Danica Davidson
June 29, 2023 
TOKYOPOP says its imprint LoveLove is dedicated to romance books, whether they be Japanese manga or Western graphic novels. It will include shojo, josei, boys love and girls love manga. It also shared four titles it will be releasing from the imprint later this year.
THE BLACK CAT & THE VAMPIRE, Vol. 1 by Nikke Taino will come out October 10 and has this description:
“Blanc College is a prestigious all-boys boarding school where the sons of leading families from all over the world study and learn to be independent. Yuki, a freshman attending Blanc College on a scholarship, is the perfect student: at the top of his class, quiet and polite. He’s a a loner, keeping others at arm’s length — except Jean, the devastatingly charming Head Boy, who seems entirely immune to Yuki’s aloof attitude. Their school days are peaceful until, one day, a student gets attacked, and ends up with a wound on his neck that looks suspiciously like a vampire bite! Yuki doesn’t have time for this nonsense. And besides, vampires aren’t even real… right?
THE BLACK CAT & THE VAMPIRE is a two-volume, supernatural BL manga set in a magical boarding high school. The digital edition comes with exclusive full-color bonus art pages. For older teen readers (16+).”
UNDEAD: FINDING LOVE IN THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, Vol. 1 by Fumi Tsuyuhisa will come out October 24 and has this description:
“Which will you find in this devastated world — love or despair? Nineteen-year-old Hikaru Asahina lost everything the day the world ended. Everything, that is, except his childhood friend Ai Kosaka, who has always taken care of him. Now the two of them, along with other survivors, struggle to stay alive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with man eating zombies. And when Ai confesses to feeling something more for Hikaru, it changes everything. After all, the more precious someone is to you, the harder it is to lose them. In a world like theirs, is something like love even possible?
UNDEAD presents a unique premise blending boys love and horror genres. A compelling read for fans of dystopian fiction and romance. A mature themed title for older readers (18+).”
SATING THE WOLF by Troy Arukuno will also come out on October 24, and has this description:
“Noah, a wolf with no family, was banished from his beloved pack after presenting as an Omega. While wandering alone in a village of herbivores, he meets Henri, a rabbit who lives alone with his little brothers. In a town where carnivores are feared, Henri bravely takes Noah in and offers him a job. When Noah accidentally goes into heat, it suddenly awakens Henri’s Alpha instincts.
Will a world divided between carnivores and herbivores accept the relationship between a little Alpha rabbit and a big Omega wolf?
SATING THE WOLF is a mature themed (18+), standalone manga featuring anthropomorphic characters that is set within the ‘Omegaverse,’ a complex setting founded on BDSM and werewolf-like themes, which are very popular among romance and BL fans. The story is a great fit for readers who enjoy strongly defined interpersonal dynamics in their romance.”
And then LULLABY OF THE DAWN Vol. 1 by Ichika Yuno is scheduled to come out November 14 and has this description:
“Night after night, Elva steps forth into the black sea, sword in hand, to drive back the creatures that surge from the waves. Elva is one of the ‘kannagi,’ warrior priests chosen by the divine to protect the island. With his snow-white hair, unaging youth, and black-stained limbs — proof of the corruption that gradually takes the life of every kannagi — the local people fear and shun him… at least until his path crosses with that of a boy named Alto. Enraptured by Elva’s strength and lonely soul, Alto swears to serve him and free him from his cursed fate.
After eight long years, Alto has grown into a capable and fearless young man, unwavering in his devotion to his kannagi. Elva had long ago resigned himself to an early death — but somehow, Alto’s presence seems to be gradually healing him of the black sea’s corruption…
LULLABY OF THE DAWN won first place in the Best Comic category in the 2022 Chill Chill BL Awards. This story (for Older Teens 16+) of a romance between a shaman and a loyal villager is based in an original fantasy world with unique elements and settings.”
“LoveLove is founded on a core TOKYOPOP company belief that ‘love is love’ and all types of romance deserve to be celebrated,” LoveLove Brand Editor Lena Atanassova said in a statement. “Given the strong global market for manga and romance content, there are substantial opportunities to bring these titles to existing fans as well as traditional romance readers eager to explore the genre in a new way.”
