Favorite Reads of 2017

Happy New Year beautiful people!

Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Wow, I almost forgot how to do this thing it’s been so long lol

Well, today I wanted to share with you my favorite reads of 2017! I read a lot (A LOT) of comics this past year and so this is all pretty much comics except for a couple exceptions. Let’s just jump into it! P.S. this list is in no particular order.

Comics

kingsmaker

King’s Maker by Haga and art by Kang Jiyoung. Oh. My. GOD I LOVE THIS SERIES. Season 1 just ended and I need Season 2, like, now please. Please? This series is so good and it deals with different themes like love, hate, political turmoil, death, life, ahhhhhh it’s so good. And THE ART!? The art is beyond gorgeous! Please go read it over on Lezhin if you haven’t already.

somethingaboutus

Something About Us by Lee Yunji. This comic series was incredibly cute and realistic and I just loved reading it. There was angst and there was romance and there was friendship and it’s just so good read iiiiiiit. It’s actually completed so you’ll be able to read it from beginning to end if you want.

hadomae

Hadomae by Choenamsae. This is more 18+ for the reading spectrum, but it’s a comic series about a man with a foot fetish, and I never in my life thought I’d read something about that, but here we are. It’s a pretty addicting series and it’s still ongoing, which is awesome. The main character is kind of ditzy and there are times when I’m like, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!” But, now she’s kind of taking control and I’m like, “Yaaaaassss~” So, yeah. And things are getting steamy. >>

Webtoons

iloveyoo

I Love Yoo by Quimchee. Guys. Please. Go read this series. It’s still ongoing and it’s SO GOOD! It’s funny and witty, but there’s also a lot of serious moments, and I’m still trying to figure out the mysteries of some of the characters’ pasts and it’s just so good. It’s updated weekly, and you can read it for free, so check it out!

mydearcoldbloodedking

My Dear Cold-Blooded King by lifelight. This is such an interesting historical series with romance, blood, assassins, royal court drama, humor, and more. It’s also very beautifully drawn, especially the landscapes. If you haven’t checked this one out, you really should. It’s so good!

sirenslament

Siren’s Lament by instantmiso. Season 1 just ended and glremgwgnkrnrt is it February yet, because that’s when Season 2 starts and I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NOW. It left at such a huge plot point that I’m just like, “HNNNNNGGG GIVE MEEEEE” so yeah. But it’s a story about sirens and how one girl, Lyra, was kissed but didn’t fully turn siren and there’s a lot of humor and romance and a love triangle kind of and it’s so good!

mygiantnerdboyfriend

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend by fishball. This slice-of-life webtoon is sooo funny and sooooo relatable and it’s just awesome. Go read it. Like, I keep seeing myself and my husband in all of these and I’m just like, “HOW ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT US!?” It’s so funny.

crushed

Crushed!! by Himalyaa. This is a more mature webtoon, but it’s a BL one that I’ve been really enjoying. It’s still ongoing and it’s got a love triangle, drama, lots of swearing, a bunch of sex, and just a lot going on. It’s really good though!

For complete thoughts on the comics and webtoons I’ve read, check out my review!

Books

I’m still slightly in denial that I read actual books this year. I think it was around three books? lol Anyway.

adsom

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. This high fantasy novel is set in an alternate London with multiple alternate Londons and it’s a very good, very addicting read. At least it was for me. I thought that the world still has so much to be explored and explained, so I’m really glad there’s sequels in the series. (I mean, obviously there’s sequels, Rayna, it’s a trilogy.) But yeah, if you want more of my thoughts, check out my review!

radiance

Radiance by Grace Draven. I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did, but it’s seriously really good! It’s about a mixed species marriage and how each species thinks the other is ugly and everything the other does is horrible, but by the marriage of these two individuals who start out as friends and then lovers, it was seriously so addicting and good! I love the super slow burn romance and how there’s political intrigue and how there’s also a lot of cultural things in both the societies. I really liked it. If you want my complete thoughts, check out my review!

Manga

I’ve also read more manga this past year than I have in a very long time, so yay for that!

asilentvoice1

A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima. I read this complete series (7 volumes) earlier in 2017 and it’s one of my favorite manga series of all time. It’s about a deaf girl and her struggles with being bullied, and about the bully, who ends up getting bullied himself and becomes very lonely. It’s about their lives and his trying to make up for what he did to her and it’s just so good. I seriously enjoyed it and I really recommend it. Check out my review for all my thoughts.

tokyoghoul1

Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida. Guys. GUYS. Go read this series. I still haven’t read the last volume because I’m in denial that it’s over, but it is SO. GOOD. And bloody. Very bloody. But it’s a dark series about ghouls and how they live among humans and how one boy is a half-ghoul and it’s just so. Good. Ahhhhhh. Check out my Spring Reading Wrap-Up for more thoughts.

noragami1

Noragami by Adachitoka. THIS. SERIES. IS. AMAZING. I know I keep saying this, but seriously, I love this series! It’s about a god named Yato and how he’s not really a big god, but there’s Hiyori who can see him after an accident happens and there’s lots of humor, very subtle romance (JUST CONFESS ALREADY), and lots of drama between the gods and stuff. If you want more of my thoughts, check out my Spring Reading Wrap-Up.

imadoki1

Imadoki! Nowadays! by Yuu Watase. As Yuu Watase is my favorite manga author, I’m probably biased, but as this was also a reread for me I knew what to expect and I still love this series. It’s a high school drama that follows a group of five people teens just trying to go through life, together or not. It’s really good. Check out my review for more thoughts.

blueexorcist

Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato. This series is one that I’ve followed the anime before reading, but it’s still an awesome manga series! It follows twins Rin and Yukio who are the sons of Satan. Rin has outward appearances of a demon and also the blood, while Yukio is more like their human mother and doesn’t show any traits and doesn’t really have the trace in his blood. It’s a manga about Rin’s struggles to become an exorcist (which demons can’t do because, well, yeah), and it’s a very epic action/fantasy manga series. The anime is really good, too!


Alright, I think that’s everything! I’ve read the equivalent of probably 100 books in 2017. It’s crazy to think that I read that amount, but it’s mostly in comics and webtoons (which I also never thought I’d be so into lol). According to Goodreads, I’ve read 68 novels in 2017. Of course it can’t count the amount of comics I’ve read, so yeah. It was my best reading year thus far, so let’s see what 2018 brings.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

What were your top three favorite reads of 2017? Has many novels did you read? How about comics or manga? Let me know!

Beautiful Books 2017 | Introduce the Novel

beautifulbooks

Hey peeps and welcome to Beautiful Books, hosted by the lovely Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up & Further In. What is Beautiful Books? It’s very similar to the monthly link up of Beautiful People, but this month it focuses on NaNoWriMo writing projects rather than specific characters in the novels. You obviously don’t have to be participating in NaNo in order to join; it can be any writing project. Click here or the picture to be taken back to the most recent Beautiful Books linkup page!

It’s time to talk about what I’m going to be writing this year and frankly… I needed this post because I’m still working out a few kinks in what I want to write and I’m just a mess. Ha.

Here’s the questions!

  1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?
    • I’ve been wanting to write a character with dark powers since I started working on my NaNo novel last year. I had a character who was able to manipulate shadows and use darkness as a power, but it just didn’t fit right with the character and the world (of course I didn’t realize this until later on). And then… well, I wanted a way to cope with my depression, and so I decided to write about a character that uses darkness as a power, but this power controls her and consumes her (much like depression does with me). So… yeah.
  2. Describe what your novel is about!
    • Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.
    • Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.
    • In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.
  3. What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!
  4. Introduce us to each of your characters!
    • Mahlia is a 19 year old apprentice to a weapons maker. She’s been under his care for the last six years and has been learning the ins and outs of how to make weapons suited for the person based on their power: swords that can hold fire for fire wielders so as to not melt the steel; bows and arrows for wind users that are both lithe and powerful and have secrets within them to carry farther than the average arrow; and so on. She has a good sense of humor and is often complimented on her smile. She loves to make others laugh and forget their worries because she knows what it’s like to be so down in darkness that looking for a light is near impossible. Her power is Darkness, a path from Spirit that is very dangerous and unknown to many. She wears gloves often because her hands are tainted with the black mark that signifies a Darkness user. As such, she rarely uses her power because it feels like a living thing, something that will consume her from the inside out – the marks on her hands prove that. She often has depressive episodes as a result, but she doesn’t often speak her mind when she’s in those moods because she doesn’t want to burden others.
    • Vex is a 23 year old prince, the youngest in the line of succession, and is a high spirited young man. He has three elder siblings: two brothers and a sister, and cares for each of them deeply. Family is very important to him and he couldn’t imagine his life without any of them, especially his second eldest brother, Maks, whom is also like a best friend to him. Vex is a Fire user like his brother and mother, and though their flames are strong, his seems to be stronger and he sometimes likes to show it off. He is part of the Royal Army, second to his brother, but he didn’t just earn the spot because of who he is, but he fought and earned his right to be there. He works alongside men and women who have varying powers and he views them as family. He has an easy going smile and attitude, but can be very serious when the situation calls for it.
    • Maks is the second eldest sibling of the four royal siblings at 28 years old. He has a good head on his shoulders and uses logic over emotions in almost all situations. He loves his family dearly and views his little brother as a comrade in arms as well as a friend. He is strong physically and in power, his flames very potent when used. He has a wife, Kema, who is 26 years old, and a two year old daughter named Camile.
    • Tilla is the only daughter of the four siblings and is 25 years old. She is very gracious and loving, but she’s also a fighter. She trained with her brothers with weapons from a young age with both of her parents’ blessings. But she much prefers being in dresses and being a woman of the court than being a soldier. She enjoys shopping and gossip, but she is also an artist and loves to paint and create. She is a Water user and her magic is fairly strong.
    • Berol is the eldest son of Arkin at 30 years old and is a Wood user. He is strong physically and in power and he has a good head on his shoulders. As he is the first heir to the throne, he has been trained in politics, military tactics, and general ruling of the country. He is married to his childhood friend, Sera, and they have three children ages 6, 4, and 1, two daughters and a son.
    • Geron is the king of Arkin and is a Water user who is incredibly strong in power and physically. He is a kind and generous king who truly cares for his people and family. His wife is Queen Sephie who is a Fire user, very powerful, and incredibly warm hearted. She is very family oriented and cares much for the people.
    • Serath is the master weapons maker that Mahlia has been training under and his bark is worse than his bite. He looks like a very bedraggled man in his late fifties, but there are hints of love and tenderness under his skin, especially when it comes to children and those close to him, like Mahlia. In public, though, he is all business and rarely smiles. He is a Metal user (surprise surprise).
    • Jaqar is the king of Nyrrin and a very strict ruler. He believes that power and money are the two things he needs most in life and because of this his view of the world has become warped in ways that have slowly been hurting his people more than helping them. He is an Ice user and is fairly strong in his power, but not strong enough.
    • Lucmer is the eldest son of Nyrrin at 27 years old and is much like his father, but crueler. He was trained under the sword from a very early age, and his power as an Ice user is one that would impress even the tribes living in the northern mountains. He is one that uses strategy and logic in many situations, but he also relies a lot on his power and brute force to get what he wants. He’s short tempered and one not to be crossed.
  5. How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)
    • Cry a little. I’ve been trying to outline to make sure I have a loose plot that I want to follow. Once I figure out the main point of the story the rest should hopefully fall into place. Other than that, I get inspiration from other writers when they talk about their own work, and I read in the genre I want to write in to really get a grasp on how other writers write their stories and how I want mine to be, too.
  6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?
    • Just seeing where it goes. I want the story to be about how Mahlia will conquer the darkness eventually, but it’s going to take a lot of trials and heartache to get there, and I don’t know if I’m ready for it. (Also the romance because I’m a super romantic at heart.)
  7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.
    • Two countries are going to be at war with one another: Arkin, a prosperous country with lush fields, forests, and distant mountains with many homes and villages nestled together, where people come to start over; Nyrrin, a strong country with a thirst for gold and greed and power, with tall, stark buildings, crowded streets, and advancing weaponry.
    • Magic is abundant in both lands and across the world, and it’s elemental magic. As such, there are varying “branches” to the elemental magic, such as “Ice” is a branch under “Water.”
    • Many secrets to unlock (for me, too, let’s be real).
  8. What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?
    • Mahlia’s ultimate goal is to conquer her own power from consuming her. She is what stands in her own way.
    • Vex’s ultimate goal is to make sure his country remains safe. Jaqar and Lucmer stand in his way.
  9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
    • Mahlia will most likely conquer her demons and feel like she can finally breathe again. But will she still have her freedom? That is the question.
    • Vex will go through a lot in the course of the story, and he might change a bit from what he was at the beginning, but one thing is certain: he won’t take life for granted anymore.
  10. What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?
    • One theme is going to cover depression, and I’m going to do my best to make it #ownvoices because I’ve had depression for over 10 years now and I want to show what my depression is like through Mahlia. The Darkness is a symbol of that, but she’ll also have it.
    • Sacrifice is going to be another theme and one that I hope readers will understand that tough choices happen in life, especially in unforeseen circumstances.
    • Redemption is also going to be poignant because I want Mahlia to be able to overcome the Darkness and how strong of a hold it has on her.
    • Love is another theme, but not just romantic love. I want to also feature familial love because I just don’t see enough of it in books.
    • When the story is over I hope my readers feel a sense of connection with more than one character and that they, too, will find themselves in one of them.

That’s it for this month’s Beautiful Books! I’m very excited and nervous to start NaNoWriMo, but I honestly hope that it goes well and that this story is what I’ve been needing to write this whole time.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you going to be participating in NaNoWriMo this year? How many characters do you have? What are three points about your setting? How do you want readers to think about your story at the end?

NaNoWriMo Survival Kit 2017

NaNo-2017-Participant-Facebook-Cover

Hello beautiful people! Today is all about NaNoWriMo! If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, here’s a brief description: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a month long challenge that takes place every November and challenges you to write 50,000 words in the month. It’s a fun challenge and I’ve participated for several years, and this year is no different.

So I was watching some NaNo Prep videos on YouTube and came across some NaNo Survival Kits – essentially items that you can’t write your novel without during the event. I figured I’d share my own items that I know I couldn’t be without when it comes to NaNo, so here’s my list:

  • My laptop. I mean. Duh. How else am I going to write this novel? I’m certainly not going to handwrite it because ain’t nobody got time for that.
  • My USB thumb drive. I’ve had this same USB for years and years now, and it’s the second most important thing to me when it comes to writing. I save my story after every chapter that I write. I don’t want to lose any of my hard work in case anything happens to my laptop, so I save everything to this USB as a backup.
  • Music. I can’t really listen to music with actual lyrics when I’m writing unless I’m super focused because then my attention will be drawn to the music rather than what I’m working on, and that’s kind of not the goal. I listen to a lot of Lindsey Stirling and movie scores; pretty much anything classical in some way.
  • My NaNoWriMo scarf, hat, and mug. Okay, so these aren’t like super essential for the actual act of writing, BUT I still found these items to be super comfy when I was writing last year, and a little comfort whenever I looked at them because I’d think to myself, “I’m doing this for me and for something I’m passionate about.”

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  • A bottle of water. I don’t know about you, but I need to stay hydrated. I can sit for hours writing, sometimes writing over 1k words every half hour if I’m super into it, so I need to stay hydrated while my brain goes into overdrive.
  • Candy and/or snacks. Not the healthiest option here, but sometimes those little bits of sugar can really make or break when it comes to having enough energy to get out just that last paragraph to call it a day.
  • Writing space. Okay, I don’t know about you, but I can’t really write when I’m in a super distracting environment. I need a place where my brain can associate that when I’m in that space that it’s writing time. This year, I’m not sure where that will be. Maybe my desk, maybe my bed. Who knows? I just know I need that space.
  • My writing program of choice! Obviously I need this because how else am I going to write this novel? I’m most likely going to use Microsoft Word to write it, as I have for a long time now, and I’m fine with that. I write chapters in separate documents and keep planning in one and I have it organized in a way I understand. One day I might use Scrivener, but not right now.

And that’s it! I’m pretty easy to please, haha, but that’s really all I need for NaNoWriMo to survive it. I hope that each of my items help me survive, anyway.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

What’s in your NaNo survival kit? Anything that you’d suggest that I add to mine? Are you excited for NaNo!?

Inktober & NaNoWriMo Prep

Hello beautiful people! So it’s the first day of Halloween October and there are two major events going on that I’m going to be participating in, and they are:

Inktober and NaNoWriMo Prep.

In case you don’t know what either of these things are, here’s a little info about them & what I plan on doing:

Inktober

Inktober is a drawing challenge that has four rules:

  1. Make a drawing in ink.
  2. Post it online.
  3. Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2017.
  4. Repeat every day of October.

That’s it! I first saw the challenge last year around the time I started my art Instagram and I wanted to participate this year. There’s an official list of prompts for the 31 days, and I’m going to be using that list to draw every day in October and – hopefully – improve my skills more.

inktober2017

I’ll be using Micron Fine Liner pens for the majority of my work, but I may do some in color? I’m not sure as I’ve always loved drawing in black and white, but we’ll see how I’m feeling for that prompt that day. So if you want to see how the challenge is coming along then please check out my art Instagram linked above!

NaNoWriMo

NaNo-2017-Participant-Badge

National Novel Writing Month is coming up NEXT MONTH (ugh, it hurts to say that) and OMG I NEED TO PREP SO BAD. Like. I’ve never really prepped for this before? I kind of did last year where I had an outline and things were going pretty good UNTIL THEY WEREN’T. URGH. But it’s fine. Everything’s fine.

So what’s NaNoWriMo you ask? It’s a 30 days writing challenge that takes place from November 1-30 where you are challenging yourself to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s a super fun (and kind of exhausting) challenge, and if you love to write or you have a story idea that you’ve been dying to tell, then this is probably the challenge for you!

Of course you don’t have to write 50,000 words if you’re unable to or if your story doesn’t need to be that long, but the goal is to reach that word count if you can in 30 days.

I don’t have a synopsis ready yet as I’m still working out some kinks in the story I want to write this year, but here are three keywords that my story revolves around: fantasy, depression, love.

This is a story that I NEED to tell. It’s a subject matter that’s close to my heart and it’s one in which I feel will not only be challenging for me to write, but also beneficial. I hope that during the month of October I will be able to successfully prep myself by doing the following things:

  • Write an outline of the whole story. I found that I actually like outlining as I’m able to use it as a guideline for my writing so that I don’t stray too far from where I had imagined the story going.
  • Come up with a synopsis. Honestly, this should be the first thing I do because even though I have a concept of the character and the power she’ll have (I was also going to originally make her a male, but I think I’m going to write her as a female… we’ll see), I don’t exactly have a plot figured out. Like, I know the general message I want to get across in the story, but I don’t have a way to get there. I sort of do but I don’t? It’s very hard to explain.
  • Work on small writing prompts to get to know my characters, the world, and what they have to deal with. This is a new thing I’m going to try this year. I usually already know my character as I have a file in my head of who they are in everything (imagine Bruce Almighty when he’s in that building meeting God for the first time and opens the file cabinet), but I think that this will also be very beneficial as I can write back story, side story, develop the world, figure out weapons systems and powers and stuff like that. I have vague concepts but not enough for me to really go on.
  • Participate in little NaNo Prep challenges here and there. I think it’ll be fun to join in with other writers and brainstorm and chat about our novels. Plus it’s a little encouraging to know that others will be doing similar things as I am.

Alright, so there you have it! These are the two challenges that I’ll be facing in October. I’ll try to do weekly wrap ups of Inktober to show the art I created for that week, as well as discuss what I’ve been doing for NaNoWriMo as well.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

If you’re participating in either of these challenges please let me know! I’d love to be able to go on this journey with you and see just what October has in store for us. Are you interested in either of the challenges? Let me know how you’re prepping for NaNo.

Summer 2017 Reading Wrap Up

Oh why, hello there. How are you all? I wanted to first and foremost apologize for not posting much at all this year. It’s been a tough year emotionally and mentally for me and I just haven’t had the motivation to blog at all, but I want to turn that around because I miss blogging and all of you, so here I am with a reading wrap up! I’m going to talk about a bunch of comics I’ve read the past several months and my thoughts on what I’ve read so far since the majority of them are still ongoing.

I’m going to list what I’ve read under their respective websites in which you can find them. Yes, some of these you have to pay for (Lezhin), but others are completely free (Tapastic & LINE Webtoon).

Lezhin Comics

royalservant

Royal Servant by MasterGin and drawn by Chungnyun. “I love you, Master.” Born as a servant but falls in love with the man who hates servants. A romantic fantasy between master and servant.

This Boy Love (BL) comic is kind of dark and twisted, but I still really enjoy it. I’ve read up to the current chapter and I’m dying to know what happens next and if Kyon will stay with Laocan or not because he had memories hidden away from him that were unlocked and it’s just a lot of unanswered questions. Ahhh, I hope this is a longer series because it’s really interesting and there’s lots of boy love to go around (not just with the two primary characters).

This comic does have mature themes, so keep that in mind if you check this out.

attheendoftheroad

At the End of the Road by Haribo. After a car accident, Taemin finds himself in the body of Siwon, a victim of bullying at school. No longer a pushover, he starts standing up for himself but then meets Woojin, an old friend from the past. Somehow, Woojin immediately picks up Tamin’s ‘scent’ from Siwon. What happened between these two in the past and how will it affect their future?

I know I’ve talked briefly about this comic before in Why I Love Boys Love, but I wanted to include it here, too, because the stakes just keep seeming to get higher and there’s a lot of tension between Siwon and Woojin, and there’s so many twisted people and events but I’m so hooked. There’s a lot going on that you as the reader don’t know about and I find that to be one of the best parts of this comic. Plus the whole body switching thing? I really want to know what’s going to happen later on or if Taemin is going to be stuck in Siwon’s body forever. Ahhh, so many questions!

This comic does have more mature themes if you check it out.

outofcontrol

Out of Control by Bboong. Yuri, one of the school’s most handsome guys, and Jaerim, one of the school’s ugliest, collide! Or don’t they… Can’t understand what’s going on between these two! It’s out of control!

SO much hilarity ensues in this comic and I love it because of that. Toward the end, though, it gets more dark and serious, but it’s still a driving force in the story and I found that I needed to know what happens next with these two. It’s pretty much a story about how the super hot popular guy falls for the ugly guy (though it mostly focuses on Jaerim) and how they end up trying to hide it from the school and stuff and there’s a lot of chaos and bullying and trying to find the strength and confidence to get through it all. It’s completed so if you want to check it out, go ahead! I enjoyed it and felt that the story wrapped up nicely and I’m glad with how the characters turned around at the end.

kingsmaker

King’s Maker by Haga and art by Kang Jiyoung. Wolfgang Goldenleonard, the 4th Prince of the kingdom, returns to the palace after years of living in hiding. He rejects everything about his new royal life, but is intrigued by the mysterious and dutiful Shin Soohyuk, a catamite of the King. As Wolfgang slowly opens up and learns the ways of the palace, Soohyuk begins to see something special about the wild, unkempt, and stubborn young prince. He might just be the one Soohyuk has been waiting for… the one who could light the flame of rebellion.

I don’t think you understand how much I love this comic. Not only is the art GORGEOUS, but the story itself is compelling. The main character, Wolfgang, is by far the coolest character ever (he seems to be selfless and caring and relaxed around others while everyone around him is like, “You shouldn’t be like that,” and he’s just all, PSSSHHHHH). It hasn’t even gotten to the romance aspect of it yet (though I know it’s going to soon because I’m the Queen of spoiling myself lol), but when it does you will probably hear my fangirlish squeaks of glee from wherever you are.

Not only is this story just pretty to look at, but there’s a lot of humor and just general silliness mixed in with the hard and difficult stuff as well. I find that it’s a good contrast to break some of the tension because though this has been a more light-hearted story than some, there are still some moments where there’s difficult stuff. I highly recommend this ongoing comic, so definitely check it out!

windowtowindow

Window to Window by Lee Aru. Childhood friends Ginu and Yubin live in separate apartments in separate buildings right next to each other – so close, in fact, they can talk to each other and see into each other’s apartments through their windows. But Yubin’s long-held secret is revealed one day when Ginu sees him doing something naughty through the window…

This BL story contains a LOT of mature sexual content, so keep that in mind when going into this.

Apart from the sexy stuff, I’m really enjoying this comic (I mean, I’m enjoying the sexy stuff… anyway, continue). I love reading about childhood friends and how they both have feelings for each other but neither wants to admit it, and yet they’re in this very strange circumstance with each other and I’m just like, “ONE OF YOU CONFESS ALREADY.” It’s torture, I tell you. But either way, this is more of a sexy fluff story than a super serious one, so I like to read it to take the edge off of all of the other serious comics I’ve been reading, haha! It’s good though, so check it out!

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Something About Us by Lee Yunji. They consider themselves the best of friends. Others seem to think otherwise. 
There’s something about their relationship that’s hard to describe. What will become of these two “friends”?

This is the one of two non-BL comic on this list, bwahaha, but OMG IT’S SO CUTE. I loved this story and the characters and the ART. The art style is simple yet so beautiful, and I think that’s definitely one of the draws of this story. Other than that, it’s a story about two friends who became best friends in high school, and now that they’re in college Gayoung (the girl) falls for Woojin in an unexpected way. There’s of course drama and a bunch of things that go on, but as time progresses and they both start to have feelings for each other things get even more complicated and even cuter. This comic is completed and is one of my favorites. Check it out!

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Blood Bank by Silb. Blood Bank is where vampires come to buy human blood! In a land where vampires, the supreme beings, rule human beings, there are those that have abnormalities. These vampires, while still superior, prefer to be ruled and commanded by humans. See how Shell, the son of a Blood Bank lord, falls for a mere human banker, One.

Another completed comic, this BL is about a vampire, Shell, who is very different from the other vampires around, even though he acts one way in public compared to privately, and of One, a human with a secret that even he wasn’t so sure about. But this comic has a lot of twists and turns and, of course, sexual things that make you want to go George Takei “oh myyyy” on it. But the story itself has a lot of twists to it that you might not expect that I felt made the story and characters that much more interesting. It was a more serious comic in content, but there were moments where it was funny and cute, and if you’re looking for a vampire BL story, then check this one out.

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Make Me Bark by Sagold. Sungjoon’s not doing great, but life is looking up. His job at the convenience store pays enough for him to afford his own place. A tiny, smelly, and laughably cheap place, but he loves it. He loves it right up until he walks home and finds it on fire. 
Unfortunately, things get worse as he realizes he doesn’t know anyone in the city who can help. Wait, no… that’s not right. Actually, he does know Lee Hyo-in. A rich kid from his university who is, coincidentally, looking for a roommate. Well, not a roommate. More of a… dog.

This BL is more mature in nature, so keep that in mind. It’s also ongoing and still in the early chapters, but I find it to be really cute so far. I have so many questions as to the motives and back story for Lee Hyo-in, particularly, because there’s a lot about him that makes me want to know when he fell for Sungjoon and just more about him. Of course I want to know more about Sungjoon, too, but still. Also, I always find the dynamic interesting when you have a kind of clueless about sex and sexual things character (Sungjoon) and one that seems more experienced in it (Hyo-in). Frankly, I don’t know what to expect with this story and I kind of like it?

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30 Days With You by Kim Wonee and art by Youngmo. Iro’s plan was simple. Pretend to be a service man, make the delivery, and exchange a few words with Rene, his dream guy. But when a drunk Rene mistakes him for the android he ordered, Iro decides to take advantage of the situation. As long as he keeps playing along, he gets to live with the man of his dreams! But what will happen when Rene finds out the truth?

This ongoing BL series is still in its earlier chapters, so not too much has happened plot wise, but what has happened so far makes me want to know more! Especially about the main characters Iro and Rene. Like, why did Iro make a S-Roid (sex android) business and what is his motivation behind it? What is Rene’s back story? I need to know more and I want to know now. I also like how this story is told in a lot of blue hues. It’s cool to see how the artist uses just blue to convey depth of field and the characters and such. Anyway, I’m enjoying this comic so far because there’s a lot of humor in it and not as much seriousness.

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Hadomae by Choenamsae. While posing as a nude model for a croquis class, Jaehee spots a man staring a little too intently at her body. More specifically, at her feet. She later finds out the man is a shoemaker and foot fetishist. Though Jaehee is initially taken aback by his fetish, the more she gets to know the man, the more she wishes he would caress the rest of her body…and not just her feet.

This non-BL story (the second on this list for Lezhin), has a lot of mature content. So I really like this story so far and I want to know what happens next because the current chapter that just came out? SOMEONE HELP JAEHEE. Jaehee, as a character, I find to be super naive of many things. Like… how is someone THAT innocent and almost stupid when it comes to anything sexual? I don’t know, I just kind of question it a bit, but at the same time I think that she’s a funny character and I hope things don’t go bad for her. As for the story itself I didn’t know what to expect when I read the description for it but it’s super funny and just kind of hot. I want to know more about all of the main and significant characters so far! Ahhh, I need more!

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Peach Love by Fujoking. Love is the new kid on the block when he runs into the Peach Club, the local gang. Simple and gentle, with an interest in sex toys, Love isn’t looking for trouble. Too bad the gang’s got plans for him. And so does their leader, Peach.

This comic just started getting translated into English recent so there’s not a lot of chapters, but it’s mostly action based so far and I have SO many questions, especially considering Love uses sex toys as reference models for the dolls he makes? Like… why? How? How does that even work? I don’t even know. I also want to know more about his past because it hasn’t been revealed yet as to why he has so many enemies and stuff. And then there’s Peach who’s a tough guy who falls in love at first sight with Love and they’re kind of dating? I don’t even know if that’s really a thing even though it was stated in the comic because they just seem like friends? Ahhh, I’m so confused and I just need more because I’m hooked.

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A Guy Like You by Waje. Go Siwon’s dreams are constantly visited by the clever, beautiful Kang Jinha. In the dream, Jinha keeps on mentioning this “incident” that happened between them but Siwon can’t remember anything! And how can it feel so real? Luckily for Siwon, hints about the “incident” start to appear and Siwon is able to regain his memory bit by bit. How will their relationship change at the end of it all?

This BL has mature themes. I’ve really been enjoying this ongoing comic because it has a light fantasy feel to it which I find very interesting, though it hasn’t been a super prominent component the last few chapters as it’s been focusing more on the boys and their pasts and such. I’m still trying to figure out a lot of things that I don’t want to spoil that have been happening but overall I’ve been enjoying this series.

Tapastic (Tapas)

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  • Aimatos by Rowein. Boy meet boy and together search their origins. This story is about two friends who fall for each other and one boy has exploding blood? It’s very interesting and funny so far.
  • Bright Memories by Ezaho-Illness. I decided to start my own comic named ”Bright memories”… it’s about my relationship with my boyfriend Ryo. I think our story is very unique and I wanted to share some of our moments. This story has an interesting art style, and so far not too much has happened, but I’m curious to see just how these two started to date.
  • Eyes on Me by loonytwin. This comic is about a boy, Evan, who forgets his keys at his roommates house, on his way to find them he didn’t expect to find such a cute guy at the door… even less for said guy to be half naked and interested in him for no reason! I’ve been finding this comic to be funny so far and about one guy’s desire for another, even though the one he’s desiring after seems to just want to tease him about it. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a funny romance.

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  • Flourishing Flower by RoseNose. After school Milo and his sister Hanna walk past a flower shop. They meet Ben, who is the owner of the shop. Hanna is immediately faszinated by the flowers. Ben gives them a bouquet of flowers as a gift, due to the fact that the siblings do not have much money. They start to visit Ben on a regular basis and a friendship starts to grow. Slowly Milo realizes that it might be more than just the normal friendship feeling which he has towards Ben. The Teenager does not really know how to handle the situation properly… So far this story is cute and simple, and I like that. It seems like it’s going to be a fluff kind of story, so I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
  • Goodnight Darling by Michi. Raina returns to Polleto, her childhood home, after a bitter fight with her mother. Staying with her two older brothers, enrolled in a new school, and bullied constantly–along with striking news of a murderer–there’s practically no one to help her cope with her newfound life in an old town. Well…there’s Baru, a byproduct of her stress and anxiety. As much as she believes he’s imaginary…being in Polleto is making her question many things about herself, and him. The main character has my name! It’s just spelled differently, but it always excites me when I hear characters with my name since it’s not common, haha! This is a much darker comic than many of the others because the creator has been using it as a way to cope with dreams and mental things she’s been dealing with and I think that’s very awesome of her. The story itself is very interesting so far and I have a lot of questions, but I’m sure we’ll get more as time goes on.
  • Java Bonds by Yaa. Prepare for Slow Burn! (if at all ԾᴗԾ) Henry’s life consists of self-chosen lonely cigarette or coffee breaks and friends he shouldn’t fall for. I’m liking this story so far! Yaa is probably my favorite creator I’ve read so far on Tapas, so I’m definitely enjoying the story. I can’t tell if it’s going to be a BL or if there’s just hints of it, but I love the way she portrays the main character’s anxiety as this little devil type of thing that sits on his shoulder and tells him he’s crap and stuff. And how like… stuff melts from his hair, like his brain and the anxiety are melting over him… I don’t know, there’s a lot of cool imagery!

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  • Hades’ Holiday by elvishness. Hades and Persephone just want to be together; If only the gods agreed with them. Hades’ Holiday is a modern, fun adaptation of the characters from Greek Mythology! This has been a cute comic so far with lovely art and fun characters and I wish it was updated more often, but alas, we cannot rush art. I love the retelling of these Greek gods and how they all interact with one another. It’s good!
  • Love Lesson by enka923. “I finally fall in love!-” A story revolves around a socially awkward school boy, Akamine Natsuki, who is after so long finally able to taste the sweet nectar of falling in love. Unfortunately (or not) for him, though, he fell in love to the non other than the most popular kid in school, a boy named Kobayashi Haruki. This is a story about them, their friends, and their relationships. This is a cute comic so far about a boy who falls for this other boy, but doesn’t tell him because he doesn’t want to ruin his budding friendship and stuff. I hope they kiss soon, let’s be honest.
  • How to Tell if Your Crush Likes You by Ame-Senpai. School Life? Check!
    Drama? Check!
    Love? Check?
    Join these two boys as they traverse the complicated concept that is “CRUSHES”. This story isn’t too far into it, but so far it looks like just a normal friendship that will turn into romance eventually. I’m looking forward to it!

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  • The One Who Loved You From Behind by Ghostfeet. Wren Long is the very definition of ‘rebellious teen’ with his hazardous habits of picking fights and causing havoc wherever he goes. However, he only seems to listen to his adamant ‘online’-girlfriend, Eda, that he met months ago but have never once seen her face?! In truth; his girlfriend is actually Eda’mame’. A softhearted boy in wheelchairs that goes to the same school as Wren, who don’t have the heart to tell him the truth. This is such a good comic! And the creator is hilarious in her comments on her panels, omg. It’s about a boy in a wheelchair, Eda, who is in love with this boy named Wren, and they’re “dating” but Eda thinks Wren thinks that Eda’s a girl and it’s just like… ahhhh this is so good and I want moreeeee. I can’t even describe it, just go read it.
  • Theurgy by midgart. Theurgy is a BL comic about a lazy demon and the idiot who accidentally summons him. Because why wouldn’t you summon a demon? There aren’t a lot of panels to this comic yet, but so far I find it funny and the characters to just be weird but cool.
  • Tied in Red by Torakodragon. Ned’s a normal guy. All he wants is a normal life, with a normal job, and a normal wife, in the normal universe where those with soul mates are born with a red string on their pinkie. I love the concept of this comic! I love the concept of the red tie of fate kind of thing and how it determines who you’re destined to be with in life. I think that the execution of this idea has been done really well so far in this comic and I just want more and I love seeing the growing love between these two because one was totally against it and the other seemed indifferent.

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  • Valentine by Seni-Arseni. Genre: yaoi, romance, drama, comedy, everyday. This comic is pretty much about a guy, Alex, who goes to this Valentine’s Day party type of thing where everyone gets a number and then someone else gets your number, too, and the two meet and hopefully hit it off. Well, Alex gets the same number as Max, a guy a year or two behind him in college and Alex just sees him as a friend. This comic has been really cute and good so far and I just want to see where it goes from here.

LINE Webtoon

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  • About Us by Jessie Bae. Pink&Blue, Black&White, Orange&Green, Purple&Yellow, Red&Brown and Silver & Gold. Stories of six couples and how they love each others ❤ Super cute comic with just fluff and a bunch of characters and I love iiiiiiit.
  • Age Matters by enjelicious. Story of a 25 yr. old billionaire bachelor who met a bizarre woman in her 30s and how they fall in love. Does age really matter? I’m really enjoying this story so far because it’s got comedy, abs, and potential romance.
  • Always Human by walkingnorth. This is a story about nanobots, genetic engineering, and two girls falling in love. No matter how technology changes us, we’ll always be human. The art style is SO pretty in this comic, plus the music that goes along with each chapter is just amazing. The story itself is so cute so far and though it’s completed I haven’t even gotten half way through yet, but I really love it!

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  • Bite Me by AffectedMind. Tiana moved to Mainland to study and have peaceful life. Unfortunately Tyler, her schoolmate won’t let this happen, as it turned he’s a vampire and bites her. Soon the strange things start to happen. Tiana tries to push him away afraid he will abuse her. However affection towards him seem to be stronger. Will addiction turn into something more? Or after discovering the truth she will turn her back to him? I started reading this comic because another creator on this list (lifelight) had it recommended and well… I’m liking it? The story itself is darker than I thought it would be and I’m still trying to understand the romance aspect of it, but we’ll see where it goes from here.
  • Catharsis by Ahniki. Fear is a powerful emotion that can end up overtaking one’s life. Leon thought he knew that. But when he’s thrown into the demonic realm that Catharsis governs over, he’ll learn that there is more to “true” fear than he could ever have imagined… But will he learn how to face it? I LOVE this webcomic so much! The concept behind it is wicked cool and it features a main character who can see colors when sounds and voices are around him, and each person has a unique color. It’s such a cool concept because he can use it to his advantage in the world he’s in. I need to read more, what am I doing?
  • I Love Yoo by Quimchee. Dogged by pain and misfortune from the very beginning, Shin-Ae decides she wants nothing to do with people nor anything to do with romance. Although content with her unsocial, boring, loveless existence, her lifestyle is challenged after she ruins an unsuspecting strangers’ clothes. This comic is wicked funny and I love the art style, and the plot itself is very good, too! I want to see more because things have slowly been getting more serious and I want to know what’s going to happen next. But there’s plenty of comedy in here, don’t worry.

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  • Let’s Play by mongie. Sam wants to be a game developer, but before her career can get started, a popular gaming personality posts a video of himself playing her first game and gives it a bad review. To make matters worse, she soon finds out he’s her new neighbor! A story about gaming, memes, and social anxiety. Come for the plot, stay for the doggo. If any of you are fans of people like Markiplier or jacksepticeye on YouTube, you’ll SO relate to this comic. It’s funny and so good because it also deals with sexism and wanting to reach for your dreams.
  • Lumine by Emma Krogell. A runaway werewolf, Lumine, meets a witch boy named Kody and is being hired to work as his bodyguard. Lumine, being determined to befriend Kody, tries everything to get Kody to trust him, while Kody tries to keep Lumine away from him. Their life gets even more complicated after an unfortunate event that leaves them to try to survive on their own. This story is so cute so far and I’m sure it’ll turn into a romance later on (I’m hoping), but so far it’s just about two boys looking to find their place in life and my heart can’t take it.
  • Miss Abbott and the Doctor by Maripaz Villar. Doctor Andreas Marino loves his quiet life, filled with work and simple amusements, and when the strange Miss Abbott arrives in his town he decides he doesn’t like her at all. Unfortunatelly she’s funny and quirky, has an uncommon past and seems to enjoy getting him in trouble. Welcome to a sketchy Victorian rom-com! I love this comic! It’s so cute and simple but that’s what makes it so great. I love the romantic tension between Miss Abbott and Dr Andreas, and how they interact, and them as characters, and the art style. Just everything about this comic I love.

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  • My Dear Cold-Blooded King by lifelight. Born a humble peasant, Kihara Mei has lived simply day by day as a merchant in the capitol, and never assumed things would change. But, one fateful day would change the course of her life, when faced with a deadly challenge against dangerous royal assassins. Now, with the eyes of the dreaded Blood King upon her, her life of simplicity would now become a tangled web of secrecy, deceit, and desire. Loooooveeee this comicccc. Seriously it’s really good and the art style is lovely and the music on some of the chapters is so pretty, too. I love time period stories because this takes place a long time ago and there’s just so much at stake and I have SO many questions. Ugh. I need more.
  • My Giant Nerd Boyfriend by fishball. A height difference of 30cm and above might seem adorable to some, but it usually causes a lot of minor inconveniences. Follow Fishball as she navigates the Malaysian life with her 199cm-tall, geeky boyfriend. This is a real-life type of comic where it’s about the creator and her super tall boyfriend and every time I read it I’m like, “omg it’s me and my husband.” Haha, it’s really cute and funny and you should definitely check it out.
  • Siren’s Lament by instantmiso. Content with her ordinary life, Lyra is somewhat of a wallflower. However, her comfortable lifestyle suddenly goes astray when she accidentally plunges into the world of sirens. Entangled in a curse, Lyra will learn that her world may be a lot bigger than she had ever imagined. If you want hot guys with abs, a really pretty young woman, and sirens, then this is the comic for you. There’s romance, suspense, comedy. There’s so much wrapped up into this comic and I just want everything to work out for everyone because they’re all precious. Excuse me while I go sob into the void.

If you’ve read this far, CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve finally reached the end! And I just want you to know that I didn’t even list every single thing I’ve been reading or read over the last several months (otherwise this post would be waaaaaaaaay too long… much longer than what it is now). Some things I’ve given up on or just don’t have much to say, but I’ve seriously had a great summer of reading all sorts of comics and seeing all sorts of art styles.

Part of me wants to pick up a regular book and read it and do reviews again, the other part of me forgot how to do that, haha! But I’m going to do my best to devote more time into my blog once more because like I said earlier, I miss you all!

Let’s Chat! ^w^

How was your summer of reading? Did you read anything good? Bad? What was your favorite read this summer? (If that’s too tough, tell me your top three!) Any recommendations? Let me know!