Joshi BL

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anthologies are a little hard to review, but I'll do my best here because I feel like this anthology could really use a review so people can decide whether or not to pick it up


RATING BY STORY

the theme of this anthology is actually a pretty interesting one: the rivals, bystanders and confidants in BL stories are often women and girls. they run the entire spectrum from mean-spirited to girls so loveable they could be shoujo manga heroines in their own right, however, fan response to them is generally poor as they're seen as being 'in the way' of the main BL storyline.

overall, Joshi BL meanders ... happily around the very fine line between being a rare book that humanises BL characters, and being one of many with way more voyeuristic tendencies. I was personally more into the former, bear that in mind when reading my ratings.
it's very likely that you will find in Joshi BL stories that you adore, and those that you dislike or even find distasteful. it's a real mix!

Shoujo C by Hideyoshico (5/10)
main character is cute, main pair have interesting personalities

Tamaisan, Koi to Yuujou by Shimura Takako (5/10)
I usually don't like 'siblings but not by blood' pairings, but this was a good read with a gentle pace. the art style is cute and rounded!

Donyoku no Hana by Nishida Higashi (5/10)
the only one with a classic 'yaoi artstyle'. not my thing. I really didn't like the main pair because the personality of one of the guys was kinda.. a dick. but the main character was great! she's a tolerant person, but old-fashioned when it comes to PDA

Watashi-tachi ha Byplayer by Harada (7/10) (EXPLICIT)
this is one of my favourites of the bunch. the art style is unusual but very pretty and delicate. the characters are nice and varied in looks and the use of solid blacks really makes it stand out.
pretty much everyone involved has a bad personality, but the lighthearted tone makes it enjoyable and you genuinely sympathise with most of them at some point.

Michi Dzure/Fellow Traveller by Ichikawa Kei (3/10) (EXPLICIT)
the art really wasn't to my tastes, but messy, dramatic adult relationships can be interesting! rated lower because I really don't think it fits the theme of the anthology that well - the female character was totally sidelined.

Natura-turaly by Ichikawa Kei (7/10)
my favourite! a really nice coming-of-age sort of thing. it's about a pair of twins (male and female) who are extremely close (verging on too dependent on each other) being interrupted when a schoolmate confesses to the brother. the characters are childish and don't deal with everything flawlessly, but you feel like they've grown up a little by the end of the story.

Stockholm by Itoi Nozo (2/10) (EXPLICIT)
I feel like others may enjoy this story more than I did. it's really bleak, though. it's absolutely what it says on the tin - a 'romantic' take on stockholm syndrome and characters gravitating back towards abuse because it's the only thing they know. if you're the type of person who enjoyed reading Killing Stalking, this may be for you.


OVERALL (5/10)

my overall enjoyment of this anthology was dampened by how bleak the last story was, to be entirely honest. I think maybe the stories would be better read out of order. it was reasonably well curated, with a few exceptions.

I'd recommend Natura-turaly and Byplayer (if you can handle the very silly/embarrassing explicit content) but the rest didn't make much of an impact.