Boys' Love Manga

Manga has become a phenomenon, available in schools, public libraries, and bookstores. One of the genres that is becoming more popular is "boys' love" manga, also known as yaoi or shonen-ai. This collection of essays covers various aspects of these books. The quality of the selections varies; some are clear and lively; others are bogged down by the authors' apparent wish to appear erudite. Interestingly, the most accessible articles are those written by women. Boys' Love Manga is not a readers' advisory or a primer on the best examples of the genre. Its function is as a discussion of various aspects of it and would fit in public libraries with avid readers of BL, librarians with an interest in the subject, or as a resource for university-level course work. Unless a high school is very progressive and has a course in the sociological aspects of all forms of manga, its usefulness in a school library is limited.—Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL