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sashimi-time · 2 years

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Completed BL Manga/Manhwa/Manhua Recommendations (1)

I was bored, so I decided to make a list of all the BL mangas/manhwas I read that I absolutely loved and enjoyed! I'll probably update this soon!

Here U Are (157 chapters)

Plot (MAL): Yang Yu is a second-year university student who seems reliable and pleasant. With the commencement of a new term, he is tasked with orienting every freshman he sees on campus. Eventually, his duty leads him to meet Huan Li, a new student with a fairly oppressive height. Besides his intimidating physique, he is taciturn, aloof, and often gives Yang Yu the cold shoulder.

Yang Yu, who has done nothing but assist him, immediately grows frustrated by this treatment. However, despite his initial impressions, Yang Yu believes that his chance encounter with Huan Li will transform his future outlook—perhaps even on the prospect of love.

Note: It is one of the best BL comics that I have read. Seriously, you should give it a try! Huan Li is one of the best bois, and Yang Yu is seriously too freakin' cool.

Doukyuusei (6 chapters) + ALL THE SEQUELS

Plot (AP): Rihito Sajou is an honor student with perfect scores in every subject on his high school entrance exam. Hikaru Kusakabe plays guitar in his band that performs at live events and is popular among the girls. These boys would have never crossed paths. But one day Hikaru offers to help Rihito prepare for their upcoming chorus festival and the two begin to talk. As the two meet after school, they bond through songs and begin to harmonize as their hearts beat together.

It starts out slowly but soon their feelings for one another grow and suddenly they both realize that they are in love. Hikaru's emotions are frivolous, pure and direct causing Rihito to hesitate at first, but he gradually opens his heart. The boys learn about each other, as well as themselves, as they support one another during this difficult time in their youth. As the time to start thinking about their futures approaches, what do these young men find as they try to move forward...

Notes: I actually watched the movie first (which you should also watch hehe). It got me hooked, so I ended up reading it and all the sequels. Much adorbs. Must read.

Cherry Blossoms After Winter (153 chapters, Tappytoon)

Plot (AL): Once young friends, Haebom and Taesung have grown distant after tragedy brought them under one roof as family almost 10 years ago. Things get more complicated in their last year of high school as now they’re... classmates too?!

Notes: This is a very wholesome, well-known manhwa. It's cute and light, and it was an absolute delight to read. Warning tho, S3 and S4 are NSFW! (Tae-Seong is a horny b*tch. (/ω＼)). It actually has a drama adaptation! However, I ended up not finishing it. As cute as the main actors were, there was just something...missing in the adaptation. The manhwa is great tho!

Sign (115 chapters; Lezhin)

Plot (AL): There are a few unusual things about Cafe Goyo. Number one, their coffee sucks. Number two, their customers never order off the menu. And number three, Yohan, the cafe manager, is deaf. So when Soohwa joins as a part-timer, though he is not expected to learn how to make good coffee, he is asked to expand his sign language vocabulary beyond the words, “higher,” “pay,” and “please.” But when Yohan offers to give him private lessons, Soohwa is reluctant. Not because he doesn’t want to study, but because he has a “hard” time around Yohan. Like, literally. He gets hard. Whenever he hears Yohan’s deep, sexy voice.

Notes: This is a very cute read. Warning though, it is also very NSFW. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

Love Tractor (80 chapters; Tappytoon)

Plot (AL): When family obligations force Sun Yool, a stressed-out law school student, to the countryside, it seems like a great opportunity to escape the chaos of the city. After all, the great outdoors promises fresh air, sunshine… and a new romance?! Soon after arriving, Sun Yool is thrown into a series of strange encounters and misunderstandings with his 20-year-old neighbor, Yechan. But in spite of Yechan’s bumbling first impression and Sun Yool’s prickly exterior, the two find themselves drawn to each other… Will this tractor-driving stud's rustic charm be enough to melt this cold city boy's heart?

Notes: I know all I've been saying is that these manhwas are a cute read, but I can't really help it because they are. HAHAHHA. This is another adorable manhwa to read, tho it does get spicy near the end (this is my warning!). Ye-Chan is an adorable baby. Also, I heard this will have a drama adaptation soon! I'm super hyped!

The Big Apple (65 chapters; Tappytoon)

Plot (AL): Joachim Hjerpe is the one and only sniper of the Secret Intelligence Agency, an organization of individuals with very special abilities. The life of a sniper is extremely stressful, but quitting is not an option, as doing so could mean his own death. His only reprieve is meeting with his seductive and handsome lover, Juergen Eisler, who knows exactly how to fulfill Joachim’s needs. But when the dangers of his professional life threaten to invade his personal life, Joachim decides to part ways with Juergen before it’s too late. Juergen has no idea why Joachim suddenly wants to break up, and he’d sooner keep Joachim in shackles than let him walk out of his life. Will Juergen be able to persuade Joachim to tell him the truth?

Notes: I really enjoyed reading this. It's really steamy, and some people might not like what Joachim and Juergen do to each other lols. They're both kinda effed up, but I guess that's what made it an interesting read? (〃￣ω￣〃ゞ

Heat and Run (102 chapters; Tapas)

Plot (AL): It’s a world filled with sex, sweat, and pheromones. Alphas and omegas sexually rule with betas getting what’s left. Ian Joo is a presumed alpha, who’s really an omega. Jae-Ho Ro is a dark-haired alpha. They come from proud families and were good friends until Jae-Ho abruptly leaves Korea for the U.S. Five years later, the two reunite with Jae-Ho discovering Ian’s burgeoning omega scent that’s just begging for hot bedroom fun! Will these two give in to the sexual tension heating up between them?

Notes: If you haven't caught on from the plot, this is a very NSFW manhwa. ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) Okay, so to be honest, the first few chapters confused the heck out of me. I couldn't make out who was who because it was black and white, and everyone. looked. so. alike. But when they added the color, the whole thing made sense, and I absolutely loved it! Matthew can be cray, tho. But Ian and Jaeho are so cute.

Wolf in the House (79 chapters; Lezhin)

Plot (AL): After ending an on-again, off-again relationship of 10 years, Minsuk decides to foster a Siberian husky named Bexan to mark the start of his new single life. He can’t wait to cuddle with his new furry roommate, take him on walks, and play fetch. But Bexan is no ordinary dog...and when night falls, Minsuk is in for a surprise.

Notes: I enjoyed reading this one, though I guess it can be a bit weird because of Bexan. But yes, you should consider giving this one a try. Warning though, it's 18+. ૮⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝ ა

Blood Link (135 chapters; Lezhin)

Plot (AL): A human, lycan, or a vampire - what am I?! Completely unaware of the existence of these predators, Hwa-Gok goes about his everyday life... That is, until Lee-Bin turns his life upside down by biting him on the neck, setting off a whirlwind of events neither of them could foresee.

Notes: I have to admit, I'm a sucker for lycans and vampires. This one was really fun to read, and I absolutely love that we get to see what happens ~after~. Warning, it's NSFW. (〃 ω 〃). Also, random share, but I love that the lycans have only animal ears when they transform. Not the weird animal/human ear combination that's popular in most mangas/manhwas.

H&H Roman Company (52 chapters; Lezhin)

Plot (AL): With rapid developments to the human civilization, the need for God and his angels have decreased at a significant rate. Thus, the angels are experiencing a historic unemployment crisis! With this problem in hand, God decides to start a company that will reduce the unemployment rate in both Heaven and Hell. He hereby founds the company, H&H Roman Company!

Notes: Who doesn't want to read about a company made of both angels and demons? Amirite? It's mature though! (๑>ᴗ<๑). Also, all the characters are hella cute. :3

Walk on Water (64 chapters; Tappytoon)

Plot (AL): Ed, a broke bodyguard in search of some fast cash, enters the world of porn by applying to the adult film company McQueen Entertainment under the alias 'Tommy.' He originally planned to just perform as a top. But one day when his partner couldn't make it on time for the shoot, Ed ends up playing bottom to the charismatic owner of the company himself, Glenn McQueen!

Notes: I liked this one. If I remember right, it was very realistic. The art is fantastic, and the story is great. Give it a try if you haven't read it yet! And yes, it is a spicy manhwa. (❁´◡`❁)

Keeper of the Pearl (49 chapters)

Plot (AL): This is the story of two lovers, Jae Moon and Ji Yeon, fated for each other as a dragon is to its pearl. Their love overcame the barrier of hierarchy, but the star-crossed lovers were torn apart when one of them was killed in a tragic incident.

The reincarnated Jae Moon and Ji Yeon are reunited once again in the present time. With such a tragedy in their past lives, will the two be able to rekindle the feelings they had for each other from a happier past?

Notes: I'm pretty sure I breezed by the middle of this manhwa. Lols. But I loved the ending so much, I'm gonna recommend it! It's also 18+. Wahahaha. (ˊ•͈ ◡ •͈ˋ) Wow. I'm a pervert. Lols.

Angel Buddy (82 chapters; Lezhin)

Plot (AL): To others, Soo-Ho might appear a little strange. But to Soo-Ho, there’s much more to “life” than the average person may ever know. And that’s because Soo-Ho sees spirits. At first he thought his “abilities” were limited to the average ghost-y here and there, but one day he witnesses a real life angel floating in midair and staring at him. And then he promptly breaks said angel’s wing on accident. Soo-Ho's had many a ghost follow him around in his short life, but he’s never had to take of an angel… nor a spirit quite so handsome as Taker.

Notes: When someone loves you so much... hehe. This is a cute (18+) read. :3

Unromantic (66 chapters)

Plot (AL): A stunningly beautiful and filthy rich omega suddenly appeared in my insignificant, average life?! "30 minutes. If you can keep yourself from begging for that long, then I'll let you go home." Is he looking down at me because he thinks I'm that kind of alpha? I... I hate people like him! ...I... I really hate him, but...?! Is this type of romance okay?!

Notes: This is very cute and wholesome and mature. :3 You should most definitely try to read it! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

Kirai de Isasete (4 volumes, 6 chapters each)

Plot (AL): Koga Naoto is an omega who was raped by his alpha classmates and got pregnant. Due to that traumatic experience, he came to hate alphas and told himself that he doesn't need a lifemate or a bond, but even with that incident, he insisted on keeping the child and raised her, and an angel named Shizuku was born. She became his strength and center in this cruel word that treats omegas unfairly. But his life suddenly changed when he met an alpha named Tsuchiya Hazuki from the matchmaking party he forced himself to attend.

Notes: I'm pretty sure this one is pretty well-known, and like most of its readers, I do believe it is one of the best omegaverse stories there. It's wholesome and a really sweet read. Shizuki is da best.

What are your thoughts on them? Do you know any other completed BLs? Please share if you do! I love discovering new things to read!

૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

Part 2

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julie-su · 7 days

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That word's been thrown around a lot. Do you really mean that he's a pedo in your version of the game?

Unfortunately, I'm dead serious.

It's just a hatecrime, really. There's no other way of stepping around it; they first made Yellow Monkey (Monkey Yellow) a gay stereotype, and then they added in the jokes where he's into the little boys you play as. He's into Satoru/Kei and wants to date him, flirts with Hikaru/Jimmy, and is disinterested in Sayaka/Yumi. Because he's gay! And that's what gay men do, in British media! Even in our more progressive media, they'll have the gay man who's into young boys. It happened just last year in BBC Doctors (NOT Doctor Who) -- I'm not sure if the joke is there in the original JPN ver, but it sure as hell is in the U.K dub.

In AE2 & AE3, he's flirtatious and effeminate, and all around, a rather uncomfortable gay caracature - it's less so in AE2, where he's -sort of- flirting with Hikaru - and it could be passed off for weird taunting - in AE3, when he's completely disinterested in Sayaka, then is head-over-heels for Satoru, and is asking to go on a date because he's so cute... Oh, they didn't just make him gay, they made him a gay paedo. That's... -sigh- that's rather in line for a 2007/2008 British Dub.

AE3, U.K Dub: (To Sayaka/Yumi) "Cute girls aren't really my thing." (Compliment; commonly used to mockingly imply 'I'm into boys') (To Satoru/Kei) "Oh, look at the precious little boy! [...] How adorable. Well, what will it be? Fight me, or go on a date with me, silly? [...] What will it be, Handsome?"

AE3, N.A Dub: (To Sayaka/Yumi) "I do so hate you cutesy types." (Agressive/no underlying implication about sexual preference) (To Satoru/Kei) "Oh my, what a cute little child you are! [...] You can either fight me.. Or perhaps you could become my personal chef, for ever and ever! [...] Well? Which will it be?"

... -Sigh- I'll have to hand this one to the N.A Dub. It's frustrating, because otherwise, the U.K Dub of Ape Escape has been absolutely whimsical and wonderful; a lot of culture gets lost between versions. I could sing from the rooftops, the wonderful world of very specific culture that our dub has, whilst still being the same language! ... However, that is a double-edged sword, when our media oft thinks that 'gay man who is a paedo' is a funny character to portray.

Edit: Oh. No. It's so much worse in the JP ver. Yet also, the way in which they have localised it to the U.K version makes it feel so much more targeted. Both are unique from each-other in the way in which they portray Yellow, whilst the core joke of 'gay paedophile' is still there. Ouch! That smarts.

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anitosoul · 3 years

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My Favorite Albums of 2020, 30-21

30. HEALTH, DISCO4 :: PART I

Favorite Tracks: POWER FANTASY | HATE YOU | DELICIOUS APE

HEALTH’s music is the definition of cyberpunk: a resumé that includes composing video game soundtracks and having a song called CYBERPUNK 2.0.2.0 seem like worthy criteria. However, the beauty of DISCO4 is its ability to show how extensive cyberpunk can get, with features ranging from Xiu Xiu to Soccer Mommy. The album’s moody glitched-out noise rock made my late night bike rides feel like a scene from Akira in the best way possible. I highly suggest the “POWER FANTASY” music video, where a bizarre heart-shaped monster runs through a Sonic the Hedgehog 2-inspired 3D half pipe, visits various deceased celebrities after getting a game over, and then takes a hit of DMT for an ultimate tripped out power-up. It’s just…the best.

29. Caribou, Suddenly

Favorite Tracks: Never Come Back | Ravi | Lime

It’s hard to define Suddenly, with its amalgam of pop, electronic, disco, techno, R&B, and experimental production serving as the basis for Daniel Snaith’s poignant songwriting. Having been released on February 28th, this swirl of emotional textures fittingly paralleled the surreal chaos of early March. After making the decision to return home to Oklahoma as it became clear that the virus was going to ravage NYC, I spent one last night with my best friends I had made in the city. It was a rainy night, and the bus I was supposed to take home never arrived (classic). I decided to walk home instead, listening to Suddenly as I passed the Harlem storefronts and streets I had become so familiar with. It was eerily quiet, like everyone had the sense that things were about to change: the calm before the storm. As I said a temporary goodbye to the life I had began just months ago so starry-eyed, Suddenly was evocative of an unpredictable rainstorm, washing away expectation and forewarning of the world’s caprice.

28. Rina Sawayama, SAWAYAMA

Favorite Tracks: XS | STFU! | Comme des Garçons

In November, I got really interested in the Y2K aesthetic for various reasons: nostalgia, for one, but mainly because of the interesting parallels it had to 2020. It seemed like the 20-year cultural cycle was in full force: the all-encompassing nature of technology that was present in the dot com boom of the late ‘90’s and the anxiety of the electrical grid shutdown at the turn of the millennium was an interesting parallel to the rapid rise of social media, the sudden shift of our entire lives onto Zoom, and their literal impacts on individual and societal mental health. The presence of catastrophe also played a factor, with the consequences of global and political crises changing culture permanently. Looking to music of the era was fascinating to me as I considered the rise of bubblegum pop like boy bands and Britney Spears and the simultaneous fall of rock into either weird nu-metal, pop-punk, or indie: what cultural lessons could be learned from such a transitionary period? This is where SAWAYAMA comes in: it’s like an audio scrapbook of everything I remember from my early 2000’s childhood, from the sumptuous aesthetics in fashion and media, the callow angst of pop-punk YouTube music videos, and even the Utada Hikaru-inspired J-pop that I was obsessed with from playing hours of Kingdom Hearts. Sawayama combines all of these ideas into a package undeniably contemporary and surprisingly refreshing, reviving the escapism and catharsis of the 2000’s that’s sorely needed in 2020.

27. Tennis, Swimmer

Favorite Tracks: Need Your Love | Runner | Swimmer

This album released at an interesting time of the year, as I mostly remember listening to it back in February pre-pandemic. Its schmaltzy, breezy, retro sound was great for mentally transporting away from the cold city and onto a yacht somewhere delightfully corny like Key West. The kitschy but sincere romance of the album was also fitting for the Valentine’s Day release, like a meaningful handwritten note in an overpriced Hallmark card. Perhaps it was this cheesiness that kept this album in rotation: the idealized romcom narrative of the band was like an alternate reality that I could cling to throughout the stresses of the year, reinforced by the fact that the dreamy pop production sounds so pleasant. Swimmer is an innocent daydream for better times, and it only serves to strengthen Tennis’ near decade-long indie pop legacy.

26. Dirty Projectors, 5EPs

Favorite Tracks: Lose Your Love | Overlord | Self Design

On 5EPs, Dirty Projectors has something for everyone: the collection is a compilation of EPs released throughout 2020, each representing different musical influences and featured vocalists of the current Dirty Projectors cast. With such a storied career and multiple changes in band lineup, 5EPs allowed me, as a relatively new fan, to get a taste of both the group’s previous sounds and hints at what their sound may be moving forward. Each new EP release was unexpected but welcome, and as a Time Crisis fan I was excited to see which Jake Longstreth painting would be featured on the new EP album cover. The project’s episodic release flowed along with my experiences in 2020, mostly soundtracking the crunchy eco-friendly ethos that got me through the year. Folksy-trippy songs like “Overlord” on EP1 Windows Open and “Lose Your Love” on EP2 Flight Tower were on constant repeat during my WFH backyard sunbathing sessions and summer camping trips. The chill bossa nova influence throughout EP3 Super João was perfect for camp sunrises and a damn fine cup of coffee. Listening to the modulated orchestral sounds throughout EP4 Earth Crisis while hiking through the Catskills forest instantly transported me to somewhere like Middle-earth, or an episode of Over the Garden Wall. The last EP, EP5 Ring Road, is where Dirty Projectors sound most at home, which is also where I spent the most time listening to this EP: the many autumn and winter nights spent in my room this year were warmer with Dirty Projectors’ signature art rock, and I can confidently say that this collection put a smile on my face all throughout the year.

25. Oneohtrix Point Never, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never

Favorite Tracks: Lost but Never Alone | Long Road Home | I Don’t Love Me Anymore

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is an album we were never meant to hear; at least that’s how I felt when I first listened to this album. The distorted splices of old radio segments sound forbidden, like I was digging up the graves of these forgotten pieces of media and hearing their acoustic corpse. This album reminds me of the saying that you die twice, once when you stop breathing and the second when someone mentions your name for the last time. It’s evocative of abandoned event spaces or decrepit amusement park rides; places that used to bring people joy but are now simply spatial husks. In Magic OPN, Daniel Lopatin serves as the urban explorer capturing the dark beauty of these remnants, offering the voices of those sampled a temporary reanimation through his grungy classical electronica with eerie success.

24. The Avalanches, We Will Always Love You

Favorite Tracks: Interstellar Love | We Will Always Love You | Born to Lose

I listened to this for the first time as the snow fell outside my bedroom window, the December release date making it a late contender for this list. We Will Always Love You was already one of my favorite songs of the year and I had high expectations for these masters of sample notorious for taking their time with each release. Thankfully we only had to wait four years since The Avalanches’ last album, arriving a quarter of the time sooner than the 16-year gap between Wildflower and debut album Since I Left You. We Will Always Love You takes a noticeably different approach than the previous two, sounding much more personal: it’s in the quiet moments where the album really shines, evocative of deeply intimate conversations that only happen during late night drives. The samples are now more than just sonic ingredients; they serve as stories, vignettes of small moments of tenderness. The album is celestial; each song is as if an astronaut had the ability to pick a random spot on earth and hone in on exactly what one person was feeling in that moment: longing, joy, triumph, sorrow, nostalgia, pain, fear, and contentment are all here, and We Will Always Love You reassures us that allowing ourselves to feel it all is the purest act of humanity in an impossibly difficult year.

23. Empress Of, I’m Your Empress Of

Favorite Tracks: Bit of Rain | Maybe This Time | Give Me Another Chance

I’m Your Empress Of is strong because it focuses on identity: clips of Lorely Rodriguez’s chats with her mother about womanhood and her Honduran immigrant history reminded me so much of talks with my dad about what it means to be a man and anecdotes of his own experience coming to the United States from the Philippines. This context grounds Rodriguez’s own lived experience as a young American dealing with love and heartbreak to her storied heritage: it’s hard to explain, but any immigrant kid will know the difficulty of growing up and trying to live as a “normal” (aka: white) teenager/young adult while still honoring our family’s traditions, culture, and expectations. This incorporation of the first-generation American experience into relatable lyricism is Rodriguez’s form of radical reclamation: the songs are dancey and fun but never generic, with the electronic production serving as a vehicle for an American perspective often overlooked.

22. Tame Impala, The Slow Rush

Favorite Tracks: Posthumous Forgiveness | On Track | Breathe Deeper

The Slow Rush was another album a long time in the making, having been released five years after seminal 2010’s album Currents. Originally set to be released in the spring of 2019, I was admittedly a little disappointed when the only new songs I got to hear Tame Impala perform live that summer were “Patience” and “Borderline” (in 2020 hindsight, I’m thankful I was fortunate enough to go to a musical festival at all). It was finally released One More Year later: the fully-formed album The Slow Rush takes a bit of a turn, moving away from the wavy stoner break-up vibes of Currents into something more mature, incorporating throwback R&B, acid house, and aspects of prog rock into Tame Impala’s signature modern psychedelia. While the shift certainly left some longtime Tame fans lamenting the old Kevin Parker, the prospect of hearing a Tame Impala song in a mix at a Bushwick club was definitely exciting for me: the sonic influences on this album are genres that I have been increasingly interested in over the past year, and it’s great to see a major band unafraid to change up their sound. Tame Impala joins the ranks of contemporary indie stalwarts (Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend) that have completed an excellent four album cycle. Who knew my Spotify was going to look so similar seven years later?

21. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia

Favorite Tracks: Don’t Start Now | Hallucinate | Break My Heart

This summer, I always looked forward to driving around and listening to the radio because I knew I was guaranteed to hear “Don’t Start Now” at least once, probably twice. Later in the summer, it turned into a guaranteed “Don’t Start Now” or “Break My Heart.” Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, even later in the year it turned into a guaranteed “Don’t Start Now,” “Break My Heart,” or “Levitating,” probably all three. Hearing Dua Lipa dominate the charts brought me so much joy! I’ve been a fan of Dua Lipa since One Kiss, and her music always puts a dumb smile on my face and gets me vibing: anything that instantly invites a groove is a welcome respite from the absurdity of 2020. The retro revival that Dua Lipa embraces is tasteful and fun, and her voice sounds right at home surrounded by the driving basslines and disco strings throughout the album. This is Top 40 at its peak.

#aoty 2020 #aoty #albums #music #music writing #reflects

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