Hurt/Comfort, Big Announcements and Best Sellers

A few weeks ago I wrote a not so popular diatribe about why I didn't think most of the Shizuo x Izaya pairings I've read worked. Now, I'd like to talk about the ways they could without coercion of either character or substantially changing who they are. In fact, these methods involve using their most famous traits to bring them together. After all, it's not like Izaya doesn't stand a hope in hell in getting Shizuo. Despite the many friendships the bartender has with women, he's never been known to be interested in a woman beyond protecting one that may be in distress. He's a very healthy guy. If he was interested in a woman, he'd find a way to be with one no matter what was going on in his crazy life. Also, despite many protestations to the contrary, there are times when he goes after an otherwise pre-occupied Izaya to chase him around. The interest is not one sided.

Shizuo's Personal Honor

Despite the violence that surrounds Shizuo, there are some things that he has managed to hold onto in his life. Shizuo has a strong personal code of honor. He won't stand for an unfair fight, and he always protects women and children. Also, once he has given his word to someone, he will keep it no matter the cost. I think under the right circumstances that kind of pledge could even apply to an enemy like Izaya. Meanwhile, Izaya courts many kinds of battles, but given the kind of life he leads, it is easy to believe that a battle could come to him that he isn't anticipating or can't handle on his own. There are certainly many who might be willing to betray him. Without changing a thing about Izaya or how Durarara is set up, it is easy to see him running into a rival that could overwhelm him and leave him completely vulnerable. The problem is getting past Shizuo's fury at Izaya on any given day long enough to make him realize or care that he is in an unfair fight not of his own making. Shizuo's justified fury will be the biggest obstacle in any pairing of these characters. But there is a way around it, and it is one of the oldest tropes in fanfiction.

Hurt/Comfort

And when I say hurt, I don't mean the rape/torture scenarios common in yaoi. In this tried and true fanfiction trope, the usually strong willed hero or seme gets injured in accordance to what may happen to their character in an actual story. If that character is in the military or law enforcement, it's a bullet or knife wound that takes them down. If they are the outdoor type, it could be a fall off a cliff or a snakebite that does the trick. All others may come down with pneumonia. The object is that this typically nearly unapproachable character is rendered helpless in a believable way for a while giving the uke a chance to get to know him in a way that wouldn't normally happen. Meanwhile, the Seme gets to see the uke in a whole new light as he is being cared for. I used this device in A Soldier's Choice to give my younger character, Vincent, a chance to take care of the man who had been his military trainer and then commanding officer in an intimate way. He had to depend on his uke in a way he'd never imagined while Vincent got to play the role of protector for the first time in their personal history. This leveled the playing field between the two characters and deepened their relationship.

Shizuo is supernaturally strong, but he also spends a lot of time injured. The challenge becomes making him

completely vulnerable to Izaya physically in a scenario that would not only keep him from permanently harming Shizuo but actually force him to tend to his needs. Despite his sadistic tendencies, I think that Izaya has a strong enough survival instinct that he could set aside his pathological desire to hurt Shizuo if he needed the man to keep him alive. Then, the comedy can begin! Imagine Shizuo's reaction to having to allow Izaya touch him. Of course, they would have to be holed up somewhere alone with one bed (Izaya would never sleep on the floor). It's all very sexy having to bandage (needs to put arms around him to wrap the torso). There might even be a sponge bath! The hurt/comfort scenario is a great device for building trust and sexual tension between the characters while not changing who they are. It gives these enemies a chance to trust each other when they are most vulnerable. Trust leads to intimacy and that leads to sexy time!

Of course, this does not magically change them into calm individuals around each other. Even if they discover they like being in bed together, Izaya and Shizuo would still find ways to make each other crazy. And then there are the people of Ikebukuro that inhabit their world. How will Celty or Shinra or Kyohei or Tom react to this new intimacy between those two? Often, I use the reaction of those outside of the pair as the main source of tension for the new lovers. This is how I operate. Once my pairs are together, that's it. They stay together. The danger comes from outside of the pairing where the world is trying tear them apart.

Thus, Hurt/Comfort gets a difficult couple together long enough to build trust and allow that sexual tension to build to the point where it must be acted upon. Best of all, this can happen while keeping the pair in character. I hope more Yaoi fanfiction writers will give that device a try with this pair. I'm about to put my money where my mouth is and post such a story myself!

Big Book Announcements and Bestsellers

I've been tooting my own horn all over the net, but I have neglected to share this with my official yaoi blog! I'm shameful. I am extremely pleased and proud to announce that Digital Manga's eManga division will be distributing all four of my Yaoi titles: A Soldier's Choice, A Soldier's Fate and Ensnared Volumes 1 &2! I was thrilled to open the company's newsletter http://www.akadot.com/news_letters.php to find this image:

I'm sure you will recognize one of those pairs from the banner above. This is a dream come true for me to be a part of such a company! I hope my lovely readers here will spread the word and get others to try my work. Here is the link for the eManga page: https://www.emanga.com/detail?itemid=1187 . From this page, you can find the rest of the books.

Meanwhile, the manga titles my team and I have localized are doing very well. Our fist book, Again

Tomorrow, is in the top 20 on the Amazon Bestseller list for Manga Erotica http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/6391519011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kstore_1_5_last . Meanwhile, Get! Volumes 1& 2 are in the top 50! I'm so stoked!

This would not have happened without your support. Thank you! Some really hot smut is in the works to tide you all over between novels!

Otome's Way - Yaoi Manga with Interactive Audio!

There has been a great deal of curiosity about Yaoi Publisher Otome's Way http://otomesway.com and the purported game changing difference it will bring to ebooks. Recently, the people behind the company kindly agreed to an interview on how it will all work.

1. How is Otome's Way different from companies like Digital Manga and SuBLime?

Otome's Way is similar to other BL/Yaoi online publishers with a few key differences. Instead of translating already published manga and marketing it overseas like the previously mentioned companies, we're starting fresh with new faces, new talent, and new stories. Rather than trying to get our hands on what's already popular, we're helping unpublished artists get their creations out to the whole BL-loving world with bilingual, online releases.
In addition, we've got some fundamental differences in the digital releases themselves. Instead of just offering simple images and stories, we've also got interactive animation, audio, and color embedded in some of our manga files to make reading itself an all-encompassing experience. We figure that if we've got all this great technology at our fingertips, why not use it to make digital manga live up to its cutting-edge name?

2. How many titles per year will you be offering?

We have plans to release at least one new title every month, with potential for a greater amount as we gain more popularity and resources. To start with, we're featuring some works from each of our new artists every month. Our goal is between 12-15 titles per year at least.

3. Will readers be able to download these titles or will they be able to read them only from the website?

Both! Using our partner site, Tigris+Reader, users can access and read our titles online from their PC or smartphone. Some titles are also available for download, depending on the wishes of the artist and whether they want to allow downloads. Those are coded as EPUB files and can be read with iBooks or other comic reader apps.

4. How did you get the idea to have audio and visual elements to your manga?

We saw how so few online manga sites took advantage of the whole fact that their manga isn't printed on paper. It seemed a shame that such interactive potential was going to waste with simple digital copies of manga, so we decided to make some of the manga titles that we had to offer extra special. Not all of our titles include these special effects, but we intend to continue to release more of these truly digital creations in the future. We hope that the readers will enjoy a chance to have a unique manga-reading experience, too.

5. Will you make appearances in North America or Europe at conventions?

Plans are in the works! As of right now, we don't have any concrete schedule, but we definitely intend to visit both North American and European conventions in the future.

6. Can you tell us about the first title Otome's Way will be releasing?

Our first releases at Otome's Way are going to be these 3 titles:
・A Fujoshi's Guide to Japanese: An interactive Japanese study guide.
・Rensou: A love story set within the traditional Japanese performing art, kabuki.
・Yusura Ai Anthology 1: Short stories by our featured artist, Yusura Ai.

Otome's Way looks forward to hearing readers' reactions to this interview and to

Voice Over Actor Interview #1 Jamie McGonnigal

Jamie McGonnigal https://www.facebook.com/JamieEqualityMcGonnigal is an organizer and founder of TalkAboutEquality.com. He is also a contributor to Huffington Post and LGBTQNation. He currently works as the Community Engagement Manager for the New Organizing Institute.

As an award-winning producer and director and as a founding producer of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Jamie has created some of New York’s most important theatrical events over the last decade, raising funds for victims of floods, earthquakes, tsunami and inequality. His World AIDS Day Concerts were named the best theatrical events of the year from 2003-2007 and his concerts have featured performances from Rosie O'Donnell, Ben Vereen, Chita Rivera, Betty Buckley, Laura Benanti, Jai Rodriquez, Mike Nichols, Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Urie, Gavin Creel and hundreds more.

As a photographer, Jamie’s work can be seen at EqualityPhotography.com and on the cover of Tracy Baim’s book, “Obama and the Gays.”

As a voice actor, Jamie can be heard on more than 100 anime titles including Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Viva Pinata, One Piece and many more.

 

1) Do you see more fanservice aimed at yaoi fans in recent years? If so, does this surprise you?
I actually don't have my finger on the pulse of the fan service, so I wouldn't really know about the volume of the fan service. I am rarely surprised by anything though. I think the first thing I ever saw when I was hired to play Barry in Pokemon was a dirty drawing of him and Ash getting it on, so no - it never surprises me.
2) Can you see a day where a yaoi series can run on Hulu or even Adult Swim?

If it was a series that wasn't too risky sexually, I could see it happening. Something like Kizuna (if it was more than three episodes) would be appropriate. But to be completely honest, considering Kizuna is the only yaoi title ever even dubbed professionally in the US, I'd be really surprised to see that happen. Additionally, there is still a great deal of homophobia in this country, and sexism. So while the media has no problem showing a boob or "down there" on a woman, they very rarely show the male private parts on screen. So again - I'd be pretty surprised to see Yaoi on anything that would be as accessible as Adult Swim or Hulu - but hopefully I'm wrong.
3)What do you think about fan creations based on your shows (cosplay, amateur Music Videos and fanfiction)?
I LOVE THEM! I'm not a hugely well-known voice actor, so when I see someone recognizing something I've worked on, I'm really honored. Actually, I've been uninvited to judging cosplays because the first one I judged, I gave the big award to someone who was cosplaying one of my characters - and I will absolutely admit it's because I didn't know any of the other characters. As for music videos, I'll search youtube once in a while and comment on things people have created - again - I find it really flattering...even (and especially) the yaoi pairings.
4)Not that we want you to drop names (HA!), but I must put you on the spot the way a con panel would. Do all Voice actors react well to finding their characters in explicit doujinshi?
HAHA! No. They most certainly do not. There's one voice actor who shall remain nameless, but is a big celeb. Anytime I've been on a panel with him and someone has asked a question about this, he's been very vocally upset about yaoi pairings of his characters. This always confused me because when I first met this actor, I thought he was gay (as did most of the people who work with him). But apparently he's not, therefore he's very offended that someone might think a character he did a voice for might be gay.
Most voice actors are pretty cool about it and well...I love it. But once in a while you run into someone who's fairly homophobic and is truly not a fan.
5) Do you advise your fellow actors on handling a different vision of their characters than they might have envisioned?
Well, we never really have the opportunity to work together in the studio. Additionally, it's bad form to tell a fellow actor how they should do their job. Where I do get to advise, or talk to my fellow voice actors is on the issues affecting LGBT people on a daily basis. Many of them come to me when they have questions about equality and the LGBT movement. So that means a lot that I'm able to pass along some of the things I've learned.
6)What characters would you love to play that you have not?
Truly, anything fun. I haven't done much of late since I moved to Washington D.C. two years ago. I finished out what I was working on in Pokémon and there's not much access to new things down here, but I'm certainly open if someone calls!

Big Update about Free Yaoi!!

As a reward for all of your support through my own dramas, I am planning to publish some short fiction around the characters from my yaoi novels. Moreover, these will be illustrated stories! The Soldier's stories will be from the timeline between the two novels and involve some military adventures. The Ensnared stories will be set between volumes two and three. All of the stories will have a great deal of good lovin', some crazy Seme possessiveness and some clever uke humor. They will be free initially. They will never cost more than 99 cents when I do charge. I'll also do some doujinshi stories based on some of my favorite anime characters. Those will also be illustrated. Since I can't sell those, they will always be free.


Also, I have some huge news that I can't really talk about. All I can say is that your support of this page an my books gave me a high enough profile that I have a deal in the works with a major publisher/distributor! This is why you all deserve a reward! So, look for the story announcement in the next couple of weeks.

Shizuo x Izaya – Why it Really Doesn't Work & How it Could

This makes some sense to me.

No one likes seeing Shizuo and Izaya go at it on Durarara more than me. They are exciting, and they are often hilarious. However, I seem to be almost alone in not viewing their testosterone drenched, city wide battles as anything more than mutual hatred. I suppose when pushed, I could believe that there is an obsession on Izaya's part toward Shizuo that is based on desire. The only reason that I'm willing to give in to that is that there is speculation amongst the show's characters about what is going on between those two. If it is there, I doubt Izaya is aware of the reason behind that compulsion. He wouldn't want anyone to have that kind of influence over his emotions. That may explain why he has tried so hard to destroy Shizuo. So, let's say that he wants this incredible Bishonen and wants him badly at first sight. Subconsciously, Izaya senses the loss of control around this man. Consciously, that comes out has hostility. He's like a little boy with a school crush who has no idea how to seduce his crush, so he punches him in the arm. Or in this case, starts knife fights or tries to get him arrested. It is clear that Izaya of starts most of the near lethal battles between them when there is no need to even glimpse each other in the neighborhood.

Okay, I'll buy that Izaya has something for Shizuo that makes him lose control and do very bad things. What

does that get him? Endless scheming and constant dodging of flying vending machines, that's what. He certainly can't get as close to his heart's and body's desire as Celty or even some school children can. He can't get within 20 yards of the man. Destroying Shizuo might end the torment, but that has not worked. In fact, one might argue that the efforts have backfired. Physical attacks have made him stronger. And antics like trying to get him thrown in jail have left him with more allies who think Izaya is a douche. Some of those allies like Tom Tanaka are as heavy hitters in the underworld as Izaya. Actually, Tom is a great case in point that Izaya has no control around Shizuo. You would think that a guy who enjoys scheming and upending the order of everything would try to do what Tom did – befriend Shizuo and get him to be an ally in his mayhem. I doubt he'd succeed – and maybe that's why he didn't try – but the vendetta against Shizuo would make more sense if he had tried and failed. Perhaps, he needs to rethink this problem and find another angle.

Taming the Beast

There have been different ways that writers have helped Izaya have his wicked way with Shizuo. I've seen rape, I seen blackmail and I've seen drugs among others. Aside from not approving of any of these methods, I don't think they would work with Shizuo in the universe in which the novels and the anime were written. Before I go on, let me quickly say that I am not a prude. Far from it. Read my fanfic of yor (the link can be found in the menu on the right for those who dare). I own implements of pain as a lifestyle dominatrix, but I have never caused a moment of unwanted discomfort. I have never caused humiliation. I don't think force or drugs is worthy of anyone who claims to be a true top or Seme. Those methods speak of insecurity in their prowess as a lover and a lack of knowledge of how the human body works when under duress. In short, it ain't sexy. I want to read about lovers who really know what they are doing. But nevermind me, force of any sort will not work on Shizuo. His response to any kind of assault on his person is intense rage. Izaya was never strong enough to take him on alone and force him to have sex. I don't know if a dozen men would work to rape him. Blackmail wouldn't work either for the same reason. Shizuo would be affronted by anyone placing people close to him in any sort of peril for any reason. That the reason is for sex with him would trigger a volcanic reaction after some maniacal laughing. Drugs could work, but I think Izaya would want Shizuo to be responsive. He's arrogant and self absorbed enough to need a response from his prize at the very least. Besides, I think that it's likely Izaya's fear of losing control stems from his desire to bottom for this beautiful and powerful man.

It seems then that this pairing is an impossibility, but there is a way. Shizuo has a strong moral and ethical

code. He doesn't hit women, and he is protective of children. He is a man of his word. If a greater danger came to Ikebukuro that caused the factions to work together, I could see this pair in a situation where they were truly interacting and not fighting. And given that the neighborhood boasts a demonic sword and an Irish death spirit, I think such an enemy exists that could make them fight together and not fight each other. During a truce Izaya could make sure they were often side by side or back to back. There would be protecting of each other and watch over each other. There may even be eating a meal together. During such a truce Izaya could safely reveal his desires. Oh, their would still be an explosion, but it wouldn't lead to bloodshed. Sparks would fly. There would be some shouting about lusts and desires. I can imagine such a story being very funny. And I think such an arc could lead to something really, really sexy.

I don't believe that just because there is smoke there is fire. Nor do I believe that because a pair of anime or manga characters look good together that they can automatically be shipped. However, I am open minded. Give me something that fits their characters and makes sense within the story arc, I'll go with it.

Yaoi Love and Families, Short Shorts and Bestsellers

I am so sorry for posting so infrequently. I've become involved in a time consuming Facebook page (I'll go into that at the end of the blog. I'm sure my gentle readers here will enjoy it). But mostly, I've been really busy editing for Digital Manga. Last year, my team was doing a title every six weeks. This year looks as busy already. This is not all bad. First, two of our titles made the Amazon.com bestseller list this week. They are Get! Volume One and Get! Volume 2. Second, While it has slowed down my posts on this blog, it has fueled my fantasies about what I want to write about in my fiction and on this site. In other words, my gentle readers here will benefit from my crazy busy schedule. But onto business.

Yaoi Pairs and Families

While ever good Fujoshi enjoys a story of hot headed Seme dragging his uke away to his lair where they bang like bunnies until forced to part. I like reading such stories. I really like writing such scenes. That is why I write such scenes. It isn't easy to place such isolated encounters in novels that tend to be filled with action. I must have those long hours where my young and untried uke is vulnerable and alone in the clutches of his seemingly formidable and unbending Seme. Will all the uke's teasing and stalling lead to force? Or is this where the real seduction begins? Or is it a little of column A and column B? Will the uke ever want to leave? Is it hot in here? At any rate, these kinds of scenes are stables because fans adore them.

However, there are more and more yaoi/BL that are expanding their horizons. Now, couples have to deal with families and co-workers that are parts of their relationships. Heck, there are a couple of stories where that family is the Yakuza. All walks of life are represented now. In A Soldier's Choice, when Colonel Rik Heron realized that he was in love with his volatile subordinate, Vincent Greven, he knew that the beautiful young man was a package deal. He had a younger brother who adored him. Rik was certain that he'd end up with both Grevens in his house though he really wanted to keep Vincent all to himself. He locks his lover away as often as he can. However, despite the reputation of Altered Soldiers being loners, Rik and Vincent find that they are a central part of an ever growing extended family. This is great in some ways, but problematic for finding time alone together for one. Their 'family' likes to be around them – a lot. Snuggling on the sofa is not easy with an audience. But Vincent is more of a Seme than he is a uke. He won't tolerate anyone interfering with skin to skin time with Rik. Beyond that, there is the young squad of Altereds the men trained. Among them, is a Major that has fallen in love with Rik. Viper tries very hard to stay close to Rik by staying close to Vincent's brother, Bobby looking for an opportunity to plead his case. Viper is not used to hearing the word no, so he will become a problem. By and large, however, the family is about too much love. Vincent is flummoxed to find himself and Rik in two wedding parties. He hates that kind of attention. Their bigger problem is how to handle a new squad of unique recruits who have pairs forming within. How can they site military rules against such relationships when they are living together and were once subordinate and superior? This situation provides a lot of fodder for conflict, drama and humor. Pinky swear, I will start posting snippets of the new book here very soon.

Short and Sweet

Speaking of snippets, I have been inspired to write some short works of fiction in the worlds of my books. There are some things I'd love to do with my characters that don't fit in the character arcs I have in mind. I'm going to take a page from the deeply talented Hamlet Machine in her Starfighter Webcomic and have special editions that are stand alones from the main story. In those settings, I can explore some really wild and even dark fantasies while remaining true to what my pairs are about. It is my plan that these stories will be illustrated. And yes, I will be taking some of the story ideas from reader suggestions about what they'd like to see. I hope it will be a case of having ones cake and eating it too. This kind of story also means that I won't have to say goodby to my bishie boys even after their arcs are resolved.

Yaoi a GoGo

I've posted about this Facebook page, Yaoi A GoGo , before, but it has grown into a major bit of work. Since Yaoi-con, I've been building a site for news, trends, reviews and all the fun bits from the fandom. We're approaching 5,000 likes. I'm even posting the first reviews from guest writers this weekend. There is Cosplay Friday and AMV Wednesday for fans to share their stuff in an ever growing range of fandoms within Yaoi/BL. Come on over and join us! Note, the drawing on the right is a different interpretation of Darius and Andreas from Ensnared.

Get! Vol 2 -- The Confident vs Arrogant Seme

Get! Volume 2

by Akiro Kanazawa

Hino Ryosuke is on top of the world. Class president Kaonji Kyo, the most beautiful student in school, is his lover! Each day brings them closer. Each time they make love, Kyo shares more of himself. Their growing intimacy makes Ryosuke think about their lives beyond college. But then, there is a campaign of threatening letters and blackmail photos. It seems that Ryosuke just gets a handle on that when rumors spread at school that he is making extra money as a gigolo! Even Kyo seems to think there is something to those stories. It seems that things can't to get any worse for Ryosuke. That's when Kyo's handsome and accomplished cousin returns from studying abroad determined to come between the two. Enough is enough! No one who wants to take Kyo away has reckoned on a determined Ryosuke in love!

This 'Too Hot for Kindle' title is available in most formats HERE: http://www.emanga.com/detail?itemid=981.
See Some Sexy sample pages HERE:  http://www.sybpressyaoi.com/p/blog-page_11.html .

The Confident vs Arrogant Seme  

I've gone on and on about the arrogant Seme, but Get!'s Seme, Ryosuke, brings me to the topic of the confident Seme. Well, how are they different? A Seme like Usami Akihiko from Junjou Romanitca or Masamune Takano from Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi are as arrogant as all get out but they are not completely confident about their holds on their respective ukes. Part of the reason for this is that siad ukes can be a bit vague when declaring their love, but a large part comes from the scars left from broken hearts of long ago. Hino Ryosuke is an arrogant Seme who is also very confident that he has Kaonji Kyo's heart and beautiful body – no matter who is after him or how many there are.

It isn't easy to be Kyo's lover. While he is incredibly beautiful, Kyo does not have an easy personality. He is strict and exacting in following school rules while Ryosuke is far more carefree. Kyo's pride in his high standing in school makes him vulnerable to blackmail. His lack of experience with sex makes him oblivious to people who are predators. While he does feel strongly for Ryosuke, he is reluctant about going public with their relationship. These factors often put Kyo in compromsing positions. However, Ryosuke never, ever doubts his lover's commitment to him. He always sees through the predators' plans and finds a way to thwart them. Kyo may not always be pleased with his methods, but he remains by Ryosuke's side. Their love life does not move nearly as smoothly as this sounds. There is often a lot of mayhem involved before the potential tresspassor's intent is uncovered and the danger is averted. This makes for a lot of crazy comedy. What is amazing about the ever confident Ryosuke is that no matter what craziness is swirling around them or even how mad Kyo is at him at any given moment, he always finds a way to coax his uke to a secluded place for some very hot, intense sexual escapades. Rysosuke is such a seductive Seme, it is entirely possible that he could get Kyo to have sex with him while they are involved in a car chase!

Ryosuke's confidence in Kyo's commitment does not mean that Get! Volume 2 is without suspense. There is a lot of mayhem coming at them in that book that could tear apart the strongest relationship. It's not clear that this confident Seme will succeed even with his confidence and determination.

I find Get! To be a refreshing change of pace. I adore arrogant Semes. And I really love insane, arrogant semes. However, I sometimes get tired of the trope that always has the Seme wondering if the uke really cares about him. It always rings a little false with these guys who seem to have all they need in life to get anything they want. This doubt gets really annoying if it continues over many volumes. I've always maintained (and I write that way) that you can still have suspense even when it's clear that the Seme has absolute faith in his uke. Get! Volumes One and Two prove this can be true.