Earthian *
Manga by KOUGA Yun, plus OAVs
Debatable shounen-ai until vol 5 of the manga/OAV 3 (of 3). Then approximately 30 seconds/5 pages of sexual activity, non-explicit. Otherwise lots of interesting (hey, I like stuff like that) existential pondering about good, evil, life, death, and the nature of Humanity, interspersed with the adventures of a pair of angelic investigators come to Earth to secretly judge the world for possible Armageddon. Pretty art, although takes some getting used to for the shoujo-impaired like me. OAVs have been picked up and are being released commercially (dubbed); can't recall the company. Manga's hard to read, or at least I found it so. Lots of talking heads, maundering about spiritual stuff. (Nora)
Juuichi-nin iru (They were Eleven)
Manga by HAGIO Moto, anime
Gender neutral character in a science fiction setting. Ummmm...definitely '11-nin iru!' -- in western terms, 'shounen-ai', only two or three kisses, promises of babies, tension and adventure and some comic relief. The relationship is a building thread in the first story, a very strong one in the second, and the main focus of the short 'stories' afterward. Shougakukan, IIRC, published the tankoubon. (Kat-chan)
Fake *
Manga by SANAMI Matoh in BeBoy (do not confuse with the 2-vol series
by MAMAHARA Elli in Asuka)
UST. Lots. Much. Complete fantasy set in a New York where gay cops are easily accepted and crimes are always solved. I think I've never forgiven the series enough for this in order to enjoy it, but I can see the appeal for others; it's funny. Recently picked up for US release by somebody or other, so it will soon be available. (Nora)
But after 5 volumes of almosts and not quites, I have given up on the series. I doubt if this series is going to get anywhere anytime soon. (Mimi)
Douseiai (Homosexuality) * Manga by MIZUSHIRO Setona
It's set in modern day. It's realistic, It features college and high school students, and it's all very understated and quietly heartwrenching in that very Japanese way. (Mimi)
The art's an acquired taste, but the story's wonderful. Five realistic guys wrestling with realistic issues of their own sexuality and relationships. That's pretty much it. Not remotely available in English, but fairly readable; everyday language in use for the most part, few Deep Thoughts, mystery kanji. (Nora)
I feel Inexorably Drawn to the characters -- it's as soap-opera-ish as a yaoi series can get, but I can't help needing more. There's some mildly explicit sex, but not a whole lot (frequent 'fade to black' scenes); the majority of the story is about the boys trying to go about their lives and adjusting to being gay, coming out, dealing with family, falling in love, falling out of love, learning to be friends, rejecting and being rejected, picking up the pieces and moving on. And hell, Chisato and Koutarou are a couple of horny little bastards, and Mahorin more than makes up for the other guys' being in various stages of closetedness. ^_^ (kat-chan)
Kusatta Kyoushi no Houteishiki
(Rotten Teacher's Equation)
Manga by KODAKA Kazumi plus OAV
"Degenerate House" would probably be a good alternate name for it, to be honest. Sometimes called Bad Teacher's Equation, KKH for short. The OAVs are being circulated (raw Japanese) by fans, but otherwise unavailable in English. Pretty easily understandable, though, with a kana chart and a good Kodansha (dictionary)---much of it is sight-gags, anyhow. Major UST, though---no sex as of vol 5, probably never will be. (Nora)
Fish in the Trap "Osakana wa ame no naka" by Ranma Nekokichi 3 volume manga published by Gust Comics, 30-minute OVA also released by Gust.
Incomprehensible OAV, excerpted from incomprehensible manga. (Osaka dialect.) Contains a rape in a park, for reasons unknown. (Jeanne)
I'm not familiar with the names but the story (and you cannot go by the anime, which was written for the people who had read the mangas in mind) is a convoluted and disturbing love triangle that rivals BRONZE. A young man and heir (Yuji) to a business empire had been stalking a pretty little 5-year old boy since he was in his teens. Yuji does not make his intentions known until the boy grew up and enters High School. The boy joins the swim team and was introduced to the team captain Yuji in the locker room who corners him and asked if the boy recalls what happened "3 years ago in the park". Yuji promptly admitted that he was amongst the group who had gang raped him in the park 3 years ago. The privileged young man then forces himself on the boy to remind him "what it was like" and the deathless phrase "you belong to me, you have always been mine from the moment I saw you" gets muttered. Here's the strange part--the pair became an item thereafter.
Happily ever after? Hardly. This was just the beginning of how the pair came together. In the manner of BRONZE's demented sources of conflicts, Osakana has its own. There were people who wants them apart. Yuji's spurned ex-lover (he's the guy with the pink hair in the OVA) who hires gangs to kidnap and torture the boy. There's Yuji's uncle who won't stand for the scandal his nephew's creating with his sexual behaviors and appetites. There's the boy's best friend who had been secretly in love with him since they were eating dirt in the sandbox and became insane (and I do mean insane) when he realized that the love of his life loved someone else, and tries to kill him and himself, etc.
The story's for the people who like to have their souls tortured long term. The two people who love each other (although I am sure there's a difference of an opinion if that really is so) who are not meant to be with each other. The gorgeous OVA condenses this warped tale and teases you just enough to make you want to learn who these people are. The OVA looks nothing like the mangas, be warned. Nekokichi likes her drawings sketchy. The OVA is pure eye candy and little information on the series itself. (Susan)
My Sexual Harassment (Boku no
Sexual Harrassment)
Novel, OAVs (by Kodaka Kazuma)
Young office guy sleeps his way to the top, loses True Love by doing so. Morality play. (Jeanne)
New York, New York *
Manga by RAGAWA Marimo in Jet Comics
Fake done realistic.
Flowering
Manga by MAKIKO, written by Yukimi KAMATA. 2 vol. published by SuperBeBoyComics
(SBBC) so far
Manga series running in BeBoy Gold. Fantasy with explicit sex in almost every episode. The flower priest Sirius loves the warrior Nadeen who won't look at him. The really neat King has the hots for Sirius who's vowed to chastity. Demons invade the kingdom. Lots of fun. Fodder for fans of 'the uke is a coded female' school of thought. And very easy Japanese. (Jeanne)
I like the moon god's snakes. A lot. A shame that all we get to see
is Sirius having sex with demon and being jerked off for sake of chaste,
constantly... (Susan)
West End*
Manga by FUTABA Aoi and MITSUBA Kurenai
Running in BeBoy Gold, 3 vols published
Post-Apocalypse society, a genetically engineered 'jinzou ningen' and an immortal off on a quest to the west. (Jeanne)
Oops, almost forgot---in terms of yaoi recommends for bishounen connoisseurs... ::deep breath, steels self::...Flowering, or West End. Lots of bishounen, moderately attractive, although I personally think Flowering's art is unattractive---I've heard others rave about it, though. I hate 'em both, personally, but I think they're perfect examples of several conventions of the genre--- hurt/comfort, bishounen as allegorical female, graphic sex with attendant flying fluids, rambling soap operatic plots, seme/uke division of labor, Prince Charming semes vs. heartless sons-of-bitches, uke-as-wet-kleenex, etc. To introduce a newbie to just how far yaoi can go, pleasantly or otherwise. (Nora)
Caveat to that last statement: Not for the reality junkie, obviously, but fantasy junkies (and yaoi is 98% sexual fantasy) have come to the right address here. For those who like what Minami Ozaki does but wish she could draw. (Jeanne)
1999 Shanhai *
Manga by MIZUSHIRO Setona
(4 volumes complete)
Just as good as Douseiai, but with a bit more excitement if you really just can't handle reading about normal everyday life. ^_^ For the newbies: The writing is not very difficult, but very beautiful. But be aware that the art style is somewhat of an acquired taste. (Mimi)
Shuyu roukaku (Tower of Transience)
*
Manga by MAMAHARA Elli
A long-lived magician and his human servant. Tragedy and devotion in equal measure. Gorgeous art, longhaired men in robes. (Jeanne)
Fantasy set in a faraway kingdom, about a love affair between a demon and a high priest, with an Othello-like scenario. This one has all the classic shounen-ai elements, done with great style. And again, the Japanese is not very difficult in this one. The action's all in the dialogue, but this one story pushes all the buttons. (Mimi)
Second Love and Second Love 2 *
Manga by ASAGIRI Yuu in Hanaoto Comics
A manga that acts like a high-class doujinshi. Down to earth 'we're in it for the sex' plus a plot. A little angst, a little humor, a little pedophilia, a lot of fun. (Jeanne)
I think that's pretty much an instant classic. (But after a while all her stories do look pretty much alike. (Mimi)
Third Reich (Daisan no Teikoku)
*
Manga by MOTOHASHI Keiko in Hana to Yume, 10 vols
All I remember is that that's about a bunch of gay men all looking like Bill Wyman in his youth. (Sue)
That would be Matoba Fuyahiku, professional assassin and body guard to the Emperor. The premise of the series is enough to send chills down the spine of anyone fearing the latent ambitions of the Japanese. A secret organization formed by the leaders of the former Japanese and German governments tries again for world domination. But this time, they are the good guys. According to a prophecy, when Matoba Fuyahiku is "joined" with the emperor, the empire will rise again. In this series, all the Japanese and Germans, all the former Nazis are the good guys. All the Chinese and Americans and British and Jews are the bad guys. The mind boggles.
Fuyahiku suffers endlessly and beautifully. Throughout the ten volumes, he is tortured, raped, shot, poisoned, burnt, drowned, all without a whimper. But in spite of all this, this is not a very dark story. It's so outrageous you can't really take it seriously. The art definitely takes getting used to, but the series is unsurpassed for the witty dialogue between the two main characters; and wit, (as opposed to humor or slapstick), is hard enough to find in Japanese manga that it deserves a special mention. Yaoi content low, but definitely there. The emperor, though lusting after his bodyguard,is not averse to diversions in the form of beautiful blond boys, and the bodyguard sleeps with almost every single villain in the series in the name of protecting the emperor. What devotion. (Mimi)
G-Defend
Rather fun -- perfect example of the fluffy fantasy stuff, in a world
w/ no women at all (well, one, and she was part of a gag-joke). (Monica)
Seikimatsu Darling Manga by NARUTO Maki
Strictly humour, with humourous angst tossed in. Ogata fancies himself
a top in his little dream world with Takasugi, but keeps having nightmares
about Takasugi topping him...takes five volumes for them to get around
to actually doing the deed...not explicit, and because of the laws
of yaoi, Takasugi ends up on top -- he's a centimeter taller than Ogata
(it's in the bios in
volume 1). (Kat-chan)
Himitsu Manga by HARUNO Mami, 2 vols
Lotsa angst and bishonen. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but for
some strange reason, it's a story I can read again and again without getting
too "I've read this already" about it. Also, the language is simple, and
the kanji have the wonderful furigana next to it =) And gosh darn it, it's
the uke who wants to have sex more than the seme. (and they switch around,
too! who
knew...) (Monica)
Umi ni Nita Sora no Iro, (The color of the sky like the color of the sea) Manga by TAKAMURE Tamotsu. In Be X Boy, tankoubons by BBC
One of my favourite semi-UST series, and horror of horrors, it's filled
with fragile bishounen. Half humour, half angst, all very, very pretty,
IMO, and Nozumi actually socks the boy he thinks has seduced his beloved
Sensei. It's the only series I've ever seen with 'typical' bishounen (long
features, long limbs, skinnybones) and for some reason I can't fathom I'm
quite mad for it. Maybe because within the first two pages of the yomikiri
that intro'd the characters, Nozumi was utilising his illness in an attempt
to get Misaki in bed with him (or to get at least a kiss, as they weren't
sleeping together at that point from what *I* can tell).
(Kat-chan)