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Thousand Autumns is a Chinese historical wuxian (martial arts) novel. I think this is important to note as many who read danmei will have certain expectations (mostly created by MDZS & TGCF... I know I did).

My knowledge of martial arts is minimal, my knowledge of Chinese history worse. The majority of this novel revolves around politics and the various religious sects, and their power struggles. I find it challenging to review the world building as I do not know fact from fiction. In spite of my ignorance I was able to follow the gist of the story and mostly treated it like an open-world ... RPG with 'hack-n-slash' playthrough.

What truly made the book enjoyable though, was the relationship between Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi. They can be accurately described as complete opposites. SQ is kind, gentle-natured and humble, YW is inconsiderate, brutal and arrogant. Morally SQ is lawful good. YW has been described as evil, but I found him more chaotic neutral... he does whatever the hell he wants and its funny af! Their character growth and relationship dynamic is full of twists and turns, but be aware this is a slow burn and only matures in the final volume. One has to read the extras in order to find closure.

As the reader is no doubt aware, Chinese censorship laws are brutal, resulting in authors using metaphors and euphemism to describe anything that could get them into trouble. Personally I enjoy this as it gives solemnity to intimate, private moments.

A note on translation:
I read the official translation of volumes 1-3, but as the official of 4 has not yet been published I completed the novel using fan translations. In hindsight I wish that I'd only read the fan translations. Even with their typos I enjoyed the extra notes explaining Chinese word play and puns that YW used. (He truly does resort to dad jokes! 😂). The novel is full of poetic language and metaphors, the official translation felt a little dry without them. I also realise that this is personal preference as many felt the Seven Seas official translation was better.

I don't think this will be everyone's cup of tea, the story can be a bit clunky at times. My braincells were strained by the politics heavy theme and trying to remember who was who. Chinese names are a challenge in themselves. Yan Wushi is an entertaining bastard though and for me, at least, it was worth the binge-read.

I found this a sophisticated read, 8/10 for occasionally making me feel uneducated cretin.

The Board King is about the vampire, Tsukiyama, who became captivated by the challenge of playing shogi. What started out as something to relieve the boredom of being immortal becomes a quest to be the best shoji player in the world. He of course is faced with the challenges of being a vampire living in a human world. A touch of humor is injected into the storyline, with hints of epic battles to come and not just in shogi tournaments.

I’ve only read up to chapter 14 (what has been translated), so normally wouldn’t give a review yet, but there is currently no synopsis on MAL ... and I feel this one deserves recognition. So far we have the beginning of what appears to be a very exciting, fun story, some insight into the main character, a peek at some of his rivals and a glimpse into the competitive world of shogi. What I’ve seen so far leaves me impatient to read more.

The illustration is solid professional quality, with expressive faces and good line work. There is always room for improvement, but that will come naturally as the artist progresses. Tsukiyama is drawn (imo) like every male protagonist should be: good looking with long hair, energetic with loads of charisma. I’m an unapologetic simp.

The Board King has only recently started to be translated into English and therefore hasn't reached popularity yet, but I feel this is one manga to watch out for. What’s not to love? Vampires playing shoji is such an original concept. There are already 5 volumes printed in Japanese so we’ve much to look forward to.

I’m going to give it a tentative 8/10, but will update my score as more is translated.

I will brave the Fujoshi hate and deliver a more unbiased review on this anime. For the record I am not familiar with Korean anime, but have read quite a bit of their manhwa... of the BL smut variety.

I read the words 'vampire' and 'boys love' under information and was immediately intrigued. I was soon slapped in the face with disappointment. I feel that there's such a desperation for LGBTQ+ romance that the genre has become over-saturated with cliched, mediocre, immature and rather unhealthy relationship depictions. MAL describes this as erotica, its not, its smut. This anime is a cut and paste of many BL ... smut manhwa plots. If I'd known this going in I may have been a little less critical, after all the hentai genre is not exactly award-winning. Which begs the question: why does this anime have such a high MAL score?

Mignon is the cliché tearful abused dude, Doc is the cliché emotionally unavailable vampire dude. A reusable story unfolds. Very little actual relationship building. There is crying. There is noisy kissing and formulaic sex. The fact that Doc was a vampire was a wasted opportunity. Parts of the animation is pretty, but its obvious there was a limited budget as they rely heavily on still shots. The music was forgettable. Each episode is about 4-5 minutes, why not simply make it into a short movie? Part of me that wonders if this was a straight relationship would there have been more budget.

If you're thirsty for an animated gay sex scene just go to the last episode, if you have expectations of an actual BL vampire story carry on looking.

I think I've sh*t on this enough, 5/10

If you enjoy psychological mind games then this underrated donghua is a must see.

Aiyou de Mishi is a Chinese animated adaptation of the manhua Ai You De Mi Shi by Bi Shui Yu. We're dropped into the life of Yuecha, as he and a work colleague visit an escape room called X&Y. The story quickly pulls you through an anxiety inducing, riddle solving journey that slowly starts to mess with your mind. It leaves you with the feeling that you may have escaped the room, but the room has not escaped you.

The plot is really good. I cannot say much without giving spoilers, but going ... in blind in this case is not a bad idea.

The animation quality is great, this and Link Click give me hope for the future of Chinese animation. The music is excellent, opening title animation and music really gives it an edgy feel. The main character is interesting, with an complicated unfolding backstory. Aiyou, the owner of the escape room, is intriguing and mysterious. Overall, cast is just *chef's kiss* complete with mad hatter moments.

For me, the biggest drawback was the poor translation quality that gives the interpersonal dynamic a discombobulated feel. Ironically it works to add to the overall confused feeling one has, but at key moments meaning is sometimes lost. It is my sincere hope that Chinese production houses will pay more attention to localization of their English audience. I wanted to read the manhua in order to flesh out critical scenes, but unfortunately English translation is not up to date.

I would have rated this donghua higher if not for script translation issues, 8/10

Its always challenging writing an unbiased review of an anime/dongua one is emotionally invested in. One feels a bit disloyal if a review is not glowing. That said, I feel one can still love something while being aware of its short-comings.

If you're reading this I'm assuming you've already watched S1, so a large portion of this review will be a comparison.

The storyline of S2 faithfully follows the novel; we start to see more of Xie Lian's backstory and painful truths start emerging. In other words the emotional angst ramps up from S1. In terms of animation of facial expressions I feel they were able to ... convey this. Xie Lian is way more expressive and shows a much wilder range of emotions. He's starting to feel like a fuller character, no longer just a sweet bishie. Sneak peaks and flashbacks add to his overall character depth. Hua Cheng's infamous gambler's den scene reveals him as mischievous and wickedly good looking. (Yeah, I know we've seen him before, but now its official!) San Lang/Hua Cheng is now also being fleshed out more and we get a glimpse of his teasing nature with Xie Lian. I thought Eming was just perfect. I loved the personality that they were able to give the saber even though they had the limitation of just one eye to animate.

In terms of music setting the mood I feel that S1 did a far better job.
S1 opening had the most exquisite animation and the music pulls at your heartstrings and doesn't let go, leaving a hollow, empty feeling behind. I was extremely disappointed in S2 opening (both music and artwork). Its opening animation was blah and (imo) poorly drawn. Why? Budget issues? The manhua set such a high art standard, did they really think mediocre would be okay? The music was okay, but the heartstrings remained un-pulled.

I watched both sub and dub because speedreading is not my superpower. Dub is surprisingly good. I was better able to immerse myself in emotional moments simply because I was able to watch facial expressions. I enjoyed Xie Lian's english VA, with his buttery smooth, soothing voice and english speaking Hua Cheng felt like he had more sass than his Mandarin counterpart. Some of the minor supporting VA cast was a little iffy; I have issues when female characters sound squeaky. And don't get me started about when they do VA for kids.

Overall I enjoyed S2, it faithfully follows the source material. While animation is still solid, episodes felt like they could be longer, but I felt the same about S1 so I guess it's just a Chinese thing. I still think that those who haven't read the novel will be confused by events and that much of the fan base is comprised of those who have.

I hope that Chinese censorship will not end the possibility of a season 3 because we all know that's when the story really gets good.

For sticking faithfully to source material, 9/10

After binge reading this manhwa I'd like to review it while the story is still fresh in my mind.

Firstly I'd like to address the elephant in the room: is it explicit? The answer is not simple; while there are no lightsabers, it very obvious what shenanigans the couple are getting up to. Intimate scenes are tastefully drawn, leaving much to ones imagination. No excessive saliva, jizz or other bodily fluids depicted. Contrary to many of the BL tropes it is consensual, affectionate and have an equal share in sexual power. They are approximately the same age. There are no weird kinks. They practice safe, vanilla ... sex. Quite honestly, I found it wholesome in a genre that is rife with red flags, non-con and abusive power struggles.

Sangwoo can easily be described as being on the autistic range. He is highly intelligent, is described as being OCD and appears to lack understanding of human emotions. His blunt and rather abrupt way of interacting with people can be interpreted as offensive. Jaeyoung on the other hand has highly developed social skills, is laid back and has a free spirit. He has anger issues, but is never abusive to his love interest. Their inevitable clash of personalities is entertaining. Their dialogue is witty and at times had me guffawing in laugher.

The story is simple, a classic enemies to lovers narrative that takes place at college. It is typical slice of life, with romance being the focus. The beauty and magic is in the dialogue, the authentic wrestling with concerns regarding gay relationships, and Sangwoo's unwavering bluntness while dealing with discovering his sexual identity. There are no childish, 'giggle giggle, he touched my hand' moments.

The artwork is full colour, webcomic style. While the illustration is generally good, I found at times it lacked the professional slickness of printed manga/manhuas. I may be overly critical, but I have become accustomed to high quality illustration, and being an illustrator myself, am more analytical about competent understanding of anatomy and portraits. There are some panels which look hurriedly drawn, with messy linework and inaccurate proportions. I am certain that the illustrator would agree with me that they could be reworked to improve overall quality.

I will recommend this manhwa for the mature audience, without homophobia, and who are looking for a wholesome, funny love story. Know that you will be reading scenes that are erotic at times.

It's a tasteful 18+, witty BL story, 8/10

After the success of S1, I was really looking forward to S2. My only challenge was that I simply don't have speed reading as a superpower. Donghuas are notoriously fast spoken and them subtitles eye wateringly fast. I opted to wait for the dub... so sue me.

For those interested in dub review: it's pretty damn solid. Chen Xiaoshi's English VA is Alejandro Saab & Lu Guang is acted by Zeno Robinson. They are both heavyweight voice actors, with very impressive resumes.
The rest of the cast was also good, with only a few moments (some female cast) that I cringed a bit. Overall I ... was glad I waited for the dub as the story is action packed and I would never have been able to keep up with the pace of subs.

Link Click is obviously a quality production, much effort has been made from everything from music, animation, voice acting, the occasional use of 3D to a really spectacular storyline. This season they pushed the envelope, it's more edgy, action-packed and graphic than last and they took quite a few creative risks. I commend them for making these changes considering how popular last season was. They could have simply continued with the same formula. Some will not enjoy S2 for this reason.

Music was yet again epic, and the opening song will be stuck in my head for some time. For me it fit in well with the dub as song lyrics are also in English.

Overall I am impressed with quality, creativity and daring. 9/10

This manga is NOT a shameless reworking of Koe no Katachi (A silent voice). Its also not the token use of a deaf person in order to create novelty within the romance trope.

The story revolves around Yuki, a young college woman who is hearing impaired. We are immediately brought into her world and her everyday experience and challenges with interacting with those around her. She encounters Itsuomi and is impressed with how he doesn't treat her differently. How he attempts to communicate with her and then later connects her with others and with the world around her.

This anime is all about communication. Connection. Building bridges ... between different people, different cultures, different languages. There is a sweet sincerity, vulnerability and simple honesty that at times drew tears. But what REALLY impressed me was how the author, Suu Morishita, so successfully expresses emotions and how they are communicated. So much is conveyed in the art style. Special attention to detail is given to the hands, not only during sign language but all the times. And the eyes. Just one beautifully drawn look and you get it. As the author herself says "that a few simple lines and broad strokes" can convey a message.

I challenge you to see that which is not spoken. To look at how even the panel divisions sometimes tell you something. To read this manga slowly and in a quiet room. To read the author's notes on how seriously she was about conveying the correct hand signs. Her personal experience with deaf people. Her heartfelt attempt at being that bridge between those who can't hear and those who can.

Itsuomi is not JUST a pretty ikeman, he is the safe space the author wishes for Yuki to express herself. Don't for one moment think that people love him only because of his looks. He is the gentle and non-judgemental "best person we strive to be". Is it idealistic? Yes. Because essentially he is the perfect bridge the author wishes to build.

I do not wish to write spoilers, I simply would like for people to read this manga and reflect. To take it more seriously than just another love story. To consider just how much we say without saying a word.

I will not gush more, simply rate it 9/10

I bumbled into this anime while searching for a vampire anime. What I found instead was simply... fun

Don't expect a great (or even coherent) story. I still don't understand much of the logic! Plot holes are simply filled with great music, and ambiguous characters are covered in plot armour. Some scenes are spoiled a bit by the occasional use of 3D, which I felt didn't blend well. There is much that one can criticize about this anime... and yet... it's still fun.

Visually this anime is eye candy with sexy vampire musicians and homo-erotic subtext. The voice acting and singing is stellar, and characters look great ... both on and off stage. It's truly all about the music and ultimately thats all an anime like this needs to be enjoyable. Its great for those times you'd prefer to switch off your brain and let your foot tap to the beat of the music. Even if you are clueless about J-Rock (like wtf is Visual Kei?), it still holds high appeal. The main aim of this anime is to entertain... and damn, it does it well.

Overall I enjoyed it for what it offered. 7/10

After watching the anime I just HAD to read the manga as it's well known that transitions from manga to anime is sometimes a rocky journey. Not so in this case as the author, Mari Okada, was heavily involved in both.

Let me just say from the onset, Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo is not for the faint of heart. It deals with the risque topic of female sexuality and how young women see romantic relationships. This is not some fan servicey male fantasy, the author is female, her intensions far more complex. Its not about how men see women, but about how women see themselves. ... Her approach is fresh, authentic and sometimes too brutally honest for comfort. She softens the blows with outrageous humour and seemingly excessive hysteria. The manga feels like a sneak peak into the somewhat deranged mind of adolescent girl as all blood migrates from the brain and into other parts of the body. Somehow it felt nostalgic for me as I was reminded of the absolutely dumb things I did as a sexually awakening teenager. Totally embarrassing 😂

Okada-san treats all her characters with real affection, giving them a safe space in order to work out unfamiliar feelings and urges. You may be surprised to find that I found this manga and its characters wholesome. While some scenes are shocking, I never felt it was gratuitous. It felt like a wild roar from a tribe of savage maidens, exposing hypocrisy, destroying taboos and double standards, demanding people to see them as they are.

Never once was promiscuity or 'ecchi' promoted, just an all too honest look at what makes women tick. Wise men will listen and takes notes. I'd like to think that young women would benefit from reading it, but I'm afraid it may be too real for comfort. It may best be appreciated by older women looking back nostalgically at something that was once a mystery to them.

I felt Okada-san was very brave writing this manga and deserves 9/10