In Eureka’s Fujoshi Manga Compendium, there’s this interesting section where they list down the things a fujoshi must read. They called it the Fujoshi Manga Bible.  I thought it’d be best to share the list down here for fujoshi to check what these women think are titles that we fujojos must read. I’ll also try to append what’s available in English!
In this list, titles with the word (JP) before them are titles available only in Japanese. More so, in the list, it can refer to groups of people, companies, or individuals
1.) The Magnificent 24
Keiko Takemiya: Andromeda Stories, Towards Terra, (JP) Kaze to Ki no Uta, November Gymnasium
Hagio Moto: Heart of Thomas, Four Shoujo Stories, A Drunken Dream, (JP) Poe no Kazoku
Aoike Yasuko: From Eroica with Love
2.) June
June was a magazine/anthology widely known for exploring early aspects of BL and its earliest contributors were members of the Magnificent 24. Fans of the Magnificent 24 also became involved with the comic and it continued at least until the early 90s.
3.) Works published in the 1980s
Saki Hiwatari: Please Save My Earth
Mineo Maya: Patalliro!
Kawasou Masumi: Touring Express
4.) Akimi Yoshida
Banana Fish, (JP) California Monogatari, Yasha
5.) Takaguchi Satosumi
(JP) Koun Danshi series, Pink, Utsukushii Utsukushii Utsukushii
6.) Akisato Wakuni
(JP) TOMOI, Dead End
7.) Kemonogi Yasei
(JP) Palm, The World, White Garden
8.) Tada Yumi
(JP) Yumi Tada Beast, Ludlow Garage, Embrace
9.) Kouga Yun
Loveless, (JP) Roller Kaizer, A-shian
10.) Ozaki Minami
(JP) Zetsuai 1989, Bronze
11.) Works by Tousuisha Publishing
Shiho Sugiura: Silver Diamond
Abe Miyuki: (JP) Hakkenden,
Hashiba Maki: (JP) Tokyo Ghost Strip
12.) Kazuma Kodaka
Kizuna, (JP) Sex Therapist, Kusatta Kyoushi no Houteishiki
13.) Motoni Modoru
(JP) Tantei Aoneko, Boku no Sensei wa Fever (with Motoman), Shiiku Gakari Rika
14.) Ima Ichiko
(JP) Otona no Mondai, Ashinaga ojisantachi no Yukue, Rakuen made ato mou chotto
15.) Ishihara Satoru
(JP) Afuresou na Pool, Denshi Shounen, Cell Number 8
16.) Youka Nitta
Embracing Love (Haru wo Daiteita), My Voice (Boku no Koe) (JP) Otoko ga Toko wo Koisuru
17.) Monchi Kaori
Hey Class President, (JP) Meromero shikumi, Daini Button Kudasai
18.) Nobi Nobita
(JP) Enomoto Nariko + Nobita Nobita, Skirt, Otona wa wakatte kurenai (criticism)
19.) Mada Ringo
(JP) Gamen Kouhaku, Tengoku no Mado, Kurui moesezu
20.) Yoshinaga Fumi
The Moon and the Sandals, Ichigenme… The First Class is Civil Law, Don’t Say Anymore Darling, Gerard and Jacques
21.) Kano Shiuko
Kiss all the boys, P.B.B. (JP) Ushiro no Shoumen Darling,
22.) Uchida Kaoru
(JP) Anata wo hitorijime, Taka wo kukurouka, Damatte Naiteiru no desu
23.) Koujima Naduki
Our Kingdom, Selfish Love, (JP) Yasashii keredo ijiwaru de
24.) Kari Sumako
(JP) Swain’ in the air, Hina Kiku, Manuke niwa mukanai shokugyou
25.) Yamada Yugi
Close the Last Door, (JP) Yume ga Kanau 12gatsu, Warera no Mizu wa Doko ni Aru
26.) Takaido Akemi
(JP) Door to Door, Prince Charming, Trip
27.) Kotobuki Tarako
Love Pistols, (JP) DOGRA+MAGRA, Furimuku dake de anata tsumi no otoko
28.) Onozuka Kahori
(JP) Logos, Warera ni 5gatsu wo
29.) Nakamura Shungiku
(JP) Hybrid Child, Junjou Romantica, Touzandou Tentsui Ibun
30.) Kataru Cisco
(JP) Love and Catastrophe, Love? Yes, Otona no Jikan
31.) Hoshino Lily
Alone in My King’s Harem, Mr. Flower Bride, (JP) Toritsu Mahou Gakuen,
32.) Nishida Higashi
(JP) Mitsumeteitai, Negai kanae tamae, Koi wo Shimashou
33.) Yamane Ayano
Finder Series, Crimson Spell
34.) Kyouyama Atsuki
(JP) Kamen Teacher, Sayonara Baby, Kikoenai Koe
35.) Kyuushi Danji
(JP) Kachou no Koi, Neko Samurai, Otoko no Shigotoba
36.) Kusama Sakae
(JP) Hatsukoi no Shirei, Nikushokujuu no Table Manner, Saiyaku no Tebiki
37.) Basso
(JP) Kuma to Interi, Amato Amaro, Ristorante paradiso (Natsume Ono)
38.) Writers who write BL for Men
(JP) Benny’s: Chuchu, Sweet Lesson
39.) New Wave
Est Em: Seduce me After the Show
Ayu Yamane: (JP) Naku no wa Oyoshiyo Shirizu-chan
40.) Emi Kuri
(JP) Dai 7 Tengoku
Have you got them all?
I surely haven’t. Just listing this list made me think how much I have not read!
Please note that this was listed by a group of critics who made the Fujoshi Compendium issue of Eureka. More so, I really just listed down the comics as I don’t have time to also list down the novels. Maybe next time?
I’m assuming that in their list, these were the names that stood out. There may have been many but if they did this quite democratically, I wouldn’t be surprised why these names came out.
I think the list is quite outstanding, highlighting various aspects of shounen ai, yaoi, and BL, both old and new, both subtle and crazy. Some of my old favorites like Yuki Shimizu of Love Mode fame didn’t make the roster. Others have been cloistered together. And some titles mentioned are outdated. Of course, do note that this list was written in 2007. A lot has changed with BL and more works have been written and have made an impact with the industry.
Let this list be a guide for things that you may have missed or are curious to read. I believe this list isn’t anyway a “canon” for BL, although them calling it a fujoshi bible is quite interesting.
I personally haven’t read a lot of these titles but if you ask me about my recommendations from this list, I’d strongly suggest going through the works of the Magnificent 24, Patalliro!, Please Save My Earth, Banana Fish & Yasha, Tantei Aoneko, Ichigenme… First Class is Civil Law (and other Yoshinaga Fumi titles), Close the Last Door, works by Minami Ozaki, Kyuushu Danji, Nakamura Shungiku, Yamada Yugi, Kusama Sakae, Basso, and writers from the New Wave. Be warned, I’m an omnivore as a BL manga consumer so you’ll see both angsty, fluffy, uncomfortably violent, and boring BL there. lol.
There are others, many others in my own personal ‘fujoshi bible’ that wasn’t said, but if you had a chance to add a name or two in this bible, who would it be?
Happy to see Ima Ichiko’s BL. I’m becoming a big fan of this mangaka, her BL are so funny!!! Her stories are full of family ties, divorced women and step families. I like the way she doesn’t only focuses on men in her BL stories, even her women are interesting. Otona no mondai is a must read 🙂 .
So happy to see Yamada Yugi and Takaguchi Satosumi on this list – also Kusama Sakae. A little puzzled to find Hoshino Lily there – I never quite ‘got’ her work, although it’s undeniably pretty – for pretty BL with believable story and characterization, I prefer Takarai Rihito. But no Mizushiro Setona? Or Kinoshita Keiko? Or… I’d better stop now. A fascinating list, with many mangaka whose works I am unfamiliar with. (If only I could read Japanese…)
Well we have to give credit to Hoshino Lily for being one of the pioneers who executed this very effeminate uke akin to the more classic shounen ai. This list was drafted prior to Takarai Rihito’s contribution but I’m quite sure they’d be in the same length.
Mizushiro Setona is considered part of the older group of writers and she’s really a good contemporary of Yoshinaga Fumi. But I think Yoshinaga’s possibly outshined her. That said, she did write a gem with Kyuusou wa cheese and its sequel. And I believe after this manga bible, it’s been continuously listed as an essential BL read.
Point taken about Hoshino Lily. 🙂
Kyuusou wa cheese was a game changer in France; I was over there in 2007 when it was published by Taifu and it was voted best one-shot by Animeland readers. After that, there was a lot of magazine coverage and the publishers (Taifu, Kaze, Soleil) brought out a feast of BL titles – before then we’d had Kizuna en français from Tonkam but very little else.
Nice to see Nishida Higashi and Takaido Akemi on here with so many other greats but where oh where is Sadahiro Mika?
Wah! I completely forgot her too but yeah she deserves a place too! 😀
Thank you for sharing this list! This Fujoshi Bible is pretty perfect in my eyes already! (and I have the same recommendations as yours) However, I would have prefered a lower rank for Youga Kun’s works, admittedly significant (but a bit boring) and the appearance of Asumiko Nakamura’s name instead.
Asumiko Nakamura is actually included in the New Wave authors list but when this was drafted, she was completely brand new and didn’t get enough attention. Although, I think it’s a different story now! <3
Perhaps you can attribute Yun Kouga's contribution to her popularity. I mean, who hasn't heard of Loveless? Regardless if it was a personal favorite or not. She probably wouldn't be in my roster too for the same reasons. I mean, she's okay but not great.