Romance
is in the air at TOKYOPOP and they got just what you’re looking for; With
shoujo, josei, girls love, boys love and more, their new LOVE x LOVE line has
something for everyone! One of TOKYOPOP’s core company beliefs is that “love is
love” and all types of romance deserve to be celebrated. LOVE x LOVE was born
from that idea and their commitment to representing a variety of stories and
voices as diverse as their fans. In supporting the LGBTQ+ community with manga
that reflects their identities TOKYOPOP has rolled out several new and upcoming
LOVE x LOVE mangas.
Story
and Art by Atsuko Yusen
Yuujirou
Matsukaze has been close friends with Rui Hanamine since the two of them were
children, and at that time, Yuujirou was the one who stood up for and took care
of his adorable, soft-hearted friend. But as it turns out, Yuujirou's childhood
dreams end up growing a little too big to handle — or, rather, too tall! At
over six feet in height, the cheerful and happy-go-lucky Rui towers over his
would-be protector... and still has no idea Yuujirou's had a crush on him since
they were kids!
Story
& Art by Saki Tsukahara
Yuta
and Ritsu have been playing baseball together since they were children, but
after being defeated in a local tournament over the summer, they must retire
from the high school team to study for university entrance exams. Still, Yuta
finds himself unable to give up his lingering attachment to baseball. The one
person who can truly understand him is Ritsu, who has been acting worryingly
distant since they quit the team. But
there's something Yuta himself doesn't understand... Does he think of Ritsu as
his partner in the way that a teammate would, or is the affection between them
something stronger?
Story
& Art by Gorou Kanbe
In
a long distance sorta-relationship with his crush, Shouji is crestfallen when
weeks of ghosting turns into a confession; his boyfriend just isn't gay. Having
struggled with his sexuality for years, Shouji throws himself into his work to
distract himself from the rejection, but when a young homeless man called Hama
shows up at the shop, Shouji finds himself curious to learn more about him and,
hopefully, befriend him. Attempting
to make their way in a society that labels each of them as 'dirty' and
'outcasts', as they grow closer the two men find they have more in common than
either of them could have anticipated.
Story
& Art by Akashi
Makoto
Shimizu is just an ordinary office worker, blending in seamlessly with her
colleagues on the job... that is, until her coworker Akane Maekawa discovers
her well-hidden secret: in her spare time, she draws and sells girls' love
comics! Akane
is the last person Makoto would think of as a nerd, but as her interest in
Shimizu’s art blossoms and the two grow closer, it's starting to seem like
Akane may have a secret of her own…
Story
& Art by Caly
What
if her prince charming was actually a princess?! Azami does not understand her
friends' fascination with yuri and yaoi. As far as she's concerned, she's only
attracted to boys, especially the handsome Gwyn, whom she's had eyes on since
the beginning of the year. Intelligent, sporty, attractive and just a little
older than Azami, Gwyn seems like the embodiment of the ideal boyfriend. But
then, everything Azami believes comes crashing down when she finds out that
Gwyn is actually... a girl!
Story
& Art by Tohru Tagura
When
Yuiji overhears his classmate Yamato confessing to a friend that he's gay, he
does his best not to let prejudice color his view, but still finds himself
overthinking things. He especially notices the way Yamato looks at one
particular boy: Yuiji's own best friend. Even
though he tries not to get involved, watching Yamato's one-sided love draws
Yuiji in in a way he never expected. At first, he’s fueled by empathy, knowing
that Yamato’s love interest is straight. But as his own friendship with Yamato
deepens, Yuiji realizes how much he's come to care for his new friend. He just
wants Yamato to be happy... and to be able to express his true self.
Story
& Art by Edako Mofumofu
Kasumi
and Kyousuke are polar opposites when it comes to personality. Kasumi is
reserved, soft-spoken and shy; Kyousuke is energetic and has always been
popular among their peers. As the saying goes though, opposites have a tendency
to attract, and these two have been fast friends since elementary school. To
Kasumi, Kyousuke has always been a hero to look up to, someone who supports him
and saves him from the bullies. But now, school is over; their relationship
suddenly becomes a lot less simple to describe. Facing the world — and one
another — as adults, both men find there are things they struggle to say out
loud, even to each other.
Story
and Art by Hagi
A
messenger's duty is to care for and protect the god they've been assigned to.
In order to complete these tasks, such messengers require wings. Shin,
however, can't fly. His tiny, useless wings make him the target of ridicule and
scorn among the other messengers and have kept him from being able to serve a
god... until now. Determined to prove himself as a capable messenger despite
his flightlessness, Shin accepts his assignment to a mysterious being on one of
the nearby mountains. At first, it seems an easy task to keep his charge safe
and happy — especially when the deity in question is just a cute, fluffy ball
of fur. But things aren't always what they seem. Recently,
messengers flying over the strange god's mountain have been disappearing. Even
as suspicion mounts against his deity, Shin just can't bring himself to think
that such a gentle god could have a dark side. It's strange, but for some
reason... the mysterious, fluffy being feels so familiar to him.
I
hope these titles offer something more than just a good read to everyone, but a
understanding that love comes in many forms and as humans we should be allowed
to express that love freely.
