Wednesday, January 17, 2018

NYC Haul (kpop and manga!)

I live about an hour and a half outside of New York City and so I visit often. Every time I go, I splurge on Japanese manga and Korean CD's. My two favorite stores are Koryo Books, a Korean bookstore with a large K-pop section, located on 32nd between Broadway and 5th; and Kinokuniya, a three story Japanese bookstore, located on the corner of 6th and 41st. Kinokuniya does have an online store as well if you are interested. I would also recommend getting a membership if you purchase a lot of manga like me! I could spend a solid four hours in both of these stores (mainly because Kino has a bomb caramel latte). Needless to say, I spent a lot of money on this trip. I'll share with you what I purchased in case you need some manga recommendations or new groups to stan!

I figured I should go to the Koryo first since I already knew what I wanted to purchase. I am a K-pop fan, however there are only two groups that I really follow. VIXX is my all time number one group and Day 6 is a close second in my heart. These are the only two groups that I listen to regularly. Not to mention my bedroom is plastered in posters of the two. I have been waiting to purchase the newest VIXX LR album, Whisper. VIXX LR is the sub-unit of VIXX featuring rapper Ravi and singer Leo (and what do you know, my two favorites in the group). In August of 2017 they released their 2nd album including four new songs and an instrumental. My personal favorite song on this album would probably be Chocolatier, but they're all great songs. The album came with a photo book, Leo and Ravi stickers, a transparent Leo photo card, and two transparent cards (one red, and one blue). The red and blue cards are to be used on a few of the photos in the book. I think this is a really neat and new feature to an albums photo book! Though It would've been cool if there were a few more red and blue photos. I kind of wish the photo card wasn't transparent as well because you can only really see it up against a solid background, but Leo looks adorable as always. If you're interested in getting a VIXX album or VIXX LR album, I would recommend VIXX LR's first album, Beautiful Liar, and VIXX's most recent album, Shangri-La.


The second album I bought was the newest Day 6 album, Moon Rise. Day 6 released a new song every month in 2017 and put each song onto two separate albums. Sun Rise was the first album released in June, and Moon Rise was the second half released in December. This album has eighteen songs, of which Hi Hello and All Alone are my favorites. Day 6 has four albums all together since their debut in 2015. I own three out of four albums and they're definitely some of my favorite CD's that I own. This specific album came with a poster of Young K, a photo book, two bookmark style cards of Jae and Dowoon, several transparent cards featuring each member, and a large fold out of all five members. I really love all of the effort that is put into Day 6 albums. The boys truly do work so hard for their fans and put out so much creative content. I was very happy to see all the goodies included with the album, though I wish I got a Sungjin poster! I always like the transparent cards of each individual member that come together to form one image when overlapped. They had similar cards in their Daydream album. You could buy any Day 6 album and you would not be disappointed at all I promise.  Though my favorite of theirs might be this one! I hope this band grows an even stronger fan base as they deserve the world for all they do. I also heard they will be doing a lot more this year and releasing even more music! 


I have been reading a lot of manga lately (other than yaoi). I also recently got a membership at Kinokuniya which is $25 a year. This membership gets me 10% off most items (which isn't a lot but it lets me justify buying 10+ manga at a time) and a $10 gift card for every $300 you spend (which is essentially like a free manga). I purchased eight manga volumes for myself and decided it wasn't enough so I went back the next day and bought five more. I bought some sequels to series I have started collecting and also some new series that I've heard good things about or that looked interesting. This is my biggest manga haul ever, and I'm super excited to read them all!

My number one priority was to complete my collection of Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto. This manga is one of my favorites and I'm glad I own all four volumes now. I recommend this manga to literally everyone: young, old, male, female. I think this is a manga that anyone would enjoy. It is effortlessly hilarious. It is also a super quick read with only four volumes in the entire series (though I wish there was more). There is also an anime based on this series, If you're not a manga fan. If you are going to read any of the manga I mention here, please let it be this one because I know you will enjoy it! 
I also purchased nichijou volumes 5 and 6. I need three more volumes to complete the series and I thought about purchasing them but I figured 13 manga volumes was enough for one trip. nichijou also has an anime which is how I found out about this series. The comedy in this manga is very different from Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto. It is very random humor and it often doesn't make sense to me. This isn't one of my favorites but I still enjoy reading it. I think the anime is more enjoyable as it makes it easier to understand some of the jokes. And so I would probably recommend the anime before I recommend the manga.  


I have a few random volumes of Boku No Hero Academia in Japanese. I read this series online and so I haven't purchased any English volumes, however, I have purchased some in Japanese with my favorite scenes. I've been waiting for Volume 11 to come out in English but I couldn't wait any longer and just decided to purchase the Japanese version. This volume includes the scene when all the students are displaying their new dorm rooms. This is such a cute scene; I love it so much I wanted it on my shelf!
Now onto the new manga! I have heard a lot about Bungo Stray Dogs and so I decided to purchase volume one and see what all the hype was about. Supposedly, it is about an orphan who stops someone from committing suicide. Other than what is on the back of the book, I have no idea what this series is about but I am excited to give it a try. I also found A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, which I thought might be good as it reminded me a bit of Hoozuki no Reitetsu. This manga is the first volume as it only just started being released in English in December. I am a big fan of comedy around hell and demons. I haven't heard anything about this manga but I have a feeling I will enjoy it! 
Kiss Him, Not Me! is a manga that I've been wanting to read for a while now. As a serious fujoshi, I know I will enjoy this series. I have also just learned there is an anime following the manga! This series is about a girl who wishes the boys surrounding her would form relationships with each other instead of crushing on her. I bought the first two volumes because I knew I would enjoy it. I have read a few different yaoi manga's by the same author, Junko. Some of my favorites include Conveni-Kun, Kimi Note, Kasa no Shita, Futari, and Recipe no Ouji-sama. Junko's art style is very cute and unique as I remembered seeing it before. I have high hopes for this manga!
Now onto the yaoi! My favorite genre of manga! I have shamelessly purchased four different yaoi volumes. The English yaoi section at Kinokuniya is actually very small and disappointing as there is probably less than 20 different series within the genre. With not much to choose from I purchased three different series. I wanted to try something new so I went with Awkward Silence. The plot to this yaoi seems like it will be very cute so I bought volumes 1 and 2, I almost bought volume 3 as well but once again I figured 13 manga might be enough. If I enjoy this manga enough I could always read the rest online. A lot of the yaoi at Kinokuniya is somewhat older looking in terms of art, but this one looked like a more recent one so I decided to give it a shot. (I just looked this yaoi up on myanimelist.net and apparently I have read it before, so much for trying something new! However, I did rate it a 9 out of 10 so that's good at least).

I also purchased Jackass! which is a yaoi I have seen a lot of recently and have been meaning to read. I was excited to see it at the store but disappointed that they only had one volume. I have read this volume already and will definitely be reading the rest online. It follows two best friends who fall for eachother due to a secret kink for legs in black tights. It also features their friend and his relationship with the school nurse. I really enjoyed this volume! Plus, the art style is very clean and nice to read. I also purchased Hidoku Shinaide: Akira Takanashi's Story. This completes my set of currently published volumes of Hidoku Shinaide (my favorite yaoi on earth).  This includes six volumes of the main story, and two volumes of bonus chapters and Akira's side story. I love this yaoi so much and I was so happy to see this one on the shelf. Akira is such a cute character and although I have already read every published chapter (currently up to Volume 7) I love having my favorite series in my collection!

Have you purchase/read any manga recently? Which would you recommend? What K-pop groups do you stan and what albums do you own?
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and found a new K-pop group you'd like to listen to or found a new manga you're looking forward to reading!

Indiana Grace
(❁´▽`❁)*✲゚*

Sunday, January 14, 2018

2018 Yaoi Challenge! (+Review)

I have been reading yaoi for years now and it brings me so much joy its crazy. I have read a large share of yaoi/BL manga as I read one or two every day. Recently, in an attempt to explore different subgenres within the yaoi genre, I have been asking friends to pick one at random for me to read. This way, I avoid judging the story by its cover or its art. By doing this, I have found so much manga that I truly enjoyed reading but probably would not have read otherwise. However, I did find myself leaving many unfinished, which I don't necessarily want to do. So, I have decided to read every yaoi in numerical/alphabetical order. My go-to yaoi reader is mangago.me; On this site, there are almost 6,000 listed yaoi manga, so I have a lot of reading ahead of me. I started reading from the top of the list last week, and have completed 7 out of 5,918 yaoi manga; I have finished the numerical series of yaoi where I found some pretty bad stories and one beautiful gem.

That beautiful gem would be 1999 Shanghai. I was hesitant to start this manga as the art looked older and there were so many chapters. The comments/ratings for this manga were pretty high yet everyone said it was extremely sad; which isn't necessarily my favorite. Setona Mizushiro has illustrated this tragic love story in four volumes. The story follows two men who meet by chance one night in Shanghai. They later learn they are from opposing gangs, Xianglongji gang and Toulon gang. The men begin to share feelings for eachother developing a romantic relationship that must be kept secret from their gangs. Dawu, of Toulon gang, is a younger boy with an innocent aura, however, as the son of a drug lord he does possessive an aggressive and murderous side to himself which reveals itself as the story progresses. Dawu is surrounded by the struggles of others, including an unrequited love from another Toulon member which ultimately tears the gang apart. Xiaoxue, of Xianglongji gang, is strong but hesitant of everything as he was orphaned as a child and raped by his adoptive father. Xiaoxue struggles to deal with his loneliness and uses his childhood friend to fill the empty space in his life. Personally, I am not a fan of gang stories, yet this one had a more prominent forbidden love and didn't focus so much on the gangs themselves, though the parts that did focus on the gang rivalry were interesting and well executed. This story is so beautiful yet tragic as it is a twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet tale.

If anyone has been reading this genre for a while, I recommend doing this challenge as well. However, if you are new to yaoi, it might be best to avoid the horrible manga's like 01 Monkey. I would definitely recommend 1999 Shanghai for new and old yaoi readers, and please don't be put off by the older art style!

Indiana Grace
೭੧(❛▿❛✿)੭೨

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

BL Web-Comics You Should Read!

As a long time BL manga reader, I was surprised to see the growing popularity of web-comics or manhwa. However, it wasn't difficult to jump on the bandwagon and throw every paycheck away on Lezhin. That's right, I spend real life money on yaoi, pretty sad. I have read my fair share of web-comics so I'd like to share some of my favorites! If you like one of these you might not necessarily like another, they're all very different; featuring different art styles and genres. Yet I encourage you to give at least one a chance! 


FOOLS Let's start out strong with this amazingly adorable story. Fools follows the blossoming romance of Eungi and Jeongwoo. Although the story may seem to be progressing slowly, it makes the plot seem more realistic. It is refreshing to see ordinary characters and the natural progression in their relationship. This manhwa is not at all heavily sexual and focuses mainly on the romantic relationship. Jeongwoo and Eungi are dealing with their own backstories including exes and self acceptance, while realizing they have feelings for one another. My favorite part of this manhwa is the unique art style. Eungi is always seen wearing something turquoise while Jeongwoo wears yellow. This little detail makes this manhwa so much more unique! This web-comic will bring you so much happiness. You can read this Fools by Young Ha and Park Dam on Comica!


CURIOUS RECIPE Curious Recipe pursues the story of Junghyuk reuniting with his (secret) childhood love, Taesu.  Taesu is shocked to find his childhood friend has moved next door and claims to be in love with him. Junghyuk does his best to make Taesu fall for him through his baked sweets and kind heart. As the story continues, more obstacles separate the two yet inevitably bring them closer together. There is one psychotic character, yet I wouldn't classify the comic as psychological, It is more of a slice of life/romance story in my opinion. The art in this manhwa isn't overly exciting and I feel like the story is very fast paced, however, it is still a cute comic with well developed characters. This is a good read if you're in between a larger/more dramatic manga or comic. You can read Curious Recipe by Com on TappyToon!

ROOMMATES I'm sure your looking at this like, "What, Indiana? This comic looks like shit." BUT! trust me when I say this is one of my favorite web-comics on this list. The characters in this story are beyond adorable. There is one main story line: Jinwoo and Kisub. There is also a side story that is more relevant later in the comic: Inho and Ray. If you look past the simple art style, you will find a heartwarming story of self acceptance and courage. Jinwoo loves Kisub and Kisub loves Jinwoo, though it is a secret from one another. They struggle to find a balance between their friendship and their feelings. Inho and Ray have a past and after reuniting five years since they last saw one another, Ray has to deal with accepting himself and his feelings. The stories are heartfelt and the art truly grows on you as you keep reading. You can read Roommates by Young Seok on Spottoon!

A MAN LIKE YOU This is one of the more well known comics on this list. A Man Like You starts with Kang Jinha and Go Siwon, long lost childhood friends, meeting in their dreams. The memories of their past start to flood back and Kang Jinha admits his longing for Siwon. The story follows Siwon falling for Kang Jinha. Many troublesome things occur in this story; kidnapping, bullying, and unrequited love. This comic also has a bit of a supernatural side as Kang Jinha and Siwon are able to control and meet in their dreams using a magical stone. The overall story is a romantic one although it is continuing to get more dramatic as new chapters come out. The art in this web-comic is cute, nothing too special in my opinion but it is nice to look at, and you can see the improvement and change in the art as the story continues. You can read A Man Like You by Waje on Lezhin!
STAR X FANBOY This is another comic with a simple art style that might turn you away at first. However, this web-comic is a lighthearted shounen ai with a sweet story line. Fanboy is a theater major who is looking for a C-bot (basically like role playing on twitter?) of his favorite actor, Star. What Fanboy doesn't know is that his C-bot of Star is actually the real Star! Star is a cool and confident character while Fanboy is a shy and loving boy. Together, these two encourage each other and make good memories. From here blossoms the friendship and possible romance between an actor and his number one fan. New chapters of this comic come out twice a week so hopefully the story will progress quickly, as I cant wait to see these two act all lovey dovey. You can read Star x Fanboy by Kim Cheomji on Lezhin!
RAISING A BAT Ask me which comic I enjoyed reading the most and I'd say this one. Raising A Bat is the most heartwarming and loving story I have ever read. ChunSam is a vampire who needs blood  and MinGyum has too much blood so when their paths cross it is a perfect match. This story deals with serious subjects of abuse, neglect, suicide, and self harm. MinGyum had a difficult upbringing but finds solace in ChunSam and his family. So much happens as this story progresses, there's like seven different sub-stories within ChunSam and MinGyums relationship. The art is so beautiful and the story is so dramatic that I think anyone who reads this comic will fall in love with its complex characters and well developed plots. Don't be put off if you're not a fan of vampire stories as it's not a huge part of the story. You can read Raising A Bat by Jade on Foxtoon! 
HEAVEN & HELL ROMAN COMPANY Talk about a pretty comic. The art is beautiful, the colors are vibrant, the story is unique, and the characters are dynamic. H&HRC takes place in the offices between Heaven and Hell and follows the romance of Rum and Ginger, childhood friends. Yet my favorite story is the growing relationship between Mananan and Mr. Monday, an angel and a demon from two completely different worlds, falling in love. Their chemistry is obvious and they're both great characters dealing with their own issues. Both sets of relationships are very well developed and are displayed so beautifully in this clean art style. I recommend this to readers who enjoy supernatural sort of stories. You can read H&HRC by Mum on Lezhin!
MAKE ME BARK First of all, this is the most NSFW comic I've mentioned so far. This is also one of the most recently released comics. Sungjoon's life is crumbling before his eyes as his new apartment burns to the ground. He calls the only person he knows who lives in the city, Lee HyoIn. He moves in with HyoIn only to learn that he is not only Gay but into pet play. Sungjoon becomes HyoIn's dog and unexpectedly falls for him. The story also features another couple who intertwine as the semes of each couple and ukes of each are friends. The art style has too many shapes and too many textures; everything looks shiny and everyone has curvy bodies but the sharpest jaws. Though the art isn't the most appealing to me, I think the story itself can peak your interests. You can read Make Me Bark by Sagold on Lezhin!




THE BAKER ON THE FIRST FLOOR An underrated comic in my opinion is this one, The Baker on The First Floor. This comic follows Sun Hwa, a BL artist, and his new neighbor, the handsome blonde baker downstairs. Sun Hwa deals with self acceptance as he struggles to get over past relationships of his own and his partner. The only downside to this comic is the endless amount of flashbacks. I almost wanted to give up on this one because I was so tired of flashbacks. However, hold out and finish reading because the side stories are the cutest! I believe the art is unique and easy to look at as well. You can read The Baker on the First Floor by GyaGa on Lezhin!
19 DAYS Woah, talk about a beautiful art style. I love this comic and Old Xian with all my heart. Childhood friends falling in love mixed with stories of youth and friendships all wrapped up in a comedic bow. This web-comic features two couples, Jian Yi/Zheng Xi and  He Tian/Mo Guanshan. My personal favorite is the slowly developing romance between Mo and He Tian. Mo is a somewhat rebellious and misunderstood guy who happens to meet He Tian, the tough guy with a soft side. The interactions between these two are so funny and enjoyable to read. In more recent chapters, we can see more serious backstories, helping to further develop each unique character. The chapters are extremely short and so waiting for the next is excruciating, but I will wait for Momo and He Tian if I really have to. I would honestly recommend this web-comic to anyone and everyone, I truly love it so much. If you like this one try Mosspaca Advertising Department as well! You can read 19 Days on Old Xian's Weibo!

KILLING STALKING Trigger warning right off the bat. This story is a psychological thriller with a bit of BL. Yoonbum is in love with Sangwoo, who doesn't even know he exists. After stalking Sangwoo, Bum finally breaks into his home to learn that Sangwoo is a murderer. Despite his murderous intent, Sangwoo keeps Bum around as he reminds him of his mother. Bum is forever in love with Sangwoo despite how he is treated. I'm sure if you've heard of any of these I have mentioned, Killing Stalking was one of them. This comic gets better and better as it updates, and I am so excited to see how the plot progresses. I am not a fan of horror in any way, shape, or form. However, I thoroughly enjoy reading this story and discussing theories for each chapter. This comic does feature some BL but it should not be the main focus of the story, so I think anyone will enjoy this web-comic; though, don't read if you don't want to see stories of murder, self-harm, or rape. You can read Killing Stalking by Koogi on Lezhin!




These were some of my favorite BL web-comics, or just some comics I think everyone should give a try! I'm excited to read more web-comics and branch a bit further outside my Japanese manga comfort zone. If you have any comics to recommend, or if you have read any of these, please let me know! I love discussing manga and comics! Please, give some of these a try and I am sure you will find something you love.

Indiana Grace 
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