My fujoshi sisters, I need your help! I'm preparing a presentation on yaoi manga. Last time I did Tropes and Themes. This time I'm doing the titles every fan needs to know, and important mangaka. I'm doing it this way instead of doing just all titles because many of my favorite mangaka don't have one stand-out title, or have several. For each of those, I'll do an overview of art and themes, and highlight one title.

What I am hoping for some help with, is deciding what has to be covered and what I can omit. Please tell me what you think of these lists. Should I add any titles that aren't there? Any that don't deserve to be there? Anything I've forgotten? They've given me an hour and a half, and after a preliminary run-through I think I can include 10-12 of each.

Titles Every Fan Needs to Know
Yami no Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness)
Antique Bakery
Gravitation
FAKE
Junjou Romantica
Challengers / The Tyrant Falls in Love
Totally Captivated
Loveless

I'm covering some other must-read titles as examples under the mangaka section:
Haru wo Daite Ita
ViewFinder
Kizuna
Mousou Elektel
Boku no Shiru Anata no Hanashi
Hydra/Rules
Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai

I know that some of the "Need to Know" titles aren't shounen-ai or yaoi, but I think they are important for yaoi fans to know. I'm not covering classic shounen-ai such as Heart of Thomas, because I've done that before and will again.

So, any must-read titles I've left off? Anything on here that isn't must-read that I can replace with a better choice? Any help is appreciated!

This sounds interesting, who are you presenting to?

I haven't read all of the titles in your Need to Know list (I know ... shame on me) but the ones I have read are pretty spot on.

I suggest adding Sex Pistols, Seven Days, Love Mode and Ze (as I think of more I'll edit them in, I always miss something and it randomly pops into my head afterwards haha)
Also, Honto Yajuu is just a personal favourite of mine

Which mangakas have you listed so far?

For Suzuki Tsuta, I feel like Boku no Shiru Anata no Hanashi isn't her best work, maybe consider Konoyo Ibun, Sangen Tonari no Tooi Hito, or Merry Checker

Another possible thing to do is split the list into softcore and hardcore mangas? Or a list for new fans and old fans. The reason why is because I wouldn't suggest Viewfinder to new fans. The first chapter is pretty explicit for a first timer, it gets straight in there with the action.

Good luck on your presentation!

This indeed sounds like an interesting presentation.
Kudos.

What are your parameters for a "need to know/must read" title?
Popularity? Value in the BL history? Will you only be targeting scanlated/translated manga? (which stands to reason if you can't read the original otherwise, but there are many great neglected BL titles).

Because while Junjou Romantica is quite a popular title,
I personally see it holding no value beyond its smut.

Yamane Ayano falls under the same category, with really good smut and pretty art.

You might want to consider:

Mizushiro Setona is also a good fit. Popular, smutty and has very interesting plots and representation of homosexuality. (cheese/carp series, as well as highschool nightmare)

Motoni Modoru - very quirky and original. And smutty.
I think both of them provide much and more to discuss.
Koi ga Bokura wo Yurusu Hani is a good manga to represent her.

Yoshida Akimi's Banana Fish is another classic with BL themes, but it's probably too well known?

I support your choices of Yoshinaga Fumi, Miyamoto Kano and definitely Yoneda Kou.

Last edited by NightSwan at 2:30 pm, Mar 21 2014

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Thanks for the replies!

Alinair, Seven Days, Love Mode, and Ze are on the possible list. Confession, I'm not a big fan of Seven Days, but I think I'm going to include it anyway because it's so popular, and I haven't read the other two. Probably should try to include Love Mode at least, is that the one you'd choose?

For SUZUKI Tsuta, I'm sure you're right, but I was using Boku no Shiru Anata no Hanashi because I already had the images in the presentation from a previous version!

As for the audience, I'm never sure what to expect. Last year I did a basic introduction to yaoi and recommended a few newer not-too-hardcore titles, and everyone seemed to know them. Yet I've met plenty of people who call themselves yaoi fans because they go to yaoi bingo or bishounen auctions or draw Hetalia fanart, but have never heard of ViewFinder or Haru wo Daite Ita. So I guess I'm aiming at them.

Separating the titles by explicitness is a good idea. I have the titles sort-of arranged that way. I do warn them to expect to see more than boys kissing, and you have to be 18 to get in.

These are the mangaka I'm doing and highlighted title:
NITTA Youka - Haru wo Daite Ita (Embracing Love)
YAMANE Ayano - (You’re My Love Prize in) ViewFinder
KODAKA Kazuma - Kizuna (Bonds of Love)
NAONO Bohra - Three Wolves Mountain or Yokubou Shounen
MOTONI Modoru - Tantei Aoneko; Dog Style mentioned here
MINASE Masara - Uso to Kiss or Empty Heart
NEKOTA Yonezou - Mousou Elektel
SUZUKI Tsuta - Boku no Shiru Anata no Hanashi
YONEDA Kou - Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai
MIYAMOTO Kano - Hydra/Rules

And I'd like to include these but don't think I'll get it done.
YAMADA Yugi
FUJIYAMA Hyouta
Plus many more that will have to wait for a sequel.

NightSwan, I should have stated what a 'must-read' title is. In my mind, it's a title that every fan needs to know because it is well-known, popular, and good. Not necessarily a best-of list, these are the titles that if you don't at least know something about them, you're not well-read in yaoi. I also decided that the titles should all be available in English editions, that is why Mizushiro Setona's Cheese/Carp didn't make the list. I do have scanlated stuff in the mangaka part.

Another confession, I don't like Junjou Romantica at all, IMO the smut isn't even good, but it's one of those titles you always hear of. I don't like Tyrant either. Maybe I can leave it out?

I'm going to cover Banana Fish at another time in "Classic and Modern Shounen-ai", so that's why it didn't make it.

Thank you both for your input! I really appreciate it. I feel like I'm on the right track. Much work to do, and time is growing short. Anything else you can think of, or any other comments, feel free! This will be given at Tekko 2014 in Pittsburgh, I call it "Yaoi Kisses".

Oh, I see, I see.

You might want to be on the objective side, and include Junjou Romantica (even briefly), after all.
Maybe as an example of really bad art but ultra-popularity?

I don't like Seven Days, either, but it's very popular and well loved, so it's a good idea to include it.
Yamada Yugi is a good example of rather realistic story-telling, and she's not as angsty and depressing as Miyamoto Kani (because as must as I love her, I've been unable to cope with her stories for a while).

As for Fujiyama Hyouta, I've never read anything by her, so I have no input.


Ohh, lovely!

Say, is your presentation going to be recorded, by any chance?
I'd really love to watch it. :3


Edit:

Est Em is another very good choice.


Last edited by NightSwan at 7:39 am, Mar 22 2014

________________
Hrodulf and Bjornolfr, you will not be forgotten.

And if the world were black and white,
you would be my rainbow in shades of grey.

Click 'n Play!

If I had a fantasy self, it'd be a tentacle monster.

I don't think Love Stage!! has been mentioned yet. It's my favorite manga, as it's well-written and breaks cliches. It's also set to have an anime soon, so I assume it's popular.

And this is probably off-topic, but Naono Bohra, Minami Haruka, and Mishima Kazuhiko are the top yaoi mangaka who leave an impression in my mind, because they have such distinct writing styles. Boura likes to experiment with interesting characters (deaf/blind/haphephobic/abused/demons/zombies/vampires) and plot devices (she is one of the few who tried out male pregnancy), Haruka is all about smut and satisfying guilty pleasures, and Kazuhiko enjoys switching up seme/uke expectations by giving strict characters soft sides and letting cute characters take charge. Each art style is also very distinct and memorable.

I'm not a fan of Junjou or Tyrant either, so I vote dropping them. Maybe give a verbal mention of the titles at most. They're very, very well known, so the newbie fujoshi will encounter them soon anyway.

Oh, I hope no one is recording! I think you would be unimpressed. I'm not going to do much analysis. For each title, it will be just the characters, plot, yaoi tropes and themes, enough to give people an idea whether they want to read it. For the mangaka, a little on art style, favorite tropes and themes, and brief title information, with one highlighted title.

Two years ago I did the first version of this panel, in which I tried to cover everything. Then I decided to break it up, so last year I called it Yaoi Kisses 101 and made it an introduction to yaoi. That one would probably have been more interesting for experienced yaoi fans, even though it was an introductory panel. I covered terms and definitions, forms yaoi can take, history of shounen-ai and yaoi and how they became BL, tropes, and themes. I tried to document the original panel in a tumblr Yaoi Kisses, but I haven't updated it with the revised information from last year, and I had never added the history part. So it's sadly out-of-date, but you can get an idea of the tropes and themes I covered. This time I'm going to do a brief recap for anyone who missed it.

Est Em is in my 'next time' list. I haven't yet read any of her works, and had too much else to cover.


I'll keep this in mind for next time, thank you!


No, not off-topic at all. I'm definitely doing Naono Bohra, in my opinion she's one of the top mangaka. I've already got a fantasy m-preg story in there, the one with the tiger.

I'm just not a fan of Minami Haruka and wouldn't be able to do her justice. Same with Mishima Kazuhiko, though I like some of her stories. The mangaka section is more my personal taste than the title section. I like your point about Junjou and Tyrant being almost too well-known. Junjou is already in there, so Tyrant might get a glossing over as you suggest.

Thanks very much for the replies. I have plenty to work on now. If anyone else wants to weigh in on this, please do so, I'm going to do just mangaka next time, all the ones I didn't get in this time. (Now to figure out how to sneak in my new favorite, 10 Dance.

I suggest that Complex should be part of the list! Hmmm...
And also Hana wa Saku ka should be included since it's really really good! And the mangaka's other works too like Yuuutsu na Asa :3

I forgot to add Let Dai! How could I forget this!!!! <//3

Last edited by Umirozen at 12:32 am, Mar 26 2014

Thank you! I had Complex on my 'maybe' list, but I've never read it. I'm keeping the title list to only licensed manga, and unfortunately it looks like this one was never licensed. I'm thinking that down the road - not even next year, but in the future - I'll do something called "Hidden Treasures" featuring the best unlicensed titles.

HIDAKA Shoko is definitely on the mangaka 'next time' list! I love her work as well, and she has decent range, from serious to comic, and beautiful art. Also the unexpected seme in Arashi no Ato is a treat.

Last edited by scarletrhodelia at 1:34 pm, Mar 25 2014

The suggestions are all really good yaoi titles
If you are still looking for titles I would reconment Yume Musubi Koi Musubi and Jazz

Thank you! SAKURAGI Yaya is definitely on the 'next time' list. I haven't read Jazz, I'll have to look for it.

I hope the brothers can lend some help too, haha

Although Hourou Musuko isn't exactly BL it's really good on its portrayal of gender and sexuality issues. The mangaka also has other explicity yaoi mangas, so maybe she could be a good reference.

If you didn't already put it on your "classics" section, I'd recommend MW too.

Yumeka Sumomo's BL work is really amazing too.

I always recommend it, but I really think Ookami Shounen to Hamu no Hito is a great work. I don't know how appropriate it would be for you to show such a pornographic content, but it's based on the mangaka's personal story, which is something I've never seen on yaoi as far as I remember.

Ono Natsume's works like Amato Amaro might also be worth noting for their alternative and sketchy art style.

________________
Even though I joined in 2008, I restarted my lists with only only the manga I've read since 2012 July!

Didn't mean to ignore the brothers!

Thanks for all your suggestions. All thoughtful choices.

I'm sticking to yaoi and a few yaoi-ish shoujo titles, so Mentaiko, which is bara (written by a gay men for gay men), doesn't make it, same for Hourou Musuko which is seinen. Also the gender issues don't really fit with the type of panel I'm doing. I should rather say, I don't feel qualified to do that type of panel, though it would be interesting. Another good choice for that might be Otona no Mondai or the classic Banana Bread Pudding.

MW - I haven't read it yet, so I don't know if I can include it in the classic shounen-ai presentation, which will be for an under-18 audience. Certainly something to consider.

ONO Natsume and Yumeka Sumomo - I have not read either but have seen recommended, so will have to check out for the future. Ristorante Paradiso in particular looks like a good possible for something I want to do on manga for women.

Keep your suggestions coming, folks! I'll be doing versions of this presentation for as long as they let me, so I'll be switching material in and out as I change focus and to keep it fresh. I did a run-through of what I have so far for this panel today, and what I have clocks in at 130 minutes for my 90-minute time slot. So I'm always willing to hear more suggestions, but they will have to be for future versions of this panel.

Hmmm am I the oddball here? I like Junjou but I prefer Sekaiichi Hatsukoi more but since it originated from Junjou so I guess Recommending Junjou will be good enough. I must agree that sometimes they get too draggy though...

Oh, I personally like Super Lovers a lot. And though the BL element is not strong, I think Hakushaku Cain Series and BL manga from YUKI Kaori are pretty nice.

I like some of IKE Reibun works too, like ≠ - Not Equal.

________________
"A Lady Needs Time To Prepare. Even If It Takes A Year, A Gentlemen Must Wait." ~ Wilhelm Mölders(Emma)

You're not the oddball. I've seen some manga crops of Sekaiichi Hatsukoi that look appealing, but I haven't read it because my opinion of Junjou Romantica was so poor, I wasn't tempted to read her other works.

IKE Reibun is going to be in the next edition of this panel. I love everything Yuki Kaori does, but didn't think it fit.