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Boys Love Art Books (and more)

When I was attending Y/Con, a convention dedicated to queer anime and manga in Paris, last year to meet Scarlet Beriko, the most requested thing she was asked to release was an art book, a collection of her illustrations. Her editor Kumagai, who was with her during the event, mentioned that it’s become very uncommon for artists to publish art books in Japan nowadays, they’re usually only made for anniversaries or other special occasions. So when the news was out that there would be a Yondaime Ooyamato Tatsuyuki art book being released this year for her 11th debut anniversary (fun fact: it’s the 11th cuz everyone simply forgot last year LOL), I congratulated her and jokingly mentioned the many requests she’d gotten for it in Paris, to which she returned that those requests are actually the reason why this book was made! So heck yeah, more power to us ?

I feel like recently a few more BL artists have started releasing art books again, like the upcoming one for Given which just started as a TV anime on Crunchyroll, or the already released art book Mirror by Takarai Rihito, so I got curious and collected links to all the art books I could find.

Just click on the title on the image to get to the CDJapan product page!

BL (Boys Love) Creators: Amakute eros na sekai wo egaku 67 BL manga-ka

This one has illustrations of many many MANY many artists (67, to be exact), so I can’t list them all, but there’s art by Enzou (Mothers Spirit), Arii Memeko (Hitorijime My Hero), Ogeretsu Tanaka (Yarichin Bitch-bu) and Scarlet Beriko (Yondaime Ooyamato Tatsuyuki). A true gem.

Given Illustration Collection

The Given Illustration Collection by Kizu Natsuki, the original manga artist, will come out sometime in July 2019 just in time for the start of the anime!

Yondaime Ooyamato Tatsuyuki Premium Collection: Motsunabe to Regent

MTR, as Scarlet Beriko calls it, will contain a collection of illustrations from the manga and twitter and a bonus manga about Nozomi and Tatsuyuki doing the do ?

Yoneda Kou 10th anniversary fanbook

Earlier this year it was announced that Yoneda Kou’s current series, Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai or Twittering Birds Never Fly, will receive an anime movie adaption that will come out in Japan in winter 2019. The fanbook has illustrations of Saezuru and her previous works.

Doukyuusei (Classmates) Animation Visual Book

This one is hella pretty, just like the actual movie, so just believe when I tell you you won’t regret this purchase. Like, ever.

Doukyuusei (Classmates): Sotsugyo Album (revised and enlarged edition)

I just… I mean, Nakamura Asumiko… this thing is stuffed with illustrations from the manga, what else do I have to say?

Nakamura Asumiko – Otona no Nurie

Otona no Nurie is her first coloring book, featuring all new illustrations. Features a color illustration gallery, making-of color illustrations, and comments by the artist. Comes with dress-up doll.

Kii Kanna artbook: queue

This artbook came out at the same time as volume 4 of Harukaze no Ètranger just a few weeks before the Umibe no Ètranger anime movie will get released.

Takarai Rihito Illustration Book “Mirror”

Takarai Rihito had some major developments from her beginnings with Seven Days all the way to Ten Count, and this book documents them all. (And the cover design is hella pretty)

Nekota Yonezoh Art Work Book “Gaze”

This one doesn’t just have illustrations, it also has a bonus comic for Hidoku Shinaide!

Sakyo Aya Illustration Book “Kuroneko Zukan”

“Zukan” means picture book, illustrated reference book or field guide, so there will be a ton of Kuroneko, to say the least lol

Moegi Yu Illustration Book “Wedding Night”

Just like Nekota’s art book this one comes with a bonus story for Katekyo as well! Did you know that Nekota, Moegi and Panco. (Hinekure Chaser) are friends and regularly table together at doujin events?

Kumota Haruko Original Drawings

This art book contains illustrations for Fune wo Amu, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu and includes an A3 sized poster!

BANANA FISH illustration Book: ANGEL EYES [reprinted edition]

Originally released in 1994 the rare illustration book by BANANA FISH features new designs by Akimi Yoshida specially illustrated just for this release, unreleased illustration stories of Ash and Eiji’s summer in Cape Cod, front page collections, and memorial shots of Ash and Eiji.

BANANA FISH Official Guide Book: REBIRTH [Perfect Edition]

Includes a cover illustration gallery with cover illustrations from all 105 episodes and 2 reversible colored posters featuring rare illustrations. Note that this book includes spoilers on how the original story ends, so read the manga first!

BANANA FISH TV Anime Official Guide: Moment

Official guide book of the anime includes a story guide, character guide, art board collection and a B3 poster illustrated by Hayashi Akemi.

Yuri!!! on ICE SELECT BOOK

A select artwork book featuring 250 pages of animation cell and production art.

Tsurune – Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu Original Drawings

Tsurune isn’t exactly boys love but it’s still right up our alley, amirite?

Tsurune – Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu Illustration Works

Another piece of non-BL but you can never go wrong with anything KyoAni after all ?


If you know of any other recent BL art books, feel free to let me and everyone else know in the comments!


And I already got two suggestions by @minmayo8 and two more by @iamvassalady on Twitter, thank you so much!

Yuuutsu no Asa NOBLE COLORS SPECIAL BOOK

This artbook by Hidaka Shoko contains illustrations, a bonus paper collection, notes and TWO bonus stories, now that’s generous!

Danshi Zukan – Boys Art Illustrator File

Similar to the first artbook on this list, this one contains art of pretty boys by 66 different artists like Sachimo, Tamekou and Hasumi Hana!

Arii Memeko Illustration Works: MEMECO’S WONDERLAND

MEMECO’S WONDERLAND features “Hitorijime Boyfriend” and “Hitorijime My Hero” illustrations in color, other BL and NL stories in color, new illustrations and an interview.

Haruko Kumota BL Original Illustrations: Boy’s Life

As opposed to the mentioned above, this one contains almost 300 illustrations in color & monochrome for her BL works like Itoshi no Nekokke, Nobara and Shinjuku Lucky Hole, and more!

Keep them coming! (╯≧∇≦)╯︵ ┻━┻

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