Hello Everyone,

For most of you, this is going to come as no surprise, as I’ve been discussing this situation for a few weeks now in my journal at the site.

As of tonight I will be shutting down the Yaoi House site and putting up a new site for my writing.

What may be surprising to some is that I am going to be removing all the yaoi from the site. I will not be continuing those stories at this time. It’s possible I may revisit them and and rework them to be non-yaoi stories, but for now they are going to sleep, until I decide what to do with them. I will only be working on new fiction from this point on.

Tonight I will be putting all future recurring billing on hold. You will continue to have access to the new site and the new fiction through the end of your billing period. I will be putting up a new sign-on page and changing the price to $4.99. This price cut makes sense as there will be less fiction, since I will be building a new fiction archive.

I will not be publishing any of my yaoi books. For those of you who are new to the site and have no idea what is going on, you may email me for a refund, if you like, as I know you purchased access to the site for the yaoi.

For those of you who are going to continue on with me in my new direction, I will see you on the “other side”. To the rest of you, I thank you for your years of support and wish you all the best.

Kira Takenouchi is a Yaoi author who made a name for herself with Ai no Kusabi fanfiction, including a long and popular saga called ‘Taming Riki’. She formed a publishing house called Yaoi House or Yaoi Underground, LLC.

She signed a number of authors including Becca Abbott and took money in form of subscription fee payments by readers anxious to read her Taming Riki work. In March of 2008, Kira found Jesus and decided to stop publishing and declared all contracts null and void. She promised to refund money paid for the Taming Riki work which was never delivered.

On April 8, 2008, other investors in the Yaoi House stepped forward (the first comment), claiming that they would be honoring contracts and resolving the issue of outstanding orders that seemed not be filled.

On May 1, 2008, Kira reappears and claims that she did not find God but was instead suffering hallucinations as a result of bi-polarity.

I know now that God wasn’t acutally talking to me with Divine imperatives..that was in my head. It just seemed so real. And…some things happened to me, that I gues I won’t tell you about, but they go along the lines of hallucinations.

I think that we know, having seen the signs before of bad publisher behavior what happens next. Yep, people voicing their upsets with Kira bailing on them speak out and Kira responds with

Have fun with your rant. Anyone who participates will of course be banned from my site.

On May 4, 2008, in response to what is happening with the contracts and the money that was taken from readers, Kira denies that there has been any transfer of power:

Let me be clear about one thing. Legally I am still the manager of both Yaoi House and Yaoi Underground so what I say goes, with regard to my fiction. I have the power not to sign the final contract that would transfer those rights to Harial, which would mean nothing would change with either company and both would remain in my control.

A number of advisors and business partners leave Yaoi House because of, well, the instability. And Kira responds with accusations toward the people who want their refunds and contracts honored. I mean, the nerve of those people.

I admit I’m very angry about this because it’s clear from the posts in this group that people KNEW or at least SUSPECTED I was not in my right mind and yet everyone was proceeding to take away everything I’d worked on for the past few years, in a matter of DAYS. Almost no one here stood up for me and gave me the benefit of the doubt! No one except Esther! You all FUCKING KNOW ME and you KNOW I would never desert you or my stories or these companies! You KNEW that this “Kira Morningstar” was not the same person as “Kira Takenouchi”. And you didn’t even care that I was mad, that I was all alone in the horror of my mind with no one to help me–my shareholders knew I was sick and yet they deserted me, everyone deserted me and just chose to believe the worst, that I’d actually just thrown everything away and walked away. You didn’t stop to think…Okay wait…she’s bipolar…maybe she’s just ill. Let’s give her a chance to come out of this. And then all you cared about was getting your refunds or getting A BOOK with one of my titles on it, written by anyone else under the sun apparently.

On May 8, 2008, Kira seems to have calmed down and wishes her former business partners the best of luck and actually offers up an apology.

I’ll be dismantling the YH subscription site because I suspect all the writers have gone with Harial to her new domain. I hope so. They got the raw end of the shaft, too. I’ll be too busy with my own writing to try and maintain such a subscription site–and I don’t even want to, because it’s Harial’s baby. To be honest I’ll mostly be focusing on my own books now, unless we’ve signed new contracts with authors I’m not aware of. Or if we have, perhaps they can follow Harial. Maybe she’ll
publish print books too.

Harial…I just want to say publicly that I am so sorry for what I put you through

This olive branch is thrown down and trod upon three days later:

In case some of you are unclear about what has happened, Harial has started her own company.

Apparently some of my investors who joined her thought they could secretly keep shares in my companies while they invested in a competing company! They would be privy to my plans which they could then use to their advantage at their company. They apparently also thought they could take my authors, not realizing that the contracts between Yaoi House and its authors are still legal and have not been legally voided by new signed documents. So, for instance, posting Learning to Serve on their site is completely illegal, because a signed contract with Yaoi House is still in effect.

(Um, what about the post that all contracts were voided?)

Other authors are getting threats of legal action if they try to move their works to another subscription service.

Apparently, our contracts are still valid and will be so for two years after we hand in the manuscript. Which goes against what my contract says, but let’s not get into details here. Apparently, what Kira is trying to do is prevent any of the authors to sell the manuscripts or post the stories in question on the new publishing house’s subscription site

It sounds like some Yaoi authors are getting some raw treatment and that Kira Takenouchi is still trying to remain in business. Wonder what ever happened to those unfilled subscription payments?

Update: We’ve opened the comments at this time.

Related posts:

1. E Publisher Bankruptcy Alert: Mardi Gras Publishing
2. REVIEW: Mrs. Giggles Opens E Publishing House
3. Former Mardis Gras Publisher Opens New E Publishing House

Dear Readers,

This is my favorite manga release of 2007. There are some with loftier ambitions that I might admire more, like Town of Evening Calm, but when it comes to pure enjoyment of a book, The Crimson Spell wins hands down.

The story is a fairly simple one. Prince Vald’s country is overrun by demons and there’s only one way to save them, to take up an accursed family sword. For the sake of his people he does so, but the sword’s demon begins to take him over. At first it’s only at night, when he changes into an erotic beast-like version of himself (and whoo boy is he one erotic looking beast). His country’s wizards are able to give him ensorcelled shackles that keep the change at bay each night. But he knows it’s only a matter of time until the demon takes over, endangering everyone, so he sets off to find the one man who could remove the curse, the sorcerer Halvir.

Halvir (Havi) is beautiful, but he isn’t what I’d call an upstanding citizen, being greedy and lascivious. He not only wants the magical sword for himself, but once he finds the demon-controlled version of Vald at night and realizes he can absorb its power (through sexual contact of course), he begins an affair with the beast-half of Vald that the human half doesn’t know about (read right to left as usual, and don’t worry, I stopped right before the naughty bits)(sorry for my crappy scans):

<- start

To gain the sword and keep Vald nearby, he makes a deal with him. He’ll break the curse if Vald helps him gain certain magical objects. Vald agrees and they set off on a journey.

However, the journey, like in all good books, isn’t just a trip from here to there, but one of change for both the characters. Halvir is immediately touched by the prince’s beauty and spirit, and he’s captivated by the beast’s sensual nature, and he begins to fall in love with both. For the first time in a long time, he starts to think of another. The changes to Vald aren’t all that pleasant. His demon and human forms slowly begin to meld as the change approaches a time when it will become irreversible and control him completely. But this also brings a growing realization of an attraction to his companion, one that at this point he still pushes away in denial as a human but which he fully embraces as a beast.

Concerning the sex in the book, I’ve never heard anyone complain about it, but the fact that Halvir is having sex with the beast half of Vald while keeping it a secret from the human half might bother some people. Also, while the first sexual encounter between Halvir and the beast verges on non-con, that primal side of Vald loves his sex and jumps Halvir if he isn’t getting enough. The beast Vald doesn’t have the inhibitions of the human half and thoroughly enjoys himself no matter what they try. One side note, there is an extra story in the volume that has that staple of hentai, tentacle sex, when Vald encounters an aphrodisiac plant that works on him in more ways than just chemical. One friend labels that chapter “Tentacle Sex Done Right”. …. There’s really nothing I can add to that.

While sex and romance are an important part of the story, there are a lot of parts to the story that are just plain funny. Yamane-sensei has a way of drawing humor from the characters: Halvir’s greed and utter lack of concern for anyone but himself and Vald; Vald’s naivety about what’s happening to him each night. And then there’s Rulca, a very sexy spiritual being who likes to take the form of a bunny, and who delights in annoying Halvir and in trying to seduce Vald. This adds up to a story that’s much lighter in tone than the other work of Yamane’s released stateside, the Finder series.

Then there’s the artwork. Yamane-sensei is renowned in yaoi circles for it. The attention to detail makes each panel gorgeous to look at. She obviously revels in drawing the trappings of fantasy. (click for a bigger view)

Yamane’s men are breathtakingly beautiful and masculine. No emasculated ukes (bottoms) here, as happens fairly often in yaoi. Vald has fire and strength in both his forms, enough to make me suspicious that he’ll be turning the tables on Halvir before the end of the series.

Finally, the book’s quality deserves recognition. In the past Kitty has put out volumes that are on par with TokyoPop, quite average though great value for their low price. But for this book they worked directly with Ayano Yamane, and at her direction turned out a top of the line volume. This book is gorgeous with color plates, a high paper quality, and an exceptional translation. There were one or two typos, but really this is a premium piece of manga that’s a pleasure to hold and read. Honestly, the only thing that will be nicer than having this book in my hands will be to have this book plus volume two (hint hint, Kitty).

So, who is this one recommended for? Any adult who wants to see a great example of the sexier side of yaoi manga as done by one of its most popular mangaka. It’s beautiful to look at, a pleasure to hold, full of engaging characters, and funny and sexy to boot. That’s why it is my favorite of the year. Grade: A.

Sincerely,

ジェーン

(Jān)

Related posts:

1. Manga Review: Fushigi Yuugi
2. REVIEW: Law Students in Love: Manga Review: Ichigenme…The First Case is Civil Law by Fumi Yoshinaga
3. REVIEWS (shorts): Some Halloween Manga Suggestions

Ichigenme…The First Case is Civil Law, by Fumi Yoshinaga. Published by 801 Media. Retail: $15.99. 1/2 volumes released. Rated 18+ (Mature content, graphic sex between males showing at most some blurred [Japanese self-censored] naughty bits, NOT FOR KIDS). A-.

Dear Readers,

A law education in Japan is slightly different than one in the US. Students compete to enter specialized schools straight out of high school. There they receive a general education, as well as enough of a specialized education to enable them to get jobs as one of many several types of legal careers such as a professional arbitrator or a legal consultant. If they wish to become lawyers instead, they must pass the bar, then be accepted into a training program after which they will finally become actual lawyers. Only 1000 a year make it. There are relatively few genuine lawyers in Japan, and lots of lawyer-substitutes. < insert joke here >

So most of the law school students don’t have much hope at gaining such an elevated position. Combining that with the relief all Japanese college students feel at finally not having to live for exams, and law college turns into a place where they can finally relax, enjoy themselves, and learn about life. Except for those few who still work like crazy to move onto the next step.

Tamiya is one of those few. Very serious about law, he enters into a zemi (a seminar) on criminal case law. But when he gets there, he finds it’s a dumping ground for the sons and daughters of the rich and influential. They don’t prepare for class, and don’t even care about it because they know they’ll pass. And the worst of these is a flirt named Toudou, who introduces himself at a party with a kiss that Tamiya can’t forget.

Even as Tamiya struggles to get the most out of his education, he slowly finds himself being pulled into an awareness that there are other things out there of equal importance. He finds himself defending these students at various times and becoming friends with them and actually enjoying it. And for the first time he’s feeling physical and emotional attraction, and it’s for men. He resists this, but when his naà¯ve hopes in one relationship are crushed Toudou is there to pick up the pieces, and he slowly begins to understand that there’s much more to this frivolous man than he thought, and he begins to care for him.

I consider Yoshinaga-sensei to be one of the masters of the manga art form. Her style is unusual but her characters are deftly drawn using both words and pictures. Her art is spare, but communicates so much (as always, start at the far right, and read panels read right to left, top to bottom):

She doesn’t just spend time on the main characters, as is common in romance, but has arcs about secondary characters that flesh out the story as a whole, and make it a real thing. What happens in these two volumes could very likely have happened in a real Japanese law school ten years ago (when the story was written).

The romance in this story is such a sweet thing. All her romances are about personal growth. The best romances always are. It may seem like Tamiya is doing all the growing but in the second half of the volume, like Tamiya, one begins to realize that there’s an interesting story behind Toudou’s faà§ade as well.

The romance could be considered complete in the first volume. Those readers who prefer less graphic sex may want to stop at just that one. Volume two, coming out sometime this month, contains a few sexually graphic shorts that take place seven years later. It’s the standard romance epilogue, plus heat, and minus babies. To be honest, I feel that the second volume detracts from the story which seemed just right to me in the first volume, and so don’t recommend buying it unless you really have to have more about the two. Because of that, I drop the series a half point.

In case you haven’t noticed, this is a male/male romance manga. It is of the category yaoi (pronounced yah-oh-ih), which in Japan is a completely different genre than gay romance (I may get into that some day, I may not). But basically yaoi is written by women for women, and as such generally has little to do with actual gay men and/or reality. But as always, there are books which skirt the lines people attempt to define them with, and this is one. There is a realism and a poignancy and a humor to this story that I think everyone can relate to, and as such I encourage all mature readers to pick this one up. It is not sold at brick and mortar stores, but some online shops carry it. The cover at the top of this review links to one of them.

Andà£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‹â€ à£Ã‚ —à£Ã‚ Ã‚ ªÃƒ £Ã‚ Ã…’-à¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‹â€ à§"Ã… ¸ (Yoshinaga-sensei), if by some chance you’re reading this, à£Ã‚ Ã‚ ©Ãƒ £Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ à£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ £Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã… à£Ã‚ Ã…’à£Ã‚ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ £Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ à£Ã‚ "à£Ã‚ —à£Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ £Ã‚ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ £Ã‚ Ã¢â€ž ¢. (Thank you.) A for volume 1, A- for the series.

Sincerely,

à£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ §Ãƒ £Ã†’ ¼Ãƒ £Ã†’ ³

(JÄ n)

Related posts:

1. REVIEW: Manga review: Emma: A Victorian Romance by Kaoru Mori
2. REVIEW: Manga Review: High Fashion and Coming of Age: Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa
3. REVIEW: The Civil Prisoners by Meriol Trevor