Category: Manga

Escape Journey – BL Manga Review

By pokeninja90 on October 21, 2019 • ( 2 Comments )

The boys love genre has always toed the line between what is acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to romance, usually straying into some pretty questionable territory in how it depicts same sex couples. Either you get an angst filled drama fest or a lot of non-con smut, and every so often you come across a title that manages to give you something genuinely wholesome. Escape Journey is Ogeretsu Tanaka’s English-language BL debut and like many boys love manga before it, struggles to find that balance between wholesome romance and the appropriate amount of “drama”. However, despite its flaws, Escape Journey is a solid boys love title and at only three volumes it delivers a rather savory reading experience.

View this post on Instagram

The final volume of Escape Journey arrived today!! Thanks to @sublimemanga for giving us this amazing series in print!! 😍 #escapejourney #BL #manga #yaoi #ogeretsutanaka

A post shared by Naja B. (@poke_ninja90) on Jun 11, 2019 at 4:06pm PDT

Escape Journey follow Naoto and Taichi, two guys who went from friends to lovers in high school, but the relationship proved to be too much and the pair split after a huge argument. Even though years have passed, Naoto is still upset (read: pissed off) about how things ended with Taichi and is looking forward to getting a fresh start in college. But, on his first day he discovers that Taichi has also enrolled at his university and interested in being friends again. While Naoto is initially unsure about his feelings for his ex, the two quickly fall back into their old friendship, which eventually evolves into something more… but, old hurts don’t heal easily and the pair finds themselves falling back into the same routine. Will they be able to move on from the past and build something stronger this time around or will Naoto and Taichi continue to hurt one another?

Continue reading “Escape Journey – BL Manga Review”

D.N. Angel is the Reason I have Commitment Issues with Ongoing Series

By pokeninja90 on June 26, 2019 • ( 5 Comments )

So, it was recently brought to my attention that Yukiru Sugisaki would start reviving her long running fantasy romance manga series D.N. Angel this year. This is the first mention of anything new from the series since the author went on hiatus 8 YEARS AGO! Yes, you read that right, it has been 8 years since the release of volume 15 back in 2011 and what’s worse, this isn’t even the first time the series has been on hiatus and I’m pretty damn sure it won’t be the last… so, forgive me if I’m not shouting from the rooftops at the announcement that the series is finally back from the dead.

"D.N. Angel" by Yukiru Sugisaki will release volume 17 on July 24, 2019 in Japan. pic.twitter.com/u3XmkWpiWu

— Manga Mogura (@MangaMogura) June 23, 2019

Some context…

D.N. Angel follows Daisuke Niwa a 13 year old boy who is descended from a long line of phantom thieves. Daisuke is kinda shy and pretty average, despite having been put through a rigorous training regimen by his mother and grandfather. Other than that life is pretty normal! On his 14th birthday he finally plucks up the courage to confess to the girl of his dreams, Risa Harada, but homegirl turns him down hard! Full of teen angst and fueld by his broken heart, Daisuke goes home to mope a bit, thats when he gets hit with magical puberty. His body transforms into that of the handsome phantom thief Dark Mousy (my first anime crush). Daisuke freaks the fuck out, thankfully his mom is around to explain that the transformation is completely normal, having affected all of the Niwa men for generations. The change she explains is triggered by the host’s romantic feelings of love, and will keep happening until Daisuke finds someone who can love him and Dark. The rest of the story focuses on Daisuke’s attempts to balance his normal life with that of his secret phantom thief alter ego. To make matters worse, Dark has his own consciousness within Daisuke which often gets him into trouble as they both struggle to coexist. Then Daisuke goes and falls in love with Risa’s twin sister, Riku who absolutely hates Dark after he stole her first kiss… yeah, and I thought I had problems…

Continue reading “D.N. Angel is the Reason I have Commitment Issues with Ongoing Series”

How To Survive Junji Ito Horror in Five Easy Steps!

By pokeninja90 on October 9, 2018 • ( 16 Comments )

Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s October and here on Nice Job Beraking It, Hero we’re taking a trip into the depths with a month full of Halloween themed posts. And what better way to celebrate Halloween Month than with the Master of Horror, Junji Ito! He is one of my favorite horror mangaka, crafting some of the best horror manga out there, his works range from quirky black comedies to full on nightmare fuel, and I cannot recommend him enough if you’re looking for something deeply unsettling to read. He has a way of making the mundane terrifying, with his surreal stories and unique characters, you can’t help but get drawn into his tangled web of terror!

While rereading a few of his oneshots, I got to thinking what would I do if I found myself the unwitting victim of one of his many horrors. Hell, most of his stories either end in tragedy, death, or in the off chance he’s in a good mood, bittersweet. There really is no getting away scott free in a Junji Ito story, so I did the next best thing and crafted a list of tips that will at the very least keep you from dying a gruesome painful death… If you’re looking for something slightly more optimistic, check out How To Woo and Otome Guy in 5 Easy Steps, for everyone else, here are five helpful tips that are sure to give you a fighting chance against, Junji Ito’s classic horrors.

Continue reading “How To Survive Junji Ito Horror in Five Easy Steps!”

13 Horror Manga To Keep You Up At Night

By pokeninja90 on October 2, 2018 • ( 10 Comments )

Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs! It’s October, and here on Nice Job Breaking It, Hero I’m kicking off the spookiest month of the year with a bunch of horror themed content. It’ll be a month long celebration of all things horror, with horror themed game reviews, lists, and some of course a few very special posts dedicated to one of my favorite horror mangaka, Junji Ito!! Because you simply can’t Google ‘horror manga’ without at least stumbling upon one or two of his iconic works. But, as much as I love Ito and his works, we can’t deny that there are so many other great creepy manga reads that are just as chilling, if not more so than anything the “Master of Horror” has cooked up.

So what better way to start off our journey into terror than by checking out 13 absolutely horrifying manga titles that are guaranteed to have you sleeping with the lights on! From horror anthologies to standalone stories, we’re delving into the deliciously spooky world of horror manga. Each title puts its own spin on the genre, so, whether you like urban legends, psychological thrillers, or are just a fan of the macabre, you’re sure to find more than a few scary reads to add your reading lists!

Continue reading “13 Horror Manga To Keep You Up At Night”

Fangirl Moment: Her Impact

By pokeninja90 on December 1, 2017 • ( 4 Comments )

Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers and Wandering NPCs, it’s that special time of the week again! Friday!! TGIF! And with the end of the the work week comes yet another super special awesome Fangirl Moment post, the series where I feature interesting media I’ve come across during the week (or whenever). I’ve covered a wide range of topics in theses posts, from books to film to anime and manga to webcomics, the sky’s the limit for my rampant fangirling!

Last week was my boy, Kuroo Tetsurou’s birthday, so I did a list of the Top 5 Reasons Kuroo is the Captain of My Heart, if you missed it, definitely check it out! But, if that’s not your style, be sure to check out one of my other Fangirl Moment posts, by either clicking the weekly series tab from the menu or by clicking… HERE!

This week, I’ll be covering an original web comic series Her Impact, an upcoming sports comic that features a woman of color as the protagonist. Y’all know how I feel about POCs in my media, so when the writer, Mikel Miles brought this amazing concept to my attention, I was all over it. Plus, I’m a huge fan of fighter anime and manga, Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe)! I will forever recommend that series, it’s like perfection!! *ahem* Got a little off track there, but, Her Impact is set to be released in 2018, but Mikel was kind enough to send me a copy of Issue #0. It’s a short demo chapter, but more than enough to give me a feel of the story, and I must say I am curious to see how everything pans out in the end.

Continue reading “Fangirl Moment: Her Impact”

[OWLS Blog Tour] It Just Is: Relationships Don’t Always Need Labels

By pokeninja90 on June 21, 2017 • ( 15 Comments )

Hey hey all you Heroes and Travelers out there today I’m bringing you all another super special awesome OWLS post!! If this is your first time here at Nice Job Breaking It Hero, you were probably linked here by the lovely Arria’s blog tour post… and I welcome you with open arms!!

Back in December I mentioned that I’d joined OWLS: Otaku Warriors of Liberty and Self-Respect, a group of bloggers and vloggers that hope to spread a message of acceptance and understanding through thoughtful community activism!

So, in order to spread our message of self acceptance and tolerance, we’ve decided to hold Monthly Blog Tours! During Blog Tours, we each write individual theme posts on our blogs that promote our group’s values, with a bit of an otaku twist. June’s Blog Tour topic is Team!

Continue reading “[OWLS Blog Tour] It Just Is: Relationships Don’t Always Need Labels”

Fangirl Moment: Harukaze no Étranger

By pokeninja90 on April 28, 2017 • ( 2 Comments )

TGIF! It’s that time of the week again, it’s Fangirl Friday!! WOOT! I’ve been on a bit of a BL manga binge this week, so it seemed fitting that this week’s post be about one of the titles I read. If you aren’t in the mood for BL, I highly recommend checking out one of my other Fangirl Moment posts (there are a ton to choose from) by clicking right, HERE, I cover a range of topics so I’m sure you’ll find something worthwhile over there!! For everyone else, let’s get this show on the road shall we?

This week I’ll be covering the Kii Kanna’s ongoing slice of life boys love manga, Harukaze no Étranger, the sequel to her 2013 manga Umibe no Étranger. The series was released back in 2014 and as of this writing, comprises of 2 volumes, with a third on the way. While it’s prequel was was licensed in English by Renta!, this series has not been licensed for an English language audience, however it’s currently being fan translated by Stranger by the Sea Scans!

Continue reading “Fangirl Moment: Harukaze no Étranger”

Fangirl Moment: Umibe no Étranger

By pokeninja90 on April 21, 2017 • ( 6 Comments )

This week I’ll be covering the Kii Kanna’s 2013 slice of life boys love manga, Umibe no Étranger. The series is four chapters long, all of which have been compiled into a single volume. While there hasn’t been an English language print release for this title, it is available digitally from Renta!, under the title ‘The Stranger by the Sea’.

*Note: I will be covering the sequel ‘Harukaze no Étranger’ during next week’s Fangirl Moments post, just a heads up!

Continue reading “Fangirl Moment: Umibe no Étranger”

Fangirl Moment: Ohayou To Oyasumi To Sono Ato Ni

By pokeninja90 on March 31, 2017 • ( 8 Comments )

TGIF! It’s that time of the week again, it’s Fangirl Friday!! WOOT! I know I said I’d write about Shunju Aono’s comedy slice of life manga series, I’ll Give It My All… Tomorrow, but I recently came across another manga that ignited my fangirl spirit, to the point that I just had to write about it, so, I’ll Give It My All… Tomorrow will have to wait until next week, which in and of itself is kind of poetic. *ahem*

So, for this week’s Fangirl Moments post I wanted to cover a BL manga I came across the other day. I know, I know, I can hear the collective groans of all you BL naysayers out there, sorry, not sorry. If you aren’t in the mood for BL, I highly recommend checking out one of my other Fangirl Moment posts (there are a ton to choose from) by clicking right, HERE, I cover a range of topics so I’m sure you’ll find something worthwhile over there!! For everyone else, let’s get this show on the road shall we?

Continue reading “Fangirl Moment: Ohayou To Oyasumi To Sono Ato Ni”

Fangirl Moment: Don’t Blame Me

By pokeninja90 on February 17, 2017 • ( 3 Comments )

TGIF! Here we are again with another Fangirl Friday! This week I’m covering one of the first BL manga I ever read! So when I saw it on sale on the Juné site, I wasted no time snapping it up. Of course I reread it for this post, and OMG, I fell in love with the story all over again… I’m talking about the yaoi classic, Don’t Blame Me (Ore wa Wakarunai) by Yugi Yamada!

For those of you that have been following me for a while, you might recognize this manga from my Top 5 BL/Yaoi Titles post, as the series that showed me there was more to BL than sex. This a heartwarming manga and one of my all time favorites!!

Continue reading “Fangirl Moment: Don’t Blame Me”