BL Library - Platform: Renta!

Manga Review | Stained with Snow White’s Poison by Ship Hita

Title: Stained with Snow White's Poison

Author(s): Ship Hita

Artist(s): Ship Hita

Takumi is a college student. He hasn't had much success with dating, often putting his partner's wants above his own, only for them to assume he doesn't care for them since he isn't jealous and doesn't ask anything of them. Disillusioned with what love means, he settles into the monotony of college life and hopes to one day understand. He has the perfect opportunity when he catches sight of the famous Mimori twins on campus, a set of fraternal boy and girl twins that look nearly identical. The sister is adorable, of course, but Takumi is drawn to the brother, Yukiya.

Yukiya is cold and gloomy, but Takumi can't help but be interested in him. After being paired up to work on a project in their class, Takumi finally has the opportunity to get closer to the cold Yukiya. But, as it turns out, Yukiya isn't cold or gloomy but shy, considerate, and kind, with a deep love for his sister. Unfortunately, it also turns out that Yukiya has a crush on an older man with whom he has a physical relationship, but nothing official. Takumi longs to take that man's place in Yukiya's life, but Takumi worries he won't be able to show him the love and care he needs.

Title: Having My Favorite in the Middle of the Night

Author(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Artist(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Grim is a radio host. He spends his evenings reading letters over the airwaves, answering questions, and sharing stories of his own life. He's perfectly content with the easy-going lifestyle he's cultivated for himself. However, his simple life gets a little bit more hectic after being invited to a party with all manner of entertainers, including models, actors, and the like. Grim is already looking for his escape when he meets renowned star Masachika.

As it turns out, Masachika is a massive fan of Grim's radio show. Anyone would be happy to hear that, including Grim, but Masachika seems to be more interested in Grim than his radio show. While Grim is flattered, he's not interested in anything with a young man like Masachika. He's all too happy to escape back to his quiet life, but Masachika is much more tenacious than Grim gave him credit for. Can Grim keep his distance, or will Masachika lure him into an inescapable trap?

Title: Rough and Tumble Hana and His Lovey-Dovey Boyfriend

Author(s): Nene Shakeda

Artist(s): Nene Shakeda

Hanamaru (also known as Hana) and Wataru have been friends for as long as they can remember. Even with Hana being a year older, they were closer than anyone else to each other, and as they grew up together, next door to each other, that closeness only grew. One day, in high school, their friendship reaches a fever pitch when Wataru confesses that he is in love with Hana and wants to be with him as his boyfriend. Hana readily agrees.

All is well in their world, but Hana is still bothered. Absolutely nothing is different, even though they're dating now. While Hana has never thought much about what it means to be with a man, he wants to explore it together with Wataru. So, with the help of his older brothers, Hana makes it a point to take their relationship to the next level. Their relationship is important, but while trying to better their intimate relationship, their school lives are strained as teachers and peers tell Wataru that Hana is a bad influence. Hana just wants to help support Wataru.

Can their relationship survive the influence of others? Or will they succumb to peer pressure?

Title: My Beloved North Star

Author(s): Ayu Sakumoto

Artist(s): Ayu Sakumoto

Yuri Mizutani is just trying to live a good life as your average high school student. Every day is no different from the next until he encounters a foreigner who seemingly can't speak Japanese. The guy seems to need help getting to Yuri's high school. Despite his better judgment, he helps the foreigner find his way. The guy is so happy that he kisses Yuri on the cheek as thanks before disappearing onto campus. Yuri is shocked but brushes it off as a strange encounter and moves along with his day.

To his surprise, in class, the strange foreigner is back and is introduced as Kei Satono, a transfer student from the United States. As it turns out, he can speak perfect Japanese and, later admits, only put on an act in hopes of ingratiating himself with the women who have a thing for foreigners. Unfortunately, Kei thought Yuri was a woman, which plays on deeply rooted insecurities Yuri has about his looks, which are more feminine than most. Yuri does his best not to get upset, especially since he assumes Kei will leave him alone once he reveals his gender, but upon telling Kei he's a man, Kei just seems all the more encouraged to pursue him.

Is there a way to get Kei to focus his attention somewhere else? Or is Yuri doomed to be the object of Kei's affection forever?

Title: I Need More Than Just Romance

Author(s): Haruko Tarafuku

Artist(s): Haruko Tarafuku

Shuji and Kosuke have been dating for three months. It's going pretty well. They meet up multiple times a week at a diner, where they make small talk while Kosuke works, then they head to Shuji's house and watch movies or talk some more. It's all very routine and pleasant. But it's hardly an intimate relationship as far as Shuji is concerned. What is the difference between what they do and what friends do together? Shuji wants more from Kosuke. He wants to kiss, touch, and, hopefully, have sex, but no matter how hard he tries to hint at his physical cravings, Kosuke just never takes the bait.

One evening while he is pleasuring himself, he gets a text from Kosuke, inviting him to the diner they go to every time they meet. Unable to hold back any longer, Shuji makes a determined decision: he will prep himself, and no matter how the night goes, he will consummate his relationship with Kosuke. But will Kosuke reciprocate Shuji's feelings? Or will their relationship end before it even begins?

Title: My Cat and My Bed

Author(s): Sakana Tojo

Artist(s): Sakana Tojo

Hiroki has never had pleasurable sex. Not due to a lack of trying, that is. He desperately wants to know what it feels like to have good sex with someone, and in his desperation, he calls an escort service. While hoping for the best, he's not expecting much, and his nerves make it hard to look forward to the big event. Fortunately, Hiroki has been assigned one of the best escorts from “Stray Cat.”

Haru is the perfect escort boyfriend. His specialty? Pampering his clients. He loves to make his customers feel dependent on him, and he has yet to find someone he can't woo into being his regular. When he meets Hiroki, shy and nervous, he goes through the standard script. He asks Hiroki to call him baby, showers Hiroki with compliments, and then makes sure to please him in bed. Hiroki is pleased with the service and falls in line with all of Haru's other regulars.

But for some reason, Haru wants to pamper Hiroki outside of work hours.

Title: A Stomachful of Secret Delights

Author(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Artist(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

This is the sequel to Saving My Favorite For Last.

Melo suffers from intense anxiety. His anxiety is so strong that he suffers from chronic hematuria, which puts his health on a major decline. The reason for his anxiety? It could be anything, but the main culprit is his lover, Noris. They'd been together for as long as Melo could remember, having been childhood friends since their families were close. From the moment Melo saw Noris eat his food with a smile on his face, Melo made it his mission to marry Noris.

So far, so good, until Melo catches Noris smiling at his new coworker. Melo has never had competition before, having thoroughly monopolized all of Noris's affection for himself. Melo's anxiety has reached a fever pitch with a few new suitors hanging around. Not even his meds can stave away the stress anymore, and with the increased pressure, so follows the steep decline of his health. Will Melo be able to keep his one love to himself, or will he die before he even gets the chance?

Title: Saving My Favorite For Last

Author(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Artist(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Humanity has evolved from cats. To expand their population, they have also developed the ability for all sexes to give birth, if they so choose, and can lure in potential mates with pheromones. Kazui is an expert in using his pheromones, as he spends every evening going out and trying to find someone to inseminate him. Why? Because he desperately wants children of his own that he can raise and love. He was abandoned as a child, and he has always longed for a genetic connection with someone.

No matter how many partners he tries with, his body won't get pregnant. Undeterred, he continues working extremely hard to scrape and save every dime he can to care for his future children. When the contracts for his jobs start to run out, he is offered a position as a manager for a model, which pays way better than many of his jobs combined. He jumps at the chance. On his first day, he meets some of the hottest purebred cats out there, and the particular model he is assigned to is the top Maine Coon model, Noah.

Kazui would love it if a purebred like Noah would help him get pregnant, as purebreds are guaranteed to inseminate their partners, but there's no way someone as sought after as Noah would go for a plain mixed breed like him… right?

Title: Baby, Sugar, Succubus

Author(s): Sakana Tojo

Artist(s): Sakana Tojo

Arata has got a lot going for him. He's pretty attractive, a manager at a café, and has no shortage of women to pick from. But, unfortunately, he has a large problem. His genitals are huge. Most men would be proud of this fact, and Arata once was in his younger years. However, as it turns out, his substantial piece isn't popular among his sexual partners. It's too big, doesn't fit, and hurts, with Arata being forced into a mostly celibate life.

While bemoaning his cursed fate of reborn virginity, he encounters what he initially thinks is a drunken student passed out in his café. However, while trying to rouse the young man, he grabs Arata and says he is hungry before passing out again. When the young man wakes up, Arata is there waiting with a plate of food. While the meal is delicious, the young man isn't hungry for food but for something else that Arata has plenty of.

And Arata is all too happy to give it.

Title: Hand in Hand

Author(s): Ayu Sakumoto

Artist(s): Ayu Sakumoto

Yuasa is beautiful, which has become more of a curse than anything. Yuasa can't make real connections with most people as they only see him for his good looks and nothing else. So, he's cultivated a close group of three friends and doesn't go beyond that unless he has to for school or work. While in the library, he ends up brushing hands with a freshman named Satoru, a jewelry craftsman. There's nothing remarkable about the situation, and Yuasa fully expects that any interest Satoru has in him is rooted solely in Yuasa's looks.

To his surprise, though, Satoru couldn't care less about Yuasa's face. Instead, Satoru only cares about Yuasa's hands, which he dubs his ideal, dream hands. As it turns out, Satoru has an intense hand fetish, manifesting in an obsession with touching, taking pictures of, sketching, and making jewelry for Yuasa's hands. While Yuasa is disturbed by this weird turn of events, he can't help but find it refreshing to meet someone who likes him for something other than his face. So begins Satoru and Yuasa's push-and-pull relationship of Yuasa keeping Satoru at arm's length while Satoru does everything he can to get close to those hands.

However, the more time they spend together, the more Satoru's love for Yuasa's hands begins to encompass all of Yuasa. Will Yuasa be able to accept Satoru's evolving feelings? Or will he run away in fear of another superficial relationship?

Platform: Renta!

Manga Review | Stained with Snow White’s Poison by Ship Hita

Manga Review | Having My Favorite in the Middle of the Night by Tsutako Tsurusawa

Manga Review | Rough and Tumble Hana and His Lovey-Dovey Boyfriend by Nene Shakeda

Manga Review | My Beloved North Star by Ayu Sakumoto

Manga Review | I Need More Than Just Romance by Haruko Tarafuku

Manga Review | My Cat and My Bed by Sakana Tojo

Manga Review | A Stomachful of Secret Delights by Tsutako Tsurusawa

Manga Review | Baby, Sugar, Succubus by Sakana Tojo

Manga Review | Hand in Hand by Ayu Sakumoto

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