Originally Posted By ButterflyFomori
OH! I always enjoy your reviews. I was glad to see another one posted by yourself.

Hey ButterflyFomori! Great to see you here!

I will sit there and read or watch a pure sex sex sex porn and just laugh at the absurdity.

Yes, sometimes they will make me chuckle, too. Mostly, I just scratch my head going “Someone thought this was hot? Really?” But then, of course, I know a lot of folks do. And as I pointed out to Tina in another comment, I don’t always need innovative, complex storytelling or characterization to get my motor running — but I do need some appealing context, I do need to know what it is these characters like about each other, I do need to really believe they find each other hot and aren’t just earning a paycheck and, most importantly, I especially need to care about these two particular people having sex. And an author needs to work a bit, to immerse me in her world, to get me to care.

even the odd seinen or shounen story – like FMA or Hellsing or Kuroshitsuji or Getbackers

All right — I must ask — what’s your favorite pairing in FMA? (My tastes in manga and anime are also fairly singular, so I often am not familiar with most popular works. Thus, it’s cool when I actually know the characters of a particular manga and can actually ask that question.)

I like my stories to have a bit more angst and not a ‘Everyone likes each other. Everyone is sweet to each other,’ sort of story.

You know, it’s funny. As a puppies-and-rainbows kinda boy, I myself prefer happiness and cuddles in my reading. But in my writing, I put my guys through the wringer. In the latest book script I just wrote (and which we are starting art for now), “Tough”, my heroes are in mortal jeopardy and experiencing serious drama nearly every chapter (with breaks for a few rainbows and puppies here and there, of course). After reading the second to last chapter, one of my beta readers even asked me “Alex, thinking up this stuff, how do you sleep at night?”

Well, I sleep just fine as it turns out. But there has to be part of me that gets off on the drama as well. Otherwise, I wouldn’t write it…

But the unique concept has definitely put Manly at least ON my list.

Well, you’re going to have to let me know what you think then.

Take care!

Alex

With this thought: "I like to be fairly immersed. This is one reason why video porn does almost nothing for me and why I can find multi-volume yaoi series so appealing," you have helped me add a bit more definition to WHY the heck I find 'porn' (in it's traditional form) so laughable. (Srsly! I will sit there and read or watch a pure sex sex sex porn and just laugh at the absurdity. And yet I am completely and totally obsessed with most Yaoi, OEL BL, erotica stories and even the odd seinen or shounen story – like FMA or Hellsing or Kuroshitsuji or Getbackers or . . okay, maybe more than 'the odd' one.) Well, there you have it – as Alex said, 'I like to be IMMERSED in a story!' Yay! Well said.

I'm impressed that the creators could create such 'distinct personalities' without words. I don't think this book would be on my top 100 list to read next simply because I like my stories to have a bit more angst and not a 'Everyone likes each other. Everyone is sweet to each other,' sort of story. But the unique concept has definitely put Manly at least ON my list.

Thanks again for your fascinating thoughts!

Originally Posted By gynocrat@Alex Woolfson –

That was before I realized you were a rainbows and puppies fan. I suspected it, I just didn't want to admit it–it's lonely being the only pornhound at bloghigh.

Yeah, I'm a tough one to peg for that sort of thing. My very close friends can now do it with 99.9% accuracy, but it's taken them literally decades to figure out the strange way my libido works. I'm telling you it's not for the faint of heart.

And it's not like I can't enjoy me some porn — good old "Judo Boy" by Kowmeiism gets my motor running pretty hot, but to try to figure out why that is is a little more complicated. (Hint: it's not about the ages of the characters.) Frankly, I think the "pornhounds" have it easier — there's just a lot more out there to brighten your day…

Have you read The Sound of My Voice yet? I think you'd like it.

You mean this? <img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TmGKdQFoL._SL75_.jpg&quot; />

No I haven't, but if you think I'd like it, I'll check it out

I thought I could redeem myself with Manly, since I sent you the Initiation and told you how awesome hot it was and then heard nothing but crickets. LOL! That was before I realized you were a rainbows and puppies fan. I suspected it, I just didn't want to admit it–it's lonely being the only pornhound at bloghigh.

Have you read The Sound of My Voice yet? I think you'd like it.

Originally Posted By gynocratThat damn Gynocrat and those penises! ^_^

Oh, I think readers are really saying "Thank God for Gynocrat and those penises!" And it seems your clicks would agree.

it’s embarrassing how many people clicked on those tiny thumbnails I put up, just to get a larger picture. :/ How disappointed they must be.

Tease …

I'm glad you read it, I enjoyed it. I'll likely pick up the book when it comes out – just to have it on the shelf.

Yeah — I could totally see it being worth the purchase if the art turned you on. Like I said, not exactly my cup of tea, but I did certainly appreciate the sweetness factor — and, like I said, I found the equality and sharing of roles in the bedroom refreshing.

This is topic for another day:

"Not age-rated by the publisher."

Yeah, I know. I think it's the old "books are for adults, but comics are for kids!" delusion we have here in the States. Well, maybe that's not all of it. You know what I really think it's about? Pictures. You can talk about sex all you want, but if you try to depict it visually? Then better make sure it doesn't wind up in the hands of kids. Too dangerous. (Movies have ratings, Video Games have ratings — books, not so much.)

I think this even applies to the Gay books. I'll have to check out my local bookstore, but I think (so long as it's not strictly an "art" book) if there are pics, then it'll have some age-appropriate warning on it.

But maybe I'm wrong about that. Well, an excuse to go check out books with the naked boys, I suppose…

Anyway, I enjoyed your article on the subject. Here's the link for others to enjoy.

I'm glad you read it, I enjoyed it. I'll likely pick up the book when it comes out – just to have it on the shelf.

This is topic for another day:

"Not age-rated by the publisher."

Of course not, you know why? Because it doesn't say MANGA on it. It's likely listed as 'gay' first and so the bookstores wont even bat an eye about carrying it. :/ I touched on this yesterday when discussing the disadvantages of 'yaoi' and 'manga' labeling by erotic comic and fiction publishers.