The end of June is almost here, which means it’s time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly manga giveaway. And, because it’s June, I thought that I would hold a Juné manga giveaway. (I can’t help it, the wordplay amuses me.) This month (almost) everyone has an opportunity to enter for a chance to win a copy of Momoko Tenzen’s boys’ love one-shot Flutter! The giveaway is open worldwide, but if boys’ love and yaoi is illegal in your country, please don’t participate. (Sorry!) You must also be at least eighteen years of age for this particular giveaway.
Last year I received a request to do a Juné manga giveaway. I actually do take requests, for giveaways as well as for reviews, though it might take some time for me to be able to follow through. Still, a Juné manga giveaway was something that I was pretty sure I could make happen. Juné is one of Digital Manga’s boys’ love imprints, taking its name from Japan’s earliest boys’ love magazine June. It’s also one of Digital Manga’s largest imprints with currently over four hundred manga and novels in its catalog. Juné’s first title, Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri’s Only the Ring Finger Knows, was released in August 2004, which means the imprint will be celebrating its tenth anniversary very soon. With so many Juné manga to choose from, and with so many that I’ve immensely enjoyed, I had a difficult time picking just one to give away. After putting some thought into it, I finally settled on one of the imprint’s newer one-shot manga that I’ve read recently: Momoko Tenzen’s Flutter. It’s an enjoyable volume with endearing characters and a slowly, quietly developed, slightly awkward romance between two grown men. Plus, one of them happens to be legitimately, and openly, gay. This isn’t particularly common in many of the boys’ love manga that have been translated, so it always makes me happy to see.
So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Flutter?
1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite Juné manga, if you have one. (And if you don’t, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).
It’s as easy as that! For this giveaway, each person can earn up to two entries and has one week to submit comments. Entries may also be submitted via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if you prefer or if you encounter problems trying to leave comments. (I will then post the entry in your name.) The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on July 2, 2014. Good luck, and happy June!
VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.
Contest winner announced—Manga Giveaway: Juné Manga Giveaway Winner
I have to go with Ai no Kusabi; it was the first yaoi I was introduced to. The dystopian setting and the angsty doomed romances alone were enough to get me interested but once I saw the anime & heard the drama CDs Shiozawa’s voice as Iason sealed it as one of my all-time favorites.
Mine has to be The Tyrant Falls in Love by Hinako Takanaga. While I think Challengers is superior (and in desperate need of license rescue), Tyrant manages to be surprisingly entertaining in spite of some tropes that I normally disapprove. It remains one of the few yaoi series that makes me laugh intentionally.
Since I’ve only been reading yaoi for the past few months, I’ve barely scratched the surface of the Juné catalog. That being said, the one I’ve rated the highest is Caramel by Okuyama Puku. Caramel’s story structure parallels Nana and other roommates-turned-family relationships and the characters are given serious development. Also, there’s a minimum of sex and it’s not first thing and in your face (instead it’s totally cute and heartwarming). Finally, Caramel was translated by my hero, Jocelyne Allen.
Anything by Fumi Yoshinaga, I know they’ve published Fumi Yoshinaga. It’s fast to just point to “all the Yoshinaga” rather than pick a title. I don’t really read yaoi (I’m starting to read some) but it doesn’t matter, if it’s Fumi Yoshinaga I will read it. I think Flower of Life and Antique Bakery were both normal DMP things, but I do recall liking Solfege a lot. Y-naga does good shorts.
Seven Days is my favourite! The manga has a simple feel to it, yet it leaves such a strong impact on the reader at the same time – at least for me! Such a heartwarming little story <3 It was one of the first BL mangas I've read and to this day, it still resonates with me. I just really love it :D
I also tweeted about this giveaway to your twitter (my twitter is @OtomeTimes).
Thanks so much!
I never remember publishers so I had to scroll through their catalog. Lots of titles I liked (e.g. HERO / HEEL, LOVEHOLIC, YELLOW) and lots I admired (e.g. MOON & SANDALS, SAME CELL ORGANISM, RIN) but nothing I really *loved*. So I’m going to go sideways and put my vote in for the hilarious NECRATOHOLIC one-shot for being completely batshit crazy and over-the-top random.
I need to read more yaoi manga asap! The first ones I read were FullMoon vols 1 & 2 – by Sanami Matoh, and they are gonna publish Loveless here in my country this month! I am so excited! <3
I hope I am lucky to win this one-shot! Me needs more yaoi in my life hehe :3
https://www.facebook.com/ana.eileen.7/posts/1630265737199385
Ana Death Duarte
The Twitter link> http://twitter.com/kitsuneninko/status/481921968938422272
Ana
I honestly have only read FullMoon but it would be great to get into this kind of Genre more
Aaah,this is terribly hard question for veteran fujoshi too^^ With the vast catalogue of Juné titles there is a lot of titles i really love. Starting with Cut from Toko Kawai and continuing with Mr. Mini Mart by Junko,Maiden Rose by Inariya Fusanosuke,No Touching at All by Yoneda Kou,Invisible Boy and Only the ring finger knows by Hotaru Odagiri,Dear Myself by Eiki Eiki and Tsuda Mikiyo,Seven Days by Rihito Takarai and Venio Tachibana,Little Butterfly by Hinako Takanaga and Ludwig II by Higuri You (i couldn’t stop myself from writing all of that down:’)). But my absolutely favourite somehow ended up being The Tyrant falls in Love by Hinako Takanaga. I suspect it may be because it’s manga with a lot of volumes compared to the rest…and i grew really attached to the characters throughout the years (ever since they have been lurking in the background of Challengers) despite all of their flaws. But of course,there is also the story which is very engaging and entertaining.
Thank you for this opportunity! (i also retweeted you @busha69)
I’ve never read any Juné manga before. I get almost all of my manga through the library, and they rarely carry explicit sexual manga.
While Fumi Yoshinaga’s work, Maiden Rose, Seven Days and No Touching At All are all definitely worth a read (despite No Touching At All’s iffy translation), they’ve already been mentioned. I guess I’ll put a vote in for I Give to You, which is a quiet, graceful little love story about finding a place to belong.
Well, I’ve got to admit that I have never read any Juné-style manga. It simply isn’t a genre that’s risen to the top of my “should probably check some of this out” list yet. But, hey, if the opportunity arises that I’m able to check out some for free, I’m there! :)
Some of my favorites have already been mentioned (*anything* by Hinako Takanaga, especially Tyrant; Seven Days; No Touching at All, Yellow) I have a super soft spot for Only Serious About You 1&2. But, really…I could name almost everything on my manga shelf.
I want to join too! *^*!!
I love so much mangas published by June, anything by Toko Kawai, Hotaru Odagiri or Higuri You, for sample, takes my heart *laughs* But well, one of my fav mangas (bought recently from them) is Deadlock *A* Because it has an AMAZING art style!
I can’t wait to get the second volume, it’s funny and interesting, I want to read the continuation~ *-*
(I have the same name in twitter~)
My favorite June manga is the series The Tyrant Falls in Love! I like all of the manga by Hinako Takanaga and especially love this one because of the chemistry between Tatsumi and Morinaga! The artwork and story line are wonderful.