Hi! Welcome back to my site. More importantly, welcome to my BL library. I am your BL librarian.
Today, we'll go through all the mail I received in April and check out all the BL manga, manhwa, manhua, merch, and more.
Before we dive in, it is worth noting that I am not sponsored by anyone in this haul. These were all purchases made with my money.
Manga
Nagahama to Be, or Not to Be – One-Shot
Scarlet Beriko's art style is so unique, and this is a great reminder to me that I need to review some of their previous works. Regardless, I had to get this title when I saw it was dropping. I've enjoyed pretty much all of their work up until this point, so I feel confident this will be another win. This cover art is absolutely stunning and gives sensual but mournful, soft vibes. I'm into it.
A Beast's Descent Into Love – One-Shot
I am so pumped that this got a physical release! I actually read this digitally, to begin with, on Manga.Club (the title there is The Black Beast's Descent Into Love, for anyone curious), and while I wouldn't call this revolutionary or a favorite by any means, it is a super fun and interesting concept with a seemingly expansive world as a backdrop. Plus, it has possible mpreg and stunning artwork. I really need to review this because it really is a fun little read. I'm super happy to finally have it in my hands.
Lullaby of the Dawn – Volume 3
Unfortunately, still don't have much to say about this series as I have yet to start it. Since I only review completed series, I try to wait until a series is complete before I give it a read, so I can just binge it. This is the case currently with Lullaby of the Dawn. However, I've only heard amazing things, and the art is stunning, even based solely on the covers. As soon as this gets completed, I'm going to tear through it, and I have a feeling I'm going to love every second of it.
Is This the Kind of Love I Want? – Volume 2
I believe this is the final volume of this series, so it's now time for me to start reading it (huzzah)! This is one that makes me a little uneasy because the art just doesn't look like something I would enjoy, but if I've learned nothing else in my time reviewing various titles, you truly can't judge a book by its cover. Even if the art isn't my cup of tea, I've found plenty of worthwhile stories. I'm always willing to give a title a shot, and this is no exception. I'm nervously optimistic, haha.
Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk – Volume 8
This series is so stinking cute. I'm pretty behind at this point. I think I'm only on volume 4 as far as reading goes, but I'm loving it thus far. It's a very fun concept of two boys who enjoy crossdressing falling in love with each other, but only in their cross-dressed forms. And, of course, their cross-dressed identities are entirely counter to their public identities. I can't imagine how this is all going to shake out, and there is some question as to whether this will end up in an actual BL scenario or something else, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. I'm hoping they work it out, and I'm shipping a lot of the side characters in the meantime. This really just gives me the vibes of series I used to enjoy when I was younger and really delved into fandom wholeheartedly, which has been a real treat. Love it.
Replacements
If you were here for last month's haul, you'll know I had some of the worst luck when it came to my shipments from Amazon. A couple of my books were bent and eaten up. There were a couple that I could live with, but two of them were pretty rough, and these are the two:
- I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs – Volume 1
- Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! – Volume 10
Unfortunately, I couldn't get an exchange, so I just purchased them again. Thankfully, they were much better this time around. I'm so happy to have these in much better condition. Never fear. The other copies won't go to waste. They will be my reading copies, while these are my stunners. They're going to look great on my shelf.
My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman: UK Arc Under – 3rd Entry
This series looks super cute, and it's omegaverse, but I'm honestly pretty scared to start it. I've been reading a couple of ongoing omegaverse or mpreg stories (big surprise there), and a common element is beastmen. The beastmen qualities vary from universe to universe. Sometimes they just have animal ears. Sometimes, they're shifters, or, in the case of this series (as far as I can tell), they are pretty much the animal, but they can stand and talk. Having read a few of the much more animalistic variety as of late, I really don't find myself enjoying it, especially when it's a human and a beastman pairing. I've heard a lot of good things about this series, though, the artwork is precious, and it's omegaverse, so I really, really want to give it a go. I do fully plan on giving it a fair shake, but I have this premonition that it's going to be a miss for me. I guess we'll see.
The Summer Hikaru Died – Volume 3
Funnily enough, my husband wanted to make sure I had this one pre-ordered. I haven't even started this series yet, but my husband is a huge fan. He isn't big on BL, but he enjoys atmospheric and body horror, and he said this ticks all of his boxes. That has me super pumped to get this one started, as he and I share a love of horror manga, horror novels, horror movies, and just horror in general, so if he's enjoying it, I know this must be a pretty good time. Plus, the intense but simplistic, full-color volumes are really stunning on a shelf and do a great job of standing out. I'm a fan of that aesthetic, and I'm happy to have another volume to add to the collection.
Fox-Colored Jealousy – One-Shot
I used to be pretty ambivalent when it came to people with animal ears in anime, manga, or really any visual medium I enjoyed. I sometimes was into it, sometimes I didn't care, and other times I really didn't care for it. I'm kind of in an animal ear phase, which was perfect timing for this little guy to drop. The artwork I've seen is so beautiful and really speaks to me. It has a very clean and vibrant look to it, which just gets me super excited. Add to the fact that it came wrapped, and I am all in. I'm so thankful that it's a one-shot because that means I can dive right in. I can only hope it won't make me crave more, haha.
Black or White – Volume 8
This series is so my aesthetic. When I first created my website, it was entirely black and white, and every piece of furniture I buy is black or white, with hints of grey or super light blue for the bare minimum of variety. Lowkey, I'm scared of dropping these volumes in my living room and losing them among all of my black and white furniture (kidding, kidding). I think it's my longing to be goth in high school manifesting in my adulthood, but whatever. So, moving on from the fact that I love the aesthetic of this series, I actually haven't read it yet. It's a SuBLime title, so I have no doubt it's a banger, but once again, I'm compelled to wait until it's finished. In the meantime, I will be enjoying how nicely this looks among my black and white aesthetic.
Engage – Volume 1
Needless to say, I am pumped about this new series. It's all in the same universe created by Yuu Minaduki, and I've read all of it up to Love Nest 2nd, which is on my list. I can't express how desperately I want to jump into this thicc guy, but I'm trying to hold myself accountable. I still need to review Change World and Love Nest, and only then will I catch up on Love Nest 2nd before moving on to this new series. It's so painful, but I'm holding strong. It looks amazing (I love a long-haired main character), and I have no doubt I'm going to love every single page of it.
Scarlet Secret – One-Shot
Can we just talk about the colors on this one? I implore you to check out the close-ups section of this video for this manga because the reds are stunning. If I wasn't so into black and white, I'd want this red splattered everywhere. That sounds violent, but it's the truth. I love it. I've seen this title all over digital platforms, and I was tempted to read it back when I read A Beast's Descent Into Love, but I just didn't. Well, now is the time. The art inside looks as pretty as that red cover, so I think I'm in for at least a beautiful time. I'm pretty excited about it.
Manhwa
Killing Stalking: Deluxe Edition – Volume 6
I always forget how long this series is, so as each volume comes out, I'm surprised there's more. I also always forget how heavy it is. These full-color manhwa are heavy with ink, and they are stunning for it. This series is such an interesting one to collect amid all of the more fun and lighthearted stuff I usually get in these hauls. It's a title that sticks with you in some of the best and worst ways. It's a stunning print, and I love having it in physical form. Still praying for all of the BL manhwa to get licensed for physical release in English so they can join this beauty on my shelves.
Novels
The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong – Volume 1
I have been so excited about this coming out. I mean, what an interesting concept: a danmei about a man and his pet fish. I can't imagine how a romance can develop between a man and a fish, but I'm interested in finding out. As with all of the other danmei I've been getting, the artwork is stunning. I am a bit disappointed in the binding for this one. As you'll see with the next title I got in this haul, the covers for most of my other danmei I've gotten from Seven Seas are pretty thick and heavy. However, this one is super thin. It's unfortunate since the colors on the cover are so vibrant. I would've liked for it to be a bit more durable, but it's not all that bad, I guess. Excited to have it, anyway!
The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun – Volume 5
As usual, this series is stunning. I love the artwork, I love the colors, and I've also been eyeballing some merch for this series because, holy crap. If you thought the danmei covers were pretty, the merch for them might be even more stunning. I'm doing everything I can to hold back and actually read the series first before I start decorating my shelves with characters I know nothing about, but it's so hard. Let's stop talking about it because I'm half-tempted to buy them the more I talk about them. Just know it's stunning, and I can only hope that the story and characters are equally as stunning.
Merch
Low Tide in Twilight Acrylic Stands – Kim Euihyun and Yeo Taeju
This omegaverse has quickly become one of my favorite ongoing titles (as of writing this, that is). Yeo Taeju is for sure my favorite red-flag-to-green-flag top, and I am so happy to have these two in acrylic stand form. I've bought stands and merch from Harumio before, and just like before, these are great. I prefer couple stands where they're together, as it's usually so much clearer to see the type of relationship the characters have with each other, but this one has some light interactivity with Euihyun looking at Taeju, which is a nice touch. I just love them both.
Surge Towards You Acrylic Stands – Yi-rim and Cheong-ho
These are the second set of acrylics I got from Harumio. Admittedly, these weren't my first choice for Surge Towards You merch, as I like the more accurate versions of characters if I can get them, but I failed to get them when they were still in stock. I'm also not sure how much I like their names behind them, but look. I love this manhwa so freaking much, and even if these aren't my favorite style of acrylic stand, I love Cheong-ho and Yi-rim. Worth it.
Cherry Blossoms After Winter Acrylic Stands – Seo Haebom and Jo Taesung
Here is the second-to-last group of acrylics from Harumio. This is an oldie but a goodie. It's one of those sweet titles that I read on a hard day. It's so comforting, and I've been needing to get some merch to represent it. They are super cute, but again, they're chibis, which isn't my favorite. I'm also not a fan of the keychain aspect of them, but I'll take what I can get. They're still super cute, and I love Haebom and Taesung. I'm very happy to have them on my shelf.
Love is an Illusion! Acrylic Stand – Dojin and Hye-sung (Plus Bonus Prints)
This is the last and my personal favorite stand I got from Harumio. Is there any question as to why? It's my favorite omegaverse series, my favorite top, and my favorite ditzy, tsundere bottom, all in one piece of merch. Plus, it's a couple-stand, which I adore. This merch haul is omegaverse-heavy, and I love it. I also got a nice little bonus with this order, which is two prints, and yes, I did frame them. I love these folks so much; they're like my family, and they deserve a spot on my wall. I really wanted to get Dojun and Heesoo, too, but those two sold out so quickly. Still, I got my OTP, and that is all that matters. It's a great way to close out the Harumio part of the merch haul.
Your Wings and Mine Posters – Our Dear Angel and Mettatron
With Your Wings and Mine‘s ending on the horizon (sob), I am feeling desperate to memorialize my love in some way. So, when I saw Hakei announce the new RGB prints, I had to get my hands on them. I love them, as expected. Shealtiel is great, of course. But daddy Mettatron. He's bad, sure, but he's also just a baddie. He causes chaos, and I love him. These posters are stunning, and they are going to look great on what has essentially become my BL wall.
Star Crossed – Bonus Postcard from Tokyopop
This was a bonus because I purchased directly from Tokyopop. It is a stunning piece of artwork. I don't have it framed just yet, but you better believe I will. More importantly, I had completely forgotten that I made two separate purchases at the Tokyopop store during this promotion. As a result, I have two amazing postcards. I still have that extra manga from the previous haul, and I think I want to do a giveaway with it. Maybe add this in, too? Y'all are going to have to let me know and comment below.
Conclusion
This is everything I got in April. It was really fun sharing what I got with you guys. If you'd like to see more for the rest of the year, let me know and comment below.
Otherwise, I'll catch you next time. Bye!