This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)

#1 | Back to Top03-03-2015 12:07:33 PM

Sweetgm2
Juri Jeerer
Registered: 02-16-2015
Posts: 40

Anime/manga recommendation

Hello, I am looking for some anime/manga recomendations that contain homoerotic subtext/text between male characters.  Also I wish for the characters to be bishonen and possibly have the main character going through ordeals that affect their sanity.  Tokyo Ghoul, Black Butler, No 6, Kaguya Hime, Pandora Hearts, Naruto, Betrayal knows my name, and Evangelion is my favorite in this regard.  And of course Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Last edited by Sweetgm2 (03-03-2015 12:08:35 PM)

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#2 | Back to Top03-03-2015 12:56:55 PM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Death Note, Code Geass, Hunter x Hunter, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan are really good especially if you're into shonen and more especially if you like frenemies. They're stonger on the shonen and the homoerotic subtext is something you won't find unless you're explicitly looking for it, however, if you're good with Evangelion, then you'll pick up on it. I've heard Tiger x Bunny is also good, haven't actually watched it myself.

EDIT: For manga Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle has a pretty good shonen-ai pairing with Fai x Kurogane, and I always fondly remember Seimaden for having one of my favorite couples, also side characters.

Last edited by YamPuff (03-03-2015 01:00:59 PM)


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#3 | Back to Top03-03-2015 04:53:53 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

All great recs from YamPuff, I'll add Toward the Terra. It's based on an old manga despite the anime being fairly recent so you get really adorable classic shoujo boys, in space, with great animation. If I am not mistaken the mangaka did BL as well and it really shows. It is so slashable that it veers into canon territory, almost. On top of all this it has plenty of depth, a dystopian future akin to No.6's and an engaging plot. Greatly recommended.

Since you are fine with mind screw and violence, I'll mention Berserk. The manga is still ongoing and the foe-yay is through the roof and extremely important to the plot. It is brutal and horribly beautiful at the same time.

Since you're into Victorian-like anime like Pandora Hearts, which I also love (and isn't really, really slashable all around?) Kuroshitsuji immediately comes to mind. Odds are you've heard about it, the first season ended in a trainwreck, the second season is a mixed bag but Book of Circus, that follows the manga very closely, is very good. The manga is wonderful as well.
D. Gray Man also falls under this category and is very easy to come up with pairings, the manga lends itself to it.

Also, Fafner. Despite being virtually unknown in the West, it is fairly popular in Japan and a second season is currently airing. It is a bit Evangelion light, it never reaches the complexity of Eva but it does a decent job of going a bit deeper than the usual mecha anime. As for slash content, let's just say that even a girl in-universe seems aware that the two main boys have a thing for each other. Then the movie comes round and it gets even more obvious.
The authors themselves seem to at least toy with the possibility by having one of the boys comparing their relationship with that of his parents.
Those tight plug-suit like piloting suits aren't bad on the eyes either.

And everything CLAMP.

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#4 | Back to Top03-03-2015 05:57:10 PM

Decrescent Daytripper
Best Disney Princess
Registered: 04-09-2007
Posts: 2791

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

The Toward the Terra/Terra E movie from back in the day is more than likely my favorite animated movie of all time. So tragic! So brave! So cute!


My Brain is the Wakaba and Shiori Funtime Hour. With limited commercial interruption.

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#5 | Back to Top03-04-2015 04:14:21 AM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Nocturnalux wrote:

I'll add Toward the Terra. It's based on an old manga despite the anime being fairly recent so you get really adorable classic shoujo boys, in space, with great animation. If I am not mistaken the mangaka did BL as well and it really shows. It is so slashable that it veers into canon territory, almost. On top of all this it has plenty of depth, a dystopian future akin to No.6's and an engaging plot. Greatly recommended.

*shining eyes* Space Opera with pretty boys?. etc-wankgirl

*stealthily adds on to-watch list*


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/YamPuff/im%20holllowz_zpsx9ddh2gp.png~original

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#6 | Back to Top03-04-2015 09:03:13 AM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Toward the Terra tells us the real reason for global warming:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/jeanedwar/LJ%202007/12%20December/gaymeninspace.jpg

I'll add to the list of recs Wolf's Rain, very sad, very beautiful tale of boys who just happen to be wolves trying to find paradise. It makes perfect sense in context.

And Nabari no Ou. The lead reminds me a lot of Oz from Pandora Hearts, he has the same smiley façade behind which lurks a cunning and weirdly detached boy. As for the slash factor, there are times I forgot this was meant to be shounen and actual BL. Apart from the many possible pairings there is also Raikou who I suspect is the second coming of Mikage even down to a shota companion and some really questionable fashion sense from his Nemuro days.

I hesitate in including Loveless as it goes a step beyond slash but it's well worth mentioning. It's a rare case of a manga/anime that has catboys and catgirls who shed their feline traits upon losing their virginity, BL *and* yuri. And no, it is not a parody but dead serious. While Kouga Yun insists that there is no actual BL in the story it is difficult to take her word when we have boys kissing on the lips every few chapters. The lesbian couple is beautifully rendered.
Loveless deals with very heavy themes like domestic abuse (and how...!), family breakdown, loss of memory, sense of identity, role of language, etc. The pedo factor cannot be denied but it is not as clear cut as it's often said.
It's a shame that the anime stopped just as the story got interesting but if you are into dark psychological states and twisted stories then you really you should check out the ongoing manga.

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#7 | Back to Top03-04-2015 01:06:55 PM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

I even have that 'Gay men in space' image on my laptop. I just never knew where it came from! I am so happy now. C:

Kouga Yun can say whatever she likes, Loveless is freaking shonen-ai. You can't have your cake and eat it, too, lady. Speaking of which, I should go back and finish it.


Oooooooh read Vassalord. READ VASSALORD. school-deviletc-saiowanketc-wankdude THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH FAPMOTICONS


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/YamPuff/im%20holllowz_zpsx9ddh2gp.png~original

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#8 | Back to Top03-04-2015 03:37:57 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Heh, really? That's hilarious! Now you know where the image came from. And it may seem difficult to believe but Toward the Terra has gayer moments than that. Every single scene with Keith and Matsuka, for example, is loaded with BL vibes. And that's just an example, there are many others.

Do you mean finish Loveless the anime? The manga is still ongoing.

I'll add Saint Seiya to the mix.  Mythological references galore, loads of bishies in shiny armors beating the living shit out of one another. Add to a massive case of brother complex between two characters, lots of nakama'ness taken to an extreme it really veers on erotic and you're all set. If the length of original series scares you off you can tackle Lost Canvas first, I've just reached episode 5 and already we have a sexy demon bishie harping about how beautiful one of the good guys is. This without counting the 'best friends turned enemies' angle that dominates the entire thing. Oh and roses. Loads and loads of them.

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#9 | Back to Top03-04-2015 10:08:12 PM

Sparky
Touga Topper
Registered: 01-31-2015
Posts: 58

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

YamPuff wrote:

*shining eyes* Space Opera with pretty boys?. etc-wankgirl

*stealthily adds on to-watch list*

I recommended this in another thread and I'm going to recommend it here too, Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

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#10 | Back to Top03-05-2015 02:14:14 AM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

EDIT: I just remembered, since I'm watching it; Princess Tutu.
Fakir and Mytho sooooo have a little something going on. school-devil Yannow?

Nocturnalux wrote:

Do you mean finish Loveless the anime? The manga is still ongoing.

Ehh seriously? The last I was reading the Loveless manga it felt like it was leading up to the final climax. I thought it would have finished by now. emot-gonk I honestly don't think it has enough in it to go on for that long.

Last edited by YamPuff (03-05-2015 12:04:04 PM)


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#11 | Back to Top03-05-2015 09:42:14 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Loveless is currently at 12 volumes, at least the English translated version is. There was quite a hiatus around volume 8 but quite a few have come out since then. I got volume 9 courtesy of my secret santa and currently have all published volumes but I have yet to read 9-12, I'm planning to re-read 1-8 first.

Princess Tutu's omakes mock Fakir's obsession with Mytho, too emot-dance

More recs:

07-Ghost,  evil empire, super-powered bishies, boy soldier with no memories of his past, sexy priests and lots, lots of homoerotic vibes. I've yet to tackle the manga but the anime was nice if a tad too generic.

Banana Fish is a very good manga. It's about a young Japanese photographer who is visiting the States when he becomes involved with Ash, a ruthless, beautiful and very tortured gang American gang leader. The relationship between the two, while really unlikely at first glance, is beautifully handled and veers very close to romantic. The plot is really enganging and includes Ash trying to find who drove his brother insane and fighting the mafia. The way the mystery is slowly unraveled reminded of Monster as did the way Western society is realistically portrayed.

Last edited by Nocturnalux (03-05-2015 09:45:55 PM)

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#12 | Back to Top03-07-2015 09:34:16 AM

Sweetgm2
Juri Jeerer
Registered: 02-16-2015
Posts: 40

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Thanks for the recommendations guys.  Keep em coming. emot-smile

Watching Texhnolyze now and I notice something between Toyama and Ichise.

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#13 | Back to Top03-08-2015 06:07:26 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Petshop of Horrors
Set in New York it follows Count D, a mysterious and highly girlish man whose petshop in Chinatown is more than what it seems. Without wanting to spoil anything, Count D's 'pets' include plenty of mind screw to whoever purchases them and most cases delve into the psychology of the owners to be. As the name implies there is a lot of horror and some highly disturbing moments.
Then there is Leon, the cop who suspects that Count D is connected to a lot of crimes. Their interaction consists of D pretty much flirting with Leon and as the story progresses Leon's initial knee jerk freak out reaction becomes more complicated. The mangaka clearly toys with the pairing.
The really detailed and beautiful artwork makes the manga a wonder to behold, not only is Count D and his traditional Chinese outfits absolutely gorgeous as plenty of D's 'pets' are nothing short of stunning.

   
Gankutsuou
It's often recommended for its originality, how often do you see a take on The Count of Mont Cristo set in space with surreal artwork to boot? But every bit as present is the homoerotic tension. There is even one trap and at least a case of one sided love between two guys. Apart from all this it really is a strangely compelling interpretation of a classic.

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#14 | Back to Top03-09-2015 12:53:06 AM

Giovanna
Ends of the Fandom
From: Edmonton, AB
Registered: 10-12-2006
Posts: 8797
Website

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Nocturnalux wrote:

Petshop of Horrors

Oh Oh oh! This is a good show. cool I remember it being very hard to track down for a while, though.


Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade.
~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)

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#15 | Back to Top03-29-2015 03:18:04 AM

dlaire
A Whole Orange
From: Poland
Registered: 04-08-2007
Posts: 2322

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Psycho Pass. It's really interesting. It's s-fi, it's psychological and pretty, so it's a nice package of my fav anime traits. emot-smile If you like Dexter, Hannibal and/or GITS, you'll like Psycho Pass. You may find some ideas cliche, but the s-fi component makes it more philosophical than the shows I've mentioned.

There are Shakespeare and Plato's references, too.

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#16 | Back to Top04-24-2015 07:20:25 PM

Sweetgm2
Juri Jeerer
Registered: 02-16-2015
Posts: 40

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Karneval also looks good.  Are there any new manga/anime that are out/coming out with plenty of homoerotic subtext?

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#17 | Back to Top04-27-2015 01:08:45 PM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

I've just started watching the first episode of Free! and MAN is it gay. I've heard people saying Boueibu is gayer but I am not convinced at this point. It out-gays Boueibu by a mile.


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/YamPuff/im%20holllowz_zpsx9ddh2gp.png~original

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#18 | Back to Top04-27-2015 01:33:26 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Free! only gets gayer, too. Just you wait. emot-tongue

As for currently airing anime with homoerotic vibes, I'd say that Owari no Seraph fits the bill.

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#19 | Back to Top04-27-2015 02:01:09 PM

HonorableShadow
Thorn of Death
From: Ohio
Registered: 11-03-2006
Posts: 482

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Just wait til episode 12 of s1... it has tons of romantic tropes. emot-rofl


I'll show you a sight you've never seen before.

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#20 | Back to Top04-28-2015 12:25:37 PM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Nocturnalux wrote:

Free! only gets gayer, too. Just you wait. emot-tongue

As for currently airing anime with homoerotic vibes, I'd say that Owari no Seraph fits the bill.

It's like, Boueibu is obviously a magical girl parody and they're playing up the gay on purpose, even the characters themselves are aware of it, so in the end I somehow get the feeling they're actually all straight, like I wouldn't be surprised if they all had girlfriends.

But Free! DAMN that's a lot of in-the-closet we are trying really hard to be a sports anime but the camera is too busy ogling the beautiful male bodies on display. I was watching it giggling like a loon the whole time. The ED cracks me up!


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/YamPuff/im%20holllowz_zpsx9ddh2gp.png~original

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#21 | Back to Top04-28-2015 01:05:16 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

The Arabian Nights ED is responsible for a plethora od doujin, too. Free! makes 'swimming' code for...something else. The almost total lack of interest in girls (with the exception of the Mikoshiba brothers but it's played for laughs) really seals the deal.
There is one particular moment in the second season that is worth mentioning although is not by far the gayest, mild spoilers:
[At one point Rei seems rather listless and even skipping practice. So Gou immediately assumes he has a girlfriend and decides to do some 'helpful' stalking. Upon seeing him talking to the member of the track team she jumps to the conclusion that Rei is about to go for a love confession. That's right, the only female in the whole cast (barring the teacher) has her fudojishi. moments. Oh and she later confronts Rei about him who laughs it off and goes, "What, girls? Me? As if!". It was a rare instance of self-awareness in the show the reason why they an anime exclusive character, namely Rei, is probably because the original light novel is not half as gay.]

But yeah, in a way Free! is gayer than Binan, all those intense close encounters and rivalry add to it, too. And it is, of course, entirely deliberate. And worked very well as the show ended up being a huge success.

Last edited by Nocturnalux (04-28-2015 01:08:45 PM)

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#22 | Back to Top04-28-2015 01:40:17 PM

Yams
Nest Boxer
From: Crystal Millenium
Registered: 02-13-2007
Posts: 973

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

I'm curious about the demographics...are straight guys watching this as genuine sports anime or is it mainly yaoi fangirls driving the fanbase? It also has this nice slice-of-life feel that reminds me of K-On. It's like...it appeals to ALL DEMOGRAPHS. D:

Nocturnalux wrote:

Free! makes 'swimming' code for...something else.

You mean.......emot-dance etc-love

EDIT: Is my mind just in the gutter? Because this looks like...........
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/YamPuff/wtf_zps4d8wzriy.jpg~original

This guy, his glasses are PORN.

Last edited by YamPuff (04-28-2015 02:35:48 PM)


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#23 | Back to Top04-28-2015 03:42:15 PM

Nocturnalux
Qualified Duellist
From: Portugal
Registered: 09-10-2007
Posts: 741

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Yeah, Free! was produced by KyoAni so it has the same slice-of-life feel of K-On. Only instead of 'cute girls doing cute things' it's 'cute boys doing cute things and angsting greatly'.

From what I understand Free!'s main fanbase is mostly (if not entirely) female.

And no, it's not just you who sees Rei's gushing about how beautiful Haru as veering on the romantic. Granted, Rei goes on about Haru's swimming style being a thing of beauty and not necessarily Haru himself but even among a cast where everyone does that to some degree (Sousuke excepted but he has a reason), Rei still comes across as really infantuated with Haru.

As mentioned before, the anime is gayer than the light novels and Rei is an anime exclusive character so it figures he would be...'Rei as in Rainbow!', to quote Nagisa.

Free! is so much on the gay side than it becomes difficult to stick to one pairing as everyone has degrees of borderline romantic feelings for everyone else. It makes for a multiplicity of pairings. And the additional material only makes everything even gayer, the drama CDs have to be listened to be believed and some of the character songs are essentially love songs. I am not even kidding, Ai's is about Rin and is called 'He's so Perfect'. Yes. emot-dance

To some extent Free! is a sports anime but the fact that the main is defined by his lack of interest in competitions easily allows the whole thing to spin off into fantasy lala land with pretty boys being half-naked most of the time. With that said, the competition aspect of the show is actually much more realistic than in hardcore sports anime.
I swim myself and can relate to a lot of the issues covered in the technical aspect and the way the different strokes are animated is really flawless. I'd go as far as say it is one of the most true to life sports anime, as far as the sports element is concerned which is somewhat ironical.

It's just that the sports element is downplayed in relation to character interaction. [The end of the first season is a prime example of that. Rin entering Iwatobi's relay race can only lead to disqualification and is not likely to happen in an anime where competing is the most important aspect but it is there to show how patching up relationships is what really matters in the end]

I also can't wait for the movie, I'd rather have a sequel instead of a sequel as the lack of Rein will be painful but there should be enough Nao and Kisume (what a name...) to make up for it.

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#24 | Back to Top04-29-2015 05:13:57 AM

HonorableShadow
Thorn of Death
From: Ohio
Registered: 11-03-2006
Posts: 482

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

Free! is so much on the gay side than it becomes difficult to stick to one pairing as everyone has degrees of borderline romantic feelings for everyone else. It makes for a multiplicity of pairings. And the additional material only makes everything even gayer, the drama CDs have to be listened to be believed and some of the character songs are essentially love songs. I am not even kidding, Ai's is about Rin and is called 'He's so Perfect'. Yes. emot-dance

The side material is amazing. Rin's speech about "my shining" that he wrote when he was a kid is something I still wish had made it into the anime at some point. etc-love I also loved the crab battle drama CD track, did you hear that one? emot-rofl  Right now I'm waiting for the Haru and Rin mook (magazine/book), it's coming out on July I think. It made my year when they announced it at the live event last month!


I'll show you a sight you've never seen before.

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#25 | Back to Top04-29-2015 10:28:17 AM

purplepolecat
Atlantean Singer
From: Vancouver, B.C.
Registered: 03-26-2007
Posts: 570

Re: Anime/manga recommendation

How about Yowamushi Pedal? Nowhere near as overt as Free, but plenty of subtext, and some great characters.

Last edited by purplepolecat (04-29-2015 10:28:48 AM)


We're here, we're queer, we don't want any more bears!
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