Fetish Talk Extra - Three BL authors talk about the fetishes that steal their hearts
Interview, article by Sena Kondo
Editing by Hitomi Sakuma
Ugh, he's so hot I'm gonna get a nosebleed...!
Raise your hand if you've never felt this way about an attractive male character. It's no use to hide it: we all have one or two particular characteristics that make our hearts race and heads spin.
In Fetish Talks, we will cover various forms of fetishism, and try to understand what girls love by talking to creators of moe contents for women.
In this extra installment, we interviewed three mangaka who are writing for the BL comic label LOVExxxBOYSpixiv. They are Atsuko Yusen, Tsumumi, and Long Utsumi!
The first author is Atsuko Yusen and her work Dekoboko Sugar Days!
── What kind of male characters do you prefer, Yusen?
── Rui Hanamine from Dekoboko Sugar Days is also a character that stands over 180 cm. While his partner Yuujirou Matsukaze is a little shorter than average. Why did you choose this kind of setting?
I think when a woman in a heterosexual couple is taller than the man, both of them may have their own insecurities about it. But when it comes to a homosexual couple that consists of two men, I think these insecurities can get even more overwhelming. And I wanted to translate that frustration into manga, so I guess that's why I came up with this setting.
Yes. I also try to include other elements that I like, for instance, childhood friends and a strong tone of romantic comedy. I also had the chance to draw plenty of blushing and crying faces, which I love so much! I also had so much fun drawing Yuujirou instinctively reacting in a manly way when he feels his heart clenches at something that Rui does (laughs).
I tried to make the height difference between Yuujirou and Rui as realistic as possible. I didn't want the difference to be too small or too big. Apparently, the average height of Japanese men is about 170 cm, so I decided that Yuujirou would be a little under those figures. Using props, like the stairs, to exemplify their height difference would be nice! I should've used more props...!
── Any scene that you yourself thought was feels-inducing?
── Is there any specific theme that you'd love to draw in the future?
The second author is Tsumumi and her work Sensei, Docchi ka Erande yo!
This is a story of two twins: the older one is a hot-and-cold 'wildcat' type with a brash attitude and equally brash way with words while the younger one is a 'pet cat' type with a cringy attitude but a brilliant and scheming mind. Hinami is a trainee teacher who has somehow gained the attention of the handsome twin brothers and now he has to withstand the twins' intense flirting methods and decide which twin to date after his training period is over!?
── So, your fetish is twins?
And I also like characters who are partners. I just can't resist the appeal of a relationship where the two people can't live without each other. Most of the time, I find myself liking not a single character but two characters, as a set. Oh, wait... I must have a liking for nikoichi(※) then!
── A liking for nikoichi relationships! I think I get it!
In terms of individual characters though, I may have a tendency to like characters that are popular among girls. These types of characters awaken my inner old man soul and I will want to objectify these characters...! (laughs)
── I see (laughs). Issei and Yuzuki in "Sensei, Docchi ka Erande yo" are twins and partners at the same time.
That's right. I wanted to create a setting where Issei and Yuzuki may be rivals when it comes to winning Hinami's heart, but as brothers, they need each other. Actually, I think the three of them can't have a relationship without one of the twins in it.
── Although Issei and Yuzuki have similar faces, the way they dress, their hairstyles, and their personalities are polar opposites. How did you decide this kind of setting?
Conversely, though, I finished designing Yuzuki's appearance first. He can be a bit flashy and cringy, but also cute. Again, I wanted a complete opposite of that, so Issei's hair ends come out looking sharper. I have fun highlighting the differences between two twin brothers who share the same face.
── (laughs). I did not expect that answer! Not with your cute art!
── A macho older man in your art style! We'd love to see that (laughs). Is there any specific theme that you'd love to draw in the future?
The third author is Long Utsumi and her work Te no Hira ni Kouun no Koibito!
Te no Hira ni Kouun no Koibito
A fairy that would look great living in the dollhouses that I created!? Haruo treats the men in his workplace coldly, but he also receives the same cold treatment from his childhood friend and colleague Yamauchi. Making dollhouses after work is Haruo's hobby, but one day, while Haruo is working hard at a dollhouse, a tiny guy appears out of the antique vase in his house!
── "Te no Hira ni Kouun no Koibito" is a bittersweet love story between two people who come from different species. Are you the type who likes bittersweet stories?
── And you do utilize angsty situations effectively in "Te no Hira ni Kouun no Koibito".
── You're right. This scene is full of feels.
── Letting your back do the talking! That has a nice ring to it. What kinds of characters do you find attractive most of the time?
── I think we can relate to those kinds of characters the most. Do you have any other fetishes?
In "Te no Hira ni Kouun no Koibito", Kou is actually older than Haruo. So in that sense, I think Haruo's is the senior being dominated by his junior (laughs).
── Is there any specific theme that you'd love to draw in the future?
Three authors with their own fetishes! They're all different, but they're all awesome!
The three works by the three authors that we interviewed this time are all available for purchase as books! The books include scenes that are not serialized and you may be able to see certain parts that were edited for the App release... What's more, the books include many additional especially drawn scenes!
New publication of LOVE xxx BOYS pixiv every month for 3 months!
Dekoboko Sugar Days
When we met for the first time, he was so small and cute and I, Yuujirou Matsukaze, promised myself to protect him! Or not... Rui Hanamine ends up outgrowing me, standing over 180 cm tall, while I'm still struggling with my own height. That aside, I think I know what to call the fluttering in my chest whenever I see this childhood friend of mine...