BJ Alex Volume 4 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

BJ Alex is a completed 19+ BL webtoon manhwa written and illustrated by Mingwa.

The series was published and serialized by Lezhin Comics. It was digitally published in Korean by Lezhin Comics from November 24, 2017 to August 7, 2020.

The series was officially published book format by Lezhin Entertainment from February 25, 2021 to December 31,2021. It was published in English from August 31, 2021 to October 19, 2022.

The series is available in 9 languages, Korea, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Polish.

Every night at 10pm, Dong Gyun shuts himself in his room, tissues at the ready, and tunes into his favourite live cam show hosted by the captivating Alex. To Dong Gyun, Alex isn't just another online performer - he's confident, uninhibited, and everything Dong Gyun secretly wishes he could be.

But one drunken night changes everything. After blacking out at a school networking event. Dong Gyun wakes up in an unfamiliar bed... beneath a shirtless stranger who looks exactly like the from his screen.

When fantasy collides with reality, Dong Gyun's carefully guarded world unravels - because facing Alex in the flesh might be far more than he ever bargained for.

Volume 4 begins with Jiwon putting some space between himself and Dong Gyun in a way to show him nothing more will come from the agreement they have and that it's strictly business only. Things slightly come to a head though when Jiwon gets drunk, which he tends to refrain from and Dong Gyun volunteers to take him home. Because of this we see more of why Jiwon is the way he is and why he has no interest in romantic relationships.

Jiwon asserts again that if Dong Gyun has feelings for him than they need to stop their arrangement and go their separate ways, but Dong Gyun not wanting to give it all up, says there are no romantic feelings involved and they carry on, while Dong Gyun his his own inner turmoil about Jiwon and who he's seen in a picture and who Jiwon has mentioned in his sleep.

This volume for me has the worst second-hand moment that lives rent free in my mind whenever I think of this volume and this manhwa/webtoon. I think everyone who has read BJ Alex knows exactly what I'm talking about, and I'm not going to mention it in my post just because if you haven't, I think it's something you need to witness and feel in real time. Even when I read it all again I cringe and hold my breath.

By the end of volume 4 things really come to a head between Dong Gyun and Jiwon and they both know that their arrangement is over. By the end of this volume you can't help but want to continue reading as you want to know if what Dong Gyun said to Jiwon has made him think differently about the way he treats people, especially when it comes to sexual partners and his show.

In the final moment of the main story we also see MD showing Chanwoo BJ Alex's hiatus notice for his show and shows him the footage of what happened, making him realise the conversations he's been having with Dong Gyun were about BJ Alex.

I love that we get a little side story in this volume that shows more of MD & Chanwoo and how their relationship is on cam as well as off com.

For me volume 4, is the volume that makes you move straight onto the next one as it leaves it on the perfect cliffhanger for the main story.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

BJ Alex Volume 3 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

BJ Alex is a completed 19+ BL webtoon manhwa written and illustrated by Mingwa.

The series was published and serialized by Lezhin Comics. It was digitally published in Korean by Lezhin Comics from November 24, 2017 to August 7, 2020.

The series was officially published book format by Lezhin Entertainment from February 25, 2021 to December 31,2021. It was published in English from August 31, 2021 to October 19, 2022.

The series is available in 9 languages, Korea, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Polish.

Every night at 10pm, Dong Gyun shuts himself in his room, tissues at the ready, and tunes into his favourite live cam show hosted by the captivating Alex. To Dong Gyun, Alex isn't just another online performer - he's confident, uninhibited, and everything Dong Gyun secretly wishes he could be.

But one drunken night changes everything. After blacking out at a school networking event. Dong Gyun wakes up in an unfamiliar bed... beneath a shirtless stranger who looks exactly like the from his screen.

When fantasy collides with reality, Dong Gyun's carefully guarded world unravels - because facing Alex in the flesh might be far more than he ever bargained for.

Volume 3 continues where volume 2 left us, and we get to see Dong Gyun wanting to try new things with Jiwon and experiment more in the bedroom to find out what he likes and dislikes are. We see Jiwon let his jealousy get to him, taking it out on Dong Gyun.

We get to see more of Myungdae in this volume as we get to see more of BJ MD, and his pursuit of a new sub for his cam show. In his pursuit we see him meet with Dong Gyun, which again causes a misunderstanding with Jiwon, he again takes it out on Dong Gyun.

We get a little back story too of how MD originally met Chanwoo and how his interest in him began. We also get to see MD ask Chanwoo to be a part of his cam show as his sub, to which we already know that Chanwoo is into that kind of stuff.

Sadly Dong Gyun allows his feelings for Jiwon to take control in this volume by asking and setting up a date for them both, which eventually causes Jiwon to take a step back and re-establish boundaries with Dong Gyun, we also get a little peak into why Jiwon is the way he is when it comes to relationships.

While we see a little jealousy and a little bonding between DG & Jiwon, we still don't get much in character development from Jiwon.

Volume 3 really brings us more with the story, and by the end you can't help but wonder what Jiwon's backstory is and why he's the way he is. I also love that we get to see more of our side couple and how their relationship begins.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

BJ Alex Volume 2 - Book Review

 Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

BJ Alex is a completed 19+ BL webtoon manhwa written and illustrated by Mingwa.

The series was published and serialized by Lezhin Comics. It was digitally published in Korean by Lezhin Comics from November 24, 2017 to August 7, 2020.

The series was officially published book format by Lezhin Entertainment from February 25, 2021 to December 31,2021. It was published in English from August 31, 2021 to October 19, 2022.

The series is available in 9 languages, Korea, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Polish.

Every night at 10pm, Dong Gyun shuts himself in his room, tissues at the ready, and tunes into his favourite live cam show hosted by the captivating Alex. To Dong Gyun, Alex isn't just another online performer - he's confident, uninhibited, and everything Dong Gyun secretly wishes he could be.

But one drunken night changes everything. After blacking out at a school networking event. Dong Gyun wakes up in an unfamiliar bed... beneath a shirtless stranger who looks exactly like the from his screen.

When fantasy collides with reality, Dong Gyun's carefully guarded world unravels - because facing Alex in the flesh might be far more than he ever bargained for.

Volume 2 of BJ Alex continues on from volume 1 concluded, and we see what answer Dong Gyun gives to Jiwon to his proposal to help create content for his cam shows. We see Dong Gyun start to question whether he has a say in what they do, where and when to make the content for Jiwon to use. He begins to confide in his friend Chanwoo about the predicament he's in without going into too much detail, with Chanwoo making him see that he also has a say in this deal.

We don't really get much in the way of character development with Jiwon apart from him giving into Dong Gyun's whims and suggestions.

We also get to meet Myungdae that we learn is like Jiwon and has his own cam show under the name BJ MD.

Volume 2 seemingly ends with MD showing an interest in Dong Gyun and interested in asking him to be his sub for his own cam show. Which we see hits a nerve with Jiwon, but I personally feel that at this moment in time it's more because Dong Gyun is his and for his material, rather than him having any feelings for him.

Volume 2 is a good continuation of the story as we get to see more of how each of the characters think and how things could potentially develop.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

BJ Alex Volume 1 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

 BJ Alex is a completed 19+ BL webtoon manhwa written and illustrated by Mingwa.

The series was published and serialized by Lezhin Comics. It was digitally published in Korean by Lezhin Comics from November 24, 2017 to August 7, 2020.

The series was officially published book format by Lezhin Entertainment from February 25, 2021 to December 31,2021. It was published in English from August 31, 2021 to October 19, 2022.

The series is available in 9 languages, Korea, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Polish.

Every night at 10pm, Dong Gyun shuts himself in his room, tissues at the ready, and tunes into his favourite live cam show hosted by the captivating Alex. To Dong Gyun, Alex isn't just another online performer - he's confident, uninhibited, and everything Dong Gyun secretly wishes he could be.

But one drunken night changes everything. After blacking out at a school networking event. Dong Gyun wakes up in an unfamiliar bed... beneath a shirtless stranger who looks exactly like the from his screen.

When fantasy collides with reality, Dong Gyun's carefully guarded world unravels - because facing Alex in the flesh might be far more than he ever bargained for.

I'm a big fan of BJ Alex, it's one of the stories I've re-read more than once. I love the characters as well as the development of the plot and characters.

Volume 1 for me perfectly introduces the main characters as well as some of the side characters we begin to grow close to further into the story.  I also love how it shows us how the main characters become entangled with one another and shows how different Jiwon portrays himself in public to when Dong Gyun's finds out his identity.

I love that it's prominently in black and white with flashes of red now and again throughout.

Dong Gyun seems to be really shy and reserved with his only friend seeming to be his co-worker Chanwoo, he's also really naive and doesn't seem to like confrontation.

Jiwon on the other hand is popular and the perfect student and "friend" on the surface, which all changes when Dong Gyun figures out he's the infamous BJ Alex. His let's his mask fall and shows his "true" self to threaten to keep Dong Hyun quiet.

By the end of this volume, Jiwon has put forward a deal to Dong Gyun because he knows he will be able to control him for his own gain.

I don't think I'll ever get bored of re-reading this series, and falling in love with the characters all over again each time.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Given Volume 3 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Given is a Japanese BL manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu.

It has been serialized in the bimonthly manga magazine Cheri+ since 2013 and has been collected into 9 tankobon volumes by Shinshokan.

Volume 3 was published March 1, 2017 in Japan and August 11, 2020 in English.

The series has been adapted multiple times, with an audio drama in 2016, an 11-episode anime series in 2019, an anime film in 2020, and a live-action drama in 2021.

The series follows a group of four students in an amateur rock band and the dual romantic relationships that form among them: between electric guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama and vocalist Mafuyu Sato, and between bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji.

Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.

Uenoyama realizes he's in love with Mafuyu and steals a kiss from him backstage at their first live performance. But now he's even more confused - he hasn't shared his feelings with Mafuyu and has no idea how Mafuyu feels about him. In contrast to their naive romance, Haruki has been harbouring a secret desire for bandmate Akihiko, who's already entangled in an intense, conflicted relationship with someone else.

Like with Volume 2, Volume 3 continues to story perfectly. We see more into Uenoyama's feelings for Mafuyu and his dilemma in if Mafuyu returns his feelings at all, to which we do get a confession between them. Also while Mafuyu seems to struggle with his feelings about his past, we can see that a weight has been lifted after being able to to his emotions into words.

We delve a little more into Haruki's one-sided feelings towards Akihiko, as well as how this has swayed the way he looks, for example that Haruki grew out his hair.

We also get to see how Haruki, Akihiko and Uenoyama ended up in a band together, as well as how they come up with their band name after their first performance with Mafuyu.

We also delve more into Akihiko and his relationship with his roommate Ugetsu Murata, we get a more intense look into their relationship.

Akihiko also takes Mafuyu to Ugetsu's concert to introduce him to more classical music, which we also find out that Akihiko hides sides of himself from Haruki, which for me shows that he cares about what he thinks about him. and wants to be seen positively by him.

We see Mafayu starting to get series about music and wanting their band to succeed, we also get to see that he's reconnected with his friends from his childhood.

I always love the little short story panels we get at the end after the main story, they always show a different side and are often comedic and gives more insight into their daily lives.

The more I go back over these volumes the more my love for the series increases, the story, the art, the characters, it's all just perfect and I will always recommend this series to everyone.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Given Volume 2 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Given is a Japanese BL manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu.

It has been serialized in the bimonthly manga magazine Cheri+ since 2013 and has been collected into 9 tankobon volumes by Shinshokan.

Volume 2 was published January 30, 2016 in Japan and May 12, 2020 in English.

The series has been adapted multiple times, with an audio drama in 2016, an 11-episode anime series in 2019, an anime film in 2020, and a live-action drama in 2021.

The series follows a group of four students in an amateur rock band and the dual romantic relationships that form among them: between electric guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama and vocalist Mafuyu Sato, and between bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji.

Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.

As the band races toward their first live concert, Mafuyu struggles to write lyrics for their new song but can't find the words to express the emotions burning within him. Meanwhile, Uenoyama hears rumours about Mafutu's past and is bewildered by his won feelings. The tension builds until the night of the show, when the band explodes into a raging, life-changing performance.

Volume 2 is the perfect continuation of the story, we get to see a lot more of Mafuyu's past and his relationship with his childhood friends Hiragi Kashima and Yuki Yoshida. We see how Mafayu and Yuki's relationship developed in more and how they needed one another. But even though Mafuyu was in love with Yuki, he still felt lonely. We learn why he feels so much guilt about having Yuki's guitar as well as how Yuki's death came about and why.

We get to see how Ueunoyama's feelings start developing more and how he begins to come to terms with how he feels for Mafuyu, even asking advice from fellow bandmate Akihiko.

We get to meet Ugetsu Murata, who is Akihiko's roommate, but when we meet him it's indicated that there is more between them than just normal roommates.

There's nothing in the way of things developing with Hikaru and Akihiko, only that they try to push both Mafuyu and Uenoyama in the right direction for their first ever show. Akihiko seems to take Mafuyu under his wing, which to me shows that he's had the same struggles as Mafuyu in that he's sometimes found it hard to put words to his emotions and has overcome them to some extent.

I love how Natsuki Kizu drew their performance, even while reading you can feel Mafuyu's emotion's, his guilt, his heartache and his loneliness as well as everyone finally beginning to understand and accept him. The addition of flashback throughout this section helps the reader to feel those emotions too. We also get to see Mafuyu accept that he's able to move on without forgetting his first love.

I love that we get a little bonus story after the main plot of volume 2 that follows Mafuyu and Yuki to the beach, and it connects perfectly to the main story.

To repeat what I said when I posted a bout Volume 1. I will always recommend this series as I love the characters and the story, it touches on a lot of topics that people often try to push to one side, like mental health, suicide and sexuality, especially when it comes to school age.

It's one of my favourite series' in the BL genre as well as overall, it's definitely one of my favourites to read all over again.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Love is an Illusion Volume 1 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Love is an Illusion! is a South Korean BL manhwa written and illustrated by Fargo.

The series was serialised and published online by Lenzhin Comics and started serialisation on the 29th of January 2021.

The series has 99 chapters.

The series has begin to be physically releases in English by Seven Seas, with Volume 1 being published the 27th of September 2022.

This series is set in a universe called an Omegaverse, where secondary genders exist, which are Alpha, Omega and Beta's.

In the Omegaverse, Alpha's are the leaders of the pact, they respond to the pheromones released by Omega's and can impregnate Omega's whether male or female.

As stated above Omega's can be impregnated by Alpha's regardless of their base gender.

Both Alpha's and Omega's release pheromones, with an Alpha's being able to take control over an Omega.

Beta's are regular humans and don't release or respond to pheromones, they're also unable to smell pheromones.

Pheromones are a unique scent emitted by both Alpha's and Omega's.

Omega's have heat cycles, which is over a period of a few days where they secrete pheromones stronger than usual to seduce an Alpha. Omega's often take medication to control this.

Alpha's have a similar cycle, which is called a rut.

An Omega with Alpha-tude.

Hye-sung spent his entire life believing he was an Alpha, the jackpot of the genetic lottery. His world is flipped upside down when he learns that he's not a dominating Alpha, but a submissive Omega instead!

His frustration redlines whenever he crosses paths with the handsome Dojin, a true Alpha. Supposedly, Dojin can't stand Omega's, but sparks fly when he butts heads with Hye-sung, and their explosive arguments set off an unexpected spicy relationship.

Is their sizzling chemistry truly just pheromones?

Volume 1 is a nice introduction to the main character Hyesung and male lead Dojin, as well as meeting some of the side characters Kyungsoo and Heesoo that are friends with the main character and male lead.

We learn pretty early on that from a young age that Hyesung has believed he was an Alpha when tests told him so, as a young adult he finds out he's in fact an Omega when he goes into heat and other Alpha's try to make a move. Dojin on the other hand is a Dominant Alpha, which is the big boss of Alpha's and he has a big dislike of Omegas. He has a dislike of Omega's and only ever hooks up with other Alpha's, until he bumps into Hyesung in heat and gives him a helping hand. While they despise each other Hyesung finds himself living with Dojin after his beta friends roommate attempts to force himself on Hyesung, and Dojin takes him in to help. Here is where an unconventional relationship begins and Dojin has no issues sleeping with Hyesung leading him to believe he can sleep with other Omega's. Volume ends on a bit of a cliff hanger if you're new to the story, I won't spoil it but it's safe to say I knew what was coming.

This is a typical haters to lovers BL and I won't deny that both characters seem to force themselves on one another. I absolutely love the characters and the story, I definitely recommend this if you're a BL fan as well as an Omegaverse fan.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye