Only 8 more reviews to go and 801-chan will be caught up…hopefully. This time we have 4 lovely reviews of Ayano Yamane’s A Foreign Love Affair for your pleasure.

Over at Lincoln Heights Literary Society, 801 Media’s release and Yamane-sensei’s art pass muster:

“The art for this manga is drawn with great detail and top of the line, as expected from Ayano-sensei. Since the graphic novel is also released by 801 media, I knew that I would be expecting steamy scenes and I was not disappointed at all. There are plenty of hot scenes in the book, well worth it for the price of $15.95. Quite sad to actually see it sold out at Amazon.com. Until the press and publisher prints out more books, then that means that not a lot of people at this time would know this excellent graphic novel.” - Linda

Don’t worry, there are plenty of copies of A Foreign Love Affair floating around in the world. And Linda has plenty more good things to say about A Foreign Love Affair, you can read the complete review here.

Julie over at Manga Cast has been patiently waiting for another 801 Media Inc. release and is pleased with A Foreign Love Affair:

“Yay, it’s been a while since there’s been a new 801 Media release. Once again, we have a beautifully packaged book, with a striking dust jacket and a full color illustration featuring characters from “The Love Guide,” a bonus short included in the volume. The cover is quite lovely, with Ranmaru dressed in a provocatively disheveled kimono and fundoshi, and the dashing Al in his crisp uniform. Ah, all that eye candy.” - Julie

Yup, all those lovely men to drool over! It gives new meaning to “fan service.” Anyhoo, you can read the rest of Julie’s review here.

Finally, Rachel over at Active Anime adds to the adoration of all things Ayano Yamane:

“There’re a lot of gasps, excitement and thrills both naughty and nice for readers to frolic with. The art is sexy. Get that cold shower ready! Plus to make it even prettier, there’s a full color cover page as well. And there’s a bonus story about an aloof scientist who needs to step out of the lab (and out of that white coat!). He goes to a pretty guy to help him find his match, but this matchmaker might just be the right guy for Mr. stiff upper lip!” - Rachel

You can read the rest of Rachel’s review here. And if that doesn’t entice you to pick up your own copy… >_<

A Foreign Love Affair is currently available NOW at your local retailer. Or... you can always pick it up directly from us!

~801-chan (^ ^)

Waaaaaaaaah! Sooo many reviews! And you don’t get to find out who won the Meeting You contest until they are all posted.

So we are going to take a look at 3 “new” reviews from our good friend over at Kuriousity! (Isn’t the little avatar of me running off with Kampai’s books at the top of the page just cute!)

Sensitive Pornograph

Any yaoi fan who hasn’t heard of this one can’t really consider themselves a true yaoi fan! As Lissa puts it:

“Few veteran yaoi fans haven’t heard of the popular Sensitive Pornograph: a collection of steamy short stories that spawned the equally popular OVA of the same name. With six stories spawning about 180 pages, 801Media brings Ashika Sakura’s hit to English shores.” - Lissa

I personally think the manga is better than the OVA. But really there is no reason why you can’t own both. You can pick up a copy of the manga here at amazon or here at the 801 store. The OVA is released by Kitty Media, but usually their website doesn’t work for me. Your best bet is grab it at Akadot Retail or Rightstuf International. And of course you can read the rest of Lissa’s review here.

Ichigenme…The First Class is Civil Law Volume 2

Two time Eisner nomiated Fumi Yoshinaga is a genius at every genre of manga including yaoi, shoujo and seinen.

“Volume two of Ichigenme is considerably more sexually graphic than the first. The sex scenes, like the interactions before and after it, feel so real that it puts so many other depictions to shame. From the often awkward posing to a strong sense of weight and tension, Fumi Yoshinaga will not disappoint her readers. A combination of these visual attributes along with the passionate cries and honest intimacy makes Ichigenme volume two a steamy finale to this short series. Most impressively of all, however, is how often the sex scenes occur and yet how seamlessly they flow with the story, rarely ever feeling like mere gratuitous fan-service.” - Lissa

Yoshinaga-sensei is a goddess when it comes to yaoi. >_< Ichigenme is by far my favorite title with Flower of Life (shojo) coming in a close second. So be sure to check this one out. You can read the rest of the review here. And you can find copies of the book here and here.

The Sky Over My Spectacles

Kampai’s favorite book! Lissa has definitely enjoyed some of our other titles a lot more, attributes it to the drawing style:

“Mio Tennohji’s art style isn’t one that will immediately appeal to all audiences. While aspects of the drawings are very solid, such as the line quality and screen toning, the manga-ka’s approach to proportion is at times a stretch at best. With heads that don’t quite seem to fit on their long-necked bodies’ or arms that seem to go on forever, things can look a little off at times. Folds in the character’s clothing also seems overdone at times in a way that makes even their attire seem the wrong size for the characters. It’s not an unattractive style, and has a professional feel to it, but is one that’s definitely subjective to people’s tastes.” - Lissa

I like the slightly disheveled look on my ukes. It makes them look cute in a dork kind of way. >_< So if that is your thing, don't miss out on this book. You can read the rest of the review here and pick up your own copy here and here.

More reviews to come!

~801-chan (^ ^)

More reviews than you can shake a stick at! More bishies than can fit comfortably in a doggie pile! It is the battle of the Love is Like a Hurricane Reviews.

Round 1 - Volume 1

Kris over at Manic About Manga joins the ranks of the LILAH fan club after checking out volume 1:

“This is quite the dirty, little guilty pleasure. Having never been to Japan I’ve never dealt with anyone grabbing a fist of my flesh (never had to deal with here either, come to think of it.) The premise of the story is quite clever. Having the story set in a boys only school is not new to the yaoi genre, neither is the whole student body president picking on other classmates. But this is still an enjoyable piece trash! I have to say Tokiya Shimazaki-sensei has done an incredible job. The art is clean and very detailed (insert blush here.)” - Kris

Yup, I haven’t been groped on a train either, but living vicariously through Mizuki is a lot of fun! *teehee* You can read the rest of her review here.

Round 2- Volume 2!

Kris at Manic About Manga weighs in again with volume 2 of Love is Like a Hurricane!

“I have really enjoyed the “Love is Like a Hurricane” series so far. It is quickly becoming a guilty pleasure! Tokiya Shimazaki-sensei definitely has the “cute” uke thing down. If you like mindless fluff with lots o’ sex, then this is the series for you.” - Kris

*teehee* Mizuki is sooooo cute! You just want to snuggle up with him or ruffle his hair! Or put him in your pocket and carry him around with you everywhere… *sigh* Well, any normal, sane person would!!! You can read the rest of Kris’s review here.

Round 3 - Volume 3

Cynthia over at Boys Next Door continues to trudge through LILAH even though it isn’t her favorite series. (We still can’t understand why it isn’t in her top 10, but… to each their own. >_< We publish all reviews here, not just the ones we like... But we are still hopeful that she will do a complete 180 by the time she gets to volume 5.)

“In all honesty, I think I like the stories about the side characters more than I like the stories about the main characters. The side characters don’t seem to be as whiny. The plot for the two main characters doesn’t seem to be more than have Azuma pushing for sex and Mizuki refusing. That is, until Azuma overcomes Mizuki’s objections through sheer pleasure and Mizuki moans the roof down as he comes.” - Cynthia

What is not to like about that?!? *teehee* You can read through the rest of Cynthia’s review here.

Kris, our number 2 LILAH fan (Jen over at Yaoi Suki was #1), weighs in LILAH 3 and has a slightly different take on the story. >_<

“In the series, the story goes as follows: Mizuki does something dumb, Azuma shows up, sex ensues, and the cycle starts over again. Initially I thought that I would get bored of the predictability of the whole thing, but it seems that I still am enjoying it. Shimazaki-sensei’s art is very cute. 801 Media’s production value is still worthy of my infomercial, and I anxiously await what insanity that will ensue in the following volumes!” - Kris

We will never tire of Kris’s lovely endorsements of 801 Media Inc.’s production values. So if you would like to read it in full again, hop on over here and check out the rest of her review.

Round 4 - Volume 4

Cynthia over at Boys Next Door has made it all the way to volume 4! We have to give the girl props for her determination. (We might have to bribe her with The Devil’s Secret to get her to review Volume 5! >_< Let it be known that 801-chan is not above a little trickery to get things done around here! Just ask Kampai, the stores she can tell you...) Anyway...

“Usually 801’s releases match my tastes. The stuff they pick is usually plot-heavy and topped off with smutty goodness. This is the reason why I’m so eager to try series they bring over that I’m not familiar with. Most of the time, they’re spot on. I just don’t know why they decided that this should be the first real series that they were going to release. I guess that it’s not my cup of tea and should just leave it at that. But, it still bugs me. I want to like this, really I do, but I can’t seem to make myself get into it.” - Cynthia

I still have faith that volume 5 will charm you! Really I do! And if not, you can always wait for Ze to come out next year! You can check out the rest of Cynthia’s apologize…errr…review here! >_<

Leroy over at the Comic Book Bin got a hold of LILAH Volume 4 and while yaoi is not his cup of tea, he found the story to be delightful!

“As a high school comedy, Love is Like a Hurricane is silly and inconsequential – nothing special; it’s one subplot after another about teen love and misunderstanding. As a yaoi title, it’s a festival of grab-ass, with practically every chapter punctuated with an exuberant scene of furtive sex between young male lovers. Such potency and virility is something worth celebrating.” - Leroy

Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! I don’t know, I would think a guy who doesn’t like yaoi endorsing a yaoi title would be reason enough to go out and buy it! You can read the rest of Leroy’s review here.

Finally, Kris weighs in again on the latest volume of LILAH. Looks like somebody did a marathon session with this series!

“This is the second to last book in the series and I have no idea how this series is going to end. Shimazaki-sensei outdid herself with this volume. It has the highest story value of the four, so far. The art is cute, the story isn’t quite as disjointed as the others, and I have to admit, Mizuki looks better as a girl than I do. That’s the joy of yaoi! 801 Media doesn’t dissappoint, like always, and the final installment comes out this June. Will I be able to wait? Nope! But, unfortunately, I’ll have to!” - Kris

Noooooooo! Only 1 more volume to go! *sniff* Luckily, we just got in review copies of volume 5, so check back in a week or 2 for a sneak peek on how this wonderful series ends. Oh, and you can read the rest of Kris’s review here. She definitely gets the gold start this week!
Happy Reading!

801-chan (^ ^)

*teehee* Look what I turned up underneath Kampai’s desk!

Pretty!!! We got in our advanced copies of The Devil’s Secret and LILAH 5. These babies are getting mailed out for review this week! Our main shipment should show up soon.

~801-chan (^ ^)

Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! Weekend Lovers and President’s Time are back in stock at the 801 Media Inc. store. You can grab your copies here and here respectively.
~801-chan (^ ^)

Ooops! With all the traveling, suppressing revolutions and whatnot, we have gotten a bit back logged on 801 Media Inc. reviews!

Manga News checked out a few oldies but goodies with reviews of The Sky Over My Spectacles and I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone!

The Sky Over My Spectacles by Mio Tennohji

While Lissa over at Manga News isn’t the biggest fan of Mio Tennohji’s art, she does admit:

“It’s a nice release job by 801Media with the usual trimmings: an eye-catching, high quality cover slip adorning a book full of nicely printed pages that are easy to turn. In the back is another short, full-colour comic staring the company’s mascot girl, 801-chan, along with a short preview of 801Media’s other series, Bondz. The interior dialouge is nicely done with no notable errors in grammar or spelling.” - Lissa

Yup, 801 Media Inc. never skimps on production. You can read the rest of the review here. And purchase The Sky Over My Spectacles are retailers everywhere!

I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone by Shiuko Kano

Anne over at Manga News checked out the lovely construction workers in Kano-sensei’s Seppin’ Stone series:

” Overall, I’m Not Your Stepping Stone is one of the most entertaining and sensual yaoi manga I’ve read this year. Shiuko Kano brings to life good characters with a lot of great sexual tension, making this book an enjoyable, and highly recommended, read.” - Anne

If the promise of construction workers wasn’t enough for you, hopefully Anne’s review will push you over the edge. You can read the full review here. And volumes 1 and 2 of Kano-sensei’s excellent series are available at fine retailers everywhere.

Anime on DVD checked out Maybe I’m Your Steppin’ Stone and had nothing but good things to say!

Maybe I’m Your Steppin’ Stone by Shiuko Kano

“This is the sort of book that’s going to appeal to all sorts of BL fans - it’s well written, with interesting characters that get at least a little character development, and it’s dead sexy. Really, it’s hard to go wrong with hot, sweaty construction workers, and Kano manages to strike a balance here that just works. The art’s gorgeous, the story entertains, and if there’s one aspect that might not work for some readers it’s that the story gets a little more hardcore than much of what’s released over here - especially the side story, which includes some sexual torture, not exactly the lightest of fare.” - Danielle
Shiuko Kano is not shy about her men and their sex! You can read the full review here. And if you need more Shiuko Kano goodness, check out Affair!

A newer review site, Yaoi Rose had nothing but love for Youka Nitta’s latest work.

The Prime Minister’s Secret Diplomacy by Youka Nitta

“Once I finished this manga, I read it a second time. And, it’s sitting on my nightstand for a third reading. I LOVE the characters, Yoshinaga and Shiraishi. Okay, I have to admit I’m a Youka Nitta uber-fan. Her works shine. Her story lines are complex, she develops her characters, her men are yummy, and the sex is hot but laced with love.” - Yaoi Rose

Even if you aren’t an uber-fan of Nitta-sensei, Secret Diplomacy has everything a good yaoi manga needs: plot, sex, hot guys and more sex! You can read the whole review and drool here.

~801-chan (^ ^)

Geez! I never thought the day would come that I would complain about selling too many books! But holy cow! The 801 store is hopping and I can’t figure out why? Did people just get their income tax returns or something! I have had to replace the ink in the printer twice!!! We ran out of our cute little bags and I had to make an emergency dash to the craft store! And worst of all, I have run out of cute comments to write on everyone’s order! Nooooooooooo! The horror of it all! *cries*
So just a heads up to everyone placing orders. Don’t worry if it takes me a little longer to send you your delivery confirmation number! There are just waaaaaaaaay too many of them for me to go through. So rest assured your package is shipped and your notice is coming!

*801-chan runs away to mail more books!*

~801-chan (^ ^)