Manga Review: On or Off Volume 2

After reading the first one, I had to start volume 2 of this series right away, and I can say I was not disappointed at all with all the drama and tension that was building up! On or Off, Volume 2, by A1, was as intense as it was entertaining from beginning to end. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 192 pages.
• Publisher: TokyoPop.
• Publication Date: December 20, 2022.
• Genres: Drama, Gay, Homoerotic, Romantic, Yaoi.
• Rating: 5 / 5 stars.
• Volume 1.

After joining his friend's startup, university student Ahn Yiyoung never imagined he'd end up presenting their work directly to SJ Corporation, a major company headed by one of the most sought-after talents in the country: Kang Daehyung. It certainly doesn't help that, on top of being a bigshot executive, strikingly handsome Director Kang is his ideal type!

When his presentation fails to go as planned, Yiyoung's desire to impress Director Kang leads him to take desperate measures... and lands him in a whole new mess, tangled up between his personal and professional relationships. How far is Yiyoung willing to go to achieve success in both his love life and his career?

This book contains explicit sexual content and mature themes, including situations involving dubious consent. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age.

This volume picks up in the same scene we were left on before. Yiyoung and Daehyung develop a different relationship after getting to know each other better, which means there's more character development than in the previous volume, and more, oh so much more drama! I swear I was going crazy with that plot, their interactions, even the dialogues. The whole thing leveled-up.

Of course the art got the same treatment, not only improving in quality but also becoming more risky, showcasing the characters in a more human, and also explicit, way. Both script and art complement each other, taking turns with the highlight, pushing and pulling, but for the most part it's a very balanced reading that makes you lose track of time.

Now that I now them better, too, I can say Yiyoung and Daehyung make a perfect couple. While their beginning was bitter and problematic, this time we see a better side of each: Yiyoung becomes more mature, without losing his childish, funny essence, and Daehyung lets us know about his kind side while maintaining the bad guy aura I love.

I honestly can't stress it enough. A1 did a great job with On or Off, Volume 2. Intense, dramatic, funny, with some baiting, and a cliffhanger ending that takes your breath away, I can't wait for you guys to read it. It's the kind of romance that blends reality with fairy tale with little to no effort. Do mark the date on the calendar so you won't miss it, and you'll thank me for it later!

Kinky regards, K!

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5 Divination Kickstarters I Like

Today's entry is a little different than usual. This is not a review or a comment or an article, but me being a total fanboy. I discovered the magic of Kickstarter a few months ago, and I've been looking at many things, finding projects, amazed at how creative and talented some people can be. While I can't support them all in a financial manner, I do want to do it in another way.

Here's a list of five witchcraft-related projects that I really like, some of which I can't support at the time, some of which I won't have the chance at all. To avoid any misunderstanding, I'm just listing them depending on how soon they'll end, so you might want to take the chance now if you want to for the first two or three!

The Eldritch Arcana, an anti-tarot & card-driven game system

Dare you consult our AI-engineered Lovecraftian oracle? A dark-hearted, tongue-in-throat prophesier & card game for misfortune tellers.

The Luminary Pendulum

Brass divining tool that harnesses the power of light to access your subconscious.

The Art of the Bound Tarot

Shibari influenced dark fantasy tarot deck and art book. Angels, demons and magi battle to be bound to fate. Enter.... The Bound Tarot.

Book of Whispers · Bibliomancy and Art Book by Cocorrina

Divination for book lovers. Foretell the future without tarot; just randomly open this book to receive your message!

Dark Reflections: Tarot Deck & Journal

Get to know yourself with this dark-themed Shadow Tarot Deck of opposites and accompanying Journal. Embrace your shadow self!

Kinky regards, K!

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Manga: Be My Love, My Lord

Guess what? I was planning on having a quick glance at this manga, I ended up waiting for the right time to finish it as soon as possible. It has the right amount of love and lust, with a light fantasy setting that made it irresistible. I'm talking about Be My Love, My Lord, by Adumi Nagano. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 210 pages.
• Publisher: TokyoPop.
• Expected Publication Date: March 14, 2023.
• Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Gay, Homoerotic, Romantic, Yaoi.
• Rating: 4 / 5 stars.

This is a world where humans keep beasts and beasts obey humans. Born as the second son of a well-known family, the lonely Reiji has always had his beastman servant, Tsubaki, as an irreplaceable presence since he was a child.

But one day his feelings turn to love, and Reiji playfully kisses Tsubaki, which invites his bestial lust. His sharp bite overflows with his own repressed feelings, but comes with a dark realization — they are different races, different castes. Can they overcome these hurdles and embrace their love?

This book contains sexual content and is intended for an audience aged 18 years and up.

Reiki and Tsubaki seems like your typical yaoi characters, but they quickly prove to be different. Reiji knows exactly what he wants, he's not afraid of asking for it, and Tsubaki can torture himself now and then, denying his feelings, but in the end he's that dominant lover who is impulsively sexy. These two make a great couple!

Of course the art couldn't be bad, so clean and filled soft lines, making it look adorable when it wasn't steamy, and the script is just as good, with tender scenes that make you smile and a surprise that I wasn't expecting. Time flies by while reading, you lose track of the hours, and it seems like you just started when you're done with it. Not. Fair. That's all I'm saying! 

Now, I would have liked more development, maybe a second volume, because the fantasy elements are left behind. The focus is on the romantic and erotic elements, which is great, but my fantasy vein felt neglected here! Things are settled in a simple way with not so much detail, but I still wanted to know more.

While it's true that I wanted more, I can't really complain, not when I was dreaming while immersed in Reiji and Tsubaki's love story. If you're into a good romance with light doses of drama and fantasy, this is a must-have then. Effective, addictive, and entertaining, I'm sure you'll be falling for these guys in no time when they hit the shelves!

Kinky regards, K!

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Poem: A Human Toy

Who am I when I close my eyes?

Who am I without my sight?

Am I a dreamer, am I a fool?

Am I the dream, or just a joke?

Every night I see my face,

I look for stars, I find a maze.

If I'm breathing, I am fine,

Answers elude me, and I'm alright.

A speck of dust in this play of life,

A single flame in a perfect rite.

I am nothing, I am a void,

I'm a jester, a human toy.

Use me, abuse me,

I'm nothing but a cutie.

Break me, take me,

Target of your hatred.

I'm a demon, all of hell,

I'm an angel, heaven itself.

I can shapeshift, I can hide,

I can heal, but also blast.

I am both and I am none,

I'm the origin, I'm the source,

I'm the graveyard, I'm my bones,

I'm all eyes, I'm made of rock.

And as my senses all decay,

As my body lies to rest,

Fire guides me, fire sees.

Fire knows what I must be.

• Poem: The Boy in Red
• Poem: The Boy in Blue
• Poem: The Boy in Green
• Poem: The Boy in Yellow
• Poem: The Boy in White
• Poem: The Boy in Black
• Poem: The Boy in Grey
• Poem: Star of Glass
• Poem: Purple Stars

PS: This will be the last poem I share in the blog. No particular reason, or maybe many, but for now, there will be no more.

Kinky regards, K!

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Reclaiming Power with a Bi Fire Circle

I just published my first ever Patreon post, and it felt so good, let me tell you! I had an experience a few days ago, I decided to let things flow, see what would happen, and I've felt wonderful since then. I'm glad it is the first post, to be honest, because it's a practice I'll start implementing more often.

Image by Gloria Williams from Pixabay.

Here's a small sneak peek in case you're wondering what it's about:

A few days ago I was meditating to control my nerves, put some order in my head, and stop whatever was going in my mind. I was under a lot of stress and anxiety, and, I won't lie, also frustrated for not writing here. When I started meditating, paying attention to my breathing, I pictured myself in a dark place, but something happened: I saw purple fire, Bi Fire, in my heart.

I know the descriptions might sound somewhat dramatic, but given that I listen to dramatic music that makes me feel all-mighty and powerful, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. Right now I'm listening to I Prevail's True Power, for example.

When I opened that Patreon, I wanted to make sure that it would be a place to share my personal experiences and ideas, but also invite people to give them a try. That's exactly what i kept in mind as I rote that first post and shared the details, and I hope you decide to give it a try.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the hype of the moment with you kuties, and hopefully persuade you to support me and subscribe. There's more content on the way! *wink wink*

Kinky regards, K!

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Manga Review: On or Off Volume 1

Do you know that moment when you're shocked to get back to the real world? Doesn't happen often, I bet, but I did happen recently to me when I started reading a cute, beautiful story, that made me smile again and again, get tense a bit as well, and almost scream in fanboy when I reached the ending: On or Off, Volume 1, by A1. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 288 pages.
• Publisher: TokyoPop.
• Publication Date: September 27, 2022.
• Genres: Drama, Gay, Homoerotic, Romantic, Yaoi.
• Rating: 5 / 5 stars.
• Volume 2.
• Volume 3.

After joining his friend's startup, university student Ahn Yiyoung never imagined he'd end up presenting their work directly to SJ Corporation, a major company headed by one of the most sought-after talents in the country: Kang Daehyung. It certainly doesn't help that, on top of being a bigshot executive, strikingly handsome Director Kang is his ideal type!

When his presentation fails to go as planned, Yiyoung's desire to impress Director Kang leads him to take desperate measures... and lands him in a whole new mess, tangled up between his personal and professional relationships. How far is Yiyoung willing to go to achieve success in both his love life and his career?

This book contains explicit sexual content and mature themes, including situations involving dubious consent. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age.

The idea was pretty simple, to be honest, and I wasn't that excited when I started reading, but I was in love with the story after a few pages, and learned to love the art as well a little after that. Yiyoung is charming, a beautiful character that expects the best, and so it was easy to identify with him for me. He's just plain adorable!

Kang, on the other hand, was a bit harder to accept as a good, positive character. He has a lot of flaws as a human, and I can see myself hating him from the beginning if we were to meet. However, as the story developed, I discovered that there's more to him that meets the eye, same with Yiyoung. They're both interesting, and while this first volume had no romance but a bitter beginning, I'm way too curious aboiut what will happen next.

I admit I was a bit alarmed by how these two got to meet each other, made me even a bit uncomfortable, but it's a story that takes risks without romanticizing abuse or control. In fact, it's a beautiful story about a young man giving his best for his friends, how he starts changing, and finds someone who might be more interesting that he thought.

Time flew me by while I was reading this, I swear. I was expecting to stay awake for a little more when I started, just some pages and then go to bed, but this got excellent in no time! The pace, the humor, the tension, the confusion, the push and pull... It was too good to stop! It was more than 1 AM when I was done with On or Off, Volume 1, and I regret absolutely nothing!

Kinky regards, K!

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Book Review: Visual Alchemy

There's one name that I always recommend when the topic of sigils comes up in any conversation, one witch that got me started in this path with a book so useful it remains one of my favorites. Sigil Witchery has remained a big influence in my sigilcraft process, so it only made sense to get the sequel and go deeper: Visual Alchemy: A Witch's Guide to Sigils, Art & Magic, by Laura Tempest Zakroff. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 240 pages.
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (October 8, 2022)
• Publication Date: October 8, 2022.
• Topics: Art, History, Mythology, Sigil, Witchcraft.
• Rating: 5 / 5 stars.

A follow-up to the bestseller Sigil Witchery, Visual Alchemy takes a deeper look at the extraordinary connection between art and magic. Laura Tempest Zakroff expands on her signature sigil witchery method, an accessible and intuitive approach to crafting effective sigils. She covers numerous topics, including how to connect to the artist within, draw inspiration to you, and easily incorporate art into your ritual practice. Visual Alchemy presents art magic in two parts: create and collaborate. You'll start with techniques for optimizing your creativity, such as crafting a personal symbolic language and solving problems with design concepts. You'll then explore magic that connects you with others, from sharing sigils to making public art. Featuring more than fifty shared magic sigils, this book empowers you to put aside fear and unleash the full potential of your imagination.

I admit that, at first, I had my doubts about this books. Sigil Witchery felt too complete and whole, and the idea of a follow-up wasn't that charming at the beginning. However, this a good complementary reading to know the details of how art and belief/religion/spirituality intertwine, understand the art-making process, and get a plenty of ideas on how to experiment, develop your own style.

As always, Tempest has a simple, clear style that does not neglect the details or descriptions. She goes straight to the point, making sure she's clear enough for any reader, and provides several examples of what she means or how her point can be applied in different ways. I found particularly useful, and it was almost a need because of the times we're living in right now, the section on ethics and that mention of the #BlackLivesMatters movement.

While it's true that it's mostly a theory book, I wasn't expecting a lot of exercises and prompts. Sigil Witchery has enough practice material for both, after all! That being said, there are some that are quite interesting, such as the drawing music exercise, my personal favorite, along with a few rituals regarding inspiration and creativity.

For me, anyone interested in sigils, maybe also the relationship between art and spirituality, will find this as an interesting book. There's a lot to talk about, a lot to consider, and while sigil crafting is a process as simple or as complex as one wants it to be, Visual Alchemy  gives you the information to decide on your own.

Kinky regards, K!

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Saying Bi: Why Does it Matter?

A few weeks ago I was speaking with one of my friends. He started making Youtube videos and came out publicly in social media. However, I had to ask him in private why he was just including the gay flag if he told me he was bisexual. At first, he just said that it was easier that way, and then, when he talked about it again because I was still confused, he told me "I'm not gonna make a video about how women make me hard, I mean, please".

"The common idea of bisexuality doesn't match what bisexuality actually is." Source.

I couldn't help but wonder what was the actual meaning of this phrase. Was he in denial? Not really. He speaks about it naturally with me, maybe not with others. So maybe it's privacy, but then he has shared some revealing pictures here and there and opened up about homophobic events he experienced.

The only explanation that was left is that he may not think it is necessary to have someone speaking bisexuality, that speaking about gay rights is more important. If that's the case, then is it really so? Because I think it's quite the opposite.

While it's true that we need to say gay, we also need to say bi. There has been a lot of works towards sexodiversity and queer rights, but a big portion of that has gone towards gay, lesbian, and trans people, which is ironic, because some studies ("Understanding Bisexuality", 2017) suggest that:

"Bisexual people may comprise the largest single group in the LGB community for both women and men. Nevertheless, many believe that bisexuality does not really exist, and bisexual people suffer bi-invisibility or erasure and bi-negativity from both the lesbian and gay community and the heterosexual community, which may explain evidence suggesting higher rates of health disparities bisexuals experience compared to either."

When I remember that conversation with my friend, I go back to my childhood, to that kid who knew he some guys were pretty but that he couldn't say that, the 8 years old boy who knew he liked boys and girls just the same, the 11 years old who learned about the B word, the 13 years old who wouldn't miss A Shot of Love with Tile Tequila because he saw someone he could relate to (I won't comment on that woman for now).

I remember when I was alone and wanted something or someone I could look at and say "I'm not the only one, there are others like me". I haven't seen particularly many examples of bisexuality in the media, which is a shame and something we need to work on. Dr. Nora Madison, a media professor at Chestnut Hill College (Jones, 2020), agrees with me:

"The more people are exposed to a variety of sexualities, especially in positive or affirming contexts, the more opportunities individuals have to figure their own identities out as well as broaden their viewpoints about others".

Another reason to say Bi: I couldn't find another image about bisexuality than this one on Pixabay.

I've been thinking about that single phrase for a time, considering what it could mean and why it bothered me so much. It was finally clear when I started working on this post: here was a man who knew what he was doing, with talent and passion for his work, a bisexual like me, slowly building-up a public, and he was just speaking gay topics.

Some may say "but you're half gay, right?". Er, no. I'm not half anything. I'm a whole bisexual person. The struggles and needs of gay people may be similar to those of bi's, but they are not the same. I knew it when I felt frustrated and wished I could just be straight or gay, so it would me simpler, when I first spoke with my parents about it and they asked me how I could be sure, when my mom asked me if I even liked women to begin with, when my now-boyfriend felt disrespected because I said I liked men and women in front of him.

People don't understand bisexuality, they think it's something, and it might be closer to what they thought before, because I'm not denying whatever progress there has been, but the common idea of bisexuality doesn't match what bisexuality actually is.

While it's true that I love gay porn (and would love to interview some actors), gay books, comics, movies, and so on, I also like lesbian, straight, trans content, and I crave for bisexual more than any other. It may be another reason why I stopped reviewing porn, too.

It may make me a poser to some degree, but I want to create and do things that can help fix this. I want to write stories about bi characters, do articles about bisexuality, share the content of bisexual people, and daydream about making someone's life easier the way mine was when I was first exposed to bisexuality in that hideous woman's show, and do it better, since we're at it.

References:

• Jones, Z. (2020). Where does the media's portrayal of bisexuality go from here?. Retrieved 4 October 2022, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bi-visibility-day-media-bisexuality-portrayal/
• Understanding Bisexuality. (2017). Retrieved 4 October 2022, from https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/bisexual

Kinky regards, K!

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