Review: THE RUTHLESS COMMANDER AND HIS REINCARNATED WARHORSE

 There's still not a lot of BL isekai out there, but this particular one stands out by virtue of having one of the wackiest premises I've seen.

THE RUTHLESS COMMANDER AND HIS REINCARNATED WARHORSE (Shouwaru Boukun Kishu to Nagasare Senba), based on the light novel by Sakashima with art by Nomoto Narita.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2023.

PLOT:

Deep in a forest, a young foal is born.  Once he was a modern-day Japanese man, but now he's enjoying the freedom and simplicity of life as a horse.  Then one day he encounters Lieutenant Commander Felix, a strict but handsome young soldier.  Felix takes this horse (now named Aleksei) for himself, and Aleksei commits himself to becoming his loyal steed.  When the two are attacked by bandits, Aleksei undergoes a strange transformation that allows the two to become closer than ever before.

Review: A FOREIGN LOVE AFFAIR

It's time once more for me to dive into my boxes of BL and find a fresh new handful to talk about this Pride month.  We'll start off simple with an early work from a familiar name.

A FOREIGN LOVE AFFAIR (Iroku Iroku Romantan), by Ayano Yamane.  First published in 2003 and first published in North America in 2008.

PLOT:

On a luxury cruise in the Mediterranean, the young yakuza heir Ranmaru Ohmi is supposed to be enjoying an Italian honeymoon with the daughter of a rival family.  Instead he's picking fights with everyone on the ship, from his new wife to random passengers.  It's up to cruise captain (and secret Japanophile) Alberto Valentiano to keep the peace.  He's instantly smitten with both Ranmaru's looks and insistence on wearing kimonos, and he swiftly seduces Ranmaru.  The two are reunited when Ranmaru goes missing, but that's just the beginning of their truly tumultuous love affair.