Celebrate PRIDE with Nine LGBTQ+ Stories!

It's June, which means it's PRIDE MONTH!

Celebrate Pride with nine titles from Yen Press that display a variety of LGBTQ+ stories in manga!

Sasaki and Miyano

^{It all started like a typical old-school boys’ love plotline-bad-boy senior meets adorably awkward underclassman, one of them falls in love, and so on and so forth. But although Miyano is a self-proclaimed boys’ love expert, he hasn’t quite realized…he’s in one himself. Which means it’s up to Sasaki to make sure their story has a happily ever after…!} 

A wholesome romance between an boys' love enthusiast and his delinquent upperclassman? Sign me up!

With vibes similar to what you would expect from shojo manga, Sasaki and Miyano takes a classic route with developing the titular characters' relationship in a way that almost feels nostalgic and fills you with a bubbly warm-heartedness. Plus, you can catch extra tidbits of the Sasaki and Miyano cast in Sasaki and Miyano: First Years and the spin-off series, Hirano and Kagiura. If you haven't read Sasaki and Miyano yet, take this as your sign!

Mizuno and Chayama

^{Mizuno, the daughter of a mayoral candidate, is desperate to escape the suffocating pressure and scrutiny of smalltown life. Chayama, the heiress of the tea company Chayama-en, is adamantly walking down the path laid out for her, despite being forced to atone for her family’s apparent misdeeds. Yet in the bubble of the school’s third floor guidance counseling room-away from rumors, watchful eyes, and their feuding families-they’re simply Mizuno and Chayama, two teenagers who find comfort and hope in each other. But when the outside world tries to tear them apart, the two must find a way to protect their relationship and, more importantly, themselves…} 

If you're looking for a short, but deep read, look no further than Mizuno and Chayama.

Set in a small, rural town, Mizuno and Chayama tells the tale of two girls from opposite town factions finding solace in each other from the scrutiny of the townsfolk for circumstances outside of their control. Mizuno and Chayama is a coming-of-age story mixed with star-crossed romance, and anyone looking to get their hearts broken and built back up again in the span of 428 pages should be reaching for this manga.

I Want to Be a Wall
 

^{Any love story aficionado will say that the key to a successful couple is intense desire for one another-but what if the characters in question are an asexual woman with a passion for Boys Love stories and a gay man whose heart forever belongs to his oblivious childhood friend? Although romance will never be in the cards for newlyweds Yuriko and Gakurouta, the bond blossoming between them promises to be a wonderful relationship-the likes of which neither has ever experienced before…}

An arranged marriage between an asexual boys' love aficionado and a gay man who's in love with his childhood friend? It could never work out!...Right?

I Want to Be a Wall is a heart-warming story that highlights the challenges of being LGBTQ+ in a heteronormative society, while also drawing attention to the importance of close platonic relationships that develope with time, effort, and understanding. Emotionally serious but surprisingly comedic at times, I Want to Be a Wall is a must read and recommend for us!

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (manga)

^{Princess Anisphia may not be able to use magic, but she didn’t let that stop her from developing “magicology,” a unique theory based on memories from her past life. While testing out her new flying broom, she happens across Euphyllia, a magical genius, having her engagement unjustly and publicly broken off. Seeing the tears in Euphyllia’s eyes, Anisphia takes the obvious course of action—kidnapping the girl for herself!}

Looking for something a little more mainstream? The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady has got you covered!

Filled with action, magic, adventure, and political intrigue, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady hits all the notes of a good isekai manga! You'll find yourself rooting for Princess Anis as she beats up monsters, blows herself up in crazy experiments, and gets her girl Euphyllia because every part of the story is a fast-paced isekai extravaganza! The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady is available as a manga, light novel, and a new anime through Crunchyroll!

She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat

^{Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she finds herself making way more than she can eat by herself. And so, she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this impromptu dinner invitation...?} 

Food in manga and anime always look so good and Nomoto's cooking is no different!

She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat is a feel-good food manga that draws you in with elaborately large portions of tasty looking food, but keeps you reading with its commentary on societal expectations of women, and the slow, but steady development of Nomoto's self-realization and relationship with Kasuga. We recommend She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat for all the foodies out that who enjoy a good down-to-Earth narrative!

Catch These Hands!

^{Back in the day, Takebe was a tough-as-nails delinquent who could throw hands with anyone. But right when she finally decides to leave her old ways behind, Takebe has a surprise reunion with her old rival, the “Bloody Cardigan” Soramori. After all these years, she still wants a piece of Takebe-but not in the way anyone expected! Her proposal: If Soramori can beat Takebe in a fight, they have to start dating?!}

Opposites attract in Catch These Hands!

Takebe's a delinquent who's ready to let go of her past, but her old rival Soramori drops into her life and challenges her to a duel–for a chance to start dating her! Catch These Hands! is a series that'll have you laughing, while being charmed with a story of two women navigating their way through the quirks of a new relationship and discovering things about someone they thought they already knew. It's also a fairly short read with the series being completed at 4 total volumes, so Catch These Hands! is a great start for people looking to get started in the GL genre!

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter

^{Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, a holy maiden was summoned. Not just any holy maiden—one hailing from modern Japan. But this story is not her story. This is the tale of the humble accountant, Kondou, who accompanied her and his trials and woes as he accounts in a new world... But no tale is complete without a love interest. And who better to play that role than the handsome knight captain Aresh? Will he begin a personal quest to save said bean counter—who toils around the clock—or is Kondou doomed to be married to his work evermore...?!}

A workholic gets isekaied to a new world and the first thing he asks for is...A JOB?

While The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter is a Teen-rated book, older fans of BL may find themselves relating to the burnt-out salaryman mentality of our protagonist, who finds himself transported to another world. Already overworked as is, Kondou seems to be a veritable glutton for punishment as he insists on having some form of employment in this new world, even when offered the opportunity to live in peace out of the kingdom's pocket. Enter our handsome love interest: the handsome knight captain Aresh who is just the pushy mother hen Kondou needs to finally take a break!

Manner of Death

^{When the skilled coroner Dr. Bunnakit is called to examine the body of his childhood friend after her “suicide,” he soon determines that she was actually murdered. That night, a mysterious stranger threatens him, telling him to rule her death a suicide-and after he confides in his prosecutor friend about this incident, his friend suddenly goes missing. But all hope is not lost, as a young lecturer named Tan offers to help him get to the bottom of all this-which would be more reassuring if Tan weren’t the prime suspect...}

If you're a fan of crime and mysteries, Manner of Death is right up your alley!

Everything is not what is seems in this manga adaptation of the popular Thai BL novel, which opens with Dr. Bunnakit being called to examine an apparent case of suicide. However, things start to get interesting when the victim is discovered to have actually been murdered and the primary suspect is her ex-boyfriend, a handsome young lecturer named Tan. As you might have guessed, Tan is our primary love interest in Manner of Death and while the overarching storyline is filled with mystery, Bun and Tan's cute relationship acts as a sweet treat in the midst of all the blood and smoke.

New York, New York

^{Police officer Kain Walker has gone to great lengths to prevent his coworkers, family, and friends from finding out he’s gay. But when Kain meets Mel Fredericks, he realizes at once that his whole world is about to change. For the first time, Kain wants more than a one-night stand, but a relationship carries risks, discovery not least among them. Battling with others’ expectations and biases-and his own-Kain struggles to balance his desire for secrecy with his feelings for Mel at a time when being out could cost him dearly...Set in New York in the 1990s, this heartbreaking love story makes its English debut in a beautiful, oversized omnibus edition.}

Last but not least, we have a classic in the form of New York, New York!

New York, New York is a story of a closeted gay cop in–you guessed it–1990s New York. New York, New York depicts the era-accurate struggles of being gay in the 1990s, with flawed and complex characters that will have you throwing your hands up in frustration and sighing in relief when problems are solved. New York, New York is completed with two omnibus volumes and an LGBTQ+ manga must-read!