There’s a slew of new acquisitions from 801/June [or should I say June...I think 801 has about 2 or 3?] Full list of 801/June releases is at the Boys Next Door blog. Tack those onto the Doki Doki announcements [the only one I'm interested in is Otodama by Youka Nitta], and there’s certainly no shortage of BL coming from Japan next year.
Though I must say this…WTF Dark Horse? Are you serious? >___< Let me guess, it has a girl in it so you’re releasing shojo…right??? Oy vey.
The latest Slash Skinny is up.
Over at Insaneneko’s blog, she’s reviewing one of those ‘Larry Arabia’ type BLs [technically they're called 'Sabaku (desert) stories'...BL novels and comics featuring Arabian Prince's and Royalty types that are either so white it's scary-- or if they are tan...they're about as ethnic as Swiss Cheese.] This one at least has lovely artwork. The whole Sabaku thing sort of died out last year, and thank G*d, because the inaccuracy used to drive me apeshit. Still waiting on a good Sinbad BL though…anyone? Studio Kawaii?
I’m suddenly reminded of the historical-accuracy discussion over at AMLA from last year, when I first heard about Sabaku stories from commenter Emi:
Most are current day – modern. The story usually goes that a Japanese man (always uke – usually effeminate and beautiful) goes to the middle East, where a sheik (or tribal chief or other rich and powerful man) falls madly in love with him to make the uke his lover (often forcibly, sometimes through kidnapping.) There is a variation where the Japanese man is bought at an auction.) Sometimes he is thrown in the man’s harem full of women (Why he is allowed there, I don’t know). Uke gradually falls in love and they often marry at the end. (How they can legally marry, I also don’t know…)
Many people have described them as the BL version of Harlequin romances that were popular a few years ago, and the story types are almost identical. (I wouldn’t know because I don’t read Harlequin) But…I suppose they’re no worse than BL story set in fantasy US…like the Navy SEAL story where virtually everyone in the story is an openly gay couple and has sex everywhere…
Image shamelessly stolen from the LJ of Zehavit Lamasu
