Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new BoysLove manga from new-to-me author illustrator Billy Balibally. FANGS Volume 1 features a newly turned vampire finding the comfort and guidance he needs from an unexpected source: his Vamp liaison.

About the book:

Bitten by a vampire at a club, nineteen-year-old En barely survived. Taken under the wing of Ichii — a member of the health and welfare division of the vampire rights organization known as FANGS — En learns he’s to be taught about this new “world” he must survive in.

In order to control the urge to suck blood and attack innocents, FANGS established a “pairing system”, where two vampires support one another with regular meals. As a young, virginal vampire, En is highly sought after by many senior vamps. That is, until he declares his intention to pair with his guardian, Ichii…

My Review:

This was the first paranormal Boys’ Love manga I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. En is a 19 year old gay man who was turned to a vampire without his consent, something that truly troubles his new mentor in the Vamp society, Ichii. Ichii is hoping to pair En–a virgin and sexy with it–with a compassionate and stable partner, so they can provide years of companionship and blood-sharing, but En is not interested in any of the many men he’s presented at his first mixer. They may be sexy, but some seem pushy or entitles, and En has developed an affinity for Ichii, even if Ichii neither wants nor promotes this connection. 

Ichii is a good guy, volunteering with FANGS, a social group to help vampires meet their companionship or blood needs. He is attracted to En, but doesn’t want to exploit him. Well, En makes it clear that any of the other vampires he’d met would be exploiting him in any case, and at least he KNOWS Ichii, to some degree.  Throughout the story we meet several other vampires, some whom have open relationships, and others who do not want to replace a lost partner. I liked getting to know these characters, and expect that we will see more of them in the coming volumes.

As for this story, it’s an unexpectedly sweet when it is focused on Ichii and En. Ichii provides good humor while En is youthful, innocent and endearing. I really enjoyed the growing passion between the main characters, as well as how they cared for one another. There was a good level of maturity for most of the characters, some of whom are still young-looking despite being turned decades before. 

Expect a bit of steam between En and Ichii–and for it to be a little rough. The emotions were so evocative through the images and the words. I could really feel when someone was nervous, or concerned, or even depressed. It’s a glamorous society, and the characters are represented with grace and panache. If you are even a little interested in manga, this could be a good one the check out, since it’s the beginning of a series.

Interested? You can find FANGS Volume 1 on Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. I read a review copy provided via NetGalley.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!