👨‍❤️‍👨 BL Book Club 🎓 BL University 📚

Generally, series tend to follow a narrative that continues through subsequent volumes. However, some do not, and act more like collections connected by theme, any of which can be read as standalone books (anthology series, for example).

Which volumes in a series should be eligible for nomination?
  • The first volume only
  • Any volume that can be read as a standalone
0 voters
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I thought about nominating this one as well!!!

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So I recently watched Shin Godzilla with omk3 on Discord and it was a lot of fun to have someone to chat with while watching. Keeping in mind that I probably can’t accommodate all time zones would there be interest in doing watch parties for any shows/movies I happen to have access to?

Relevant to the club I know I have access to

メタモルフォーゼの縁側 | L23?? (About an old woman and a young girl bonding over their shared love of BL, I haven’t finished this but what I have seen it’s ~L25)
さんかく窓の外側は夜 | L28 (the manga is way gayer than the movie tbh, but the movie is fun)
おっさんずラブ S1 | L29 (very fun and silly)
おっさんずラブ ―in the sky― S1 | L30?? (basically an airplane centered remake of the above)
30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい S1 | L24 (I have season 1 only, don’t think I finished it)
腐女子、うっかりゲイに告る S1 | L30?? (a fujoushi befriends a closested gay guy, I think I only watched the first episode?)
おじさんはカワイイものがお好き。 S1 | L26 (this one is a total tease, but the :sparkles: vibes :sparkles: are all there)

Some of these will have JP subs, some will have nothing, I don’t think I have Eng subs for any.

I don’t really want to nominate any of these because it’d be pretty ad-hoc based on my schedule, @bibliothecary if this doesn’t seem appropriate to mention here please let me know and I’ll remove the post.

6 Likes

Nice idea! :smile:

As the majority wanted to keep this a book club, it might be fun to have a sister brother club for BL tv series and movies. It could just be a casual club to share the watch party times, and possibly act as a discussion hub for those who can’t join the live stream but watch on their own and want to share their thoughts.

Now, let me just add all those titles to my wish list… :rofl:

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there is a sequal coming which I am curious about. BL series are so cringe, they are fun to watch in groups. :rofl:

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When it comes to each new round of nominations, there are a couple of options:

  • Start fresh with each new nomination cycle
    • People can (re)nominate1 whichever titles they want2.
    • The nomination period will likely last longer.
    • More likely to have fresh titles in every cycle.
  • Carry over the previous cycle’s nominations2
    • No need to renominate.
    • The waiting period would mean those who have submissions carry over to the next round must wait a week after the new round of nominations opens if they want to submit further nominations.
    • If you’re no longer interested in reading a title you previously nominated (if you read it yourself, for example), you’re more interested in another book and don’t want to have to wait to nominate, or there are a small number of slots left, you would have to request to cancel your original nomination.

1. Renomination can be as simple as posting “Nominate [link to original nomination]”, or quoting/copy-pasting the original nomination.
2. Excluding the winning book and any disqualified titles.

Should non-winning titles automatically roll over to the next nomination cycle?
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

We’ve already had several polls, I know. Expect more over the next month or two until we’ve covered all the bases. :sweat_smile:

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I voted yes, mostly for convenience, but it would be interesting to participate in a club that wiped nominations every time. :thinking:

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Yeah, there are pros and cons for each - convenience is a big pro for nominations carrying over. On the other hand, I’ve got plenty of books I could nominate, as I’m sure others do, and fresh nominations each time could make things more interesting (…with the added benefit of a fast-growing wish list)! :laughing:

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Why not copy the technique from WK book clubs of eliminating the least voted for options? The bottom 3-5 nominations could get eliminated and people can renominate them if they feel strongly enough about it.

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I do have a poll for that waiting in the wings! :rofl:

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I voted no just for this reason - it may be interesting if the selection is always fresh! :blush:

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Finally, an exam worth studying for! :triumph:

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I found a novel that I’m buying that looks like a food/cooking BL (the cover drew me in immediately; I have a weakness for food/cooking BLs), but I’m not sure it actually is one since Amazon has it under “Literature and Criticism,” but it definitely has those vibes, just from the concept and the preview (early-30s ophthalmologist suddenly has his archery club kouhai from high school who’s now an author move in because he’s in a slump, and I guess it’s about them leading a comfortable domestic life and eating various foods throughout the year). Am I allowed to nominate it, or are we sticking to Actual BLs only?

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I think anything that includes male main characters that have a romantic and/or sexual relationship is fine for now, even if it’s not specifically marketed as “BL”. :slightly_smiling_face:

If anyone has any thoughts about my (vague :sweat_smile:) guidelines above or the type of content acceptable as nominations, free to share - I’m sure I can make a poll or two if need be! :laughing:

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One review I found starts off with “主人公たちが恋愛を意識してすらいないのでBL未満で感じですね。かといって非BLとも言い切れない近すぎる二人の空気感.” So they don’t have a romantic relationship, it just gives off BL vibes.

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There are a few nominations already that are not marketed as BL, so that was my understanding of the club definition anyway :rofl:

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Perhaps a quick straw poll, then:

Which type of nominations would you prefer be accepted?
  • Anything that has BL vibes (bromance, suggestive)
  • Only content that is unambiguously BL
0 voters
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I don’t mind something not giving me complete on page BL (i.e. kissing/sex) but I do think it’s worth noting in the nomination, because people might go in with the wrong expectations. (Looking at you 宝石商リチャード氏の謎鑑定 | L34 :eyes:)

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What is this novel? It sounds really nice!

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I am guessing:

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