I Thot You Was a Toad's manga / #historical(15)

The first in a series of yaoi romances based on the function of the sword in Shinto cleansing rituals. Swords are forged to fight evil spirits, and in these stories, they take human form and become embroiled, not only in supernatural battles with demons, but in human conflicts, intrigues and romances. The artwork is free and full of movement and energy, and the stories are very exciting and quite different from anything I've read before. Loved it!

Traditional Japanese ghost stories and folklore are used as the backdrop and livelihood for a pair of late Edo-period ghostbusters as they gradually fall for each other. Lively, engaging and interesting with more of a sentimental and melancholic feeling, rather than creepy horror or gore, the imagery is enhanced with traditional woodblock print references and Miyamoto Kano's beautiful artwork.

Motoharu's affection for Akira is thwarted by family expectations and cultural standing — NOT, as one would expect, on his side, but levied upon the hapless Akira, whose responsibility toward his mother's benefactors outweighs his personal choices. This story is, both, tragic and sweet, and both the young men still manage to express what is in their hearts, even though duty supercedes individualism in the time and setting of this story. Takarai Rihito's art is magnificent, and there is continuation of this story in the magnificent story, Hana No Mizu Shiro, or "Only the Flower Knows" [http://www.mangago.me/read-manga/hana_no_mizo_shiru/] ... If you love yaoi, definitely read both of these!

Tamaquis Wren specializes in yaoi where the uke surrenders himself to love so much, he gives up his own dignity. Dignity is reinstated by love returned, a classic romance trope. This story is hardcore, however, for, instead of love, the sole motivation is vengeance, and there is no surrender, just rage-fueled detachment and dissociation. To extract the cruelest revenge he can, Yan, the son of a murdered king, becomes the favourite catamite in the court of the Chinese Emperor who committed regicide against Yan's beloved father. Bent on destroying his enemies and slowly debauching the Emperor past his body's capacity for tolerance, the only revenge Yan can extract is what he has, himself, endured. In the end, in spite of page after page of strangely utilitarian sex and seduction with child rape, gang rape, slavery, sex cults, drugs, felching, castration, BDSM, odd sex toys, vegetable-slicing(!) and a huge and surprising reveal right at the end, the story is empty and cold, just like Yan. Weirdly, it's the court intrigue and politics that move it beyond mere shota wish-fulfilment smut fantasy and redeem it (for me; I can't abide child rape), transforming it into Wren's best work. It isn't romantic at all and, for once, Wren doesn't pretend that soul-crushing depravity and oppression are romantic. Wren's drawings are distinctive and stylized, but here they focus on lips, hair, eyes, skin and a boy whose naked body is modified to look like a young woman's. Everyone else is nameless, fully dressed and, either a wild-eyed and lust-maddened rapist, or a fellow scheming manipulator — distorted through the lens of obsession. Yan is an interesting character who gains his individual freedom, revenge and personal power, although nothing else — certainly not love.

Prince Raped-a-lot uses his wiles (yes, that's what I'm calling them and I'm sticking to it) to rope in General Sei and Powerful Courtier Touri to the cause of cleaning up the kingdom his father left in a shambles. Hijinks and treasonous treachery ensue. Doesn't look like this thing's going to be updated anytime soon.

A humiliation kink story about the downfall of a proud young aristocrat, Shingo, who is forced, by inherited debt, to become a male prostitute, and is trained into this service by Zen, the brothel's enforcer, who has suffered at the hand's of Shingo's father.

Abused indentured servant, Shuri, is purchased by Tatsumi to work at the Hanabishi brothel as a male prostitute. Shuri longs to be of real help and comfort to Tatsumi, whom he regards as a saviour, but Tatsumi misunderstands his efforts as attempts to run away. In retaliation, he treats Shuri cruelly, but as dark secrets of his own past begin to emerge, he is slowly won over by Shuri's devotion. A very typical romance genre plot, but Samamiya Akaza's illustrations are breathtaking.