBlanc divides her line between print and
e-versions—she’s revived the long-languishing Dog Style as an e-book series, for example.
posted by Lyn Jensen | 5:13 PM
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